High RIPK3 expression is associated with a higher risk of early kidney transplant failure.

Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is associated with reduced allograft survival, and each additional hour of cold ischemia time increases the risk of graft failure and mortality following renal transplantation. Receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3) is a key effector of necroptosis, a regulated form of cell death. Here, we evaluate the first-in-human RIPK3 expression dataset following IRI in kidney transplantation.

Donor organ distribution according to urgency of need or outcome maximization in liver transplantation. A questionnaire survey among patients and medical staff.

Low donor rates in Germany cause a trade-off between equity in the distribution of chances for survival and efficiency in dead-donor liver transplantation. Public attitudes concerning the principles that should govern organ allocation are of interest. We performed a questionnaire-based study among patients and medical staff.

Native ureteropyelostomy: an effective therapy for urinary tract complications following kidney transplantation.

Background: Urinary tract complications are relevant sources of morbidity and mortality after kidney transplantation. Incidence is reported within 3-14% in recent studies. Secondary ureteropyelostomy using the native ureter is a surgical option to treat severe urinary tract complications after kidney transplantation.

Extended pancreas donor program - the EXPAND study rationale and study protocol.

Background: Simultaneous pancreas kidney transplantation (SPK), pancreas transplantation alone (PTA) or pancreas transplantation after kidney (PAK) are the only curative treatment options for patients with type 1 (juvenile) diabetes mellitus with or without impaired renal function. Unfortunately, transplant waiting lists for this indication are increasing because the current organ acceptability criteria are restrictive; morbidity and mortality significantly increase with time on the waitlist. Currently, only pancreas organs from donors younger than 50 years of age and with a body mass index (BMI) less than 30 are allocated for transplantation in the Eurotransplant (ET) area.

Liver transplantation for neuroendocrine tumors in Europe-results and trends in patient selection: a 213-case European liver transplant registry study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess outcomes and indications in a large cohort of patients who underwent liver transplantation (LT) for liver metastases (LM) from neuroendocrine tumors (NET) over a 27-year period.

Background: LT for NET remains controversial due to the absence of clear selection criteria and the scarcity and heterogeneity of reported cases.

Methods: This retrospective multicentric study included 213 patients who underwent LT for NET performed in 35 centers in 11 European countries between 1982 and 2009.

Sexual and relationship functioning before and after renal transplantation: a descriptive study with patients and partners.

Objective: Many patients experience problems with sexual functioning after renal transplantation (RTx). Research on the sexual functioning of the partners of those patients and the consequences for relationship satisfaction and quality of life is lacking. This study sought to explore changes in sexual and relationship functioning from before to after RTx in patients and their partners.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT II) in liver transplant recipients: a retrospective multivariate analysis of prognostic factors.

We investigated the prevalence of HIT II in liver transplant recipients and analysed associated factors. In recipients with clinically suspected HIT II in the 4Ts pretest clinical scoring system HIPA-assay was performed. Next, 37 clinical variables were analysed retrospectively for their association with HIT II.

Neither mycophenolate acyl-glucuronide levels nor their areas under the curve are responsible for the gastrointestinal side effects in kidney transplant recipients receiving EC-MPA: a prospective trial.

Introduction: Since previous in vitro studies suspected the metabolite mycophenolate acyl-glucuronide (AcMPAG) to be responsible for the gastrointestinal side effects, we examined the correlation between AcMPAG blood levels and patient gastrointestinal satisfaction inquiries using a standardized, validated questionnaire.

Patients And Methods: We enrolled 63 renal transplant patients, however, two discontinued the study and 16 were excluded because of inadequate completion of the questionnaires or missing blood values or discontinuation of enteric coated mycophenolic acid (EC-MPA) therapy, severe side effects or viral infections. The final responses of 45 people were subjects to statistical analysis.

Microsurgical technique of simultaneous pancreas/kidney transplantation in the rat: clinical experience and review of the literature.

Background: For experimental basic research, standardized transplantation models reflecting technical and immunologic aspects are necessary. This article describes an experimental model of combined pancreas/kidney transplantation (PKTx) in detail.

Materials And Methods: Donor rats underwent en bloc pancreatectomy and nephrectomy.

Graft preconditioning with low-dose tacrolimus (FK506) and nitric oxide inhibitor aminoguanidine (AGH) reduces ischemia/reperfusion injury after liver transplantation in the rat.

