{"title":"Kidney Storage at Sub-Zero Temperature is Safe for Porcine Kidney Auto-Transplantation: A World First In-Vivo Study.","authors":"Francisco Calderon Novoa,Tun-Pang Chu,Kaitlin Lees,Sujani Ganesh,Laura Martinez-Arenas,Nicola Sariye Pollman,Catherine Parmentier,Masataka Kawamura,Christian Hobeika,Samrat Ray,Emmanuel Nogueira,Rohan John,Aakriti Gupta,Photis Loizides,Tom Allen,Trevor Reichman,Lisa Robinson,Markus Selzner","doi":"10.1016/j.ajt.2025.08.033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajt.2025.08.033","url":null,"abstract":"Organ shortage continues to limit kidney transplantation worldwide. Sub-zero storage may harbor the potential for extending cold ischemic times, improving organ sharing, and optimizing graft allocation. However, sub-zero storage remains challenging, limited by possible freeze-thaw damage. We conducted a porcine auto-transplant model to assess kidney function and injury after brief (5 h) or prolonged (24-48 h) sub-zero storage of grafts, comparing it to classic static cold storage. There was no mortality in the cohort, and subjects were followed for 7 days. Creatinine, BUN and potassium peak levels and curves were comparable between groups in both brief and prolonged experiments (P > .05). Histological analysis revealed no evidence suggesting ice crystals had formed, as well as similar injury profiles, suggesting that the sub-zero preservation process was successful. Creatinine clearance, fractional excretion of sodium, NGAL urinary and serum levels tended to favor sub-zero preservation in the 24 h SCS experiments, without statistical significance. While further research is needed to optimize storage protocols and explore the impact of colder temperatures, this study provides promising evidence regarding safety and feasibility of sub-zero storage as a method for extending preservation times. Future studies will focus on enhancing preservation solutions for improved outcomes.","PeriodicalId":123,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Transplantation","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145035744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Seunghyeok Choi,Hanbi Lee,Hye-Eun Yoon,Silvia Park,Byung Ha Chung
{"title":"Kidney Transplantation in Patients with Severe Aplastic Anemia: A Case Series of Four Patients Bridging to Tolerance or Hematologic Recovery.","authors":"Seunghyeok Choi,Hanbi Lee,Hye-Eun Yoon,Silvia Park,Byung Ha Chung","doi":"10.1016/j.ajt.2025.09.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajt.2025.09.002","url":null,"abstract":"Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is a bone marrow failure syndrome characterized by pancytopenia and hypocellular marrow. When accompanied by end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), it presents a significant therapeutic challenge. While allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the definitive treatment for SAA and kidney transplantation (KT) is the optimal therapy for ESKD, the ideal sequencing and strategy for performing both procedures remain unclear. We report successful outcomes in four patients with concurrent SAA and ESKD managed using a KT-first approach. All patients demonstrated immediate graft function without surgical complications, and no episodes of acute rejection were observed within the first year post-transplant. Two patients subsequently underwent HSCT from the same donor used for KT, approximately three months after KT. Both achieved hematologic remission and were eventually able to discontinue all immunosuppressive medications. Remarkably, the other two patients experienced spontaneous hematologic improvement and no longer required HSCT. These findings suggest that the KT-first approach is both feasible and safe, serving not only as a bridge to curative HSCT but also, in select cases, as a potential standalone therapy for SAA. This case series provides preliminary evidence supporting the role of the KT-first strategy in patients with coexisting SAA and ESKD.","PeriodicalId":123,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Transplantation","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145035740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reply to: Liver Transplantation in Patients with Active Invasive Candida Infection: One Size Does Not Fit All.","authors":"Julian Allgeier, Christian M Lange","doi":"10.1016/j.ajt.2025.08.032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajt.2025.08.032","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":123,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Transplantation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145038749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Minxue Liao,Jing Liu,Kang Mi Lee,Katsuhiro Tomofuji,Naoki Tanimine,Caroline Markmann,Kevin Deng,Rudy Matheson,Matthew Yu,Olivia Bourgeois,Liang Wei,Anil Kharga,Heidi Yeh,Christian Leguern,Shaoping Deng,Ji Lei,Thiago J Borges,Leonardo V Riella,Gaoping Zhao,James F Markmann
