Prevention and treatment of biliary complications following orthotopic liver transplantation / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the prevention and treatment of biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 183 recipients who had received liver transplantation between May 1995 and December 2006 were retrospectively analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Biliary complications occurred in 15 patients (15/183, 8.2%). The incidence for short-term and long-term complication were 6.0% (11/183) and 2.2% (4/183) respectively. No biliary complications was due to hepatic artery thrombosis(HAT). Four cases who received PTC(percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography) with stent insertion,8 cases who received ERCP( endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) with stent insertion and 1 who received Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy for anastomotic stricture were successfully cured. Two cases required relaparotomy died for fungus infection eventually. The mortality due to biliary complications was 1.1%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The rapid combined abdominal organ harvesting technique could shorten the ischemia time and ameliorate the injury due to vascular and bile duct variances, which could reduce the incidence of biliary complication. PTC and (or) ERCP combined with stent insertion were main procedure for biliary complications not related to HAT after liver transplantation.</p>

Prevention and treatment of rejection after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore methods of preventing and reversing rejection after simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplantation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventeen patients underwent SPK transplantation from September 1999 to September 2003 were reviewed retrospectively. Immunosuppression was achieved by a triple drug regimen consisting of cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofteil (MMF), and steroids. Three patients were treated with anti-CD3 monoclone antibody (OKT3, 5 mg x d(-1)) for induction therapy for a mean period of 5-7 days. One patients received IL-2 receptor antibodies (daclizumab) in a dose of 1 mg x kg(-1) on the day of transplant and the 5th day posttransplant. One patient was treated with both OKT3 and daclizumab for induction.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No primary non-functionality of either kidney or pancreas occurred in this series of transplantations. Function of all the kidney grafts recovered within 2 to 4 days after transplantation. The level of serum creatinine was 94 +/- 11 micromol/L on the 7th day posttransplant. One patient experienced the accelerated rejection, resulting in the resection of the pancreas and kidney grafts because of the failure of conservative therapy. The incidence of the first rejection episodes at 3 months was 47.1% (8/17). Only the kidney was involved in 35.3% (6/17); and both the pancreas and kidney were involved in 11.8% (2/17). All these patients received a high-dose pulse of methylprednisone (0.5 g x d(-1)) for 3 days. OKT3 (0.5 mg x d(-1)) was administered for 7-10 days in two patients with both renal and pancreas rejection. All the grafts were successfully rescued.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Rejection, particularly acute rejection, is the major cause influencing graft function in SPK transplantation. Monitoring renal function and pancreas exocrine secretion, and reasonable application of immunosuppressants play important roles in the diagnosis and treatment of rejection.</p>

Influence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infection on the outcome of kidney transplantation / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the impact of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on the long-term survival of renal transplantation recipients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 443 patients who received renal allografts from 1992 to 2002 were analyzed. Outcome and survival were compared among four groups retrospectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Twelve patients were positive for both hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HCV antibody (anti-HCV) (group 1), 18 were HBsAg-positive and anti-HCV-negative (group 2), 26 were HBsAg-negative and anti-HCV-positive (group 3) and 387 were negative for both markers (group 4). The mean follow-up period was 6.1 +/- 2.8 years (range, 0.5-10 years) for all patients. Group 2 had significantly higher liver-related complications (38.9%) and liver-related death (16.7%) than did group 4 (0%, P < 0.01). Among all patients, 4 HBsAg-positive patients had fulminant hepatitis and died within two years of transplantation. Three patients (group 2) who died were seropositive for HBeAg and/or HBV DNA and none had a history of or positive serologic marker to indicate hepatitis of other etiologies. One (group 1), two (group 2), and one patient (group 3) developed liver cirrhosis respectively, and hepatocellular carcinoma occurred in two patients (group 2) and one patient (group 3). Despite high liver-related mortality in HBV-infected patients, no significant differences among the four groups in the long-term graft and patient survivals were demonstrated. The presence of HBsAg or anti-HCV was not associated with poor prognosis as determined by Cox regression analysis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HBV or HCV infection is not a contraindiction to kidney transplantation in Chinese patients. However, it should be noted that serious liver-related complications may occur and limit survival in patients infected with HBV and/or HCV after kidney transplantation.</p>

The changes of Oddi sphincter motility after canine pancreas transplantation with bladder drainage / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the changes of canine Oddi sphincter (SO) function after pancreas transplantation with bladder drainage and the effect on the graft function.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Normal canine SO, transplant canine SO and canine SO in vitro manometry were performed by triple lumen catheter. At the same time, pancreas endocrine and exocrine function after transplantation were determined. After transplantation, anti-reflux function of graft SO was also measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Endocrine and exocrine function of all the transplanted dogs showed that pancreas graft function was good. Basal pressure of SO in control group was (18.5 +/- 2.8) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa). The contraction frequency was (9.7 +/- 1.5) per min, the contraction amplitude was (47.1 +/- 5.5) mm Hg, the motility index was (236 +/- 56). After transplantation, basal pressure increased to (27.8 +/- 2.8) mm Hg, frequency increased to (13.1 +/- 1.9) per min, amplitude decreased significantly to (8.3 +/- 1.8) mm Hg. There was no significant difference of motility index. Basal pressure of SO in vitro increased significantly to (37.2 +/- 5.1) mm Hg. Phasic contraction was not absent. After transplantation, the pressure in the bile duct residual did not increase in accordance with the increase of bladder pressure.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>After pancreas transplantation with bladder drainage, Basal pressure and frequency of canine SO could increase while amplitude could decrease, which provide the anti-reflux function of graft SO and may serve as an obstacle to pancreatic juice flow.</p>

Analysis of rejection after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore methods of preventing and reversing rejection after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventeen patients performed SPK operation from Sep, 1999 to Sep, 2003 were reviewed retrospectively. Immunosuppression was achieved by triple regimen consisting of cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF)/azathioprine and steroid. 2 patients were treated with Dalizumab, the other three patients used OKT3 as immune induction.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>1 patient experienced the accelerated rejection, the pancreas and kidney grafts were resected because of failure of conservative therapy. 8 patients experienced renal acute rejection, 2 cases suffered from pancreas acute rejection at the same time. All these patients received daily high dose pulse steroid for 3 days. OKT3 was administered in 2 patients with steroid resistance rejection. All the grafts were successfully rescued.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Reasonable application of immunosuppression after SPK operation and adoption of systemic measures which can reduce sensitivity of high risk receptor before SPK operation are the effective methods of preventing and treating rejection.</p>