Factors influencing the efficacy of initial adrenocorticotropic hormone therapy for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the factors influencing the short-term (28 days) efficacy of initial adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS), as well as the factors influencing recurrence and prognosis.@*METHODS@#The clinical data were collected from the children with IESS who received ACTH therapy for the first time in the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, from April 2008 to January 2018 and were followed up for ≥2 years. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the factors influencing the short-term efficacy of ACTH therapy, recurrence, and long-term prognosis.@*RESULTS@#ACTH therapy achieved a control rate of seizures of 55.5% (111/200) on day 28 of treatment. Of the 111 children, 75 (67.6%) had no recurrence of seizures within 12 months of follow-up. The possibility of seizure control on day 28 of ACTH therapy in the children without focal seizures was 2.463 times that in those with focal seizures (P<0.05). The possibility of seizure control on day 28 of ACTH therapy in the children without hypsarrhythmia on electroencephalography on day 14 of ACTH therapy was 2.415 times that in those with hypsarrhythmia (P<0.05). The possibility of recurrence within 12 months after treatment was increased by 11.8% for every 1-month increase in the course of the disease (P<0.05). The possibility of moderate or severe developmental retardation or death in the children without seizure control after 28 days of ACTH therapy was 8.314 times that in those with seizure control (P<0.05). The possibility of moderate or severe developmental retardation or death in the children with structural etiology was 14.448 times that in those with unknown etiology (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Presence or absence of focal seizures and whether hypsarrhythmia disappears after 14 days of treatment can be used as predictors for the short-term efficacy of ACTH therapy, while the course of disease before treatment can be used as the predictor for recurrence after seizure control by ACTH therapy. The prognosis of IESS children is associated with etiology, and early control of seizures after ACTH therapy can improve long-term prognosis.

Pretreatment evaluation of 18F-FDG PET-CT in extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of pretreatment 18F-fluorodeoxy glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET-CT) in extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma. Methods: Eighty-one patients with pathologically confirmed extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma and pretreatment with PET-CT scan in Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from August 2006 to December 2017 were enrolled in the study. The clinical, follow-up and imaging data were analyzed retrospectively. The relationship between maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) and prognosis were evaluated by Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman rank correlation analysis. Results: Among the 81 patients, 98.8% (80/81) were upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) involved. Lesions at extra-UAT sites were detected in 7 cases, involving parotid gland (n=1), breast (n=1), spleen (n=1), pancreas (n=1), skin and subcutaneous soft tissue (n=1), muscle (n=1), lung (n=2) and bone (n=3). Lymph node involvement were demonstrated in 33 cases. All of the lesions had increased uptake of PET, the median SUVmax was 8.6. PET-CT changed staging in 15 cases, and 12 cases were adjusted treatment methods. 21 cases were changed radiotherapy target because of PET-CT. The 1-, 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 88.7% and 80.3% while 1-, 2-year overall survival (OS) rates were 97.2% and 94.4% respectively. The median SUVmax of patients with local lymph nodes involvement was significantly higher than those without local lymph nodes involvement (P=0.007). The SUVmax was positively associated with Ann Arbor stage (r=0.366, P=0.001), lactate dehydrogenase (r=0.308, P=0.005) and Ki-67 level (r=0.270, P=0.017). The SUVmax was inversely associated with lymphocyte count (r=-0.324, P=0.003) and hemoglobin content (r=-0.225, P=0.043). Conclusions: Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma predominantly occurs in extra-nodal organs, mainly in the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, with marked FDG-addiction. Compared with conventional imaging, 18F-FDG PET-CT is sensitive and comprehensive in detecting extra-nodal NK/T-cell lymphoma involvement, assisting in accurate clinical staging and treatment planning. Pretreatment SUVmax is potential for prognosis evaluation since it is correlated with prognostic factors.