{"title":"PD-L1 on ex-vivo Expanded Toll-like-receptor-Bregs Prevents Allograft Rejection by Breg Viability Promotion, CD4+T Effector Cell Suppression, and Tregs Induction.","authors":"Minxue Liao,Jing Liu,Kang Mi Lee,Katsuhiro Tomofuji,Naoki Tanimine,Caroline Markmann,Kevin Deng,Rudy Matheson,Matthew Yu,Olivia Bourgeois,Liang Wei,Anil Kharga,Heidi Yeh,Christian Leguern,Shaoping Deng,Ji Lei,Thiago J Borges,Leonardo V Riella,Gaoping Zhao,James F Markmann","doi":"10.1016/j.ajt.2025.08.031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajt.2025.08.031","url":null,"abstract":"Achieving immune tolerance is a key goal in organ transplantation, as it eliminates the need for long-term immunosuppression. Regulatory B cells (Bregs) present a promising strategy for inducing tolerance. Our previous findings demonstrate that the adoptive transfer of ex vivo-expanded murine splenic B regulatory cells, referred to as TLR-Bregs (TLR9/TLR4 stimulation), induces tolerance to allografts. Here, we identify that circulating T cells increase PD-1 expression following TLR-Bregs cellular therapy. To investigate whether PD-L1-PD-1 signaling is involved in tolerance induction by TLR-Bregs, we generate TLR-Bregs from wild-type (WT) or PD-L1-deficient (-/-, KO) B6 splenocytes and assess their regulatory functions. Our findings reveal that TLR-Bregs express high levels of PD-L1 and extend graft survival via a PD-L1-dependent mechanism. Mechanistically, PD-L1 enhances the activation and survival of TLR-Bregs; PD-L1 is required for TLR-Bregs to induce PD-1 expression and an optimal inhibition of effector CD4+T cells while promoting the formation of functional Foxp3hiCCR7hiCTLA4hiTregs. This study highlights the foundational role of PD-L1 in inducing tolerance by ex-vivo-expanded TLR-Bregs.","PeriodicalId":123,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Transplantation","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145025555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evolving Landscape of Thrombotic Microangiopathy in Kidney Transplant Recipients in the post C5 inhibitor Era.","authors":"Léo Drapeau,Jean Paraire,Mehdi Maanaoui,Viviane Gnemmi,François Provôt,Rémi Lenain,Christophe Masset,Christine Kandel-Aznar,Clarisse Kerleau,Karine Autain-Renaudin,Fadi Fakhouri,Marie Frimat,Simon Ville","doi":"10.1016/j.ajt.2025.08.019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajt.2025.08.019","url":null,"abstract":"A comprehensive analysis was performed on all consecutive biopsy-proven Thrombotic Microangiopathy (TMA) complicating kidney transplantation in the post C5 inhibitor era (from 2009) to identify pathological profiles, determine causes and establish risk factor associated with death-censored graft survival, in two French center. Pathological criteria were assessed according to the TMA Banff Working Group, followed by an unbiased analysis to identify distinct subgroups. 119 cases were identified, 8(6.7%) primary TMA, and 23(19.3%) antibody-mediated rejection. In 98 cases (82.4%), more than one potential trigger was involved. Latent class analysis identified two groups: acute TMA pattern (n= 79(66.4%)) enriched for fibrin thrombi in glomerular capillaries and arterioles and mesangiolysis, and chronic active TMA pattern (n= 40 (33.6%)) enriched for collapsed capillaries. Both had similar presentation, were not indicative of specific causes but had different outcome. In multivariate analysis, grade 3 hypertension, low hemoglobin levels, proteinuria, baseline serum creatinine and the value of a Banff-based chronicity index (ct + ci + 2xcg +cv) were associated with poorer death-censored graft survival, while fibrin thrombi in glomerular capillaries were associated with a better outcome. KT-TMA is a severe condition in which the pathological pattern may reflect the disease stage, rather than the often intricate underlying mechanism.","PeriodicalId":123,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Transplantation","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145008714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bhavya Kapse , Rashmi Prava Mohanty , Michael Wax , Ying Gao , Lily Tran , Paul J. Wolters , Matteo Pellegrini , Jonathan P. Singer , John R. Greenland
