Living related liver transplantation for polycystic liver disease.

Polycystic liver disease (PCLD) is a rare inherited disorder, often associated with polycystic disease of the kidney. Although liver failure is unusual, some patients suffer from hepatic enlargement associated with severe complications such as abdominal distention, cachexia and dyspnea. Until recently, many surgical attempts had been made to reduce hepatic size, however, results have been unsatisfactory [3, 9, 10].

The ACE inhibitor, quinapril, ameliorates peritoneal fibrosis in an encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis model in mice.

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a serious complication of patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. In the present study, the inhibitory effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, quinapril, on the peritoneal fibrosis was examined in an experimental EPS model in mice. C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups.

Successful A1-to-O ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation after a preconditioning regimen consisting of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody infusions, splenectomy, and double-filtration plasmapheresis.

Background: ABO-incompatible kidney transplantations require the anti-ABO antibody titer to be reduced to below 1:16 before transplantation. To achieve this, preoperative plasma exchange or double-filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) is usually performed. We report a case of an ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation in which preoperative DFPP failed to reduce the anti-ABO antibody titer to below 1:16.

Xenoantigen, an alphaGal epitope-expression construct driven by the hTERT-promoter, specifically kills human pancreatic cancer cell line.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported the usefulness of the alphaGal epitope as a target molecule for gene therapy against cancer. To induce cancer cell specific transcription of the alphaGal epitope, an expression vector which synthesizes the alphaGal epitope under the control of a promoter region of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), NK7, was constructed. METHODS: NK7 was transfected into a human pancreatic carcinoma cell line, MIA cells, and telomerase-negative SUSM-1 cells served controls.

Kidney transplantation after liver transplantation from the same donor: four cases of successful steroid withdrawal.

Background: Administration of corticosteroids to kidney recipients has hampered the complete clinical success of kidney transplantation. Because most organ transplantation in Japan is living-related, we had the experience of performing kidney transplantation (KT) after liver transplantation (LT) from the same donor in four patients and successfully withdrew corticosteroid administration.

Methods: Three pediatric and one adult patient received kidney allografts from 3 to 10 months after LT from the same donor.

Effective oral administration of tacrolimus in renal transplant recipients.

Background: Tacrolimus is usually administered orally based on mg/kg or the trough concentration (Cmin) in whole blood. However, it is not easy to determine the optimal oral dose because of considerable variation of tacrolimus bioavailability between patients. In this study, pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus in various conditioning kidney transplant recipients was investigated.

Increased frequency of ATM mutations in breast carcinoma patients with early onset disease and positive family history.

Background: An increased incidence of breast carcinoma has been reported among relatives of individuals who are affected with the rare recessive disorder, ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), and who are heterozygous for mutations in the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene. However, most studies of breast carcinoma cases from the general population have failed to find a higher incidence of ATM mutations in cases when compared with controls.

Methods: Genomic DNA samples from 258 individuals were screened for mutations of all types in each of the 62 coding exons of the ATM gene; 142 of these were from breast carcinoma cases with a first-degree family history or early age at diagnosis, 35 were from cases selected for the presence of either known disease-related mutations (n = 25) or missense alterations of unknown consequences (n = 10) in BRCA1 or BRCA2, and 81 were from matched controls.

An experimental sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis model in mice.

Background: Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP) is a life-threatening complication of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. To elucidate the mechanism and develop treatments for this condition, an experimental SEP model in mice was constructed.

Methods: C57BL/6 mice were administered 0.

Parental pediatric corticosteroid preferences.

Corticosteroids are often prescribed in the acute care management of asthma. Prednisolone can be administered intramuscularly (IM) or orally in 2 different concentrations. This study evaluated parental preference for three prednisolone preparations based on the route of administration, taste, and volume required.

Anti-AB titer changes in patients with ABO incompatibility after living related kidney transplantations: survey of 101 cases to determine whether splenectomies are necessary for successful transplantation.

Background: A shortage of organ donors for transplantation has become a serious problem throughout the world. To overcome this problem, transplantations across ABO blood barriers have been performed with some success. In general, however, the graft survival rate for transplantation with ABO incompatibility is lower than that of transplantation with ABO compatibility.

Can cytokines be removed by hemofiltration or hemoadsorption?

To study the removability of pro-inflammatory cytokines by hemofiltration (HF), we performed experimental HF with various high-flux membranes (HFM) using a closed circuit system filled with monocyte-free human plasma, which contained TNFalpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6. Plasma and filtrate samples were taken before and 1, 2, 3, and 4 hours after the initiation of HF, and each cytokine was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. IL-1beta was well removed through filtration during experimental HF using HFM (PAN>CTA>PMMA>PS).

Remission of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy following highly active antiretroviral therapy in a patient with HIV infection.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease resulting from lytic infection of oligodendrocytes by the papovavirus JC (JCV). PML has also been recognized as an AIDS-defining illness. The incidence of PML has increased since 1987 and it occurs in up to 4% of patients with AIDS.

Bioartificial endocrine pancreas (Bio-AEP) for treatment of diabetes: effect of implantation of Bio-AEP on the pancreas.

Recently, we described a diffusion chamber for a bioartificial endocrine pancreas (Bio-AEP). Pancreatic islet cells in the Bio-AEP device were isolated from the immune system of the host by an artificial barrier, while nutrients, electrolytes, oxygen, and bioactive secretory products were exchanged across this barrier. This experiment was designed to evaluate whether the diffusion chamber could be useful as a Bio-AEP in the treatment of diabetes.

Splicing defects in the ataxia-telangiectasia gene, ATM: underlying mutations and consequences.

Mutations resulting in defective splicing constitute a significant proportion (30/62 [48%]) of a new series of mutations in the ATM gene in patients with ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) that were detected by the protein-truncation assay followed by sequence analysis of genomic DNA. Fewer than half of the splicing mutations involved the canonical AG splice-acceptor site or GT splice-donor site. A higher percentage of mutations occurred at less stringently conserved sites, including silent mutations of the last nucleotide of exons, mutations in nucleotides other than the conserved AG and GT in the consensus splice sites, and creation of splice-acceptor or splice-donor sites in either introns or exons.

[Current status and future prospect of pancreas and islet transplantation].

As of November 1997, 9,891 pancreas transplantation were reported to the International Pancreas Transplant Registry. In the United States, for all 1994-97, SPK, PAK, and PTA transplants, one-year graft survival rates were 82%, 71%, and 62%, respectively. The 1994-97 pancreas survival rates in all categories were higher than in previous eras.

[Organ transplant network in Japan: current status and its role].

The Role of Organ Transplant Network are the encouragement of the organ transplantation and fair organ sharing. Its principled are united, neutral open and nonprofit organization, so as to secure the fair and quick organ sharing based on the uniform allocation policy. Japan Kidney Transplant Network was established in 1995 nad reorganized into multi-organ sharing network, Japan Organ Transplant Network in 1997, when Japan Organ transplant Act was enacted.