Long-term outcomes of liver transplant patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection and end-stage-liver-disease: single center experience

Objective

Orthotopic-liver-transplantation (OLT) in patients with Human-Immunodeficiency-Virus infection (HIV) and end-stage-liver-disease (ESDL) is rarely reported. The purpose of this study is to describe our institutional experience on OLT for HIV positive patients.

Material and methods

This is a retrospective study of all HIV-infected patients who underwent OLT at the University Hospital of Essen, from January 1996 to December 2009. Age, sex, HIV transmission-way, CDC-stage, etiology of ESDL, concomitant liver disease, last CD4cell count and HIV-viral load prior to OLT were collected and analysed. Standard calcineurin-inhibitors-based immunosuppression was applied. All patients received anti-fungal and anti-pneumocystis carinii pneumonia prophylaxis post-OLT.

Results

Eight transplanted HIV-infected patients with a median age of 46 years (range 35-61 years) were included. OLT indications were HCV (n = 5), HBV (n = 2), HCV/HBV/HDV-related cirrhosis (n = 1) and acute liver-failure (n = 1). At OLT, CD4 cell-counts ranged from 113-621 cells/μl, and HIV viral-loads from < 50-175,000 copies/ml. Seven of eight patients were exposed to HAART before OLT. Patients were followed-up between 1-145 months. Five died 1, 3, 10, 31 and 34 months after OLT due to sepsis and graftfailure respectively. Graft-failure causes were recurrent hepatic-artery thrombosis, HCV-associated hepatitis, and chemotherapy-induced liver damage due to Hodgkin-disease. One survivor is relisted for OLT due to recurrent chronic HCV-disease but non-progredient HIV-infection 145 months post-OLT. Two other survivors show stable liver function and non-progredient HIV-disease under HAART 21 and 58 months post-OLT.

Conclusions

OLT in HIV-infected patients and ESLD is an acceptable therapeutic option in selected patients. Long-term survival can be achieved without HIV disease-progression under antiretroviral therapy and management of the viral hepatitis co-infection.     

In vitro investigation of aortic valve annuloplasty using prosthetic ring devices

Objectives: The remodeling of the dilatated valve annulus with a prosthetic ring for the repair of valve insufficiency is a well-established concept in mitral valve surgery, and may also be suitable for aortic valve reconstruction. In this study, two models of prosthetic aortic annuloplasty devices were investigated. Methods: Fresh porcine aortic roots (n = 16) were investigated in a pulsatile flow simulator after patch dilatation of the annulus and subsequent reconstruction using both an external and an internal prosthetic ring. For each configuration, leakage was determined by ultrasonic flow measurements and leaflet co-aptation by transesophageal echocardiography. In addition, valves’ motions were recorded by high-speed video. Results: By the use of the prosthetic annuloplasty rings, leakage volumes decreased significantly compared with the dilatated root, more pronounced with the intra-annular ring. Similarly, the co-aptation height of the leaflets increased. Pressure gradients were not significantly influenced by the ring application, but leaflet motion patterns changed from the usual trapezoid to a more rectangular opening characteristic, visible at both echocardiographic and high-speed video analysis. Conclusions: The reconstruction of a dilatated aortic valve annulus using external and internal ring devices is feasible and effective for reduction of regurgitation at which the internal ring provides a greater potential to decrease valve insufficiency.     

Preclinical evaluation of the abdominal aortic counterpulsation device

A valveless, single-orifice abdominal aortic counterpulsation device (AACD) was implanted retroperitoneally on the abdominal aorta and was pumped continuously, providing aortic diastolic augmentation for 45 +/- 4.9 days in four calves (group A). The hematocrit, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine were obtained before implantation and weekly thereafter. Biocompatibility data were compared to those obtained from 11 calves (group B) that received a total artificial heart (TAH) and were electively terminated 50.0 +/- 19.5 days after implantation. The hematocrit values in the first week were 20.9 +/- 11.5% and 39.8 +/- 11.5% below control values for group A and group B, respectively (p less than 0.02); in the sixth week they were 5.1 +/- 14.6% above control values (group A) and 22.6 +/- 9.0% below control values (group B) (p less than 0.05). LDH did not change in group A, while in group B it was constantly about 100% above control values. Autopsy revealed one to three infarcts 1 to 3 mm in diameter in 63% of the kidneys in group A, while in all of group B kidneys there were multiple infarcts of more than 10 mm. After the induction of left ventricular (LV) failure, the AACD decreased the LV end-diastolic pressure (EDP) by 21.2% (p less than 0.005) and the aortic (AO) EDP by 18% (p less than 0.005). It increased the endocardial viability ratio by 300% (p less than 0.0005), and the cardiac index by 66.9% (p less than 0.005).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

大鼠坐骨神经分支选择结扎切断模型的建立及脊髓背脚N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸受体检测