Clinical characteristics and etiology of 2 054 children with alimentary tract hemorrhage / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics and etiology of children with alimentary tract hemorrhage so as to optimize the diagnosis and treatment.Methods:The clinical data of 2 054 children with alimentary tract hemorrhage in Kunming Children′s Hospital from January 2014 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Among 2 054 children with alimentary tract hemorrhage, males was in 1 274 cases, females was in 780 cases, and the ratio of males to females was 1.6∶1; <3.0 years old was in 647 cases (31.5%), 3.0 to 5.9 years old was in 488 cases (23.8%), 6.0 to 8.9 years old was in 413 cases (20.1%), 9.0 to 11.9 years old was in 281 cases (13.7%), and ≥12 years old was in 225 cases (11.0%); upper alimentary tract hemorrhage was in 991 cases, lower alimentary tract hemorrhage was in 1063 cases. The top three causes of children with upper alimentary tract hemorrhage were acute or chronic gastritis/ gastric ulcer, anaphylactoid purpura and systemic serious infection; the top three causes of children with lower alimentary tract hemorrhage were intestinal polyps, anaphylactoid purpura and food protein allergic colitis. A rare causes of alimentary tract hemorrhage had Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, cavernous transformation of portal vein, Bartter syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, Budd-Chiari syndrome, annular pancreas, Reye syndrome, Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, Evans syndrome and perianal angiectasia and so on.Conclusions:Alimentary tract hemorrhage is a common disease in pediatrics. With the increase of age, the proportion of children with alimentary tract hemorrhage decreased. The main causes of upper and lower alimentary tract hemorrhage are different in different age stages. In addition to paying attention to common causes, the rare causes of alimentary tract hemorrhage should be vigilant and recognized.

Meta-analysis of Banmao Capsules in adjuvant treatment for non-small cell lung cancer / 中国中药杂志

To systemically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Banmao Capsules in the adjuvant treatment for non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC). All of randomized controlled trials(RCT) about Banmao Capsules in adjuvant treatment for non-small cell lung cancer were retrieved in PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, CBM, WanFang database from database inception to August 2019. Two researchers extracted data and assessed literature quality separately, and made a Meta-analysis by RevMan 5.3 software. Thirteen trials involving 1 148 patients, including 595 in treatment group and 553 in control group, were enrolled in the review. The Meta-analysis showed that compared with conventional treatment, adjuvant treatment of NSCLC with Banmao Capsules can enhance the objective tumor response rate(RR=1.43,95%CI[1.30,1.58],P<0.01), and the disease control rate(RR=1.16,95%CI[1.11,1.22],P<0.01); improve the quality of life(RR=1.56,95%CI[1.27,1.92],P<0.01); reduce the incidence of myelosuppression(RR=0.41,95%CI[0.26,0.66],P<0.01), gastrointestinal reactions(RR=0.46,95%CI[0.33,0.65],P<0.01), liver and kidney dysfunction(RR=0.44,95%CI[0.29,0.66],P<0.01). The results showed that in the treatment of NSCLC, Banmao Capsules can increase the short-term efficacy, improve the quality of life of patients, and reduce the side effects of platinum-based chemotherapy drugs. More high-quality and large-scale randomized controlled trials are required in the future.

Mutations in aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase genes: an analysis of 10 cases / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the clinical features of the diseases associated with aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARS) deficiency.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed of the clinical and gene mutation data of 10 children who were diagnosed with ARS gene mutations, based on next-generation sequencing from January 2016 to October 2019.@*RESULTS@#The age of onset ranged from 0 to 9 years among the 10 children. Convulsion was the most common initial symptom (7 children). Clinical manifestations included ataxia and normal or mildly retarded intellectual development (with or without epilepsy; n=4) and onset of epilepsy in childhood with developmental regression later (n=2). Some children experienced disease onset in the neonatal period and had severe epileptic encephalopathy, with myoclonus, generalized tonic-clonic seizure, and convulsive seizure (n=4); 3 had severe delayed development, 2 had feeding difficulty, and 1 had hearing impairment. Mutations were found in five genes: 3 had novel mutations in the AARS2 gene (c.331G>C, c.2682+5G>A, c.2164C>T, and c.761G>A), 2 had known mutations in the DARS2 gene (c.228-16C>A and c.536G>A), 1 had novel mutations in the CARS2 gene (c.1036C>T and c.323T>G), 1 had novel mutations in the RARS2 gene (c.1210A>G and c.622C>T), and 3 had novel mutations in the AARS gene (c.1901T>A, c.229C>T, c.244C>T, c.961G>C, c.2248C>T, and Chr16:70298860-70316687del).@*CONCLUSIONS@#A high heterogeneity is observed in the clinical phenotypes of the diseases associated with the ARS deficiency. A total of 14 novel mutations in 5 genes are reported in this study, which enriches the clinical phenotypes and genotypes of the diseases associated with ARS deficiency.

