Reduction in Maintenance Immunosuppression in Kidney Transplant Recipients With Stable Donor-Derived Cell-Free DNA Measurements: A Case Series.

Personalization of maintenance immunosuppression in kidney transplant recipients has long remained a goal in the transplant community. The recent addition of donor-derived cell-free DNA assays to detect allograft rejection and monitor allograft health may permit for reductions in maintenance immunosuppression in recipients with stable levels. Herein, we described 5 patients with stable donor-derived cell-free DNA levels who underwent reduction in maintenance immunosuppression without precipitation of clinical rejection, proteinuria, or de novo donor specific antibody formation.

Vestibular Migraine I: Mechanisms, Diagnosis, and Clinical Features.

Vestibular migraine (VM), also known as migrainous vertigo or migraine-associated vertigo, is characterized by recurrent vestibular attacks often accompanied by migraine headaches and other migraine symptoms. It is one of the most common presenting complaints to physicians in primary care, otolaryngology, and neurology. Epidemiologic data suggest that VM may affect 1 to 3% of the general population and 10 to 30% of patients seeking treatment for dizziness.

Case Report: Patient with Hepatitis C, p-ANCA, and Cryoglobulin Antibodies Presenting with Necrotizing Crescentic p-ANCA Glomerulonephritis.

Hepatitis C (HCV) infection has a prevalence of 3 million infected individuals in the United States, according to recent Center for Disease Control reports, and can have various renal manifestations. Cryoglobulins, antibodies that precipitate at colder temperatures in vitro, are a relatively common cause of renal disease in HCV infection. The cryoglobulin proteins can form occlusive aggregates in small glomerular capillary lumina or deposit in other areas of the glomerulus, resulting in hypocomplementemia, proteinuria, hematuria, and renal injury.

Patient with a total artificial heart maintained on outpatient dialysis while listed for combined organ transplant, a single center experience.

Advanced mechanical circulatory support is increasingly being used with more sophisticated devices that can deliver pulsatile rather than continuous flow. These devices are more portable as well, allowing patients to await cardiac transplantation in an outpatient setting. It is known that patients with renal failure are at increased risk for developing worsening acute kidney injury during implantation of a ventricular assist device (VAD) or more advanced modalities like a total artificial heart (TAH).

Factors influencing patient interest in plastic surgery and the process of selecting a surgeon.

Background: Understanding patient interest in cosmetic surgery is an important tool in delineating the current market for aesthetic surgeons. Similarly, defining those factors that most influence surgeon selection is vital for optimizing marketing strategies.

Objective: The authors evaluate a general population sample's interest in cosmetic surgery and investigate which factors patients value when selecting their surgeon.

Risk perception and beliefs regarding HIV infection among Ethiopian immigrants.

In Ethiopia, approximately 7.5% of the urban population is HIV-positive, and countrywide 1.5 million people are living with HIV.