First-in-human results of an in-body tissue architecture-induced tissue-engineered vascular graft "Biotube" for application in distal bypass for chronic limb-threatening ischemia.

Small-diameter vascular substitutes remain necessary, especially in the absence of an available autologous vein. Using a completely autologous approach termed "in-body tissue architecture," a small-diameter, long, tissue-engineered vascular graft, a "Biotube," was developed. A below-the-knee distal bypass using the Biotube as a composite with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene grafts was performed to treat a patient with chronic limb-threatening ischemia without a venous graft available.

Acute hepatitis C among renal failure patients on chronic haemodialysis.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common in haemodialysis units, yet little information is available about the clinical feature of acute hepatitis C among renal failure patients. The present study is based on 49 cases of acute hepatitis C seen at a haemodialysis centre where sporadic nosocomial infection was occurring up to June 1993. Liver function tests were done at 4 weekly intervals on all dialysis patients, anti-HCV antibodies were tested by the C-100 and second generation tests and serum HCV-RNA was determined by the branched DNA and Amplicore tests.

Adsorption of hepatitis C virus particles onto the dialyzer membrane.

It was recently found that the blood level of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA is significantly reduced after each dialysis procedure in patients on chronic hemodialysis. This study was designed to elucidate the mechanism for this phenomenon. In two patients with high serum levels of HCV RNA, the filtrate through the dialyzer (TF-alpha, Teijin Co.