Application of ventricular shunt for children with post-infective hydrocephalus / 中南大学学报(医学版)

To investigate the effects of ventricular shunt placement in children with post-infective hydrocephalus.
 Methods: A total of 24 cases of post-infectious hydrocephalus, who received ventricular shunt, were enrolled. Age, gender, disease progression, clinical manifestation, laboratory data, treatment, prognosis, complication, and sequela for each patient were retrospectively reviewed.
 Results: Of the 24 cases, 8 had a full recovery, 11 had slight sequela, 2 had severe sequela, 1 was in vegetative state, and 2 died because of bacterial meningitis and tubercular meningitis. Epilepsy, mental impairment, visual and hearing damage were the main sequelae.
 Conclusion: Ventricular shunt is the preferred treatment in children with post-infective hydrocephalus, which shows positive clinical efficacy and can improve the long-term prognosis of such patients.

Diagnosis of intellectual disability/global developmental delay via genetic analysis in a central region of China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Advanced technology has become a valuable tool in etiological studies of intellectual disability/global developmental delay (ID/GDD). The present study investigated the role of genetic analysis to confirm the etiology in ID/GDD patients where the cause of the disease was uncertain in central China.@*METHODS@#We evaluated 1051 ID/GDD children aged 6 months to 18 years from March 2009 to April 2017. Data concerning basic clinical manifestations were collected, and the method of etiology confirmation was recorded. Genome-wide copy number variations (CNVs) detection and high-throughput sequencing of exons in the targeted regions was performed to identify genetically-based etiologies. We compared the incidence of different methods used to confirm ID/GDD etiology among groups with differing degrees of ID/GDD using the Chi-square or Fisher exact probability test.@*RESULTS@#We recruited 1051 children with mild (367, 34.9%), moderate (301, 28.6%), severe (310, 29.5%), and profoundly severe (73, 6.9%) ID/GDD. The main causes of ID/GDD in the children assessed were perinatal factors, such as acquired brain injury, as well as single gene imbalance and chromosomal gene mutation. We identified karyotype and/or CNVs variation in 46/96 (47.9%) of cases in severe ID/GDD patients, which was significantly higher than those with mild and moderate ID/GDD of 34/96 (35.4%) and 15/96 (15.6%), respectively. A total of 331/536 (61.8%) patients with clear etiology have undergone genetic analysis while 262/515 (50.9%) patients with unclear etiology have undergone genetic analysis (χ = 12.645, P < 0.001). Gene structure variation via karyotype analysis and CNV detection increased the proportion of children with confirmed etiology from 51.0% to 56.3%, and second-generation high-throughput sequencing dramatically increased this to 78.9%. Ten novel mutations were detected, recessive mutations in X-linked genes (ATPase copper transporting alpha and bromodomain and WD repeat domain containing 3) and dominant de novo heterozygous mutations in X-linked genes (cyclin-dependent kinase like 5, protocadherin 19, IQ motif and Sec7 domain 2, and methyl-CpG binding protein 2) were reported in the study.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The present study indicates that genetic analysis is an effective method to increase the proportion of confirmed etiology in ID/GDD children and is highly recommended, especially in ID/GDD children with uncertain etiology.

