Amitabh Gautam

Strongyloides stercoralis Transmission by Kidney Transplantation in Two Recipients From a Common Donor

Strongyloides stercoralis hyperinfection in an immunocompromised host has a high mortality rate but may initially present with nonspecific pulmonary and gastrointestinal symptoms. Donor‐derived S. stercoralis by kidney transplantation is an uncommon diagnosis and difficult to prove. We report two renal allograft recipients on different immunosuppressive maintenance regimens that developed strongyloidiasis after transplantation from the same donor. Recipient 1 presented with a small bowel obstruction. Larvae were demonstrated on a duodenal biopsy and isolated from gastric, pulmonary, and stool samples. Serologic testing for S. stercoralis was negative at a referral laboratory but positive at the Centers for Disease Control. The patients hospital course was complicated by a hyperinfection syndrome requiring subcutaneous ivermectin due to malabsorption. Recipient 1 survived but the allograft failed. Recipient 2 had larvae detected in stool samples after complaints of diarrhea and was treated. On retrospective testing for S. stercoralis, pretransplant serum collected from the donor and Recipient 1 was positive and negative, respectively. Donor‐derived strongyloidiasis by renal transplantation is a preventable disease that may be affected by the immunosuppressive maintenance regimen. Subcutaneous ivermectin is an option in the setting of malabsorption. Finally, routine screening for S. stercoralis infection in donors from endemic areas may prevent future complications.

Cryptosporidium infection in renal transplant patients.

Cryptosporidium parvum, an intracellular protozoan parasite, is a significant cause of gastrointestinal disease worldwide. Transmission can occur from an infected person, animal or fecally contaminated environment. The clinical manifestations of cryptosporidiosis are dependent on the immunologic state of the host. Infection among immunocompetent hosts results in diarrhea that is typically self-limited. In immunocompromised hosts, however, the infection may be protracted and life-threatening with no reliable antimicrobial therapy. In transplant patients, a course of antimicrobial therapy along with concurrent reduction in immunosuppression optimize immunologic status and may potentially lead to resolution of the infection.

Renal Allograft Failure Predictors After PAK Transplantation: Results From the New England Collaborative Association of Pancreas Programs

Background. The reasons for kidney allograft failure subsequent to pancreas after kidney (PAK) are multifactorial; therefore, we examined these factors to identify a meaningful risk assessment that could assist in patient selection. Methods. Five transplant centers in New England collaborated for this multiinstitutional retrospective study of 126 PAK transplantation recipients who had a functioning pancreas allograft 7 days after transplantation. Host factors (age at pancreas transplant, gender, body weight, glomerular filtration rate at 3 months pre-PAK and at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month post-PAK, presence of proteinuria, pre- or post-PAK kidney rejection, pancreas rejection, cytomegalovirus disease, and HbA1C at 6-month post-PAK) and transplant factors (time to PAK, use of induction antibody therapy, and combinations of immunosuppressive medications) were assessed in both univariate and multivariate analyses for the primary outcome of kidney allograft failure. Results. Of the variables assessed, factors associated with kidney allograft loss after PAK include impaired renal function in the 3 months before PAK, proteinuria, the occurrence of a post-PAK kidney rejection episode, and interval between kidney and pancreas transplantation more than 1 year. Conclusions. In our analysis, post-PAK kidney allograft loss was strongly associated with glomerular filtration rate less than 45 mL/min pre-PAK, K to P interval of over 1 year, pre-PAK kidney rejection episode, and pre-PAK proteinuria. Diabetic candidates for PAK with any of these conditions should be counseled regarding the risk of post-PAK renal transplant failure.

Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis in a Renal Transplant Recipient: A Case Report

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an acute demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system, mostly seen in children after viral or bacterial infection and vaccinations. Cases of ADEM, albeit rare, have been reported in renal transplant recipients. The pathophysiology of posttransplant ADEM remains unclear but has been hypothesized to be due to aberrant T-cell reactivity to myelin basic protein triggered by a bacterial or viral infection. We report an unusual case of a 34-year-old white female with ADEM developing 5 years after a living related renal transplant.

The utility of 6-month protocol renal biopsy under modern immunosuppression.

