Transplantation DirectPub Date : 2025-06-27eCollection Date: 2025-07-01DOI: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001832
Katsuhiro Tomofuji, Daniel J Cloonan, Taylor M Coe, Olivia Bourgeois, Rudy Matheson, Ahmad Karadagi, Anil Kharga, Toshihide Tomosugi, James F Markmann, Shoko Kimura
{"title":"Allogeneic Liver Transplantation in Nonhuman Primates: Surgical Technique With Stable Postoperative Outcomes.","authors":"Katsuhiro Tomofuji, Daniel J Cloonan, Taylor M Coe, Olivia Bourgeois, Rudy Matheson, Ahmad Karadagi, Anil Kharga, Toshihide Tomosugi, James F Markmann, Shoko Kimura","doi":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001832","DOIUrl":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001832","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Nonhuman primate models are essential in preclinical transplantation studies. Although many advances in medical and surgical therapies have been achieved in liver transplantation research using rodent models, nonhuman primate models have not been widely used because of their technical complexity. As scientific inquiries into tolerance-free and ischemia-free models of transplantation continue to progress, it is vital to establish a standard nonhuman primate model. We attempted to establish a feasible and stable nonhuman primate model for orthotopic liver transplantation using baboons.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Orthotopic allogeneic liver transplantations were performed in 3 cynomolgus macaques and 5 baboons. Portocaval shunts and extracorporeal bypasses were performed as previously described for cynomolgus macaques. In baboon models, minimization of the anhepatic time was attempted without the bypass technique. Survival, postoperative clinical course, histopathology, and liver enzyme levels were assessed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The first 2 macaques were euthanized because of gastric necrosis and pneumonia. The third had bypass failure of circulation and developed coagulopathy, which occurred at the end of the study during surgery. In baboons, all 5 recipients survived for >2 mo. The first 3 recipients, whose bile ducts were reconstructed with choledocholedochostomy (duct-to-duct), showed elevated liver function and bile duct enzymes. Therefore, choledochojejunostomy was performed in the other 2 cases, revealing normal liver function postoperatively.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We report successful and consistently stable outcomes of nonhuman primate liver transplantation in baboons. In addition to existing cynomolgus macaque models, our method offers a promising approach and contributes to further clinical adaptation of translational studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23225,"journal":{"name":"Transplantation Direct","volume":"11 7","pages":"e1832"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208645/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144529686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Transplantation DirectPub Date : 2025-06-27eCollection Date: 2025-07-01DOI: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001841
Michelle C Nguyen, Xingjie Li, Chi Zhang, Stephanie Ohara, Mehrdad Motamed, Caroline C Jadlowiec, Adyr A Moss, Kunam S Reddy, Amit K Mathur
{"title":"Survey of Early Practices and Perceptions of Liver Machine Perfusion Among US Liver Transplant Surgeons.","authors":"Michelle C Nguyen, Xingjie Li, Chi Zhang, Stephanie Ohara, Mehrdad Motamed, Caroline C Jadlowiec, Adyr A Moss, Kunam S Reddy, Amit K Mathur","doi":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001841","DOIUrl":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001841","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ex vivo machine perfusion (MP) has transformed organ preservation, offering significant benefits in liver transplantation (LT), particularly with high-risk donor grafts. However, adoption in the United States has been limited. We aimed to examine early adoption trends, surgeon perceptions, and barriers to implementing MP in the United States after Food and Drug Administration approval of MP platforms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A 23-question electronic survey was distributed to members of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons between October