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12/31/2007
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide, around 25% of renal transplant recipients have DM as their primary disease for renal failure. Diabetic patients have more complications pre and post renal transplant with increased morbidity: wound healing, infection, and cardiovascular complications which affects their graft and patient survival.
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12/31/2007
There is a critical shortage of organs available for transplantation. To combat the growing discrepancy between patients on the wait list and available donor kidneys, the United Network for Organ Sharing introduced a policy in 2001 for the use of expanded criteria deceased organ donors. These expanded criteria donors are defined as deceased donors older than 60 years of age, or donors between the ages of 50 and 59 years of age with two of the following: history of hypertension, history of cerebrovascular accident, or terminal serum creatinine > 1.5 mg/dL. These expanded criteria donors have an inherent reduced renal graft viability that translates into a relative risk of graft failure exceeding 1.7 when compared to an ideal donor. Age and terminal serum creatinine have been established as risk factors for graft survival. In this study we attempt to determine the relative impact of donor age and terminal serum creatinine on patient and graft survival.
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12/31/2007
Polyomavirus associated nephropathy is an increasingly recognized cause of allograft dysfunction and failure in kidney transplant recipients. Since June 30, 2004, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/the United Network for Organ Sharing (OPTN/UNOS) has been collecting data on clinical polyomavirus (BK) disease (CPVD) using follow-up record. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of CPVD on graft survival after transplantation.
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12/31/2007
Renal transplantation is considered the best treatment option for patients with ESRD caused by SLE. Many studies have shown a positive outcome for these patients. In our study we looked retrospectively at the outcome of transplanted SLE patients in UNOS data.
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5/31/2008
Polyomavirus-associated nephropathy often precedes renal allograft dysfunction in adult renal transplant recipients. The Organ Procurement and Transplant Network/ the United Network for Organ Sharing (OPTN/UNOS) began collecting information regarding polyomavirus test results using follow-up forms since June 30, 2004. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of clinical polyomavirus disease (PVD) on graft survival after pediatric kidney transplantation.
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5/31/2008
It is very important to investigate whether specific pediatric allocation schemes can not only lead to minimization of waiting time, but also to better clinical outcomes for children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
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5/31/2008
Despite improved early graft survival (currently over 90% at 1-year) long-term graft loss rate has not been reduced. Both HLA antibodies and HLA donor specific antibodies (DSA) have been shown to contribute to acute and chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN), particularly the former. In a longitudinal study, HLA antibodies were linked to graft failure. Recently, Class II DSA have been shown to correlate with graft failure in renal transplant recipients with grafts surviving at least one year.
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7/31/2008
Trypanosoma cruzi, a parasite that causes Chagas disease, is endemic in parts of Mexico, South and Central America. Transmission of T. cruzi infection by solid organ transplantation has been reported in Latin America and United States1 (Figure 1). Our laboratory began to test organ donors for anti-T. cruzi using FDA’s approved EIA on April 15, 2007
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7/31/2008
Previous reports and NIT Laboratory data support the existence of persistent HCV RNA viremia in the absence of detectable anti-HCV1. Experience from blood donor screening suggests that the nucleic acid testing (NAT) can reduce so-called “window period” donations from organ donors during the antibody negative phase of acute HCV or HIV-1 infections2. In Sep 04’ the NIT laboratory decided to augment existing donor screening algorithm and introduced NAT testing using the Procleix HIV-1/HCV Assay (Chiron Corporation, Emeryville, CA). Accurate donor HCV and HIV-1 status is important in prevention of viral infection transmissions; HCV+ donors may be considered for HCV+ recipients. Infection must be identified in timely manner because of limited life of the donor organ
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5/31/2008
Alport Syndrome accounts for approximately 1% of kidney transplants. It is a hereditary cause of kidney failure associated with hearing loss, more often affecting males than females. Loss of kidney function is attributed to collagen defects in the glomerular basement membrane. Formation of antibody reactive to normal collagen in the transplanted kidney may increase the risk of graft loss.
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