The outcome of pregnancy in a kidney transplant patient: A case report and review of the literature

Introduction. The possibility of a term pregnancy with favorable maternal and neonatal outcome is one of the greatest advances in kidney transplantation, though concerns still exist regarding the safety of the mother, fetus, and graft. The use of immunosuppressive medications during pregnancy is related to possible fetal adverse effects. Case report. We report a course of a pregnancy in a patient with a kidney transplant. The patient was treated with immunosuppressive therapy (tacrolimus, azathioprine, and prednisolone) during the pregnancy. The outcome of the pregnancy was without maternal and neonatal complications. Serum creatinine levels were stable and no acute organ rejection occurred during pregnancy. Significant elevation of the Ddimer and coagulant factors II, VII, IX and X were noticed during the third trimester. This could be partially attributed to azathioprine, which was a part of the immunosuppressive regimen. On the other hand, there were no radiological or clinical signs of thromboembolism, but low-molecularweight heparin prophylaxis was immediately initiated. Cesarean section was performed at the 39th gestational week and a healthy female infant was delivered with a birth weight of 3,150 g and Apgar score 9. Conclusion. Pregnancies of kidney transplant recipients are high-risk and require a multidisciplinary approach. Careful clinical follow-up is a prerequisite for favorable outcome.

Download Full-text

MO202RITUXIMAB TREATMENT IN NEPHROLOGY

Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation ◽

10.1093/ndt/gfab092.0080 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Mouna Malki abidi ◽

Samia Barbouch ◽

Hajji Mariem ◽

Tasnim Mesbahi ◽

Amel Harzallah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

B Cells ◽

Kidney Transplant ◽

Large Cell ◽

Kidney Transplant Patient ◽

Transplant Recipients ◽

Kidney Transplant Recipients ◽

Antibody Mediated Rejection ◽

Maintenance Immunosuppression ◽

Interesting Alternative

Abstract Background and Aims The B cells have a central role in the pathogenesis of several renal pathologies. Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody directed against the CD20 receptor expressed on the surface of B cells is an interesting alternative to conventional treatments of kidney pathologies. Method We conducted a descriptive retrospective study of the use of rituximab in nephrology patients. Results We collected 25 patients including 12 women and 13 men. The mean age was 33,5 [16-55] years. The rituximab was indicated for an extramembranous glomerulopathy in 6 patients, a focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in 4 patients, a minimal change disease in 4 patients, a lupus nephritis in 5 patients, and a granulomatosis with polyangiitis in 2 patients. Four kidney transplant patient received rituximab for the treatment of antibody mediated rejection in 3 cases and large cell lymphoma in 1 case. The average time between the diagnosis of the renal disease and starting treatment with rituximab was of 76 +/- 46,5 months. And it was of 16 [ 0,7 ; 59,8] months after transplantation in kidney transplant recipients. Side effects have been observed in 11 cases (44%). A favorable response has been obtained in 10 cases (40 %), within an average of 2,27 months, with at least one relapse in 4 cases. The follow-up time was 36,33 +/- 31,67 months. Conclusion Rituximab has been shown to be helpful in several cases of kidney disease. It may reduce the need for maintenance immunosuppression and help in some cases that are refractory to other therapies.

Download Full-text

Favorable Outcome of COVID-19 Pneumonia in a Kidney Transplant Recipient Treated with Tocilizumab

Case Reports in Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1155/2020/8830626 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-4

Author(s):

Adnane Guella ◽

Osman Elfadil ◽

Ghisson Abdulrazaq ◽

Sahla Osman ◽

Mohammed Munir Khan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Kidney Transplant ◽

Transplant Patient ◽

Clinical Course ◽

Kidney Transplant Recipient ◽

Kidney Transplant Patient ◽

Transplant Recipients ◽

Kidney Transplant Recipients ◽

Immunosuppressive Medications ◽

Therapeutic Guidelines ◽

The Subject

The presentation of COVID-19 pneumonia in kidney transplant recipients is similar to that of the general population. However, in the former, it may have a worse clinical course. We report a kidney transplant patient affected by COVID-19 pneumonia whose condition worsened 9 days after the initial presentation. As no therapeutic guidelines on the subject are currently available, here we share our approach in the management of the immunosuppressive medications and the antiviral therapy and compare them to the scarce available data. We also expose the use of tocilizumab in our patient with excellent results.

