Does the meld system provide equal access to liver transplantation for patients with different ABO blood groups?

This study investigates the relationship between blood group and waiting time until transplantation or death on the waiting list. All patients listed for liver transplantation in the Netherlands between 15 December 2006 and 31 December 2012, were included. Study variables were gender, age, year of listing, diagnosis, previous transplantations, blood group, urgency, and MELD score. Using a competing risks analysis, separate cumulative incidence curves were constructed for death on the waiting list and transplantation and used to evaluate outcomes.In 517 listings, the mean death rate per 100 patient‐years was 10.4. A total of 375 (72.5% of all listings) were transplanted. Of all transplantations, 352 (93.9%) were ABO‐identical and 23 (6.1%) ABO‐compatible. The 5‐year cumulative incidence of death was 11.2% (SE 1.4%), and of transplantation 72.5% (SE 2.0%). Patient blood group had no multivariate significant impact on the hazard of dying on the waiting list nor on transplantation. Age, MELD score, and urgency status were significantly related to the death on the waiting list and transplantation. More recent listing had higher probability of being transplanted. In the MELD era, patient blood group status does not have a significant impact on liver transplant waiting list mortality nor on waiting time for transplantation.     

Laparoscopic Living Donor Nephrectomy: Low Surgical Risk for High-quality Grafts

Renal transplantation is most important for patients with end-stage renal disease to preserve their survival and quality of life. Living donation has decisive advantages over deceased donor kidney transplantation, and with the continuing organ shortage, it also can reduce the number of patients waiting for an organ. The major problem with living kidney donation is that a healthy person has to undergo a substantial surgical procedure to provide the organ for transplantation; therefore, a nephrectomy technique that is associated with the lowest surgical risk for the donor and the best organ quality for the recipient should be used. Since its introduction by Ratner and colleagues in 1995, laparoscopic donor nephrectomy has become the technique of choice at many major transplant centres. The aim is to achieve less postoperative pain, shorter hospitalisation time, more rapid return to normal activities, a more cosmetically acceptable incision, and, in particular, a greater patient acceptance. All techniques for living donor nephrectomy (open donor nephrectomy, “pure” laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, robot-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, laparoscopic donor nephrectomy via natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery or laparoendoscopic single-site surgery, and retroperitoneoscopic donor nephrectomy) achieve good results, in so far as they are performed at specialised centres. Perioperative complications are rare, and the quality of the grafts is excellent. Renal graft function is specified at up to 96% at 1 yr and 85% at 5 yr after living donor kidney transplantation.Patient summaryLiving donation has decisive advantages over deceased donor kidney transplantation. When performed at specialised centres, living donor nephrectomy achieves good results, with few perioperative complications and excellent graft quality.     

Laparoscopy for living donor nephrectomy – particularities of the currently applied techniques

Today, laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) in many centers features the standard approach for kidney retrieval in living donors. More than 60% of the centers in the USA currently perform LDN and numbers are rising in Europe as well. Today's variety of laparoscopic approaches reflects the evolution in the field of LDN. Multiple modifications have been made for the laparoscopic approach, with consequences for intraoperative handling of the kidney, operating and ischemic times and with impact on donor, organ, and recipient. We reviewed the literature from 1995 to 2004 and critically evaluated the different technical modifications, their specific advantages and disadvantages and their impact for the operation. The article aims to help the surgeon choose the technique he feels most safe with for performing laparoscopic kidney retrieval safely and with good results for donor and recipient.     

The donation process of living kidney donors.

BACKGROUND: The rates of both genetic and non-genetic living donors are increasing. However, previous research has almost exclusively explored the decision-making of genetic donors. Therefore, in this study both genetic and non-genetic donors are investigated with focus on their whole donation process. METHODS: Thirty-nine donors were interviewed the day before nephrectomy and 3 weeks afterwards. Twenty-three donors were genetic relatives, 16 were not. The interviews were analysed qualitatively, mainly by narrative structuring. RESULTS: All donors but one passed seven steps in the donation process. They included: (i) awareness of suffering; compassion and empathy; (ii) imminence of transplantation; recognition of oneself as potential donor; (iii) information acquisition and deliberation; (iv) attribution of responsibility to oneself; announcement of decision to donate; (v) examination; maintaining the decision; (vi) facing nephrectomy; and (vii) postoperative experiences. Two types of decision-making were displayed: immediate and later announcement of decision. Half the donors belonged to each type. Various relationship groups displayed different types. The examination period was the most stressful time, partly due to imperfect coordination and excessive time-wasting. One-third found postoperative pain the most painful experience ever. There was a lack of attention to regressive needs and to recognition of the deed. CONCLUSIONS: The two types of decision-making seem similar in ethical requirements. It is not a genetic or non-genetic relationship per se that determines what kind of decision the donors make. Psychological support, especially during Steps 5 and 7, should be improved and the donors included in a structured donation programme. Possible health care ambivalence toward living donation should not affect the donors.     

