{"title":"Trends of Immunosuppression and Outcomes Following Liver Transplantation: An Analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing Registry.","authors":"Elaine Y Cheng, Matthew J Everly","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Advances in immunosuppression (IS) agents and strategies have resulted in reduced rejection rates and improved survival outcomes after liver transplantation. The use of induction and maintenance IS agents is both associated with reductions in acute rejection (AR) risk within the first 6 to 12 months posttransplant and with superior failure-free survival. With the lowered incidence of allograft losses attributable to rejection, the long-term sequelae of IS have become the major therapeutic challenge. The long-term use of calcineurin inhibitors and corticosteroids in maintenance immunotherapy regimens has been implicated in the development of renal dysfunction, infections, metabolic derangements, de novo and recurrent malignancies, and the propagation of hepatitis C virus reinfection. Our analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing registry shows the use of induction and maintenance therapy is each associated with reductions in AR risk, thereby improving post-transplant survival. The administration of intensive induction regimens appears to be safe and exhibits an additive beneficial effect. Therefore, the use of intensive induction regimens may be warranted to allow for reductions in long-term maintenance IS to minimize drug toxicities while preserving graft outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":77074,"journal":{"name":"Clinical transplants","volume":" ","pages":"13-26"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34098262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
David D Lee, Kristopher P Croome, Dana K Perry, Justin M Burns, Justin H Nguyen, Andrew P Keaveny, C Burcin Taner
{"title":"Liver Transplantation at Mayo Clinic Florida.","authors":"David D Lee, Kristopher P Croome, Dana K Perry, Justin M Burns, Justin H Nguyen, Andrew P Keaveny, C Burcin Taner","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Over the sixteen year history of liver transplantation (LT) at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida (MCF), we have maintained a practice devoted to excellence in pre- and post-LT management for patients suffering from end stage liver disease. With an emphasis on quality, MCF has made several adjustments with the goal of better utilizing marginal grafts for both successful post-transplant outcomes and minimizing waitlist mortality. This systematic approach is most exemplified in our experience with donation after cardiac death (DCD) liver allografts. Understanding the events during procurement has been critical to reducing the complications associated with donor warm ischemia time that are unique to DCD allografts. Better matching of donors to recipients has helped identify patients who are safe to receive more marginal grafts with successful patient and graft survival. Recognizing the spectrum of degree of sickness in patients undergoing LT, we implemented a multidisciplinary approach that allows for the avoidance of the intensive care unit after LT. In these ways, MCF continues to distinguish itself as an innovator in the field of transplantation for the benefit of continued better care for our patients suffering from end stage liver disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":77074,"journal":{"name":"Clinical transplants","volume":" ","pages":"83-90"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34099324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lorita M Rebellato, Karen Parker, Matthew J Everly, Kimberly P Briley, William Kendrick, Scott Kendrick, Carl E Haisch, Paul I Terasaki, Paul Bolin
{"title":"Improved Long-Term Survival in Kidney Transplant Recipients with Donor-Specific HLA Antibodies After Mycophenolic Acid Escalation.","authors":"Lorita M Rebellato, Karen Parker, Matthew J Everly, Kimberly P Briley, William Kendrick, Scott Kendrick, Carl E Haisch, Paul I Terasaki, Paul Bolin","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The development of donor specific antibodies (DSA) post transplant has been associated with chronic rejection and graft failure. In a longitudinal study, we have shown that increases in DSA precede rejection by months, thus allowing time for intervention. We hypothesized that mycophenolic acid (MPA) dose increases may reduce and/or stabilize DSA strength and also preserve renal function. Thirty stable DSA positive kidney transplant recipients participated in this Institutional Review Board approved, exploratory, open-label, single center study to assess the efficacy of MPA dose escalation in patients with DSA. MPA escalation was well tolerated and most patients were able to take higher doses for at least two years (duration of the study). In addition, MPA escalation is safe and participants had no significant side effects such as cytomegalovirus and BK infections. Long-term allograft survival of the MPA escalation group was superior when compared with the control group (p = 0.018). This pilot study indicates that escalation of MPA is safe and may stabilize DSA. In addition, five-year follow up demonstrates improved long-term survival with MPA escalation compared with DSA positive recipients receiving the standard of care. Additional studies using larger cohorts are warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":77074,"journal":{"name":"Clinical transplants","volume":" ","pages":"137-42"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34099331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jin Zheng, Wujun Xue, Xin Qing, Xin Jing, Jun Hou, Xiaohui Tian, Qi Guo, Xiaoli He, Junchao Cai
