Hepatitis B virus reactivation in kidney transplant patients with resolved hepatitis B virus infection: Risk factors and the safety and efficacy of preemptive therapy.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation is associated with complications and adverse outcomes in patients with clinically resolved HBV infection who are seronegative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag), and seropositive for hepatitis B core antibody (HBc Ab) and/or hepatitis B surface antibody (HBs Ab) before kidney transplantation (KT).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 52 patients with resolved HBV infection who were HBV-DNA negative. HBV-DNA after KT was evaluated, and the occurrence of HBV reactivation and outcomes were monitored.

Relative hypophosphatemia early after transplantation is a predictor of good kidney graft function.

Background: Phosphate level is a potent independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. The association between hypophosphatemia and kidney function in kidney transplant patients is uncertain.

Methods: In total, 90 kidney transplant recipients were divided into two groups: one group of patients with hypophosphatemia and the other group without hypophosphatemia.

Kidney transplantation for treatment of end-stage kidney disease after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: case series and literature review.

Background: The safety of kidney transplantation (KT) for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for haematological disease has not been investigated thoroughly.

Methods: In this retrospective multicentre study, we investigated the clinical courses of six ESKD patients that received KT after HSCT for various haematological diseases. Data for six such patients were obtained from three institutions in our consortium.

Thrombotic microangiopathy associated with anticardiolipin antibody in a kidney transplant recipient with polycythemia.

Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) develops from various etiologies, and it is often difficult to distinguish the etiology of TMA in kidney transplantation. Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is one of the differential diagnoses for TMA that may cause acute loss of graft function or fatal thrombotic complications. This report details a 66-year-old male patient with polycythemia after ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation.

The potential role of perivascular lymphatic vessels in preservation of kidney allograft function.

Background: Lymphangiogenesis occurs in diseased native kidneys and kidney allografts, and correlates with histological injury; however, the clinical significance of lymphatic vessels in kidney allografts is unclear.

Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed 63 kidney transplant patients who underwent protocol biopsies. Lymphatic vessels were identified by immunohistochemical staining for podoplanin, and were classified according to their location as perivascular or interstitial lymphatic vessels.

Temporal serum creatinine increase and exacerbation of tubulointerstitial inflammation during the first two months in resolving polyomavirus BK nephropathy.

Aim: Polyomavirus BK nephropathy (BKVN) is an important complication in kidney transplantation. After immunosuppressive agents are reduced, some patients experience a temporal increase in serum creatinine (sCr) before viral clearance. The histological characteristics of re-biopsies were therefore investigated to evaluate the time course of remission.

[Examination of UGT1A1 polymorphisms and irinotecan-induced neutropenia in patients with Colorectal cancer].

Irinotecan is an effective drug in the treatment of colorectal cancer. However, there are reports of an association between certain UGT1A1 genetic polymorphisms and the development of adverse reactions(such as neutropenia)related to irinotecan metabolism. We retrospectively investigated UGT1A1 genetic polymorphisms and the occurrences of irinotecan-induced neutropenia in 25 patients of colorectal cancer at our hospital.

Pancreas transplantation: a single-institution experience in Japan.

Purpose: We herein report our experience with pancreas transplantation in 26 patients at a single institution in Japan between August 2001 and December 2011.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 26 pancreas transplantations performed in our institute.

Results: The early complications (within 2 weeks) included one graft venous thrombosis, one arterial thrombosis, and two reoperations for bleeding.

One-year follow-up of treatment with once-daily tacrolimus in de novo renal transplant.

Objectives: The once-daily prolonged-release formulation of tacrolimus (tacrolimus QD) is expected to demonstrate equivalent efficacy and safety to the twice-daily formulation (tacrolimus BID). We reviewed the 1-year outcomes of tacrolimus QD in de novo renal transplant.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed 50 de novo renal transplant patients assigned in a nonrandomized fashion to either tacrolimus QD (n=23, historic control group) or tacrolimus BID (n=27).

Treatment of arteriovenous shunts after renal transplantation.

Purpose: Immunosuppressive drugs have improved the results of renal transplantation dramatically in recent years; however, there is still no consensus on the treatment of arteriovenous (A-V) shunts after successful transplantation. We evaluated the treatment of A-V shunts after transplantation.

Methods: We reviewed all patients who underwent shunt closure at our hospital between 2005 and 2007 assessing surgical methods, operative time, blood loss, and complications.