Download Full-text

Long-term follow-up of polyneuropathy in diabetic kidney transplant recipients

Diabetes ◽

10.2337/diabetes.37.9.1247 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 37 (9) ◽

pp. 1247-1252 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. A. Van der Vliet ◽

X. Navarro ◽

W. R. Kennedy ◽

F. C. Goetz ◽

J. J. Barbosa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Kidney Transplant ◽

Transplant Recipients ◽

Kidney Transplant Recipients ◽

Diabetic Kidney ◽

Long Term Follow Up

Download Full-text

Brain Abscess Caused by Nocardia: Case Report and Literature Review

Arquivos Brasileiros de Neurocirurgia Brazilian Neurosurgery ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1719124 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Guilherme Finger ◽

Maria Eduarda Conte Gripa ◽

Tiago Paczko Bozko Cecchini ◽

Tobias Ludwig do Nascimento

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Antibiotic Therapy ◽

Brain Abscess ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Occipital Lobe ◽

High Morbidity ◽

Rare Clinical Entity ◽

Brain Abscesses

AbstractNocardia brain abscess is a rare clinical entity, accounting for 2% of all brain abscesses, associated with high morbidity and a mortality rate 3 times higher than brain abscesses caused by other bacteria. Proper investigation and treatment, characterized by a long-term antibiotic therapy, play an important role on the outcome of the patient. The authors describe a case of a patient without neurological comorbidities who developed clinical signs of right occipital lobe impairment and seizures, whose investigation demonstrated brain abscess caused by Nocardia spp. The patient was treated surgically followed by antibiotic therapy with a great outcome after 1 year of follow-up.

Download Full-text

Urinary Carnosinase-1 Excretion is Associated with Urinary Carnosine Depletion and Risk of Graft Failure in Kidney Transplant Recipients: Results of the TransplantLines Cohort Study

Antioxidants ◽

10.3390/antiox10071102 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 1102

Author(s):

Angelica Rodriguez-Niño ◽

Diego O. Pastene ◽

Adrian Post ◽

M. Yusof Said ◽

Antonio W. Gomes-Neto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Kidney Transplant ◽

Graft Failure ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Carbonyl Stress ◽

Transplant Recipients ◽

Kidney Transplant Recipients ◽

Increased Risk ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Kidney Function Decline

Carnosine affords protection against oxidative and carbonyl stress, yet high concentrations of the carnosinase-1 enzyme may limit this. We recently reported that high urinary carnosinase-1 is associated with kidney function decline and albuminuria in patients with chronic kidney disease. We prospectively investigated whether urinary carnosinase-1 is associated with a high risk for development of late graft failure in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Carnosine and carnosinase-1 were measured in 24 h urine in a longitudinal cohort of 703 stable KTRs and 257 healthy controls. Cox regression was used to analyze the prospective data. Urinary carnosine excretions were significantly decreased in KTRs (26.5 [IQR 21.4–33.3] µmol/24 h versus 34.8 [IQR 25.6–46.8] µmol/24 h; p < 0.001). In KTRs, high urinary carnosinase-1 concentrations were associated with increased risk of undetectable urinary carnosine (OR 1.24, 95%CI [1.06–1.45]; p = 0.007). During median follow-up for 5.3 [4.5–6.0] years, 84 (12%) KTRs developed graft failure. In Cox regression analyses, high urinary carnosinase-1 excretions were associated with increased risk of graft failure (HR 1.73, 95%CI [1.44–2.08]; p < 0.001) independent of potential confounders. Since urinary carnosine is depleted and urinary carnosinase-1 imparts a higher risk for graft failure in KTRs, future studies determining the potential of carnosine supplementation in these patients are warranted.

Download Full-text

Introduction of the Grayscale Median for Ultrasound Tissue Characterization of the Transplanted Kidney

Diagnostics ◽

10.3390/diagnostics11030390 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 390

Author(s):

Camilo G. Sotomayor ◽

Stan Benjamens ◽

Hildebrand Dijkstra ◽

Derya Yakar ◽

Cyril Moers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Kidney Transplant ◽

