Characteristics of peripheral lymphocyte subsets and antibodies in COVID-19-infected kidney transplantation recipients.

Background: Peripheral lymphocyte subsets play vital roles in various disease conditions. However, the roles of kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) with novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) are still unclear. In this research, we investigated the predictive value of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets on the severity of KTRs with COVID-19 and the correlation between antibodies and lymphocyte levels.

Epidemiological profile of kidney transplant patients with lupus nephritis.

Introduction: Lupus nephritis (LN) affects up to 50% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and may lead to kidney failure and require kidney transplantation (KT). Results compared to KT from other causes are controversial, and we aimed to assess the clinical course, complications, and survival of LN patients undergoing KT.

Methodology: Retrospective cohort of 99 KT due to LN from 1977 to 2023 at a single center, divided into two groups according to the immunosuppression period: G1 (before 2009) and G2 (from 2009 onwards).

Dallas Nephrology Associates' journey to value-based care.

Objectives: In 2016, Dallas Nephrology Associates recognized that the economic, humanistic, and societal burden of end-stage kidney disease was unsustainable and the fee-for-service model of reimbursement did not support a value-based care approach. We decided to be proactive by creating new workflows, education, and disease management so that patients could make well-informed choices, ultimately resulting in better outcomes.

Methods: Our shift toward value-based care focused on patient engagement, education, integrated infrastructure, collaboration, and monitoring of metrics associated with improved outcomes.

Genome-wide meta-analysis associates donor-recipient non-HLA genetic mismatch with acute cellular rejection post-liver transplantation.

Background: Acute cellular rejection (ACR) remains a common complication causing significant morbidity post-liver transplantation. Non-human leukocyte antigen (non-HLA) mismatches were associated with an increased risk of ACR in kidney transplantation. Therefore, we hypothesized that donor-recipient non-HLA genetic mismatch is associated with increased ACR incidence post-liver transplantation.

Development of the Korean Quality Improvement Platform in Surgery (K-QIPS) program: a nationwide project to improve surgical quality and patient safety.

Purpose: Improvements in surgical quality and patient safety are critical components of the healthcare system. Despite excellent cancer survival rates in Korea, there is a lack of standardized postoperative complication management systems. To address this gap, the Korean Surgical Society initiated the development of the Korean Quality Improvement Platform in Surgery (K-QIPS) program.

A Successful Kidney Transplant in a Patient With Hemophilia C.

Hemophilia C is a rare bleeding disorder, and such patients with chronic kidney disease are at risk for bleeding during kidney transplant surgery. Kidney transplant patients with hemophilia C can be managed meticulously through a protocol to maintain a coagulation profile in the reference range. Here, we present a case study that focused on a treatment protocol for a patient with chronic kidney disease and hemophilia C who underwent kidney transplant surgery.

Bisphosphonate therapy for persistent hyperparathyroidism after kidney transplantation-A case report.

Post-transplant hyperparathyroidism (PT-HPT) is common in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) and can cause nephrocalcinosis and graft dysfunction. Cinacalcet is commonly used for treating PT-HPT but may induce calciuria and exacerbate nephrocalcinosis. The concurrent use of bisphosphonates with cinacalcet to prevent this complication has not been reported.

Living Donation and Pregnancy-Related Complications: State of the Evidence and Call To Action for Improved Risk Assessment.

Living kidney donation and living liver donation significantly increases organ supply to make lifesaving transplants possible, offering survival benefits to the recipients and cost savings to society. Of all living donors, 40% are women of childbearing age. However, limited data exist regarding the effect of donation on future pregnancies and of pregnancy-related complications on postdonation outcomes.

Simultaneous Pancreas and Kidney Transplantation in a Patient With Situs Inversus Abdominalis.

Simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation (SPK) represents the most effective treatment for selected patients with type 1 diabetes and end-stage kidney disease. However, SPK is a technically complex surgical procedure and is particularly challenging in patients with anatomical variations. Situs inversus abdominalis (SIA) is a rare hereditary condition in which the abdominal organs and vessels are arranged in a mirror image of standard anatomy.

Detailed surgical description of porcine vascularized thymus lobe transplantation.

Background: Despite advances in immunosuppressive therapies, chronic rejection and immunosuppression-related complications remain significant challenges in transplantation. Developing transplantation tolerance through thymus transplantation may offer a solution. This paper details our technique for procuring and transplanting porcine vascularized thymic lobes (VTL), which can be utilized to study and research allogeneic and xenogeneic transplantation models in large animals.

Retrograde filling of an internal iliac artery aneurysm via the profunda femoris artery: A case report of type IIa endoleak.