and November 2022, capturing attitudes and practices related to MP adoption. Responses from 96 surgeons representing 77 LT centers across 11 Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network regions were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Forty-four respondents (48%) reported having an MP program at their institution. Adoption of MP was significantly more common in high-volume centers and those performing ≥20 donation after circulatory death (DCD) transplants annually (<i>P</i> < 0.001). MP utilization received strong support, with 88% endorsing its use for DCD liver allografts and 82% for donation after brain death allografts. Respondents cited MP's ability to reduce ischemic cholangiopathy, enable graft repair, and facilitate viability assessment as key benefits. Normothermic MP was preferred for high-risk donor profiles, including DCD grafts, older donors, and steatotic livers, and was associated with an increased willingness to accept medically complex grafts compared with static cold storage. Barriers to MP utilization included program costs, personnel demands, and logistical complexities. Centers with higher proportions of privately insured patients were more likely to adopt MP. Despite these challenges, 84% of respondents expressed interest in future MP adoption.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>MP enhances graft utilization and outcomes, particularly for complex and high-risk donor livers, but widespread US adoption requires addressing financial and logistical barriers. Future efforts should focus on refining cost-effectiveness analyses, collaboration with organ procurement organizations and device companies, and developing standardized training to optimize MP integration and maximize its clinical impact on LT.</p>","PeriodicalId":23225,"journal":{"name":"Transplantation Direct","volume":"11 7","pages":"e1841"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12208642/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144529701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Transplantation DirectPub Date : 2025-04-29eCollection Date: 2025-05-01DOI: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001787
Tobias Laue, Maria Pilar Ballester, Lily Meoli, Carl Grabitz, Eva Uson, Lorenzo D Antiga, Valerie McLin, Montserrat Pujadas, Ângela Carvalho-Gomes, Ivan Sahuco, Ariadna Bono, Federico D'Amico, Raffaela Viganò, Elena Diago, Beatriz Tormo Lanseros, Elvira Inglese, Dani Martinez Vazquez, Annelotte Broekhoven, Marjolein Kikkert, Shessy P Torres Morales, Sebenzile K Myeni, Mar Riveiro-Barciela, Adriana Palom, Nicola Zeni, Alessandra Brocca, Annarosa Cussigh, Sara Cmet, Maria Desamparados Escudero-García, Matteo Stocco, Leonardo Antonio Natola, Donatella Ieluzzi, Veronica Paon, Angelo Sangiovanni, Elisa Farina, Clara Dibenedetto, Yolanda Sánchez-Torrijos, Ana Lucena-Varela, Eva Román, Elisabet Sánchez, Rubén Sánchez-Aldehuelo, Julia López-Cardona, Dhaarica Jeyanesan, Alejandro Esquivel Morocho, Itzel Canas-Perez, Christine Eastgate, Simone Di Cola, Lucia Lapenna, Giacomo Zaccherini, Deborah Bongiovanni, Antonio Riva, Rajni Sharma, Hio Lam Phoebe Tsou, Nicola Harris, Paola Zanaga, Katia Sayaf, Sabir Hossain, Javier Crespo, Mercedes Robles-Díaz, Antonio Madejón, Helena Degroote, Marko Korenjak, Xavier Verhelst, Javier García-Samaniego, Raúl J Andrade, Paula Iruzubieta, Gavin Wright, Paolo Caraceni, Manuela Merli, Vishal C Patel, Amir Gander, Agustín Albillos, Germán Soriano, Maria Francesca Donato, David Sacerdoti, Pierluigi Toniutto, Maria Buti, Christophe Duvoux, Paolo Antonio Grossi, Thomas Berg, Wojciech G Polak, Massimo Puoti, Anna Bosch-Comas, Luca S Belli, Patrizia Burra, Francesco Paolo Russo, Minneke Coenraad, José Luis Calleja, Giovanni Perricone, Shilpa Chokshi, Marina Berenguer, Joan Clària, Richard Moreau, Javier Fernández, Vicente Arroyo, Paolo Angeli, Cristina Sánchez-Garrido, Javier Ampuero, Salvatore Piano, Emanuele Nicastro, Nathalie Rock, Debbie Shawcross, Lindsey Edwards, Frauke Mutschler, Anette Melk, Gautam Mehta, Ulrich Baumann, Rajiv Jalan