{"title":"Treatment of Biopsy-Proven Acute Antibody-Mediated Rejection Using Thymoglobulin (ATG) Monotherapy and a Combination of Rituximab, Intravenous Immunoglobulin, and Plasmapheresis: Lesson Learned from Primary Experience.","authors":"Jin Zheng, Wujun Xue, Xin Qing, Xin Jing, Jun Hou, Xiaohui Tian, Qi Guo, Xiaoli He, Junchao Cai","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Three strategies have been previously proposed to treat or prevent antibody-mediated rejection (AMR): (1) inhibition/depletion of antibody producing cells; (2) removal/blockage of antibodies; and, (3) inhibition of antibody-mediated tissue injury. Here we test the efficacy of lymphocyte-depleting agent antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and triple therapy of rituximab, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and plasmapheresis in treating AMR.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Five biopsy-proven AMR patients were enrolled in this acute AMR treatment study. All patients received renal transplants from HLA highly mismatched donation after cardiac death (DCD) donors. Four patients received thymoglobulin (ATG) monotherapy at a dose of 75 mg/day for 5-8 days. One patient received a combination of rituximab (375 mg/m2), IVIG (50 g/day x2 days), and double filtration plasmapheresis (4x). Donor specific HLA antibodies (DSA), serum creatinine, and clinical signs and symptoms were used to determine the efficacy of anti-AMR treatment.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All 5 patients developed AMR within 2 weeks after transplant. Two patients had class I DSA and 2 patients had class II DSA. One patient had both class I & II DSA. DSA in four patients (#1, 2, 4, 5) were pre-existing and the levels of these DSA surged significantly within a week following transplant. The only patient (#3) without pre-existing DSA developed de novo DSA within 2 weeks post-transplant that rose rapidly regardless of anti-rejection treatment. All patients had positive C4d staining in peritubular capillaries. The proportion of B cells in all patients increased significantly above baseline level when patients experienced AMR. Even though both ATG and rituximab therapies successfully reduced the B cell proportion one week post anti-AMR treatment, their effects on DSA were not ideal. Patient #1 with mild AMR responded well to ATG monotherapy and DSA level steadily decreased from 2 weeks post-ATG treatment and became negative in the last follow-up test. The DSA levels in patient #2 with moderate AMR (ATG), #4 with mild AMR (ATG), and #5 with severe AMR (rituximab+IVIG+plasmapheresis) were reduced post treatment but remained at a level of 4,000-7,000 mean fluorescence intensity. Patients #2 and #4 had impaired renal graft function and severe AMR case #5 lost graft function and was back on dialysis from post-transplant day 12. Patient #3 with mild AMR (ATG) suffered from severe pneumonia 4 days after ATG treatment, which rapidly resulted in heart failure and the patient died on post-transplant day 36.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>All 5 AMR cases occurred in patients who received renal transplants from HLA highly mismatched DCD donors. Both ATG and rituximab had a significant depleting effect on B cells, but their effects on DSA were not ideal. Mild or moderate acute AMR was ameliorated but not cured by ATG monotherapy. For AMR patient with severe biop","PeriodicalId":77074,"journal":{"name":"Clinical transplants","volume":" ","pages":"223-30"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"33928584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Armando J Ganoza, Doug G Farmer, Max A Marquez, George V Mazariegos
{"title":"Intestinal Transplantation: International Outcomes.","authors":"Armando J Ganoza, Doug G Farmer, Max A Marquez, George V Mazariegos","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Intestinal transplantation has continued to evolve over the past decade. Fewer patients have received intestine transplants in the past 5 years, perhaps due to efforts in intestine rehabilitation. Despite improvement in earlier outcomes, long-term survival has remained steady over the past decade. This is potentially due to the complications of immunosuppression, as well as inherent poor graft half-life due to chronic rejection. Improvements in outcome will require multidisciplinary efforts to understand the long-term mechanisms of intestine graft acceptance and to properly optimize and individualize immunosuppression for the transplant recipient.</p>","PeriodicalId":77074,"journal":{"name":"Clinical transplants","volume":" ","pages":"49-54"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34098265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Higher Serum Trough Levels of Tacrolimus Increase 5-Year Allograft Survival in Antibody Positive Renal Transplant Patients.","authors":"Zhi-Guo Peng, Jun Tian","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The presence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related gene-A (MICA) antibodies after transplantation is correlated with rejection episodes, proteinuria, and renal allografts loss. We assessed the clinical value of high-dose tacrolimus on post-transplant HLA and MICA antibodies and proteinuria after renal transplantation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Post-transplant sera of 310 renal transplantation patients who were negative for antibodies prior to transplant were tested