The Value of Protocol Biopsies to Identify Patients With De Novo Donor‐Specific Antibody at High Risk for Allograft Loss

De novo donor‐specific antibody (dnDSA) is associated with antibody‐mediated rejection (AMR) and allograft loss, yet the allograft histology associated with dnDSA remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the allograft histology associated with dnDSA in patients with serial surveillance biopsies. We retrospectively studied adult conventional solitary kidney transplant recipients from October 2007 to May 2014. The definition of dnDSA was new donor‐specific antibody (DSA) with mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) >1000. The incidence of dnDSA was 7.0% (54 of 771) over mean follow‐up of 4.2 ± 1.9 years. Patients with dnDSA had reduced death‐censored allograft survival (87.0% vs. 97.0% no dnDSA, p < 0.01). Moreover, 94% of patients received a biopsy after dnDSA (mean of three biopsies per patient). AMR was present in 25.0% and 52.9% of patients at dnDSA detection and at 1 year, respectively. Patients with both class I and II dnDSA had the highest rate of allograft loss. The higher the sum MFI at dnDSA detection, the higher the incidence of AMR. In conclusion, patients with dnDSA without AMR at time of detection may benefit from a follow‐up biopsy within 1 year because AMR can be missed initially. In addition, the dnDSA class and sum MFI at baseline appear to be prognostic. The higher the sum MFI of dnDSA at baseline, the higher the incidence of AMR.     

Retrospective evaluation of the efficacy and safety of belatacept with thymoglobulin induction and maintenance everolimus: A single‐center clinical experience

Belatacept use has been constrained by higher rates of acute rejection. We hypothesized that belatacept with low‐dose rATG and initial mycophenolate maintenance with conversion to everolimus at 1 month post‐transplant ± corticosteroids would improve efficacy and maintain safety. Retrospective single‐center analysis of the first 44 low immunologic risk kidney transplant recipients treated with this regimen. The cohort was 59% male, mean age at transplant of 57 years. Diabetes was the most common cause of ESRD (39%). The mean 1‐year eGFR was 61.4 (SD 18.4) mL/min/1.73 m². There were five acute cellular rejections (11.4%) that occurred in patients who had changed from everolimus to mycophenolate mofetil due to side effects. Thirty‐two percent developed BK viremia and 12% developed CMV viremia. There were no cases of PTLD. A novel belatacept regimen with rATG induction and maintenance everolimus demonstrated a low acute rejection rate and maintained an excellent 1‐year eGFR.     

Advances in paclitaxel combinations for treating cervical cancer

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Cervical cancer is the fourth common cancer in women worldwide. While, in the past, locally advanced stage disease was treated by pelvic radiotherapy, nowadays the National Cancer Institute strongly recommends chemoradiation protocols. Weekly cisplatin was previously the standard of care in this setting; however, the low response rate and the short median progression-free survival (PFS) of patients have led researchers to investigate combinatory regimens.     

监测血清β-hCG下降时间用于指导妊娠滋养细胞疾病化疗方案的意义

分析血清β-hCG下降时间指导妊娠滋养细胞疾病(GTD)化疗的意义。选择GTD化疗患者,分析患者β-hCG及经阴道多普勒超声检查结果。GTD良性组在化疗前及前2个疗程化疗阶段,血清β-hCG水平均显著低于GTD恶性组；GTD良性组与恶性组不同化疗阶段血清β-hCG水平总体呈下降趋势,且不同疗程之间的血清β-hCG水平均存在统计学差异；不同化疗疗程阶段血清β-hCG与PSV、EDV水平总体呈负相关,与阻力指数则总体呈正相关。本研究认为血清β-hCG下降时间与其接受化疗的周期和取得的疗效均存在较好的相关性,因此监测血清β-hCG下降时间用于指导GTD化疗方案具有一定的可行性。     

Enteral Nutrition for Feeding Severely Underfed Patients with Anorexia Nervosa

Severe undernutrition nearly always leads to marked changes in body spaces (e.g., alterations of intra-extracellular water) and in body masses and composition (e.g., overall and compartmental stores of phosphate, potassium, and magnesium). In patients with severe undernutrition it is almost always necessary to use oral nutrition support and/or artificial nutrition, besides ordinary food; enteral nutrition should be a preferred route of feeding if there is a functional accessible gastrointestinal tract. Refeeding of severely malnourished patients represents two very complex and conflicting tasks: (1) to avoid “refeeding syndrome” caused by a too fast correction of malnutrition; (2) to avoid “underfeeding” caused by a too cautious rate of refeeding. The aim of this paper is to discuss the modality of refeeding severely underfed patients and to present our experience with the use of enteral tube feeding for gradual correction of very severe undernutrition whilst avoiding refeeding syndrome, in 10 patients aged 22 ± 11.4 years and with mean initial body mass index (BMI) of 11.2 ± 0.7 kg/m². The mean BMI increased from 11.2 ± 0.7 kg/m² to 17.3 ± 1.6 kg/m² and the mean body weight from 27.9 ± 3.3 to 43.0 ± 5.7 kg after 90 days of intensive in-patient treatment (p < 0.0001). Caloric intake levels were established after measuring resting energy expenditure by indirect calorimetry, and nutritional support was performed with enteral feeding. Vitamins, phosphate, and potassium supplements were administered during refeeding. All patients achieved a significant modification of BMI; none developed refeeding syndrome. In conclusion, our findings show that, even in cases of extreme undernutrition, enteral feeding may be a well-tolerated way of feeding.     

Body mass index in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer treated with first-line paclitaxel and bevacizumab

The evidence emerged from the TOURANDOT trial encourages evaluating the role of anthropometric determinants on treatment outcomes in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer patients treated with bevacizumab-including regimens. We thus analyzed data from a subgroup of these patients from a larger cohort previously assessed for treatment outcomes. Patients were included in the present analysis if body mass index values had been recorded at baseline. Clinical benefit rates, progression free survival and overall survival were assessed for the overall study population and subgroups defined upon molecular subtype. One hundred ninety six patients were included (N:196). Body mass index showed no impact on clinical benefit rates in the overall study sample and in the luminal cancer subset (p = 0.12 and p = 0.79, respectively), but did so in the triple negative subgroup, with higher rates in patients with body mass index ≥25 (p = 0.03). In the overall study sample, body mass index did no impact progression free or overall survival (p = 0.33 and p = 0.67, respectively). Conversely, in triple negative patients, progression free survival was significantly longer with body mass index ≥25 (6 vs 14 months, p = 0.04). In this subset, overall survival was more favorable (25 vs 19 months, p = 0.02). The impact of the molecular subtype was confirmed in multivariate models including the length of progression free survival, and number of metastatic sites (p < 0.0001). Further studies are warranted to confirm our findings in more adequately sized, ad hoc, prospective studies.