{"title":"Frailty in lung transplant recipients is associated with anemia and telomere dysfunction but independent of epigenetic age","authors":"Bhavya Kapse , Rashmi Prava Mohanty , Michael Wax , Ying Gao , Lily Tran , Paul J. Wolters , Matteo Pellegrini , Jonathan P. Singer , John R. Greenland","doi":"10.1016/j.ajt.2025.05.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajt.2025.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Frailty is a syndrome of vulnerability to stressors linked to worse outcomes before and after lung transplantation. However, the biological basis of this association is unknown. Biological correlates of aging include epigenetic reprograming, chronic inflammation, telomere dysfunction, and anemia. We hypothesized that these aging-associated biological processes would be associated with frailty in lung transplant recipients. In a nested case-control study, we compared 43 lung transplant recipients who were frail pretransplant and posttransplant with 43 nonfrail matched controls. We quantified peripheral blood leukocyte epigenetic aging (Horvath) and longevity (GrimAge) clocks, telomere length, cytokine profiles, and hemoglobin before transplant. Epigenetic clocks were correlated with age but not frailty. However, we observed hypermethylation of multiple gene pathways, including hedgehog signaling and angiogenesis, and associated decreased levels of plasma cytokines in frail recipients. Frailty was also associated with telomere dysfunction and anemia. Overall, telomere dysfunction and anemia of chronic disease were most linked to frailty in this cohort, whereas epigenetic aging and chronic inflammation were not. Understanding the heterogeneity of aging syndromes may help target interventions in frail lung transplant recipients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":123,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Transplantation","volume":"25 9","pages":"Pages 1916-1925"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143921086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The impact of the Banff v-lesion on rejection classification and outcomes: Insights from a multicenter study","authors":"Karolien Wellekens , Maarten Coemans , Priyanka Koshy , Thibaut Vaulet , Evert Cleenders , Tim Debyser , Steffi De Pelsmaeker , Valérie Dubois , Marie-Paule Emonds , Dirk Kuypers , Angelica Pagliazzi , Maud Rabeyrin , Aleksandar Senev , Irina Scheffner , Thomas Vanhoutte , Olivier Thaunat , Candice Roufosse , Wilfried Gwinner , Maarten Naesens","doi":"10.1016/j.ajt.2025.04.023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajt.2025.04.023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>According to the Banff classification, intimal arteritis<span><span> (v-lesion) contributes to diagnosing T cell–mediated rejection (TCMR) and antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and signifies more severe TCMR. This multicenter cohort study (N = 5323 </span>kidney transplants<span><span>, N = 16 774 posttransplant biopsies) evaluated the impact of v-lesions (N = 707 v-positive biopsies in N = 534 transplants) on biopsy classification and outcomes. The first v-positive biopsy of each transplant was categorized by additional Banff TCMR/(p)AMR-MVI criteria: 166 (31.1%) isolated v, 87 (16.3%) borderline changes with v, 66 (12.4%) TCMR grade I (TCMR-I) with v, 148 (27.7%) (p)AMR-MVI ((probable) AMR/DSAnegC4dneg MVI) with v, and 67 (12.5%) TCMR-I + (p)AMR-MVI with v. Cases with additional TCMR/(p)AMR-MVI criteria were more often indication biopsies, had lower eGFR, and were more frequently HLA-DSA positive than isolated v. While borderline changes with v had borderline higher 10-year </span>graft failure rates than isolated v, TCMR-I, (p)AMR-MVI, and TCMR-I + (p)AMR-MVI with v were associated with significantly worse outcomes, although variably treated. Matching N = 534 v-positive cases to v-negative controls showed no significant impact of v-lesions on outcomes. These findings question the role of isolated v-lesions in rejection diagnosis and emphasize the greater prognostic value of additional TCMR and (p)AMR-MVI criteria. Reconsideration of v-lesions in the Banff classification may be appropriate.</span></span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":123,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Transplantation","volume":"25 9","pages":"Pages 1940-1953"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143921084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elena M. Donald, Jaya Batra, Ersilia M. DeFilippis, Jayant K. Raikhelkar, Dor Lotan, Kevin J. Clerkin, Gabriel Sayer, Nir Uriel