by Luminex flow cytometry for HLA antibodies and MICA antibodies posttransplant. Once a patient was found to be antibody positive (Ab+), tacrolimus was dosed at two different concentrations: high tacrolimus Ab+ group (11 ± 1.36 ng/mL average tacrolimus trough) or low tacrolimus Ab+ group (7 ± 1.28 ng/mL average tacrolimus trough). Antibody negative (Ab-) patients were also studied and were given comparable tacrolimus doses to the low tacrolimus Ab+ group (7 ± 1.28 ng/mL average tacrolimus trough). Proteinuria was measured using the pyrogallol method. All patients were followed for 5 years after renal transplantation. Associations between tacrolimus, proteinuria, and survival were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the HLA or MICA Ab+ patients, proteinuria decreased after 5 years in the high tacrolimus Ab+ group unlike the low tacrolimus Ab+ group. Allograft survival in the high tacrolimus Ab+ group was significantly higher than the low tacrolimus Ab+ group and was similar to that of the Ab- group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>High-dose tacrolimus might play a role in improving allograft survival in HLA or MICA Ab+ post-transplant patients. Increasing tacrolimus concentration might be a plausible treatment for Ab+ post-transplant patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":77074,"journal":{"name":"Clinical transplants","volume":" ","pages":"209-14"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"33928582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Swati Rao, Mythili Ghanta, Iris J Lee, Avrum Gillespie, Hemant K Parekh, Steven S Geier, Xu Zeng, Andreas Karachristos, Kwan N Lau, Sunil Karhadkar, Antonio Di Carlo, Nicole M Sifontis, Serban Constantinescu
{"title":"Impact of Donor Specific HLA Antibody Monitoring After Kidney Transplantation.","authors":"Swati Rao, Mythili Ghanta, Iris J Lee, Avrum Gillespie, Hemant K Parekh, Steven S Geier, Xu Zeng, Andreas Karachristos, Kwan N Lau, Sunil Karhadkar, Antonio Di Carlo, Nicole M Sifontis, Serban Constantinescu","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Kidney transplantation (KT) recipients with donor specific HLA antibodies (DSA) encounter higher rates of acute rejection and inferior allograft survival. We report our single center experience with prospective DSA monitoring and provide details of treatments utilized to overcome the potential impact of DSA in a cohort of predominantly African American adult KT recipients. Seventy-five flow crossmatch negative KT recipients underwent periodic screening for DSA utilizing the single antigen bead assay at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-transplant. Allograft biopsies were performed in the presence of DSA and/or evidence of graft dysfunction. The incidence of DSA was 23%, with a predominance of Class II antibodies. The rate of rejection was 6 times higher in DSA positive KT recipients compared to DSA negative patients (41% versus 7%, p = 0.004). In the DSA positive group, rejections occurred exclusively in the presence of de novo DSA and were predominantly antibody-mediated or mixed rejections. Despite a higher incidence of rejection in KT recipients with DSA, there were no significant differences in serum creatinine, graft survival, and patient survival between DSA positive and negative recipients at median follow-up of 18 months. DSA positive patients had significantly higher proteinuria compared to DSA negative recipients at 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years of follow-up. In conclusion, the detrimental effects of DSA on allograft function could be mitigated by serial DSA surveillance, protocol biopsies, and alterations in immunosuppression. With these measures, the improvement in graft survival in DSA positive KT recipients, at least at short-term, is encouraging.</p>","PeriodicalId":77074,"journal":{"name":"Clinical transplants","volume":" ","pages":"143-51"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"33996227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Raymond L Heilman, Hasan A Khamash, Janna L Huskey, Harini A Chakkera, Ramesh K Batra, Nitin N Katariya, Andrew L Singer, Amit K Mathur, Adyr A Moss, Kunam S Reddy
{"title":"Kidney Transplant Program at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona.","authors":"Raymond L Heilman, Hasan A Khamash, Janna L Huskey, Harini A Chakkera, Ramesh K Batra, Nitin N Katariya, Andrew L Singer, Amit K Mathur, Adyr A Moss, Kunam S Reddy","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Since 1999, we have performed 2,302 kidney transplants at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Transplant volume has increased by 45% since 2010. Our center performed 269 kidney transplants in 2013. Our growth is related to multiple factors, including an experienced, committed team and strong support from our institution and referring nephrologists. Areas of program innovation at our center include: transplanting deceased donors with acute kidney injury, outcomes in older kidney transplant recipients, alemtuzumab induction with steroid avoidance, living donor paired kidney exchange-3 site experience, and other non-traditional deceased donor kidney transplants. Of the 162 acute kidney injury (AKI) donor transplants done at our program, 71% had severe AKI. The AKI donor kidneys had more delayed graft function; but graft survival, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and biopsy findings at 1 year were not different form the control group. We have transplanted 188 patients ≥ 70 years old at the time of transplantation. Graft survival at 1, 3, and 5 years was similar to that of patients < 70. Since 2008, 778 (37%) patients received alemtuzumab induction, therapy with excellent patient and graft survival. We have used steroid avoidance immunosuppression with excellent outcomes since 2003. Since starting kidney paired donation in 2009, it has resulted in 54 kidney transplants, including 4 compatible pairs. More than half of the deceased donor transplants done at our center are from non-traditional donors such as Public Health Service increased risk, donation after cardiac death, extended criteria donors/high kidney donor profile index, and pediatric en-bloc donors. One- and 3-year graft survival of the non-traditional deceased donor kidney transplants are not different than the traditional deceased donor kidney transplants.