Publications by authors named "Stefanie Thissen"

Purposes: Outcomes following lung transplantation are limited by bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). As the number of circulating regulatory T cells (Treg) is lower in lung recipients with BOS than in stable lung recipients, we hypothesized that Treg is also correlated with lung function in the early post-transplantation period.

Methods: This prospective study included 18 consecutive patients whose lung function parameters were recorded 3 weeks and 3 months after transplantation, between February and July 2007.

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Background: This study was designed to analyze the role of postoperative donor cell chimerism for the induction and maintenance of transplantation tolerance in a porcine lung transplantation model.

Methods: Left-sided single lung transplantation from major histocompatibility mismatched male donors was performed in 27 female minipigs. All received a 28-day course of pharmacologic immunosuppression using various agents, some in combination with preoperative irradiation.

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There is very limited published information testifying to the safety and possible complications of cell-based therapies. Accurately assessing the potential risks of translating novel, cell-based immunosuppressive protocols into clinical trials is therefore extremely difficult. This report describes the use of a pulmonary allograft model in outbred miniature pigs as a preliminary step in the development of a safe, clinically feasible, cell-based immunosuppressive protocol.

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Background: A simplified conditioning protocol including single-dose preoperative thymic and low-dose whole body irradiation with or without subsequent donor bone marrow transplantation (BMTx) can be applied in porcine lung transplantation. We hypothesized that this protocol would prolong allograft survival.

Methods: Left-sided single lung transplantation from major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-mismatched donors was performed in 27 minipigs.

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