Diagnosis of intellectual disability/global developmental delay via genetic analysis in a central region of China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#Advanced technology has become a valuable tool in etiological studies of intellectual disability/global developmental delay (ID/GDD). The present study investigated the role of genetic analysis to confirm the etiology in ID/GDD patients where the cause of the disease was uncertain in central China.@*Methods@#We evaluated 1051 ID/GDD children aged 6 months to 18 years from March 2009 to April 2017. Data concerning basic clinical manifestations were collected, and the method of etiology confirmation was recorded. Genome-wide copy number variations (CNVs) detection and high-throughput sequencing of exons in the targeted regions was performed to identify genetically-based etiologies. We compared the incidence of different methods used to confirm ID/GDD etiology among groups with differing degrees of ID/GDD using the Chi-square or Fisher exact probability test.@*Results@#We recruited 1051 children with mild (367, 34.9%), moderate (301, 28.6%), severe (310, 29.5%), and profoundly severe (73, 6.9%) ID/GDD. The main causes of ID/GDD in the children assessed were perinatal factors, such as acquired brain injury, as well as single gene imbalance and chromosomal gene mutation. We identified karyotype and/or CNVs variation in 46/96 (47.9%) of cases in severe ID/GDD patients, which was significantly higher than those with mild and moderate ID/GDD of 34/96 (35.4%) and 15/96 (15.6%), respectively. A total of 331/536 (61.8%) patients with clear etiology have undergone genetic analysis while 262/515 (50.9%) patients with unclear etiology have undergone genetic analysis (χ2 = 12.645, P < 0.001). Gene structure variation via karyotype analysis and CNV detection increased the proportion of children with confirmed etiology from 51.0% to 56.3%, and second-generation high-throughput sequencing dramatically increased this to 78.9%. Ten novel mutations were detected, recessive mutations in X-linked genes (ATPase copper transporting alpha and bromodomain and WD repeat domain containing 3) and dominant de novo heterozygous mutations in X-linked genes (cyclin-dependent kinase like 5, protocadherin 19, IQ motif and Sec7 domain 2, and methyl-CpG binding protein 2) were reported in the study.@*Conclusions@#The present study indicates that genetic analysis is an effective method to increase the proportion of confirmed etiology in ID/GDD children and is highly recommended, especially in ID/GDD children with uncertain etiology.

Clinical analysis of 33 childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms / 中国医师杂志

Objective@#To investigate the clinical features of childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms.@*Methods@#The clinical data of 33 children admitted to our hospital from 2015 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.@*Results@#The children were divided into three groups: idiopathic group (n=20), structural group (n=10) and genetic group (n=3). Among the structural etiology group, there were 1 case of megagyrus malformation, 1 case of focal cortical dysplasia type Ⅱ (FCDⅡ), 1 case of gestational age infant with enlarged ventricle, and 7 cases of perinatal ischemic-hypoxic encephalopathy (HIE). In the genetic group, there were 1 case of PCDH19 gene mutation, 1 case of cyclin-dependent kinase like 5 (CDKL5) deficiency disorder and 1 case of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. All three groups had ocular motor symptoms and secondary motor symptoms. Compared with the structural group, patients of the idiopathic group had more autonomic symptoms, less visual symptoms, longer ictal duration, less episodes, less abnormal background rhythm, and more epileptic discharges in the frontal lobe or Rolandic area. The genetic group had frequent seizures and the CDKL5 deficiency disorder patient had slowed background and spasms. Compared with the other two groups, patients of the idiopathic group had fewer MRI abnormalities, better seizure control effect, and better prognosis.@*Conclusions@#There are many causes of childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms. The idiopathic group accounts for a large proportion. The visual symptoms and autonomic symptoms are different between groups. Background abnormalities are detected more often in the structural group and the genetic group, which is also helpful for differential diagnosis. The treatment options and prognosis of different groups vary greatly. The overall therapeutic effect and prognosis of the idiopathic group are better than those of the structural group and the genetic group.