{"title":"Pediatric Liver and Kidney Transplant Recipients Demonstrate Greater Serological Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Than Adults.","authors":"Tobias Laue, Maria Pilar Ballester, Lily Meoli, Carl Grabitz, Eva Uson, Lorenzo D Antiga, Valerie McLin, Montserrat Pujadas, Ângela Carvalho-Gomes, Ivan Sahuco, Ariadna Bono, Federico D'Amico, Raffaela Viganò, Elena Diago, Beatriz Tormo Lanseros, Elvira Inglese, Dani Martinez Vazquez, Annelotte Broekhoven, Marjolein Kikkert, Shessy P Torres Morales, Sebenzile K Myeni, Mar Riveiro-Barciela, Adriana Palom, Nicola Zeni, Alessandra Brocca, Annarosa Cussigh, Sara Cmet, Maria Desamparados Escudero-García, Matteo Stocco, Leonardo Antonio Natola, Donatella Ieluzzi, Veronica Paon, Angelo Sangiovanni, Elisa Farina, Clara Dibenedetto, Yolanda Sánchez-Torrijos, Ana Lucena-Varela, Eva Román, Elisabet Sánchez, Rubén Sánchez-Aldehuelo, Julia López-Cardona, Dhaarica Jeyanesan, Alejandro Esquivel Morocho, Itzel Canas-Perez, Christine Eastgate, Simone Di Cola, Lucia Lapenna, Giacomo Zaccherini, Deborah Bongiovanni, Antonio Riva, Rajni Sharma, Hio Lam Phoebe Tsou, Nicola Harris, Paola Zanaga, Katia Sayaf, Sabir Hossain, Javier Crespo, Mercedes Robles-Díaz, Antonio Madejón, Helena Degroote, Marko Korenjak, Xavier Verhelst, Javier García-Samaniego, Raúl J Andrade, Paula Iruzubieta, Gavin Wright, Paolo Caraceni, Manuela Merli, Vishal C Patel, Amir Gander, Agustín Albillos, Germán Soriano, Maria Francesca Donato, David Sacerdoti, Pierluigi Toniutto, Maria Buti, Christophe Duvoux, Paolo Antonio Grossi, Thomas Berg, Wojciech G Polak, Massimo Puoti, Anna Bosch-Comas, Luca S Belli, Patrizia Burra, Francesco Paolo Russo, Minneke Coenraad, José Luis Calleja, Giovanni Perricone, Shilpa Chokshi, Marina Berenguer, Joan Clària, Richard Moreau, Javier Fernández, Vicente Arroyo, Paolo Angeli, Cristina Sánchez-Garrido, Javier Ampuero, Salvatore Piano, Emanuele Nicastro, Nathalie Rock, Debbie Shawcross, Lindsey Edwards, Frauke Mutschler, Anette Melk, Gautam Mehta, Ulrich Baumann, Rajiv Jalan","doi":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001787","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/TXD.0000000000001787","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adult solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) have decreased responsiveness to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination and higher incidence of infection, but there are few data on the serological response in pediatric SOTR. The aim of this study was to determine serological response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in pediatric liver (LT) and kidney transplant (KT) recipients and compare it with adult SOTR.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A European, prospective, multicenter study was performed. Samples were taken at 7 and 32 wk following COVID-19 vaccination and serological endpoints were measured by ELISA.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 42 pediatric (16 post-LT and 26 post-KT) and 117 adult (all post-LT) were included. All pediatric participants and 94% adult participants received mRNA vaccines. Paediatric SOTR patients had significantly higher anti-Spike IgG levels than adult participants at week 7 (114 220.7 [59 285.92-220 058.55] versus 8756.7 [5643.69-13 586.71], <i>P</i> < 0.0001) and week 32 (46 113.2 [10 992.91-193 436.14] versus 8207.0 [3561.20-18 913.43], <i>P</i> = 0.0032). No significant difference in week 7 anti-Spike IgG response was found between pediatric LT and KT (129 434.4 [51 888.64-322 869.69] versus 105 304.5 [39 910.20-277 849.50], <i>P</i> = 0.9854). No differences were seen between children and adults in the rate of decline of anti-Spike IgG between weeks 7 and 32 (<i>P</i> = 0.8000). Male sex and hemolytic-uremic syndrome or postischemic kidney disease were associated with lower anti-Spike IgG levels at week 7 in pediatric SOTR.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Paediatric SOTR demonstrate greater SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responses than comparable adult SOTR patients. These data support efficacy and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in child SOTR and may alleviate vaccine hesitancy in this patient group.</p>","PeriodicalId":23225,"journal":{"name":"Transplantation Direct","volume":"11 5","pages":"e1787"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12043343/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144055233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Transplantation DirectPub Date : 2025-04-25eCollection Date: 2025-05-01DOI: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001798