BACKGROUND Protocol biopsies after renal transplantation are useful in detecting subclinical rejection. In earlier studies, the incidence of subclinical rejection was high among renal transplant recipients on a cyclosporine-based immunosuppression. However, recent data show that subclinical rejection is low under tacrolimus-based immunosuppression. This study evaluates the utility of 6-month protocol biopsy in renal transplant recipients under induction with rabbit antithymocyte globulin and maintenance immunosuppression with tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and corticosteroids. METHODS 6-month protocol biopsies on 40 transplant recipients were analyzed for borderline and subclinical rejections. Allograft injury at biopsy was evaluated using the chronic allograft damage index score system (CADI) and was compared with initial scores obtained at implantation. RESULTS Borderline rejection was detected in 1 out of 40 patients. No case of subclinical rejection was detected at protocol biopsy. In 31 patients with corresponding implantation biopsies, mean CADI score increased from 1.1 +/- 1.4 to 2.8 +/- 2.1 at 6 months despite stable graft function. In the subgroup of patients with a 6-month CADI score of 2 or less (n = 11), graft function remained stable at 12 months post transplant (65.3 +/- 16.9 ml/min/1.73 m2 at 6 months vs. 65.2 +/- 16.7 ml/min/1.73 m2 at 12 months, p = 0.96). In contrast, allograft function declined significantly at 12 months in those with a 6-month CADI score of > 2 (n = 20) (64.3 +/- 13.5 ml/min/1.73 m2 at 6 months vs. 51 +/- 9.8 ml/min/1.73 m2 at 12 months, p = 0.0006). CONCLUSIONS While the incidence of borderline and subclinical is low under antilymphocyte antibody induction and tacrolimus-based immunosuppression, chronic allograft damage is highly prevalent at 6 months post transplantation. Our findings suggest that protocol biopsies under current immunosuppression may be more useful in the early detection of chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN).

Outcomes of bisphosphonate therapy in kidney transplant recipients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mineral and bone disorders that precede kidney transplantation are exacerbated in the post‐transplant setting by tertiary hyperparathyroidism and immunosuppressive regimens. Bone mineral density (BMD) decreases following transplantation, leading to increased fracture risk. The effect of bisphosphonates on fracture is unknown. The aim of this study was to update estimates of change in BMD and fracture rates in bisphosphonate‐treated kidney transplant recipients through meta‐analysis. Studies comparing bisphosphonate therapy to standard of care were included if follow‐up duration was more than 6 months. We performed random‐effects meta‐analysis to determine the effect of bisphosphonates on lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD and fracture rates. Bisphosphonates improved femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD compared with controls (0.055 g/cm2, 95% CI 0.012–0.099 and 0.053 g/cm2, 95% CI 0.032–0.074, respectively) without adversely affecting serum creatinine or calcium. This corresponded to an unweighted improvement in BMD of 6.0% and 7.4%, respectively. There was no difference in fracture incidence in the two groups. Bisphosphonate therapy in kidney transplant recipients is associated with a statistically significant improvement in BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. There was no difference in fracture incidence. Bisphosphonates did not adversely affect allograft dysfunction or serum calcium levels.

Suppression of cell‐mediated immunity by a donor‐transmitted lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in a kidney transplant recipient

Abstract: Infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) in rodents, the primary host, is known to cause suppression of cell‐mediated immunity. Serial determinations using a functional cell‐mediated immune assay in a kidney transplant recipient with donor‐transmitted LCMV also suggested profound suppression of cellular immunity. This suppression persisted in spite of reduction of immunosuppression. With the clearance of the virus there was reconstitution of the cellular immune response.

Islet Cell Transplantation for Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis

The pancreas is a dual organ. The bulk (98 %) consists of the exocrine acinar tissue and the islets of Langerhans, responsible for the endocrine component constituting only about 2 % of the organ. Nevertheless, loss of this endocrine component results in severe type 3c diabetes. The blood sugar control in these patients is very labile, perhaps because of the absence of both insulin and glucagon from loss of both beta and alpha cells of the islet of Langerhans. Chronic pancreatitis typically affects the exocrine component of the gland, and the islet structure and function is preserved unless the disease is in late advanced stages. Therefore, if total or partial pancreatectomy is indicated for pain control in chronic pancreatitis, islets can beseparated from the resectedpancreas, and thentransplanted back into the patient, to prevent development of diabetes [1]. Paul Langerhans described the eponymous islets in the pancreas in 1869, before their function was even known. Minkowsky in 1892 first reported the development of diabetes, in dogs, after removal of the pancreas [2]. He also described that the subcutaneous placement of a portion of the pancreas prevented the mortality associatedwith the total pancreatectomy. Watson Williams in 1893 [2] attempted to treat diabetes, in a 15-year-old boy, by subcutaneous placement of pieces of sheep pancreas. The patient survived for a few days only, but perhaps can be considered a first attempt at a pancreatic xenograft. With the discovery of insulin from purified