Clinical analysis of 33 childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms / 中国医师杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical features of childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms.Methods The clinical data of 33 children admitted to our hospital from 2015 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.Results The children were divided into three groups:idiopathic group (n =20),structural group (n =10) and genetic group (n =3).Among the structural etiology group,there were 1 case of megagyrus malformation,1 case of focal cortical dysplasia type Ⅱ (FCD Ⅱ),1 case of gestational age infant with enlarged ventricle,and 7 cases of perinatal ischemic-hypoxic encephalopathy (HIE).In the genetic group,there were 1 case of PCDH19 gene mutation,1 case of cyclin-dependent kinase like 5 (CDKL5) deficiency disorder and 1 case of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome.All three groups had ocular motor symptoms and secondary motor symptoms.Compared with the structural group,patients of the idiopathic group had more autonomic symptoms,less visual symptoms,longer ictal duration,less episodes,less abnormal background rhythm,and more epileptic discharges in the frontallobe or Rolandic area.The genetic group had frequent seizures and the CDKL5 deficiency disorder patient had slowed background and spasms.Compared with the other two groups,patients of the idiopathic group had fewer MRI abnormalities,better seizure control effect,and better prognosis.Conclusions There are many causes of childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms.The idiopathic group accounts for a large proportion.The visual symptoms and autonomic symptoms are different between groups.Background abnormalities are detected more often in the structural group and the genetic group,which is also helpful for differential diagnosis.The treatment options and prognosis of different groups vary greatly.The overall therapeutic effect and prognosis of the idiopathic group are better than those of the structural group and the genetic group.

Clinical analysis of 51 children with seizure secondary to tuberous sclerosis / 中国医师杂志

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics and treatment of children with tuberous sclerosis (TSC) complicated with epilepsy,so as to improve the level of diagnosis and treatment and improve the prognosis of children with TSC.Methods The clinical data of TSC children complicated with epilepsy diagnosed and followed up in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University were collected and analyzed retrospectively.Results Of the 51 children,49 (96.1％) had their first visit because of epileptic seizures.Their electroencephalogram (EEG) showed epileptiform discharges during the epileptic period.The therapeutic effect of vigabatrin on TSC patients with spastic seizures was significantly different from that of antiepileptic drugs alone or in combination.Conclusions Epileptic seizure is the most common reason for first visit and seizure control will affect the prognosis of children to a large extent.Vigabatrin had remarkable effect on TSC patients with spasm seizure,and rapamycin has broad prospects in the treatment of children with TSC.

Diffusion tensor imaging studies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with various levels of cognitive impairment / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To characterize the brain microstructure changes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with various levels of cognitive impairment as measured by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).Methods A total of 55 ALS patients and 20 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in the Department of Neurology of Peking Union Medical College Hospital From September 2013 to March 2017,and all participants underwent neuropsychological assessments and DTI scans.According to their cognitive performance,ALS patients were further subclassified into ALS with normal cognition (ALS-Cn,n =27),ALS with cognitive impairment (ALS-Ci,n =17) and ALS-frontotemporal dementia (ALS-FTD,n =11)subgroups.Comparisons of voxel-based and atlas-based fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) data were conducted among the four subgroups.Results In the voxel-based analyses,the FA showed significant differences in cingulate gyms,corpus callosum,brain stem and cerebellum,and MD showed significant differences in bilateral frontal lobe,temporal lobe,cingulate gyms,corpus callosum,and cerebellum among the four subgroups.Besides,when compared to ALS-Ci,ALS-Cn and HC groups in the order,the areas of involvement were larger and differences were more significant in ALS-FTD group.In the atlas-based analyses,the FA and MD of the corticospinal tracts revealed no difference within the patients groups,but decreased FA and increased MD were found compared to HC group.The ALS-IFD patients manifested widespread white matter fiber integrity damage and microstructure impairment in the extramotor areas compared to other three groups.Conclusion The brain white matter structural patterns of ALS patients correlate with their cognitive function,and there is a gradient of alterations across the ALS-Cn,ALS-Ci and ALS-FTD continuum.