Attitudes Toward Transplantation in U.K. Muslim Indo-Asians in West London

The worldwide shortage of organs for transplantation makes it important to understand why some oppose donation. Attitudes vary with religion and ethnicity. Accordingly, we undertook a qualitative study of the attitudes of 141 U.K. Muslim Indo-Asians to organ donation. Participants were observed, focus group discussions held and in-depth individual interviews conducted. We identified a high level of alienation from the health care system in general. With respect to organ donation in particular, its importance was generally discounted, often in deference to authority figures within the community who appeared negatively disposed. The culture-specific issues arguing against donation included a sense of the sacredness of the body, a fatalistic approach to illness, a belief that organs took on an independent role as 'witnesses' to an individual's life on Judgement Day and an anxiety that the donor would have no control of the probity of the recipient of an organ. We believe these data suggest a need to improve in a culturally sensitive fashion the provision of health information provided to this community.     

基于ROC曲线的非亲缘造血干细胞捐献志愿者筛选标准

目的：基于ROC曲线分析方法探讨非亲缘造血干细胞捐献志愿者筛选标准。方法：采用问卷调查法收集温州市2007年至2018年间共40名成功捐献造血干细胞志愿者以及166名尚未完成捐献的入库志愿者信息,构建捐献认知、捐献意愿、捐献态度及三种得分联合检验的ROC曲线。结果：综合了捐献认知、捐献意愿及捐献态度的联合筛选方法ROC曲线下面积为0.87（95%CI：0.81～0.93）,灵敏度为70.00%,特异度为90.96%,一致率为86.89%,Youden指数为0.61。结论：增强入库志愿者对非亲缘造血干细胞捐献的认知程度,提高入库志愿者的捐献意愿与态度,有利于提高志愿者的捐献可能性,降低悔捐率。     

Knowledge about the impact of age on fertility: a brief review

Delayed childbearing is currently a major challenge in reproductive medicine as increased age has an important impact on successful conception, both in natural and in assisted reproduction. There is a lack of knowledge about the impact of age on fertility, even in highly educated populations. A number of initiatives have been taken to increase fertility awareness. Health care providers have been encouraged to talk with patients about their reproductive life plan (RLP) for almost a decade based on recommendations from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. This concept has been explored successfully in Swedish contraception counselling. A growing number of online interventions aim to raise fertility awareness. These websites or interactive tools provide relevant information for individuals and couples as they consider whether they want children, when they should have them, and how many they may wish to have. These interventions are important, because research depicts that knowledge helps people in their decision-making process. With new fertility preservations such as egg freezing now available, additional education is needed to be sure that women and couples are well informed about the cost and low success rates of this intervention.     

金银花、连翘配伍提取物体外抗甲型流感病毒FM1株的实验研究

目的:观察金银花、连翘配伍提取物(JLT)体外抑制甲型流感病毒FM1株的作用。方法:采用血凝试验方法,测定不同质量浓度JLT体外和鸡胚内抑制流感病毒效价,分析JLT对病毒增殖的影响。结果:与病毒对照组比较,JLT组血凝效价降低,其抑制作用时间可从1 h持续到24 h,其对病毒的抑制作用随着药物质量浓度的降低而逐渐减弱;JLT在400 mg/mL、200 mg/mL及100 mg/mL时,对感染流感病毒鸡胚具有预防和保护治疗作用(P<0.001),而在400 mg/mL时的预防作用明显优于阳性对照组(P<0.05)。结论:JLT可有效抑制甲型流感病毒FM1株。     

慢性血吸虫病孕鼠肝脏病变的计量分析

目的:了解慢性血吸虫病孕鼠肝脏的病变程度.方法:以日本血吸虫尾蚴感染小鼠,在感染后100d(慢性期),雌雄小鼠交配使其受孕,在妊娠早期及分娩后取材,以图像分析仪对肝内虫卵肉芽肿进行体视学分析,同时观察孕期小鼠存活状况及虫荷.结果:各组间虫荷差异无显著性意义,但受孕组病鼠死亡明显增多,感染产后组小鼠的肝脏虫卵肉芽肿面积较感染未合笼组明显缩小(P＜0.05),其肉芽肿纤维面积也较感染早孕组及感染未合笼组显著缩小(P＜0.01).结论:妊娠期合并慢性血吸虫病使病变加重可能与免疫抑制有关.     

日本血吸虫谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶在虫卵阶段的定位

目的探讨谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶(Sj26GST)在虫卵阶段的表达、定位和重组蛋白(rSj26GST)的免疫诊断价值。方法从感染日本血吸虫尾蚴6周的兔肝脏中分离虫卵,分别用RT-PCR和免疫印迹(Western blotting)法检测Sj26GST基因在虫卵阶段的转录和翻译;同时用兔肝做免疫组化观察Sj26GST在虫卵内的分布。利用纯化的rSj26GST和日本血吸虫可溶性虫卵抗原(SEA),采用间接ELISA法检测急、慢性血吸虫病患者和正常人血清。结果RT-PCR从血吸虫虫卵中扩增670bp的基因片断,Western blotting证明在虫卵阶段Sj26GST的表达;同时免疫组化显示Sj26GST主要分布在虫卵内毛蚴两边的侧腺。rSj26GST检测急、慢性血吸虫病患者和正常人血清的阳性率分别为92%、80%和0;用SEA检测以上标本,阳性率分别为96%、84%和2%。结论Sj26GST是SEA的主要组分之一,能刺激机体产生高滴度的抗体;rSj26GST为抗原诊断日本血吸虫病显示出高度的敏感性和特异性,具有实用价值。