Background: Little is known about the safety of steroid withdrawal after ABO blood group-incompatible living donor kidney transplantation.
Methods: Between September 2005 and November 2007, a total of 15 patients were successfully transplanted over the blood group barrier in our transplantation centers. Similarly to transplant recipients with normal immunological risk, we aimed to taper and eventually stop oral prednisone because of the well-known negative impact of steroids on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, which in turn is limiting graft survival.
Results: Up to now, patient and graft survival is 100% after a median follow-up of 839 days (range, 513-1281 days). On the basis of serial protocol biopsies, late steroid withdrawal could successfully be performed in only 5 of 11 patients. Nevertheless, the remaining 6 patients showed histologic signs of mild and subclinical acute rejection shortly after complete withdrawal or even during steroid tapering.
Conclusions: With this elevated risk of at least subclinical acute rejection after late steroid withdrawal, we propose that steroid withdrawal in ABO blood group-incompatible kidney graft recipients should only be performed after a protocol biopsy showing normal tissue and together with a thorough clinical and in doubtful cases also histologic follow-up.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/TP.0b013e3181c9cc67 | DOI Listing |
Ann Rheum Dis
January 2025
Rheumatology Center, Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France.
Objectives: To compare two strategies-a hydrocortisone replacement strategy and a prednisone tapering strategy-for their success in glucocorticoid discontinuation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with low disease activity (LDA).
Methods: The Strategies for glucocorticoid TApering in Rheumatoid arthritis (STAR) study was a double- blind, double-placebo randomised controlled trial including patients with RA receiving a stable dose of glucocorticoid 5 mg/day for ≥3 months and were in LDA for ≥3 months. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either replace prednisone with 20 mg/day of hydrocortisone for 3 months, then reduce to 10 mg/day for 3 months before discontinuation or to taper prednisone by 1 mg/day every month until complete discontinuation, contingent on maintaining LDA.
Sci Rep
January 2025
Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Menstrual pain affects women's quality of life and productivity, yet objective molecular markers for its severity have not been established owing to the variability in blood levels and chemical properties of potential markers such as plasma steroid hormones, lipid mediators, and hydrophilic metabolites. To address this, we conducted a metabolomics study using five analytical methods to identify biomarkers that differentiate menstrual pain severity. This study included 20 women, divided into mild (N = 12) and severe (N = 8) pain groups based on their numerical pain rating scale.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContraception
January 2025
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California; Clinical and Translational Science Institute, The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California.
While there are several easy-to-use reversible female contraceptives, little is available for men. Introduction of novel, cost-effective male contraceptives could have important downstream global health and economic benefits. Currently, nearly half of all pregnancies globally are unintended, with many resulting in unsafe abortions, a significant burden for women and families in many countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMagnes Res
January 2025
Research Group on Diabetes and Chronic Illnesses, Mexico., Mexican Social Security Institute, Durango, México.
Individuals with long-COVID exhibit a higher frequency of hypomagnesemia, vitamin D deficiency, and depression. Objective. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral supplementation with magnesium chloride plus vitamin D in alleviating depressive symptoms related to long-COVID.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAfr J Prim Health Care Fam Med
December 2024
Department of Anaesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
This Therapeutic Letter considers the evidence for inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) as a treatment for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Drug therapy aims to alleviate symptoms, enhance functional capacity and prevent exacerbations, but has not consistently shown to reduce mortality or improve quality of life based on randomised trials.Inhaled corticosteroids have shown limited benefits for COPD symptoms and exacerbations but increased risks of serious harms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!