Initial exploration on clinical application of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation method on cognitive impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To explore diagnostic value of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation ( ALFF) on cognitive impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ( ALS ) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) .Methods Sixteen ALS patients from neurological clinic in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were enrolled between November 2013 and April 2015.The patients were divided into two groups by the presence (ALSi, n=7) or absence (ALSu, n=9) of cognitive impairment. Routine MRI structural images and resting-state functional MRI were collected for comparison between groups through voxel-based morphometry ( VBM ) and ALFF.Results ( 1 ) Neuropsychological analysis showed significant differences in Montreal Cognitive Assessment score (22.9 ±2.0 vs 25.8 ±2.3, t=2.622, P=0.020), Frontal Assessment Battery score (12.4 ±1.6 vs 15.1 ±1.4, t=3.600, P=0.003), animal listing test (13.6 ±1.8 vs 16.7 ±2.9, t=2.482, P=0.026), naming test (2(1) vs 0(1), Z=-2.746, P=0.006), similarity test (7.9 ±3.7 vs 17.3 ±2.8, t=5.846, P=0.000) and clock drawing test (2(2) vs 3(0), Z=2.516, P=0.012).(2) VBM analysis showed no significant differences in both gray matter and white matter density between the two groups .(3) ALFF analysis showed significantly increased signals in widespread areas of bilateral cerebrum and cerebellum in ALSi group compared to ALSu group . Conclusion ALFF value has the potential to provide more valuable imaging basis for early diagnosis on cognitive impairment in ALS.

Construction of Hospital Service System Based on WeChat Public Platform / 医学信息学杂志

〔Abstract〕 Based on elaborating the application of WeChat public platform in various industries, the paper overviews the function and characteristics of WeChat public platform, taking Shanxi Provincial Peoplel's Hospital as an example, it introduces the application of We-Chat public platform in outpatient and inpatient departments, points out that WeChat service could be carried out in hospital in the futrue.

Development of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell culture in vitro / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To review the in vitro development of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells culture (BM-MSC).</p><p><b>DATA SOURCES</b>The data cited in this review were mainly obtained from articles listed in Medline and PubMed. The search terms were "bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell" and "cell culture".</p><p><b>STUDY SELECTION</b>Articles regarding the in vitro development of BM-MSCs culture, as well as the challenge of optimizing cell culture environment in two-dimensional (2D) vs. 3D.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Improving the culture conditions increases the proliferation and reduces the differentiation. Optimal values for many culture parameters remain to be identified. Expansion of BM-MSCs under defined conditions remains challenging, including the development of optimal culture conditions for BMSC and large-volume production systems.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Expansion of BM-MSCs under defined conditions remains challenges, including the development of optimal culture conditions for BMSC and scale-up to large-volume production systems. Optimal values for many culture parameters remain to be identified.</p>

Heme oxygenase-1 is the candidate targeting for organ transplantation / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To review the role of heme oxyenase-1 in organ transplantation and explore the potential applications targeted on overexpression of heme oxyenase-1 gene.</p><p><b>DATA SOURCES</b>The data cited in this review were mainly obtained from the articles listed in Medline and PubMed, published from January 1996 to December 2008. The search terms were "heme oxygenase-1" and "transplantation".</p><p><b>STUDY SELECTION</b>Articles regarding the role of heme oxyenase-1 in organ transplantation and its protective role in transplants were selected. Protective effects of heme oxygenase-1 overexpression using a gene transfer approach against ischaemic reperfusion injury during transplantation were widely explored.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Local heme oxygenase-1 overexpression in the graft ameliorates the ischaemic reperfusion injury. This is due to removal of heme, a potent prooxidant and proinflammatory agent, but also because of generation of biologically active products.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Overexpressive heme oxygenase-1 activity is associated with tissue protection in the setting of graft, ischaemic reperfusion injury. Gene therapy is attractive to us; but a long way from general application. In terms of heme oxygenase-1, the gene promoters are polymorphic. Although individualization is an important principle during clinical application, it is difficult to put into practice.</p>