January 11 - Recent Transplant News
Friday, January 11, 2013
The association of center performance evaluations and kidney transplant volume in the US
Source: American Journal of Transplantation
Report cards evaluating transplant center performance have received significant attention in recent years corresponding with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issue of the 2007 Conditions of Participation. Our primary aim was to evaluate the association of report card evaluations with transplant center volume. Read more.
Influenza vaccination in solid-organ transplant recipients
Source: Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation (subscription required)
In solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients, influenza is associated with significant graft dysfunction and even mortality. A recent study reviewed the most recent literature on SOT recipients regarding the clinical significance of influenza and the immunogenicity and safety of influenza vaccine in this population. Read more.
Declining liver utilization for transplantation in the United States and the impact of donation after cardiac death
Source: Liver Transplantation (subscription required)
Worsening donor liver quality resulting in decreased organ utilization may be contributing to the recent decline in liver transplants nationally. Researchers conducted a study to examine trends in donor liver utilization and the relationship between donor characteristics and nonuse. The United Network for Organ Sharing database was used to to review all deceased adult organ donors in the United States from whom at least one solid organ was transplanted into a recipient. Read more.
Enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium in combination with full dose or reduced dose cyclosporine, basiliximab and corticosteroids in Australian de novo kidney transplant patients
Source: Nephrology (subscription required)
Cyclosporine (CsA), dosed to achieve C2 targets, has been shown to provide safe and efficacious immunosuppression when used with a mycophenolate and steroids for de novo kidney transplant recipients. A recent study examined whether use of enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) together with basiliximab and steroids would enable use of CsA dosed to reduced C2 targets in order to achieve improved graft function. Read more.
Balancing accountable care with risk aversion: Transplantation as a model
Source: American Journal of Transplantation
Transplantation is widely regarded as a model of accountability and transparency in healthcare; however, failure to accurately measure and report appropriate performance metrics is likely to result in risk aversion and decreased access to transplant for higher risk populations. Read more.
Survival of human islets in microbeads containing high guluronic acid alginate crosslinked with Ca2+ and Ba2+
Source: Xenotransplantation (subscription required)
The main hurdles to the widespread use of islet transplantation for the treatment of type 1 diabetes continue to be the insufficient number of appropriate donors and the need for immunosuppression. Microencapsulation has been proposed as a means to protect transplanted islets from the host's immune system. Read more.
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography safe and effective for treatment of pancreaticobiliary disease following organ transplant in children
Source: Pediatric Transplantation (subscription required)
ERCP is a diagnostic and therapeutic imaging modality widely used in adult pancreaticobiliary disease, including the treatment of anastomotic strictures following liver and small bowel transplant. A recent study evaluated the safety of and indications for ERCP following abdominal organ transplant among pediatric patients by performing a subgroup analysis of a large cohort. Read more.
Adverse drug interactions as a high-risk factor for lethal post-transplant complications in Chinese population
Source: Clinical Transplantation (subscription required)
Metabolism of triazole antifungal agents is highly competitive to conventional post-transplant immunosuppressants like cyclosporine A (CsA) via the cytochrome P450-dependent pathway. This recently published report is the first on lethal complications that may arise due to this type of drug interaction. Read more.
Strategic breakthrough in adult ABO-incompatible living donor liver transplantation: Preliminary results of consecutive seven cases
Source: Clinical Transplantation (subscription required)
ABO-incompatibility is a major obstacle to expanding exiguous donor pools in adult liver transplantation, especially in countries where grafts from deceased donors are uncommon. A recent report documents preliminary results of ABO-incompatible (ABO-I) adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) using a new, simple protocol. Read more.