Floris P C Kroezen, Sanne Molenkamp, Marijn A Huijing, Robert A Pol, Llewellyn Thomas, Leela Sayed, Paul M N Werker, Henk Giele
{"title":"Radial Forearm Free Flap: A Modified Technique for Procurement as a Sentinel Skin Flap.","authors":"Floris P C Kroezen, Sanne Molenkamp, Marijn A Huijing, Robert A Pol, Llewellyn Thomas, Leela Sayed, Paul M N Werker, Henk Giele","doi":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001798","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/TXD.0000000000001798","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Organ rejection after solid organ transplantation remains a major challenge. The sentinel skin flap (SSF), a vascularized skin flap procured from the donor and transplanted alongside solid organs, has shown promise for early detection of rejection. The radial forearm free flap (RFFF) has a long history of use in reconstructive surgery and offers distinct advantages as SSF in organ donation procedures (ODPs). Until now, the SSF has been procured using the traditional RFFF way. However, an easier, quicker, and safer way is beneficial for logistical and financial reasons. This study presents a modified RFFF procurement technique for ODPs that is simple, quick, and reproducible and can be executed by surgeons who are not familiar with the original RFFF.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The traditional RFFF procurement technique was modified using deceased donor models, leading to the development of an SSF technique tailored for application during ODPs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A modified technique was developed and presented, enabling SSF procurement to be completed within 40 min. During the procedure, the donor's arm was positioned above the head or at a 90-degree angle, allowing the creation of a sterile field without interfering with the anesthesiology or organ procurement team. Donor-site closure was achieved using running sutures, ensuring an optimal cosmetic outcome.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We present a modified RFFF procurement technique, designed to obtain an SSF during ODPs, that we believe can also be executed by surgeons not familiar with this flap, ensuring that the procedure does not interfere with or impede the organ procurement procedure.</p>","PeriodicalId":23225,"journal":{"name":"Transplantation Direct","volume":"11 5","pages":"e1798"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12037097/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144062158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Transplantation DirectPub Date : 2025-04-17eCollection Date: 2025-05-01DOI: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001797
Sofia Nehring Firmino, Ekaterina Fedorova, Eman A Alshaikh, Dixon Kaufman, Jon Odorico, Didier Mandelbrot, Brad C Astor, Sandesh Parajuli
{"title":"Kidney Delayed Graft Function in Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney Transplant Recipients Is Associated With Inferior Outcomes.","authors":"Sofia Nehring Firmino, Ekaterina Fedorova, Eman A Alshaikh, Dixon Kaufman, Jon Odorico, Didier Mandelbrot, Brad C Astor, Sandesh Parajuli","doi":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001797","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/TXD.0000000000001797","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Kidney delayed graft function (K-DGF) is associated with worse outcomes in simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) recipients. However, its potential association with specific infections, rejection, and early complications remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We compared recipients with K-DGF to those without K-DGF among all adult SPK recipients transplanted at our center between January 2000 and December 2022 who had >2 wk of pancreas graft survival. Outcomes of interest included common posttransplant infections, including urinary tract infection (UTI), pneumonia, cytomegalovirus, BK, surgical wound infection, infected intra-abdominal fluid collection, graft rejection, and death-censored graft failure (DCGF) within the first year of transplant. We also looked for the need for early laparotomy within 90 d.