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a main cause of primary dysfunction or non-function after liver transplantation (LTx). Recent evidence indicates that an increase in nitric oxide (NO) production after LTx is associated with I/R injury. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that low-dose FK506 in combination with aminoguanidine (AGH), which leads to a reduction of NO levels, has a protective effect by reducing I/R associated injury after LTx.

The influence of retrograde reperfusion on the ischaemia-/reperfusion injury after liver transplantation in the rat.

Dysfunction of the graft after liver transplantation caused by ischaemia-/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a serious clinical problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different kinds of reperfusion on I/R injury in a rat model. Arterialized orthoptic rat liver treatment was performed on male LEWIS-(RT(1))-rats.

The effect of selective inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase on cytochrome P450 after liver transplantation in a rat model.

Background: Activity levels of cytochrome P450 (CYP) provide markers for liver function and graft rejection episodes after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Some in vitro studies have shown decreased CYP activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in rejecting liver grafts. The aim of this study was to evaluate CYP isoenzyme activity changes in vivo and to examine histopathologic aspects during inhibition of iNOS after treatment with aminoguanidine (AG) using OLT in the rat.

Nitric oxide inhibition and consecutive Aspisol application show a prolonged survival of orthotopic transplanted livers in a rat model.

Background: It is generally accepted that nitric oxide (NO) plays a crucial role in acute rejection caused by inflammatory responses. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect on survival following arterialized orthotopic rat liver transplantations (o-RLTx) of NO inhibition and consequent blockade of platelet aggregation by application of Aspisol.

Materials And Methods: Inbred LEWIS-(RT(1)) rats underwent arterialized o-RLTx under ether anesthesia with DA-(RT1av1) rats as organ donors.

Noninvasive therapy of incidental de novo renal cell carcinoma in a kidney allograft 12 years after transplantation: report of a case and review of literature.

Background: Immunosuppressive therapy increases the incidence of posttransplantation cancer. Primary renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents 4.6% of all cancers in transplant recipients.

Seronegative Herpes simplex Associated Esophagogastric Ulcer after Liver Transplantation.

Herpes simplex infection is characterized by acute or subacute infection, often followed by a chronic carrier state. Consecutive recurrences may flare up if immunocompromise occurs. Herpes simplex associated esophagitis or duodenal ulcer have been reported in immunocompromised patients due to neoplasm, HIV/AIDS or therapeutically induced immune deficiency.

High-risk constellation in living renal transplantation.

There is only limited information about recipient risk factors for graft survival in living- donor kidney transplantation. This study aimed to investigate prognostic factors and their impact on living-related and unrelated renal transplant recipients. From October 2000 until October 2004, 81 adult living-related renal transplantations were performed at our institution.

Efficacy of conventional immunosuppressive therapy in related and unrelated living renal transplantation.

The application of antibody induction therapy in adult living-related kidney transplantation remains under discussion. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcome of living-related (LRT) and unrelated renal transplant recipients (LURT) using standardized immunosuppressive protocols. From October 2000 to October 2004, 72 adult LRT (TX) were performed at our institution.

Impact of disseminated tumor cells in gastrointestinal cancer.

The detection of epithelial cells by sensitive immunological and molecular methods in blood, lymph nodes or bone marrow of gastrointestinal cancer patients may open a new approach to clinical metastasis research. The phenotypic and genomic characterization of these cells is of great value in the prediction of the further course of the disease and the monitoring of response to treatment. In addition, the role of ultrastaging in blood, lymph nodes and bone marrow of cancer patients for the indication of multimodal therapy is discussed in this review.

Donor transmitted anaplastic carcinoma in a kidney-transplant recipient.

With the more frequent use of organs from elderly donors, the risk of transmitting tumor cells to the recipient increases. We report a case in which anaplastic carcinoma tumor cells from an organ-donor were transmitted to a kidney transplantation recipient. The donor's metastatic disease was discovered 7 days after harvest of the kidney following a brain biopsy undertaken at admission of the donor.

Prognostic impact of CK-20-positive cells in peripheral venous blood of patients with gastrointestinal carcinoma.

Despite curative tumor resection, about 30%-50% of patients with locally advanced gastrointestinal (GI) carcinoma develop tumor recurrence which may be caused by pre- or intraoperative tumor cell dissemination. We examined the combination of optimized density gradient centrifugation with a CK-20 reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to detect and quantify circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood. Peripheral venous blood (20 ml) of patients with GI carcinomas was collected during primary tumor staging before and after the endoscopy procedure.