Pulmonary Lophomonas blattarum infection in patients with kidney allograft transplantation

The aim of the study was to analyse the clinical manifestation and management of pulmonary Lophomonas blattarum infection in four allograft transplantation recipients retrospectively. Four patients with pulmonary L. blattarum infection were diagnosed by using Fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) examination. Their clinical manifestation and management are summarized. Four cases of pulmonary L. blattarum were found during the period from the second month to the third month after transplantation. Concurring infection by other pathogens was found in three of them. Common initial symptoms included fever (>38 degrees C) without cough and breathlessness. Lower lobe shadowing could be found on chest X-ray. Body temperature decreased to the normal range in three patients and to 37.5 degrees C in the other one, after intravenous injection of metronidazole and tapering immunosuppressant. Radiological examination confirmed improved health condition of the patients afterwards. Two patients received repeated FOB and only dead L. blattarum was found. Pulmonary L. blattarum infection in allograft transplant recipients carry relatively obscure initial symptoms. Possible L. blattarum infection needs to be screened in post-transplantation pulmonary infection patients with similar symptoms, especially in those who respond poorly to anti-infection treatment. Microscopic examination of BAL fluid can help to identify pulmonary L. blattarum infection and metronidazole is an ideal treatment choice.     

Humoral and Cellular Responses to Influenza Vaccination in Human Recipients Naturally Tolerant to a Kidney Allograft

Rare kidney allograft recipients enjoy unaltered graft function years after interruption of their immunosuppressive treatment. To assess the extent to which this state of 'operational tolerance' (TOL) is specific to the graft and not the result of a global immunodeficiency, we analyzed the response of such patients following influenza vaccination. Hemagglutination inhibition titers and frequency of IFNgamma-secreting T cells were measured before 1 and 3 months after vaccination. The proportion of healthy volunteers (HV) responding to vaccine was significantly higher than that of immunosuppressed (IS) patients. Three 'TOL' patients presented a humoral response similar to that of HV, whereas the two others had a poor response, like the IS recipients. Although the small number of patients does not allow for definitive conclusions to be made, these data suggest that the status of tolerance may be heterogeneous, with some patients with a global immunodeficiency and others with an adapted response to vaccination.     

晚期肝硬化肝脏MR灌注成像的灌注量化分析

目的:使用动态增强MR成像技术获得的肝灌注系数(HPI),评价其在反映肝移植前晚期肝硬化患者肝脏血供特点中的价值。方法:使用1.5T MR扫描仪对100例正常肝脏组和57例晚期肝硬化患者移植前的受体肝脏进行快速团注对比剂(Gd-DTPA)后的斜冠状断面单层2D SPGR序列的MR灌注成像检查,比较对照组和肝硬化组门静脉和肝实质的时间-信号强度变化曲线(TIC)特点及峰值时间。根据腹腔干水平腹主动脉和门静脉主干的TIC为参照设置时间参数,计算受检者肝脏实质动脉期和静脉期的正增强系数(PEI)。设定肝灌注系数(HPI)=动脉期PEI/(动脉期PEI 门脉期PEI)×100%。对两组受检者HPI进行统计分析,根据HPI的受试者工作特性曲线(receiver operator characteristiccurve,ROCcurve)选择诊断肝硬化的HPI参考标准。结果:对照组及肝硬化组门静脉曲线峰值时间分别为(38.66±4.14)s和(55.51±5.31)s,P<0.01;肝实质TIC峰值时间分别为(56.24±4.47)s和(81.39±7.02)s,P<0.01;对照组及肝硬化组肝实质的HPI分别为(18.9±3.5)%和(26.4±5.5)%,P<0.01;应用HPI>21.6%为诊断肝硬化的标准,敏感度为86%,特异度为85%,阳性预测值为77%,阴性预测值为91%,诊断符合率为85%。结论:MR灌注成像技术可以在活体状态下无创分析肝内血供,此技术可用于评估晚期肝硬化患者肝移植前肝脏内的血流灌注。     

塞来昔布对大鼠心脏移植急性排斥反应的抑制作用

目的观察塞来昔布对大鼠心脏移植急性排斥反应的抑制作用。方法以SD大鼠为供者,Wistar大鼠为受者,进行40次腹部异位心脏移植。采用HE染色和原位末端标记(TUN EL)技术检测移植心切片,进行排斥反应的病理分级并计算移植心肌细胞的凋亡指数(AI)。结果移植心的细胞凋亡主要发生于心肌细胞;移植后第3、5d,塞来昔布治疗组心肌细胞凋亡指数分别为:1.03±0.42和3.28±2.42;对照组分别为2.35±1.51和11.35±3.46;两组比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.001)。结论细胞凋亡是心脏移植急性排斥中组织损伤的重要机制;塞来昔布能明显抑制心肌细胞凋亡。     

肝移植术后胆道并发症病因分析

目的探讨原位肝移植术后胆道并发症的病因.方法回顾性分析235例尸体供肝和36例活体供肝原位肝移植的临床资料,总结术后胆道并发症的病因.结果36例活体肝移植受体术后胆道并发症的发生率为5.6%,235例尸体供肝肝移植受体术后胆道并发症的发生率为19.1%;肝内胆道狭窄和胆道铸型结石形成等严重胆道并发症在活体肝移植中未发生.讨论缺血时间尤其热缺血时间是导致严重胆道并发症的最主要的原因,所留取的受体胆道长度也是影响胆道并发症的一个主要因素.     

