The Impact of Hematological Indices on the Occurrence of Delayed Graft Function (DGF) of Transplanted Kidney.

BACKGROUND: to analyse the effect of haematological indices on the occurrence of Delayed Graft Function (DGF) in patients undergoing kidney transplantation and on the function of the transplanted kidney on the 7th postoperative day. METHODS: 365 recipients who underwent kidney transplantation from a donor with known brain death between 2010 and 2017 were included in this retrospective study. Information from patient medical records, donor medical records, and donation and transplantation protocols was used for analysis. Statistica 13 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: In the study group, DGF occurred in 144 recipients (39.45%), and Non-Graft Function (NGF) occurred in 12 recipients (3.29%). Recipients who developed DGF had a significantly higher Neutrophil/Monocyte Ratio (NMR) before renal transplantation (p = 0.048), a lower NMR value on postoperative day 1 (p < 0.001), and a difference between the values on day 1 and before surgery (p < 0.001). In addition, they had a significantly lower Lymphocyte/Monocyte Ratio (LMR) on postoperative day 1 LMR 1 (p < 0.001). It was shown that the value of the indices based on the ROC curve-NMR1 > 29.29, NMR1-0 > 22.71, and LMR1 > 1.74 (respectively: AUC = 0.624; 95% CI 0.566-0.682; and p < 0.001/AUC = 0.622; 95% CI 0.563-0.680; and p < 0.001/AUC = 0.610; 95% CI 0.550-0.670; and p < 0.001)-can be used to identify recipients with a significant probability of DGF. CONCLUSIONS: the NMR and LMR parameters on the first postoperative day and the difference between the NMR values on the first post-transplant day and the first pre-transplant day are predictive factors associated with the risk of DGF.

Acid-Base Balance Disorders During Kidney Preservation in Cold Ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Acid-base balance disorders are a crucial element of ischemia-reperfusion injury during organ transplantation. Hypoxia during organ procurement and storage cause cellular homeostasis imbalance with impact on further graft function. Acidosis in preserved kidney caused by lactate accumulation may have an important role as a common denominator of various pathways leading to cellular damage. METHODS: Our trial sought to answer questions regarding a range of pH alterations in the kidney before the transplantation, their potential cause, and how this may affect further outcome of the kidney transplantation procedure. Perfusion fluid for pH analysis was obtained from perfusion pump (PP) or through kidney flushing at the end of preservation depending on the storage method. RESULTS: A total of 66 sample results were collated with the data from the transplant registry, hospitalization, and outpatient department. Statistical analysis was conducted linking pH results with factors related to donor, recipient, preservation, and outcome according to designed schematics. Mean perfusate pH was significantly lower in simple hypothermia (SH) vs the PP storage group (6.77 vs 7.11; P < .001). All samples of perfusate pH in the SH group were below physiological values (<7.35), and in 10% of samples in the SH group, pH >7.00. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that kidney storage in cold ischemia is associated with organ acidosis independent of preservation method and that SH is correlated with significantly bigger acidosis than storage in PP, which is an important procedure removing an excessive amount of hydrogen ions from kidney microcirculation, decreasing cell damage.

Correlation Between Stem and Progenitor Cells Number and Immune Response in Patients After Allogeneic Kidney Transplant.

BACKGROUND Stem and progenitor cells are of great interest in all medical procedures involving tissue regeneration. There is a consensus that the use of stem cells after solid organ transplantation may play a role in tissue repair and in immunosuppression. The aim of this study was to determine possible relations between stem cell count and the immune response in a group of patients after kidney transplantation. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was conducted on a group of 100 patients who underwent kidney transplantation. The following phenotypic markers of the studied cell subpopulations were adopted: Treg cells (CD3+CD4+CD25high), circulating hematopoietic cells (CD34+CD133+CD45+CD38-), and non-hematopoietic cells (Lin-CXCR4+CD133-CD45-). Cell subpopulations were assessed using LSRII flow cytometer (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA). RESULTS Positive correlation was observed between non-hematopoietic stem cells percentage and recipient's platelets count (P=0.04). Moreover, a higher percentage of non-hematopoietic cells was accompanied by lower numbers of B lymphocytes (P=0.03) and Treg cells (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed significant associations between the intensity of ongoing immune response processes and tissue damage, and the release of stem and progenitor cells into circulation. These findings suggest their role in the stimulation of protective processes in terms of graft regeneration.

The diagnostic and prognostic value of right ventricular myocardial velocities in inferior myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous intervention.

BACKGROUND: Right ventricular (RV) involvement increases mortality and morbidity in inferior myocardial infarction (MI). There are sparse data on the usefulness of pulsed tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in the diagnosis of RV dysfunction in ST segment elevation MI (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). AIM: To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of RV myocardial velocities compared to classical electrocardiographic RVMI diagnostic criteria in this group of patients. METHODS: Consecutive patients with first, acute, inferior STEMI treated with pPCI were prospectively assessed. The RVMI was defined as an ST-segment elevation ≥ 0.1 mV in lead V4R. Echocardiography with TDI was performed after pPCI within 24 h of the onset of symptoms. Follow up including in-hospital events was performed. RESULTS: Out of 101 patients (58 males, mean age 63.7 ± 11.1 years), RVMI was found in 37 (37%). In multivariate analysis, peak systolic RV velocity (SmRV) (OR 5.12), peak early diastolic RV velocity (EmRV) (OR 5.03) and RV wall motion abnormalities (OR 4.94) were independent parameters for RVMI diagnosis. Receiver operating characteristics revealed high diagnostic significance of SmRV (C statistics = 0.90) and EmRV (C statistics = 0.89). The SmRV < 12 cm/s as a cut-off for a diagnosis of RVMI had a 89% sensitivity and a 83% specificity, whereas EmRV < 10 cm/s - 81% and 80%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that two variables - SmRV and ST-segment elevation ≥ 0.1 mV in lead V4R, were independent predictors of in-hospital prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Right ventricular myocardial velocities derived from TDI predict ECG diagnosis of RVMI with relatively high sensitivity and specificity. Their high negative predictive value may be of practical importance when ECG tracings are equivocal. More importantly, decreased RV systolic myocardial Doppler velocity predicts unfavourable clinical outcomes in patients with inferior STEMI independently of ECG changes.