Tissue Characterization ◽

Kidney Transplant Recipients ◽

Systematic Assessment ◽

Ultrasound Tissue Characterization ◽

Adult Kidney ◽

Mersenne Twister ◽

History Of

Ultrasound examination is advised for early post-kidney transplant assessment. Grayscale median (GSM) quantification is novel in the kidney transplant field, with no systematic assessment previously reported. In this prospective cohort study, we measured the post-operative GSM in a large cohort of adult kidney transplant recipients (KTR) who consecutively underwent Doppler ultrasound directly after transplantation (within 24 h), compared it with GSM in nontransplanted patients, and investigated its association with baseline and follow-up characteristics. B-mode images were used to calculate the GSM in KTR and compared with GSM data in nontransplanted patients, as simulated from summary statistics of the literature using a Mersenne twister algorithm. The association of GSM with baseline and 1-year follow-up characteristics were studied by means of linear regression analyses. In 282 KTR (54 ± 15 years old, 60% male), the median (IQR) GSM was 55 (45–69), ranging from 22 to 124 (coefficient of variation = 7.4%), without differences by type of donation (p = 0.28). GSM in KTR was significantly higher than in nontransplanted patients (p < 0.001), and associated with systolic blood pressure, history of cardiovascular disease, and donor age (std. β = 0.12, −0.20, and 0.13, respectively; p < 0.05 for all). Higher early post-kidney transplant GSM was not associated with 1-year post-kidney transplant function parameters (e.g., measured and estimated glomerular filtration rate). The data provided in this study could be used as first step for further research on the application of early postoperative ultrasound in KTR.

Download Full-text

MO941CLINICAL OUTCOMES IN KIDNEY RE-TRANSPLANTATION

Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation ◽

10.1093/ndt/gfab110.0020 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Clara Pardinhas ◽

Rita Leal ◽

Francisco Caramelo ◽

Teofilo Yan ◽

Carolina Figueiredo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Rejection ◽

Kidney Transplant ◽

Graft Survival ◽

Graft Failure ◽

Graft Function ◽

Delayed Graft Function ◽

First Year ◽

Kidney Transplant Recipients ◽

Post Transplant

Abstract Background and Aims As kidney transplants are growing in absolute numbers, so are patients with failed allografts and thus potential candidates for re-transplantation. Re-transplantation is challenging due to immunological barriers, surgical difficulties and clinical complexities but it has been proven that successful second transplantation improves life expectancy over dialysis. It is important to evaluate re-transplantation outcomes since 20% of patients on the waiting list are waiting for a second graft. Our aim was to compare major clinical outcomes such as acute rejection, graft and patient survival, between patients receiving a first or a second kidney transplant. Method We performed a retrospective study, that included 1552 patients submitted to a first (N=1443, 93%) or a second kidney transplant (N=109, 7%), between January 2008 and December 2018. Patients with more than 2 grafts or multi-organ transplant were excluded. Demographic, clinical and histocompatibility characteristics of both groups were registered from our unit database and compared. Delayed graft function was defined has the need of dialysis in the first week post-transplant. All acute rejection episodes were biopsy proven, according to Banff 2017 criteria. Follow-up time was defined at 1st June 2020 for functioning grafts or at graft failure (including death with a functioning graft). Results Recipients of a second graft were significantly younger (43 ±12 vs 50 ± 13 years old, p<0.001) and there were significantly fewer expanded-criteria donors in the second transplant group (31.5% vs 57.5%, p<0.001). The waiting time for a second graft was longer (63±50 vs 48±29 months, p=0.011). HLA mismatch was similar for both groups but PRA was significantly higher for second KT patients (21.6±25% versus 3±9%; p<0.001). All patients submitted to a second KT had thymoglobulin as induction therapy compared to 16% of the first KT group (p<0.001). We found no difference in primary dysfunction or delayed graft function between groups. Acute rejection was significantly more frequent in second kidney transplant recipients (19% vs 5%, p<0.001), being 10 acute cellular rejections, 7 were antibody mediated and 3 were borderline changes. For the majority of the patients (85%), acute rejection occurred in the first-year post-transplant. Death censored graft failure occurred in 236 (16.4%) patients with first kidney transplant and 25 (23%) patients with a second graft, p=0.08. Survival analysis showed similar graft survival for both groups (log-rank p=0.392). We found no difference in patients’ mortality at follow up for both groups. Conclusion Although second graft patients presented more episodes of biopsy proven acute rejection, especially at the first-year post-transplant, we found no differences in death censored graft survival or patients’ mortality for patients with a second kidney transplant. Second transplants should be offered to patients whenever feasible.

Download Full-text