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Seven hundred sixty-five SPK recipients were included, of whom 85 (11.1%) developed K-DGF. In Cox regression analysis, after adjustment for multiple key variables, K-DGF was associated/related with increased risk for UTI (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-0.94; <i>P</i> = 0.03), infected intra-abdominal fluid collection (aHR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.13-4.04; <i>P</i> = 0.02), and need for relaparotomy within 90 d (aHR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.27-3.37; <i>P</i> = 0.003). K-DGF was also associated with increased risk for pancreas DCGF (aHR, 4.88; 95% CI, 1.90-12.51; <i>P</i> < 0.001). K-DGF was not associated with risk for other common infections of interest or graft rejection.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>K-DGF among SPK recipients is associated with an increased risk of UTI, infected intra-abdominal fluid collection, and the need for early relaparotomy, along with pancreas DCGF. Close monitoring and appropriate management are warranted in this higher-risk patient population.</p>","PeriodicalId":23225,"journal":{"name":"Transplantation Direct","volume":"11 5","pages":"e1797"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12007875/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144028717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Transplantation DirectPub Date : 2025-04-17eCollection Date: 2025-05-01DOI: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001795
Isabelle Moneke, Axel Semmelmann, David Schibilsky, Torsten Loop, Elke Weinig, Ömer Senbaklavaci, Johannes Kalbhenn, Florian Emmerich
{"title":"Incidental Cold Agglutinins in Lung Transplant Recipients.","authors":"Isabelle Moneke, Axel Semmelmann, David Schibilsky, Torsten Loop, Elke Weinig, Ömer Senbaklavaci, Johannes Kalbhenn, Florian Emmerich","doi":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001795","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/TXD.0000000000001795","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The relevance of cold agglutinins in lung transplantation (LTx) recipients is unclear. While there is typically no intentionally induced hypothermia, the cold preservation of organs could potentially lead to microvascular injury and vascular occlusion after implantation and reperfusion in the presence of cold agglutinins. This study aims to analyze the impact of cold agglutinins in lung transplant recipients on short- and long-term outcomes after LTx.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 251 patients who underwent LTx at our institution between March 2003 and June 2023. One hundred seventy-three patients were included in the study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS and GraphPad software.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>One hundred seventy-three of 251 (69%) of the lung transplant recipients were tested for cold agglutinins, which were positive in 78 of 173 (45%) patients. Most had a temperature amplitude of 4 °C; a broader temperature amplitude was detected in 9 of 78 (12%) patients. While there was no effect on overall long-term survival, cold agglutinins were associated with an increased incidence of reperfusion edema (<i>P</i> = 0.0002), severe primary graft dysfunction grade 2/3 (PGD2/3; <i>P</i> = 0.001), and early postoperative thromboembolism (<i>P</i> = 0.04). Multivariate analysis revealed PGD2/3 and thromboembolism as independent predictors of reduced long-term survival (<i>P</i> = 0.003 and <i>P</i> = 0.003, respectively). Plasmapheresis shortly before LTx in selected patients with a high cold agglutinin titer and broad temperature amplitude removed the cold agglutinins for at least 2 mo with good patient outcomes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Cold agglutinins are associated with an increased incidence of reperfusion edema, PGD2/3, and early postoperative thromboembolism after LTx. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the benefits of regular screening.</p>","PeriodicalId":23225,"journal":{"name":"Transplantation Direct","volume":"11 5","pages":"e1795"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12007878/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143999231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Transplantation DirectPub Date : 2025-04-17eCollection Date: 2025-05-01DOI: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001779
