Successful use in lung transplantation of an immunosuppressive regimen aimed at reducing target blood levels of sirolimus and tacrolimus.

BACKGROUND: The primary aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy in lung transplantation of an immunosuppressive regimen aimed at achieving sirolimus and tacrolimus concentrations of 6 to 10 microg/ml and 5 to 7 ng/ml, respectively. METHODS: We retrospectively identified 49 lung transplant recipients who were converted to an immunosuppressive regimen consisting of tacrolimus, sirolimus, and prednisone. Data collected included demographic information, laboratory work, episodes of rejection, bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) grade, and adverse effects. RESULTS: The most common reason for conversion to a sirolimus and tacrolimus regimen was BOS. The most common adverse effects were increased triglycerides (10%), leukopenia (8%), and skin rash (6%). Four patients (8%) experienced acute allograft rejection during the study period. We followed BOS grade for 1 year in 23 patients. Of these, BOS grade improved in 8, 13 patients remained unchanged, and 2 worsened. Eleven patients (22%) discontinued sirolimus because of adverse events. CONCLUSION: An immunosuppressive regimen consisting of sirolimus and tacrolimus that aims to keep the trough drug concentrations at 6 to 10 microg/ml and 5 to 7 ng/ml, respectively, provides effective lung allograft protection while maintaining an acceptable side-effect profile. The use of this immunosuppressive combination may have a benefit with regard to BOS.

Acanthamoeba encephalitis in a patient with systemic lupus treated with rituximab.

Acanthamoeba species are free-living protozoa that can infect humans and animals. Acanthamoeba can cause serious central nervous system infections in immunocompromised hosts. Here we report a case of Acanthamoeba encephalitis in a patient with lupus nephritis, 1 month after completing a course of rituximab, an anti-CD20 chimeric antibody.

Cerebral phaeohyphomycosis due to Rhinocladiella mackenziei (formerly Ramichloridium mackenziei): case presentation and literature review.

Rhinocladiella mackenziei (formerly Ramichloridium mackenziei), a causative agent of cerebral phaeohyphomycosis, is extremely rare and it is geographically limited to the Middle East. The organism has a predilection to cause brain infections and results in a grave prognosis with a high mortality rate. The current patient was admitted to a long term care facility with chronic respiratory failure and dependence on a mechanical ventilator. She later developed left sided weakness and a CT-scan of the brain revealed multiple variable sized hypodense, well-defined lesions with ring enhancement. A stereotactic needle aspiration of the largest lesion showed fungal hyphae. The final culture grew R. mackenzie. The patient was initially started on liposomal amphotericin B, then voriconazole and caspofungin intravenously as posaconazole was not available. The patient failed to respond to antifungal therapy and finally she died 34 days after the start of the treatment. R. mackenziei is a highly virulent agent, and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of central nervous system disease in patients from the Middle East.