</p>","PeriodicalId":77074,"journal":{"name":"Clinical transplants","volume":" ","pages":"61-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34098267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dong Zhu, Guisheng Qi, Qunye Tang, Long Li, Cheng Yang, Miao Lin, Boting Wu, Ming Xu, Junchao Cai, Tongyu Zhu, Ruiming Rong
{"title":"Combination of Total Lymphoid Irradiation, Low-Dose IVIG and ATG as Rescue Therapy for Highly Sensitized and Antibody-Mediated Rejection Renal Transplant Recipients.","authors":"Dong Zhu, Guisheng Qi, Qunye Tang, Long Li, Cheng Yang, Miao Lin, Boting Wu, Ming Xu, Junchao Cai, Tongyu Zhu, Ruiming Rong","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Unlabelled: </strong>Background: It is now clear that antibody- mediated rejection (AMR) is a major cause of graft failure. To avoid AMR, transplantation is preferably performed in non- or low-sensitized patients. For patients with pre-existing HLA antibodies due to pre-transplant sensitization or those with de novo HLA antibodies due to transplantation, elimination or reduction of HLA antibodies becomes critical to prevent AMR. Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, we test the efficacy of a combination therapy of total lymphoid irradiation (TLI), low- dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) with or without plasmapheresis (PP) in treating patients with HLA antibodies. Thirteen HLA antibody positive patients receiving renal transplants during 2009-2011 were enrolled in this study. Two cases with pre-existing HLA antibodies received combined therapy of TLI, PP, low-dose IVIG, and ATG induction. Eleven cases with de novo HLA antibodies and biopsy-proven AMR received TLI, low-dose IVIG, and ATG with or without PP.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Two sensitized patients with pre-existing HLA antibodies were successfully desensitized and able to accept renal transplantation without an observable AMR episode in 12 months of post-transplant follow-up. In 11 AMR cases with de novo HLA antibodies, only one patient failed to respond to the therapy and lost the allograft. In the other ten cases, the follow-up biopsies at one year post transplant showed no evidence of rejection and the patients had stable renal function. B cell proliferation was persistently inhibited in both desensitization and AMR patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Combined therapy of TLI, PP, low-dose IVIG, and ATG is an effective therapeutic measure to reduce the level of HLA antibodies and therefore to desensitize recipients pre-transplant and to reverse AMR post transplant. The potential mechanism of the therapy involves inhibition of B cell proliferation.</p>","PeriodicalId":77074,"journal":{"name":"Clinical transplants","volume":" ","pages":"215-21"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"33928583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Deceased Donor Kidney Transplantation in Taiwan in 2015.","authors":"Po-Chang Lee, Yang-Jen Chiang, Shih-Tse Chen","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There were 1997 deceased donor renal transplants reported to the Taiwan Organ Registry and Sharing Center between April 1, 2005, and December 31, 2014. The median age of transplant recipients was 45 years, with most patients between 35 and 64 years old. The number of male patients was comparable to that of female patients. There were more blood type O patients than any other blood type. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year patient survival rates were 96%, 93%, and 89%, respectively. Graft survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 94%, 88%, and 82%, respectively. Overall patient survival was significantly worse in patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (P = 0.0058). However, with respect to overall graft survival, there was no significant difference between patients with or without hepatitis B surface antigen (P = 0.100). Overall patient survival was significantly worse in patients with hepatitis C virus antibody (HCV Ab) compared to patients without HCV Ab (P < 0.0001). Likewise, overall graft survival was significantly worse in patients with HCV Ab compared to patients without HCV Ab (P < 0.0001). In order to promote willingness to be an organ donor, the following law was passed: if any person becomes a deceased organ donor, up to three of his or her blood relatives would have priority to receive a deceased donor organ should they be on the waiting list for transplantation. We do wish this organ allocation priority will be an incentive for deceased organ donors' families to think \"to give is to take\".</p>","PeriodicalId":77074,"journal":{"name":"Clinical transplants","volume":" ","pages":"55-9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"34098266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}