Matthieu Halfon, Raffaella Emsley, Thomas Agius, Arnaud Lyon, Sébastien Déglise, Manuel Pascual, Korkut Uygun, Heidi Yeh, Leonardo V Riella, James F Markmann, Pierre-Yves Bochud, Dela Golshayan, Alban Longchamp
{"title":"Association of Kidney Graft Long-term Outcome With Recipient Cystathionine Gamma-lyase Polymorphisms and Hydrogen Sulfide Levels: A Cohort Study.","authors":"Matthieu Halfon, Raffaella Emsley, Thomas Agius, Arnaud Lyon, Sébastien Déglise, Manuel Pascual, Korkut Uygun, Heidi Yeh, Leonardo V Riella, James F Markmann, Pierre-Yves Bochud, Dela Golshayan, Alban Longchamp","doi":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001779","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/TXD.0000000000001779","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hydrogen sulfide (H<sub>2</sub>S) produced endogenously by the <i>CTH</i> gene-encoded cystathionine gamma-lyase protects from renal ischemia-reperfusion injury in preclinical models. Here, we hypothesized that <i>CTH</i> gene polymorphisms (single nucleotide polymorphism [SNP]) and recipient H<sub>2</sub>S serum levels influence kidney graft outcomes after transplantation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We included all consecutive recipients of a first kidney transplant in the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study and with available genotyping. In addition, 192 deceased-donor kidney transplant recipients were randomly selected to measure baseline serum H<sub>2</sub>S levels. The primary endpoint was graft loss during follow-up.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong><i>CTH</i> SNPs were identified in up to 50% of the patients. During median follow-up (6.4 y, interquartile range: 3.9-9.8), graft loss was observed in 247 (9.8%) of 2518 patients. The incidence of graft loss was associated with the presence or absence of <i>CTH</i> SNPs. Specifically, rs672203 and rs10458561, increased the risk of graft loss (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04-1.78, <i>P</i> = 0.02; and HR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.0-1.66, <i>P</i> = 0.05; respectively), whereas rs113285275 was protective (HR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.6-1.01, <i>P</i> = 0.05). Interestingly, rs672203 was associated with an increased risk of acute rejection (<i>P</i> = 0.05), whereas rs113285275 was associated with a lower risk of acute rejection (<i>P</i> = 0.01). Finally, in patients with delayed graft function, serum H<sub>2</sub>S levels correlated with lower graft dysfunction (defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73 m<sup>2</sup>) (<i>P</i> = 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Graft outcome after kidney transplantation was associated with <i>CTH</i> genotype and, to some extent, H<sub>2</sub>S serum levels. Further research is needed to define the underlying protective mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":23225,"journal":{"name":"Transplantation Direct","volume":"11 5","pages":"e1779"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12007866/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144039424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Transplantation DirectPub Date : 2025-04-10eCollection Date: 2025-05-01DOI: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001796
Liang Wu, Carla C Baan, Derek Reijerkerk, Daan Nieboer, Thierry P P van den Bosch, Dennis A Hesselink, Karin Boer
{"title":"Kidney-derived Urinary Extracellular Vesicles are Increased During Acute Rejection after Kidney Transplantation: A Pilot Study.","authors":"Liang Wu, Carla C Baan, Derek Reijerkerk, Daan Nieboer, Thierry P P van den Bosch, Dennis A Hesselink, Karin Boer","doi":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001796","DOIUrl":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001796","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) are nanosized particles primarily excreted by the kidney. Kidney-derived uEVs (kd-uEVs) are promising noninvasive biomarkers for assessing kidney allograft health and diseases such as acute rejection (AR) after kidney transplantation. However, their release dynamics posttransplant are unclear. This pilot study investigates kd-uEV dynamics and their potential to distinguish AR from acute tubular necrosis (ATN) and nonbiopsied controls.