Use of liver allografts from carbon monoxide poisoned cadaveric donors.

Carbon monoxide (CO) inhalation leads to cerebral, cardiac, and, more rarely, liver damage. The use of liver allografts from CO poisoned donors with evidence of liver damage has not previously been reported. In this report we describe two recipients, both in fulminant hepatic failure, who received liver grafts from such donors. One donor had markedly abnormal liver function tests (LFTS), and in the other LFTS were mildly abnormal. In both, the liver appeared normal at procurement. There was satisfactory early function of both allografts, although marked patchy necrosis was seen on the postreperfusion biopsy (case 1), and on a 10 day postoperative biopsy (case 2). In both cases the changes were considered to be related to damage sustained from CO inhalation. Both allografts soon achieved normal function and both recipients are well. We conclude that CO poisoning can cause liver damage that can recover completely following liver transplantation.

Retransplantation for precore mutant-related chronic hepatitis B infection: prolonged survival in a patient receiving sequential ganciclovir/famciclovir therapy.

Retransplantation for hepatitis B-related liver allograft failure is rarely successful. Recurrence of infection is almost universal, and the second allograft is invariably lost more rapidly than the first. In a recent multicenter study, only 1 of 20 hepatitis B virus (HBV)-positive patients who underwent liver retransplantation survived beyond 6 months. This report describes the long-term effect of antiviral therapy in a 56-year-old man who was retransplanted for HBV-related allograft loss 14 months after his initial liver transplant. He was treated after the second transplant with intravenous daily ganciclovir. After 10 months of this therapy HBV recurrence was detected. After a change to oral famciclovir therapy, there was a decrease in serum HBV DNA and amino-transferase levels and an improvement in the patient's clinical condition. Famiciclovir therapy has now been continued for 26 months, and the patient remains well 3 years after his second transplant, despite persistent HBV infection and progression to cirrhosis. These observations indicate that the use of long-term antiviral therapy offers promise for improving outcomes in patients who undergo retransplantation after HBV-related liver allograft failure.

Failure of patent aorto-renal grafts to cure hypertension in renin positive patients.

Correction of renal artery stenosis in a hypertensive patient does not always result in cure of the hypertension. In a follow-up on 127 patients operated on for renovascular hypertension over a 24-year period 32 patients with favourable preoperative factors, unilateral disease, normal renal parenchyma and a positive renal vein renin ratio were studied. 20/32 were regarded as cured with a BP of less than 140/90 and 12/32 were regarded as unsuccessful with a BP, although lessened, higher than 140/90. Hypotensive medication was required in 10/12 in the latter group and was still required in 8/20 of the former. The cure rate of less than 2/3rd is lower than most reports in the literature. The possible causes of the discrepancy are discussed.

T6+ and HLA-DR+ cell numbers in epidermis of immunosuppressed renal transplant recipients.

The increased susceptibility of the skin of chronically immunosuppressed individuals to viral infections and sunlight-induced malignancies suggests specific drug-induced, dysfunction of local immune mechanisms within the sun-exposed skin of these individuals. To help understand the effect of immunosuppressive therapy alone in the absence of ultraviolet light on the immune system of skin, biopsies were collected from non-sun-exposed buttock skin of control, healthy volunteers and kidney transplant recipients immunosuppressed with either azathioprine/prednisone or cyclosporin A/prednisone and examined for incidences of T6+, and HLA-DR+ cells. No significant differences in the incidences of these 2 cell types were found (a) between control individuals and transplants recipients, (b) between transplant recipients receiving either of the immunosuppressive drug regimes, or (c) between transplant recipients who either had or had not developed skin cancer.

Renal transplantation. Effect on the ischemic heart disease of essential malignant hypertension.

In 14 of 204 consecutive cadaveric renal allograft recipients, the primary diagnosis was essential hypertension. Four patients had manifest ischemic heart disease before transplantation. Three of these patients died within 31 months of transplantation from recurrent myocardial infarction, and the fourth experienced coronary insufficiency. Cadaveric renal transplantation does not prevent the progression of coronary artery disease in patients whose renal failure was due to essential hypertension. In the presence of angina or previous myocardial infarction, these patiemts may be better treated by maintenance hemodialysis.

Tibial artery bypass.

Experience with 29 tibial bypasses is presented. Twenty-one have remained patent for an average time of 13.2 months. There were two hospital deaths and five additional late ones. Autogenous saphenous vein was used in 27. Electromagnetic flowmeter studies were useful in assessment of patency, but intraoperative arteriography was of limited value only. The use of peroneal artery had equivalent results to anterior and posterior tibial arteries. It is concluded that a reasonable limb prognosis may be offered to the patient with advanced ischemic disease and one or more open tibial vessels. The late mortality in this group is appreciable.