Introduction: Internal iliac artery aneurysms (IIAAs) are an uncommon but clinically significant vascular condition that can lead to life-threatening complications, such as rupture and endoleaks, following endovascular repair. Endoleaks particularly type IIa, occur when there is retrograde flow into the aneurysm sac from collateral vessels, and their presence can jeopardize the success of repair procedures. This case report illustrates a rare occurrence of a type IIa endoleak attributed to retrograde filling from the profunda femoris artery, providing insights into the diagnostic complexities and management of IIAAs.

Perioperative administration of albumin in adult patients undergoing liver transplantation: A systematic review.

Hypoalbuminemia is a risk factor for mortality in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) and in those undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), since it represents a biomarker of post-operative delayed functional recovery of the graft. Despite albumin infusion during and after OLT is frequently adopted in recipients with hypoalbuminemia, it remains unclear whether this procedure could improve post OLT clinical outcomes. Observational studies indicated that treatment with albumin after OLT might be beneficial in reducing ascites and acute kidney injury (AKI) development.

Multicenter, Real-World Clinical Evaluation of Alemtuzumab and Anti-Thymocyte Globulin for Severe Acute T Cell-Mediated Kidney Transplant Rejection.

Background: Alemtuzumab can be an alternative to rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) to treat severe or glucocorticoid-resistant acute T cell-mediated kidney transplant rejection (TCMR). Yet, there are few reports in which these two treatments are evaluated let alone, compared. This study describes the real-world clinical experience of both therapies and compares their efficacy and toxicity.

The first kidney transplantation in an HIV positive recipient in Slovakia.

Patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have long been considered unsuitable candidates for solid organ transplantation due to their poor prognosis. After the introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy, the survival of this group of patients improved significantly. HIV positive patients had been successfully transplanted for the last 18 years.

The sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in patients with chronic kidney disease with or without kidney transplantation - a single centre study.

Introduction:  The sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) represent the first-line treatment for chronic kidney disease. The question remains of their benefit and safety for patients after kidney transplantation. The study aimed to show the renoprotective effect and safety of use in patients with chronic kidney disease with or without kidney transplantation.

Impact of pre-transplant malignancy on outcomes in kidney transplant recipients: an updated meta-analysis with systematic review.

Purpose: Kidney transplantation is the optimal therapy for end-stage renal disease, but pre-transplant malignancy (PTM) is a concern due to the increased risk of cancer recurrence with immunosuppression. While advancements in immunosuppression and cancer treatments have improved kidney recipient and graft survival, the impact of PTM on survival remains unclear and warrants comprehensive assessment.

Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed PRISMA guidelines.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring for the Diagnosis of Post-Transplantation Diabetes Mellitus and Impaired Glucose Tolerance From Years One to Five After Kidney Transplantation-A Prospective Pilot Study.

Post-transplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM) and prediabetes are associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in kidney transplant recipients (KTR), when diagnosed by an oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT). Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) display low concordance with the oGTT in the early phase posttransplant. For this prospective cross-sectional pilot study, 41 KTR from years one to five after transplantation without known preexisting PTDM (defined by HbA1c ≥ 6.

Anterior retroperitoneal approach in constructing thymokidney organs in swine for xenotransplantation.

Introduction: Thymokidneys (TK) have been constructed to transplant life-supporting kidney grafts containing donor thymic tissue to induce transplant tolerance. Historically, TKs were constructed by inserting pieces of thymus tissue under the kidney capsule using an intra-abdominal or posterior retroperitoneal (lateral/flank) approach. The intra-abdominal approach is technically easier but causes intra-abdominal adhesions and makes kidney procurement more challenging.

The outcome of thrombotic microangiopathy in kidney transplant recipients.

Background: The outcome of kidney transplant recipients with a history of complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (cTMA) and those who develop post-transplant de novo TMA (dnTMA) is largely unknown.

Methods: We retrospectively studied all kidney transplant recipients with end-stage kidney disease secondary to cTMA and those who developed dnTMA, between Jan 2000 and Dec 2020 in our center.

Results: We identified 134 patients, 22 with cTMA and 112 had dnTMA.

Association of transplant recipient status with clinical and financial outcomes among patients undergoing major surgery.

Background: Transplant recipients undergoing surgery may represent a vulnerable population because of transplant-related comorbidities as well as reliance on immunosuppressive medications. We sought to characterize the association of prior transplant status on postoperative outcomes among patients undergoing major non-transplant-related surgical procedures.

Methods: Data on patients who underwent a major surgical procedure (pneumonectomy, coronary artery bypass graft, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, Whipple, colectomy) between 2016 and 2020 were obtained from the Nationwide Readmission Database.