目的采用免疫组织化学方法,观察SNI模型大鼠脊髓背角神经元NMDAR的表达。方法健康雄性SD大鼠15只,随机分为3组：对照组（C1组）、假手术组（C2组）和生理盐水组（NS组）,每组5只。C1组不做任何处理,其他2组均根据改良Yaksh法进行鞘内置管。置管5d后,NS组按Woolf等方法建立神经病理性疼痛模型（SNI）,C2组除不损伤神经外处理同NS组;制模2d后,C2组和NS组用微量注射器鞘内注射20μL生理盐水,然后用生理盐水冲管（共20μL）。在30min后,C2组、NS组均进行疼痛行为学观察。3组均在注药后2h处死大鼠,用免疫组化法观察大鼠腰5节段水平脊髓背角NMDAR的表达。结果C1组和C2组在各时点均无机械性异常疼痛出现,热刺激后爪退缩潜伏时间差异也均无统计学意义（P〉0.05）;NS组在SNI手术后第1天和第2天出现明显的痛觉过敏（机械性异常疼痛痛阈降低）,与C1组比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0.01）,但对热刺激的后爪退缩潜伏时间与C1组比较差异无统计学意义（P〉0.05）;NS组大鼠脊髓背角NMDAR免疫阳性细胞数量与C1及C2组比较明显增加,两者之间差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;NS组的脊髓背角NMDAR免疫阳性细胞数密度值与C1,C2组相比显著增高（P〈0.05）,NS组的阳性细胞光密度值较C1组和C2组增高（P〈0.05）。结论SNI模型可引起大鼠损伤侧肢体机械性痛觉过敏,但对热刺激不敏感;SNI模型引起大鼠脊髓背角神经元NMDAR表达上调。     

A successful history: probiotics and their potential as antimicrobials

Introduction: Probiotics are living, non-pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria) that enter through diet in the human body, live during their passage through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and are beneficial to health. They have become popular in recent years as a way of improving human health through nutrition. This review aims to discuss the efficacy of probiotics for the supportive therapy of certain clinical conditions, especially infectious diseases, as reported in a number of studies, even though some concerns about their safety still remain.

Areas covered: This paper will review the history of probiotics, from ancient ages to date, and the evolution of their use in clinical practice. The study is based on both personal professional experience of the authors and a comprehensive literature analysis, including old documents from libraries, searching the related biological and clinical data on Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, also using the ‘cited by’ and ‘similar articles’ options available in PubMed.

Expert opinion: Not all researchers agree about the safety and real efficacy of probiotics in common conditions, especially infective diseases. However, the use of probiotics for clinical conditions that may be improved by consumption of these dietary supplements should be considered as a possible supportive therapy in select patients.     

Time course of fibrillation and defibrillation thresholds after an intravenous bolus of amiodarone--an experimental study

Experimental studies have described an increase in ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) by intravenous amiodarone. The aim of this study was to examine the early time course of changes in VFT and defibrillation thresholds (DFT) after an intravenous bolus of amiodarone in an experimental pig model of transient myocardial ischemia. METHODS AND RESULTS: VFT and relative effective ventricular refractory period (ERP) were measured in 15 anaesthetized open-chest pigs after 3 min of regional coronary ischaemia before (time 0) and 2, 15, 30, 60, and 90 min after the intravenous injection of normal saline (group A, n = 5) or amiodarone, 5 mg/kg over 15 s (group B, n = 10). DFT was measured by increasing the strength of DC shocks until defibrillation was accomplished. Amiodarone caused an increase in VFT, starting at 2 min after the infusion (11.4 +/- 8.4 mA versus 9.2 +/- 4.6 mA, P = 0.03), became significant at 15 min (13.7 +/- 6.5 mA, P = 0.009), continued to rise at 30 min (34.2 +/- 28.7 mA, P = 0.03) and reached a plateau at 60 min (50.3 +/- 37.8 mA, P = 0.008). An increase was also observed in the ERP (204 +/- 25 ms at 2 min versus 197 +/- 26 ms at baseline, P = 0.074, 211 +/- 38 ms at 15 min, P = 0.084, 212 +/- 40 ms at 30 min, P = 0.037, 220 +/- 34 ms at 60 min, P = 0.002, and 227 +/- 32 ms at 90 min, P = 0.008). No change was observed in DFT after amiodarone administration. No significant change in VFT, ERP, or DFT occurred in the control group. CONCLUSION: In this porcine model, the intravenous administration of amiodarone increased VFT and ERP over 60 min after the injection, without effect on DFT.     

Ventricular-assist devices for the treatment of chronic heart failure

The role of ventricular-assist devices in the management of end-stage heart failure is growing. Initially developed as a 'bridge to transplantation', they are now implanted permanently in patients who need cardiac replacement but are not candidates for cardiac transplantation ('destination therapy'). Furthermore, observations from expert centers indicate that a significant proportion of patients under long-term mechanical assistance can be weaned from mechanical circulatory support after significant functional recovery of their native heart ('bridge to recovery'). This review discusses the emerging roles of mechanical circulatory support and their direct implications in clinical practice. Evolution of devices, important aspects of candidate selection, challenging issues in the management of ventricular-assist device patients (infection, device malfunction, anticoagulation-thromboembolic complications, psychosocial issues and cost) and ongoing research targeting sustained myocardial recovery are discussed.     

Pathophysiology and management of syncope in Kearns-Sayre syndrome

A 20-year-old woman with known Kearns-Sayre syndrome was transferred to the emergency department due to syncopal episodes. The electrocardiogram on admission showed complete atrioventricular block. The diagnosis of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy was made when she was 14 years old. At the time of the initial diagnosis, she displayed a normal electrocardiogram pattern. At the age of 17, electrocardiogram recordings demonstrated right bundle branch block with left anterior fascicular block and a prolonged QTc interval of 485 milliseconds (Figure). She was taking coenzyme Q10, oral nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (reduced), piribedil, amantadine, and primidone. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed normal wall motion of both ventricles and mitral valve prolapse without regurgitation. A permanent dual-chamber pacemaker was immediately implanted.