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In the discovery cohort, urine samples from 72 donor-recipient pairs were collected pretransplant and on posttransplant days 3, 7, 180, and before for-cause biopsies. A validation cohort included 28 recipients biopsied within the first 2 wk posttransplant. Urine was stained with CD63 (uEV marker) and kidney-specific markers aquaporin 2 (AQP2) or podocalyxin (PODXL). Kd-uEVs were quantified using imaging flow cytometry, and percentages among total CD63<sup>+</sup> uEVs were calculated to adjust for urine dilution.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The percentage of kd-uEVs was lower in pretransplant recipients (AQP2<sup>+</sup>: 1.1% [Q1-Q3, 0.3%-1.7%]; PODXL<sup>+</sup>: 1.5% [Q1-Q3, 0.9%-2.8%]) compared with donors (AQP2<sup>+</sup>: 4.7% [Q1-Q3, 0.9%-11.5%], <i>P</i> < 0.001; PODXL<sup>+</sup> 6.4% [Q1-Q3, 1.4%-9.8%], <i>P</i> < 0.01). Recipients' kd-uEVs remained on pretransplant levels on posttransplant day 3 but were higher on day 7 (AQP2<sup>+</sup>: 7.2% [Q1-Q3, 2.6%-17.4%], <i>P</i> < 0.001; PODXL<sup>+</sup>: 10.0% [Q1-Q3, 3.2%-16.3%], <i>P</i> < 0.001) and persisted until day 180. In the initial 2 wk after transplantation, AR cases had higher AQP2<sup>+</sup> kd-uEVs (17.6% [Q1-Q3, 8.6%-32.3%]) than nonbiopsied controls (6.8% [Q1-Q3, 2.1%-11.2%], <i>P</i> < 0.05) and ATN (1.6% [Q1-Q3, 0.5%-6.4%], <i>P</i> < 0.01), with similar observations for PODXL<sup>+</sup> kd-uEVs. This difference between early AR and ATN was validated in the validation cohort.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Kd-uEV release is prominent from day 7 posttransplant. Elevated kd-uEVs are associated with AR, distinguishing it from ATN and demonstrating their potential as noninvasive biomarkers for early AR diagnosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":23225,"journal":{"name":"Transplantation Direct","volume":"11 5","pages":"e1796"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12313091/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144761436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Transplantation DirectPub Date : 2025-04-10eCollection Date: 2025-05-01DOI: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001794
Aylin Akifova, Klemens Budde, Mira Choi, Kerstin Amann, Maike Buettner-Herold, Michael Oellerich, Julia Beck, Kirsten Bornemann-Kolatzki, Ekkehard Schütz, Friederike Bachmann, Fabian Halleck, Eva V Schrezenmeier, Evelyn Seelow, Bianca Zukunft, Charlotte Hammett, Nathan A Pohl, Benedetta Mordà, Jan Kowald, Nils Lachmann, Diana Stauch, Bilgin Osmanodja
{"title":"Association of Blood Donor-derived Cell-free DNA Levels With Banff Scores and Histopathological Lesions in Kidney Allograft Biopsies: Results From an Observational Study.","authors":"Aylin Akifova, Klemens Budde, Mira Choi, Kerstin Amann, Maike Buettner-Herold, Michael Oellerich, Julia Beck, Kirsten Bornemann-Kolatzki, Ekkehard Schütz, Friederike Bachmann, Fabian Halleck, Eva V Schrezenmeier, Evelyn Seelow, Bianca Zukunft, Charlotte Hammett, Nathan A Pohl, Benedetta Mordà, Jan Kowald, Nils Lachmann, Diana Stauch, Bilgin Osmanodja","doi":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001794","DOIUrl":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001794","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) is an emerging biomarker of kidney allograft injury, mainly investigated in the context of rejection. However, the dd-cfDNA dynamics in other graft pathologies merit further investigation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this single-center observational study, we prospectively collected dd-cfDNA at indication biopsies. To evaluate the association between dd-cfDNA and different histological patterns, we correlated absolute and relative dd-cfDNA (thresholds of 50 copies/mL and 0.5%, respectively) with the Banff 2022 lesion scores and the assigned diagnoses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We examined 151 dd-cfDNA paired biopsies in 131 kidney transplant recipients and found significantly higher absolute dd-cfDNA levels in antibody-mediated rejection (n, median, IQR: 45, 63 copies/mL, 42-89), microvascular inflammation (MVI) without donor-specific antibodies or C4d-deposition (6, 102 copies/mL, 61-134), mixed rejection (8, 