Mario Vilatobá-Chapa

Fosfomycin trometamol in the prophylaxis of post-kidney transplant urinary tract infection: A controlled, randomized clinical trial

The aim of this controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fosfomycin trometamol (FOS) in urinary tract infection (UTI) prophylaxis during the first 6 months after renal transplant (RT).

Acute Appendicitis After Kidney Transplantation: Experience at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Mexico City

OBJECTIVES Here, we describe the presentation, treatment, and outcomes of acute appendicitis in kidney transplant recipients at a tertiary care hospital in Mexico City. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective case series study at a tertiary care hospital in Mexico City from January 2000 to January 2015. RESULTS During our study period, 1186 patients received a kidney transplant; among these patients, we identified 10 cases of acute appendicitis (0.008%). Four patients (40%) were diagnosed on day 5 of symptom onset. Nine patients (90%) showed abdominal pain, 2 patients (20%) presented with a typical migratory pattern, and 2 patients (20%) showed symptoms of small bowel intestinal obstruction. Thirty percent of patients (3/10) presented a rule-out Alvarado score (≤ 3 points). A computed tomography scan was performed in all but one patient; among these 9 patients, 1 (11.1%) had a false-negative result. Among all patients with acute appendicitis, 50% (5/10) presented with a periappendiceal abscess and 40% (4/10) showed localized peritonitis. An open and laparoscopic appendectomy was performed in 7 of 10 patients (70%) and 3 of 10 patients (30%), respectively. All patients received ceftriaxone plus metronidazole or ertapenem for 5 to 7 days. There were no reported treatment failures or recurrence of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The diagnosis of acute appendicitis in kidney transplant recipients requires a high index of suspicion. Kidney transplant recipients with acute appendicitis had good outcomes with a therapeutic approach similar to that used in the general population.

Rapid prototyping of integrated biochips for on-demand 3D cell culture

The future of research in biology and medicine depends on modular tridimensional cell culture platforms with suitable on-demand geometries that can imitate any cell-specific environment with micron-size features. A high level of control of physico-chemical properties of the substrates is critical, as mechanotransduction signals are passed to the cells that sense their environment. The possibility to pattern nanoscale geometries on chip are also leading to better culture results. All these biomimicry parameters influence the cells phenotype, structure and behavior and are now opening new perspectives in 3D cell culturing for basic biology, medicine and drug testing applications. However, this growing need for on-demand 3D platforms is currently limited by two factors: the specificity of the commercial biochips is not suitable for many cell types and the high cost of technology used to design and fabricate custom-made substrates. In this work, we present the application of a simple, low-cost alternative technique enabling the rapid fabrication of on-demand, custom-made biochips for cell culture with micron-scale resolution. We developed a process that enables the use of low-power, low-cost lasers to etch on-demand micropatterns in transparent biopolymers, circumventing the need for high power lasers or photolithography. We also report the integration of embedded electronics for in situ monitoring or actuation and microchannels on chip. We also succeeded in producing localized carbon nanodomains that are enhancing cell cultures and allowing regionalization in 3D cell culture platforms.