Is peri-transplant blood transfusion associated with worse transplant outcomes? A retrospective study.

Background: Blood transfusion is common during the peri-transplantation period. The incidence of immunological reactions to blood transfusion after kidney tran splantation and their consequences on graft outcomes have not been extensively studied.

Aim: To examine the risk of graft rejection and loss in patients who received blood transfusion in the immediate peri-transplantation period.

The role of plasma exchange in treating post-transplant focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 77 case-reports and case-series.

Background: Evidence on the role of plasma exchange for treating recurrent post-transplant focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) comes largely from individual cases and uncontrolled series. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the remission rate after treatment with plasma exchange, and to determine if remission varied with patient or treatment characteristics.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Science Citation Index Expanded, and the Conference Proceedings Citation Index (Science and BIOSIS) for studies of patients with post-transplant recurrent FSGS who were treated with plasma exchange after recurrence (1950-2012).