140 copies/mL, 77-171), and BK virus-associated nephropathy (6, 213 copies/mL, 83-298) compared with glomerulonephritis (20, 12 copies/mL, 8-18), calcineurin toxicity (19, 10 copies/mL, 7-16), interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (12, 10 copies/mL, 9-16) and normal histology (6, 9 copies/mL, 7-16). In the multivariable analysis, absolute and relative dd-cfDNA correlated with the peritubular capillaritis (ptc), glomerulitis (g), and tubulitis (t) scores. In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, absolute dd-cfDNA showed best discrimination for MVI of any cause (area under the curve [AUC] 0.88, sensitivity 0.71, specificity 0.86, positive predictive value [PPV] 0.76, negative predictive value [NPV] 0.82), followed by antibody-mediated rejection including mixed rejection (AUC 0.85, sensitivity 0.72, specificity 0.83, PPV 0.69, NPV 0.84), and overall rejection (AUC 0.83, sensitivity 0.66, specificity 0.85, PPV 0.76, NPV 0.77). T cell-mediated rejection was only detectable by dd-cfDNA when associated with vascular lesions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Altogether, we conclude that dd-cfDNA-release is not limited to rejection-related injury phenotypes and is mainly driven by MVI in kidney allografts.</p>","PeriodicalId":23225,"journal":{"name":"Transplantation Direct","volume":"11 5","pages":"e1794"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12313090/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144761434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Transplantation DirectPub Date : 2025-04-10eCollection Date: 2025-05-01DOI: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001792
Bryce A Kiberd, Christopher J A Daley
{"title":"The Impact of Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disease in High-risk Kidney Transplant Recipients: Benefits of Prevention.","authors":"Bryce A Kiberd, Christopher J A Daley","doi":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001792","DOIUrl":"10.1097/TXD.0000000000001792","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is increased in kidney transplant recipients who are Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nonimmune (R<sup>-</sup>), particularly if the donor has prior EBV immunity (D<sup>+</sup>). PTLD is associated with very high mortality. The purpose of this study was to quantify the impact of PTLD on deceased donor EBV D<sup>+</sup>R<sup>-</sup> kidney transplant recipients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A Markov model was created to quantify remaining patient life years (LYs) and quality-adjusted LYs (QALYs) in EBV D<sup>+</sup>R<sup>-</sup> recipients compared with EBV R<sup>+</sup> recipients. Different ages at transplant, incidence of PTLD within the first year, potential impact of therapeutic treatments to reduce PTLD, and costs were examined in a sensitivity analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A baseline 40-y-old EBV D<sup>+</sup>R<sup>-</sup> recipient is projected to live 21.18 LYs. If there is no PTLD, the recipient lives 21.37 LYs, but if PTLD develops in the first year, the projected life remaining LYs are only 15.03. Each high-risk 40-y-old EBV D<sup>+</sup>R<sup>-</sup> recipient loses, on average, 0.192 LYs or 0.134 QALYs. LYs and QALYs gained with prevention depended on the effectiveness of the intervention, incidence of PTLD within the first year, and recipient age. Slightly fewer LYs are lost in younger recipients (age 10 y; 0.156 LF) and older recipients (age 60 y; 0.133 LY), likely due to lower case fatality rates and higher competing risks of death in the young and old, respectively. Strategies, such as rituximab, given at the time of transplant, could be cost-effective (<$50 000/QALY) if the reduction in PTLD was >50% and the cost of the intervention was <$3000.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>PTLD has a significant impact on survival in high-risk kidney transplant recipients. Preventive strategies may be cost-effective but would depend on the degree of effectiveness, safety, and cost.</p>","PeriodicalId":23225,"journal":{"name":"Transplantation Direct","volume":"11 5","pages":"e1792"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314795/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144776238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}