ABSTRACT
Introdução: A prevalência de cirrose criptogênica varia de 5% a 30% dos pacientes cirróticos nas séries históricas. O transplante hepático representa a única opção em reverter a insuficiência hepatica e suas complicações em pacientes cirróticos em estágio avançado. A esquistossomose mansônica no Brasil é um problema endêmico de saúde pública, particularmente na região nordeste do país. Apresenta-se relato de caso de paciente do sexo masculino admitido ao Hospital Geral de Fortaleza, Ceará , Brasil, com cirrose criptogênica classificada como Child Turcotte-Pugh C, com MELD 25, submetido a transplante hepático com fígado de doador portador de esquistossomose como achado ocasional da biópsia padrão. Foi revisada a história clínica e exame físico na admissão, resultados de exames laboratoriais e dados do seguimento clínico. Como conclusão, as infecções parasitárias em órgãos sólidos transplantados tem aumentado nos últimos anos. É muito importante realizar o controle da qualidade dos órgãos e tecidos utilizados em transplantes, assim como desenvolver técnicas de diagnóstico, tratamento e profilaxia, especialmente em transplante hepático, em vista da alta prevalência de infecções parasitárias em nosso país, com intuito de prevenir outras co-morbidades e aumentar a sobrevida dos pacientes transplantados. Em regiões endêmicas, os potenciais doadores de receptores que têm esquistossomose ativa devem ser preventivamente tratados.
Introduction: The prevalence of cryptogenic cirrhosis ranges from 5% to 30% of cirrhotic patients in past series (CADWELL et al, 1999). Liver transplantation represents the only option to revert the hepatic insufficiency and its complications in cirrhotic patients in advanced stage. In Brazil, Mansonic Schistosomiasisis a public health problem and endemic disease, particularly in the Northeast of the country. Methods: Case report of a male patient, admitted to Hospital Geral de Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, with cryptogenic hepatic cirrhosis, classified as Child-Turcotte-Pugh C, with a MELD of 25, submitted to a liver transplantation, and found to have schistosomal hepatic disease on biopsy report. We reviewed the patient's medical history and physical examination on admission, prescription, results of laboratory tests and follow up data. Survey of the literature in national and international scientific journals helped incollecting information on this disease. Conclusions: Parasitic infections in solid organ transplant has increased in the recent years. It is very important to keep a strict control of the quality of the organs and tissues used in transplantations, as well as an improvement in diagnosis, treatment and prophylaxis techniques, especially in liver transplantation, in view of a high prevalence of parasitic infections in our country, in order to prevent the developmentof other comorbidities, and to increase the survival of transplanted patients. In endemic countries, potential donors or recipients who have active schistosomal infection should be preventively treated.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Liver Cirrhosis/therapy , Schistosomiasis mansoni , Liver TransplantationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The present study intends to investigate the effects of anti-IL2 receptors (anti-IL2R) vs. lymphocyte-depleting agents in the early steroid withdrawal (ESW) scheme. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort of 167 consecutive adult renal transplant recipients. Immunosuppression was based on tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. Antibody induction therapy was carried out with lymphocyte-depleting agent (thymoglobulin) or anti-IL2R (Basiliximab or Daclizumab). ESW protocol was performed by administering intravenous methlyprednisolone as follows: 500 mg on day 0, 250 mg on day 1, 125 mg on day 2, 60 mg on day 3, and then stopped. RESULTS: Among the 167 studied patients, 79 (47.3%) received anti-IL2R and 88 (52.7%) received thymoglobulin induction. Significantly fewer episodes of acute rejection were seen at one year in patients treated with thymoglobulin as compared to anti-IL2R (25.6% vs. 11.4%, p=0.01). At five years, a significant difference in graft survival was observed in anti-IL2R-treated patients compared with thymoglobulin (83.5% vs. 95.5%, p=0.01). Multivariate analysis disclosed that female sex, antibody induction therapy using thymoglobulin and a trough tacrolimus level higher than 10 were protective factors against acute rejection, while there was a trend to increased risk of acute rejection at first year post-transplantation in patients presenting delayed graft function (DGF). Antibody induction was independently associated with patient and graft survival at five years (OR 0.213, 95% CI 0.046-0.991, p=0.04). CONCLUSION: ESW scheme seems to be safe and its use is beneficial since there are fewer adverse effects. Thymoglobulin induction therapy is associated with fewer rejection episodes. Induction therapy with thymoglobulin is associated with higher patient and allograft survival when comparing with anti-IL2R.