原发性硬化性胆管炎的诊断与治疗

目的探讨原发性硬化性胆管炎的误诊原因和诊疗方法。方法自1998年6月至2004年12月问我院收治原发性硬化性胆管炎21例,回顾性分析21例病人的误诊原因、诊断要点、糖皮质激素的治疗结果及其预后。结果患者都有从初诊医院-传染病医院-综合医院的诊治史。21例患者都应用糖皮质激素治疗,激素的用量、时间因人而异,采用个体化治疗方案。有16例患者获长期缓解,有5例需要长期服用激素治疗,有3例病程进展快发生“胆汁性肝硬化门静脉高压症”,死亡1例。尚无肝移植手术的病例。结论原发性硬化性胆管炎病因不明,本病表现复杂多样、误诊率高、治疗效果差。激素可以长期缓解部分病例,有复发病例;部分病例需长期口服激素治疗。激素可以缓解症状、延缓病程发展进程;部分患者病程进展速度快, 激素仅能使胆红素和转氨酶降低,不能阻断病程的进展,胆汁性肝硬化门静脉高压症是其必然的结果,肝移植术是唯一的有效的治疗方法。     

快速供肝切取与修整的外科技巧

目的总结肝脏移植供肝的快速切取和修整经验。方法分析2004年共186例快速供肝的切取和修整的资料。快速切取技术采用原位腹主动脉、肠系膜上静脉灌注附加下腔静脉引流，快速切取供肝，4℃UW液中保存和修整肝脏。结果供肝热缺血时间为3～10min，平均4．5min；冷缺血时间平均为3-16h，平均7h。供肝的修整时间为26～90min，平均46min。供肝修整时发现肝动脉解剖变异20例。结论快速供肝切取法要求术者技术娴熟、动作迅速和准确，可最大限度地减少供肝热缺血时间。快速切取法能保证供肝的质量和确保供肝切取的成功。     

Pulsatile Perfusion Reduces the Incidence of Delayed Graft Function in Expanded Criteria Donor Kidney Transplantation

The use of expanded criteria donors (ECD) has been proposed to help combat the discrepancy between organ availability and need. ECD kidneys are associated with delayed graft function (DGF) and worse long-term survival. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of pulsatile perfusion (PP) on DGF and graft survival in transplanted ECD kidneys. From January 2000 to December 2003, 4618 ECD kidney-alone transplants were reported to the United Network for Organ Sharing. PP was performed on 912 renal allografts. The prognostic factors of DGF were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Risk factors for reduced allograft viability were greater in donors and recipients of PP kidneys. Three-year graft survival of ECD kidneys preserved with PP was similar to cold storage (CS) kidneys. The incidence of DGF in PP kidneys was significantly lower than CS kidneys (26% vs. 36%, p < 0.001). Despite having a greater number of risk factors for reduced graft viability, the ECD-PP kidneys had similar graft survival compared to ECD-CS kidneys. The use of PP, by decreasing the incidence of DGF, may possibly lead to lower overall costs and increased utilization of donor kidneys.     

Development of the New Lung Allocation System in the United States

This article reviews the development of the new U.S. lung allocation system that took effect in spring 2005. In 1998, the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Final Rule. Under the rule, which became effective in 2000, the OPTN had to demonstrate that existing allocation policies met certain conditions or change the policies to meet a range of criteria, including broader geographic sharing of organs, reducing the use of waiting time as an allocation criterion and creating equitable organ allocation systems using objective medical criteria and medical urgency to allocate donor organs for transplant. This mandate resulted in reviews of all organ allocation policies, and led to the creation of the Lung Allocation Subcommittee of the OPTN Thoracic Organ Transplantation Committee. This paper reviews the deliberations of the Subcommittee in identifying priorities for a new lung allocation system, the analyses undertaken by the OPTN and the Scientific Registry for Transplant Recipients and the evolution of a new lung allocation system that ranks candidates for lungs based on a Lung Allocation Score, incorporating waiting list and posttransplant survival probabilities.     

Coccidioidomycosis After Renal Transplantation in an Endemic Area

Coccidioidomycosis is an endemic fungal infection of the desert southwestern United States of particular concern for immunosuppressed renal transplant recipients. The clinical course of coccidioidomycosis can be severe in immunosuppressed patients, with high rates of dissemination and mortality, and antifungal prophylaxis is routinely administered to high-risk patients. We sought to determine the impact of coccidioidomycosis on patients who received their renal transplant at our hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. A retrospective records review of the first 205 patients who received a renal transplant between June 1999 and December 2003 identified 6 patients (3%) who had contracted coccidioidomycosis after transplantation. All six cases occurred more than 6 months after transplantation. Two of these six patients had disseminated coccidioidomycosis. Two patients, one with pulmonary infection and one with disseminated infection, died. None of the six patients with coccidioidomycosis after transplantation had identified risk factors before transplantation. No high-risk patient who received targeted antifungal prophylaxis had a reactivation of coccidioidomycosis after transplantation. Treatment for acute rejection and induction with antithymocyte globulin did not appear to increase the risk of subsequent coccidioidomycosis.