Outcomes of Combined Liver–Kidney Transplantation in Children: Analysis of the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients

Combined liver–kidney transplantation (CLKT) in children is uncommon and outcomes have not been well defined. Using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, data were analyzed on 152 primary pediatric CLKTs performed from October 1987 to February 2011, to determine their outcome in the largest series reported to date. Patient survival was 86.8%, 82.1% and 78.9% at 1, 5 and 10 years, liver graft survival was 81.9%, 76.5% and 72.6%, and kidney graft survival was 83.4%, 76.5% and 66.8%. By way of comparison, the Registry was queried for pediatric patient survival following isolated liver transplantation (LT) during the same time frame: 86.7%, 81.2% and 77.4% and following isolated kidney transplant (KT): 98.2%, 95.4% and 90% at 1, 5 and 10 years. In patients having undergone CLKT, primary hyperoxaluria was associated with reduced patient (p = 0.01), liver graft (p = 0.01) and kidney graft survival (p = 0.01). Furthermore, graft outcome following CLKT improved over the past decade (p = 0.04 for liver, p = 0.02 for kidney), but this did not translate into improved patient outcome (p = 0.2). All in all, our results confirmed that survival following LT was less than following KT, and that CLKT offered similar patient survival to isolated LT.     

Robotic Trans‐Abdominal Transplant Nephrectomy for a Failed Renal Allograft

Minimally invasive surgery for removal of a failed renal allograft has not previously been reported. Herein, we report the first robotic trans‐abdominal transplant nephrectomy (TN). A 34‐year‐old male with Alport's syndrome lost function of his deceased donor allograft after 12 years and presented with fever, pain over his allograft and hematuria. The operation was performed intra‐abdominally using the Da Vinci Robotic Surgical System with four trocars. The total operative time was 235 min and the estimated blood loss was less than 25 cm³. There were no peri‐operative complications observed and the patient was discharged to home less than 24 h postoperatively. The utilization of robotic technology facilitated the successful performance of a minimally invasive, trans‐abdominal TN.     

间充质干细胞应用于器官移植的研究进展

器官移植是治疗终末期器官衰竭的唯一选择,但术后排斥反应制约了其疗效.间充质干细胞所表现出一些理想的特性,包括：移植同种异体反应和自身免疫性T细胞应答,促进细胞因子环境,这些特性可能对移植物有保护作用,故主张在器官移植中应用.本文对近年来间充质干细胞应用于器官移植的研究进展作一综述.     

骨缺损修复机制探讨

目的通过引导性骨再生和组织工程软骨移植研究长骨骨缺损的修复机制。方法实验组在几丁质纤维载体上增殖21d的新生兔关节-干骺端复合物的软骨细胞(含载体)被装入硅胶管内,移植到成年兔桡骨干1cm的缺损上,对照组骨缺损处仅套接空套管。结果实验组术后4周时3例移植的软骨细胞在骨缺损内均形成软骨样组织,术后16周时9例中仅2例缺损愈合。对照组术后16周时9例(空套管)均骨性愈合。新生兔四肢关节-干骺端软骨细胞移植到同种成年兔桡骨缺损区后未修复骨缺损,未再现软骨内化骨过程。同时移植物可能因为占据空间、防止骨髓的成骨成分进入等原因中断了骨缺损修复过程。结论骨缺损的修复可能是先由骨膜增生形成成骨空间,然后由骨髓成分成骨,也就是一个在骨膜保护下的骨髓作用为主的天然的引导性骨再生过程。     

The role of impaired esophageal and gastric motility in end-stage lung diseases and after lung transplantation

Today, many questions persist regarding the causal relationship of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to promote aspiration and its potential to induce both pulmonary and allograft failure. Current hypotheses, which have identified GERD as a nonimmune risk factor in inducing pulmonary and allograft failure, center on the role of GERD-induced aspiration of gastroduodenal contents. Risk factors of GERD, such as impaired esophageal and gastric motility, may indirectly play a role in the aspiration process. In fact, although impaired esophageal and gastric motility is not independently a cause of lung deterioration or allograft failure, they may cause and or exacerbate GERD. This report seeks to review present research on impaired esophageal and gastric motility in end-stage lung disease to characterize prevalence, etiology, pathophysiology, and current treatment options within this special patient population.     

Cell transplantation therapy for a rat model of secondary lymphedema

Background

Although lymphedema is a progressive and lifelong condition, substantial advances in therapeutic intervention are limited. The development of a novel therapy for lymphedema is urgent for those patients suffering from it. The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of a new cell transplantation therapy in the rat tail model of secondary lymphedema.

Materials and methods

We prepared two cell sources, human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMECs) and lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs), which were collected from the resected normal dermis of patients with breast cancer. After the animal model of secondary lymphedema of the nude rats' tails was established, phosphate-buffered saline, purified LECs, or unpurified HDMECs were injected in the rats' tails five times for more than 14 d. The evaluations were performed by measuring the circumference, fluorescence lymphography, and histologic analysis of the rats' tails between each group.

Results

The isolated cells by the simple immunomagnetic sorting from HDMECs were positive for a pan-endothelial marker (CD31) and lymphatic-specific markers (podoplanin, lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor-1 [LYVE-1], and prospero homebox 1 [Prox-1]), and were considered to be LECs. In the cell transplantation group, which was injected with human LECs, the circumference, lymphatic flow, and thickness of the skin of the rat tail became thinner than the groups injected with unpurified HDMECs or phosphate-buffered saline. Immunohistochemistry of the rat tails showed that the number of own lymphatic vessels was increased in the purified LEC transplantation group compared with the other groups. Furthermore, in the LEC transplantation group, some vessels were immunopositive for human-podoplanin or -LYVE-1 and the areas adjacent to the vessels were rat-podoplanin or -LYVE-1 immunopositive.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that cell transplantation therapy using human LECs improved the secondary lymphedema in the nude rat tail. This therapeutic strategy may merit clinical investigation in patients with lymphedema.