{"title":"Comparable short-term survival in dual organ heart transplant recipients with and without HIV: A call for increased access to organ donation for people living with HIV","authors":"Elena M. Donald, Jaya Batra, Ersilia M. DeFilippis, Jayant K. Raikhelkar, Dor Lotan, Kevin J. Clerkin, Gabriel Sayer, Nir Uriel","doi":"10.1016/j.ajt.2025.05.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajt.2025.05.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><span>Access to organ transplantation<span><span> for individuals with HIV is expanding, yet the outcomes of patients with HIV requiring multiorgan transplants are not well-defined. Adult individuals with HIV in the United Network for Organ Sharing registry and who received heart transplantation between 2010 and 2023 were included. The primary outcome was patient survival. During the study period, 175 patients with HIV were transplanted. Twenty-six (14.8%) underwent dual organ transplantation (20 heart/kidney, 4 heart/lung, and 2 heart/liver) at 23 centers. Median age at the time of heart transplantation was 56 years (interquartile range 47-60); the majority were male (n = 18, 69%), and 46% identified as Black (n = 12). </span>Dilated cardiomyopathy<span> was the most common etiology of heart failure (n = 13, 50%). All patients received organs from donors without HIV. The probability of surviving at least 1 year was 87.6% (95% CI, 81.0%-92.0%) for single-organ recipients and 82.9% for dual organ recipients (95% CI, 60.0%-93.4%). There was no difference in overall survival between matched controls with HIV and matched controls without HIV among dual organ recipients (log-rank </span></span></span><em>P</em> value = .8). Over the last decade, only a small number of individuals with HIV with end-stage heart failure have undergone dual organ transplantation with encouraging short-term outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":123,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Transplantation","volume":"25 9","pages":"Pages 1996-2007"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143932493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kamal S. Yadav, Nikhitha Shetty, Fysal Valappil, Akash Selvathangam, Suchet Chaudhary, Ankur Gupta, Prashant Bhangui, Arvinder S. Soin
{"title":"Complex donor anatomy does not influence early donor or recipient outcomes after robotic donor hepatectomy at a high-volume center","authors":"Kamal S. Yadav, Nikhitha Shetty, Fysal Valappil, Akash Selvathangam, Suchet Chaudhary, Ankur Gupta, Prashant Bhangui, Arvinder S. Soin","doi":"10.1016/j.ajt.2025.04.017","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajt.2025.04.017","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><span><span><span>With evolving expertise, criteria to select donors for living robotic donor hepatectomy (RDH) have expanded. We studied the comparative donor and recipient outcomes in RDHs with standard grafts and complex grafts. We performed 360 right lobe RDH (RRDH) of 4296 living donor </span>liver transplantations, with 280 having >6 months follow-up. The first 53 cases were excluded as we used a different (cut-suture) technique for </span>hepatic duct<span> division. The subsequent 227 RRDHs were then divided into donors with standard (group S, n = 76) and complex grafts (group C, n = 151). Three donors in each group were converted to open midline incision. In groups S and C, 1 (1.3%) and 3 (1.9%) donors developed biliary complications (</span></span><em>P</em><span> = .741). Both recipient groups had similar early and late postoperative complications. Group C recipients had a nonsignificant higher incidence of late biliary complications (3 [3.9%] vs 17 [11.2%]; odds ratio, 3.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.88-10.88; </span><em>P</em> = .067). Early (<30 days) recipient mortality was similar with 4 (6.6%) in group S and 11 (7.3%) in group C (<em>P</em> = .755), all sepsis-related. The outcomes were similar among donors and recipients with both standard and complex grafts. With experience, RDH can be safely offered to “all-comer” donors and has the potential to become standard of care.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":123,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Transplantation","volume":"25 9","pages":"Pages 1987-1995"},"PeriodicalIF":8.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143897320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}