Crossing borders to facilitate live donor kidney transplantation: the Czech-Austrian kidney paired donation program - a retrospective study.

Kidney paired donation (KPD) is a valuable tool to overcome immunological barriers in living donor transplantation. While small national registries encounter difficulties in finding compatible matches, multi-national KPD may be a useful strategy to facilitate transplantation. The Czech (Prague) and Austrian (Vienna) KPD programs, both initiated in 2011, were merged in 2015. A bi-national algorithm allowed for ABO- and low-level HLA antibody-incompatible exchanges, including the option of altruistic donor-initiated domino chains. Between 2011 and 2019, 222 recipients and their incompatible donors were registered. Of those, 95.7% (Prague) and 67.9% (Vienna) entered into KPD registries, and 81 patients received a transplant (95% 3-year graft survival). Inclusion of ABO-incompatible pairs in the Czech program contributed to higher KPD transplant rates (42.6% vs. 23.6% in Austria). After 2015 (11 bi-national match runs), the median pool size increased to 18 pairs, yielding 33 transplants (8 via cross-border exchanges). While matching rates doubled in Austria (from 9.1% to 18.8%), rates decreased in the Czech program, partly due to implementation of more stringent HLA antibody thresholds. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of merging small national KPD programs to increase pool sizes and may encourage the implementation of multi-national registries to expand the full potential of KPD.

Dual hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion of the liver reduces post transplant biliary complications - a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Corroborating evidence for use of hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion (HOPE) prior to orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) suggests a beneficial effect in regards to biliary complications. Here, we aim to evaluate whether perfusion via portal vein alone (sHOPE) or via additional perfusion of the hepatic artery (dHOPE) have diverging impact on outcomes after OLT when compared to use of static cold storage (SCS). METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing OLT at Medical University of Vienna (2018 to 2023) were retrospectively analyzed. Donor organs were procured using SCS, or subjected to end-ischemic sHOPE or dHOPE. Severity of biliary complications was classified according to degree of therapeutic intervention (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography or surgical revision). RESULTS: 247 patients were included (69 SCS, 76 sHOPE, 102 dHOPE). Hospitalization was shorter for patients after HOPE (median in days: SCS=25 vs HOPE=20, P=0.019). Biliary complications were less frequent in patients after HOPE (SCS=37.7% vs HOPE=22.5%, P=0.015). A significantly lower incidence of surgical revisions for biliary complications was observed in the HOPE cohort (24.6% vs 11.8%, P=0.012). When evaluating outcome according to HOPE-modality, a significant reduction in biliary complications (P=0.006) and surgical revisions (P=0.002) was only observed in dHOPE patients in comparison to SCS. Further, only dHOPE was significantly associated with reduced need for surgical revision for biliary complications upon uni- and multivariable logistic regression (odds ratio=0.336, P=0.011). CONCLUSION: HOPE leads to a reduction of biliary complications and associated surgical revisions. This effect seems to be primarily associated with use of dHOPE, while both methods appear as feasible options for preconditioning of donor grafts prior to OLT.

A Multi-Centre Non-Interventional Study to Assess the Tolerability and Effectiveness of Extended-Release Tacrolimus (LCPT) in De Novo Liver Transplant Patients.

BACKGROUND: Available tacrolimus formulations exhibit substantial inter- and intra-individual variability in absorption and metabolism. The present non-interventional cohort study aimed to assess the tolerability and effectiveness of the once-daily tacrolimus formulation, LCPT, in hepatic allograft recipients in real life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in Austria and the Czech Republic between July 2016 and August 2019. Patients aged ≥ 18 years old received LCPT per the approved label and local clinical routine. All the participants provided informed consent. Patients newly treated with tacrolimus (de novo) directly after transplantation were observed for six months. The relevant clinical variables were tacrolimus trough level (TL), total daily dose (TDD), number of dose adjustments, kidney and liver function, and tolerability. RESULTS: Of the 70 analyzed patients, 72.9% were male and 85.7% were aged < 65 years old. The mean (SD) time to achieve tacrolimus target TL was 6.4 (4.6) days after 4.4 (4.0) dose adjustments; thereafter, TL remained stable throughout observation at approximately 8 ng/mL. The LCPT TDD at initiation was 8 mg and decreased by a median of 41.4% to 5 mg at 6 months. Liver function continuously improved, and kidney function remained stable. LCPT was well tolerated with 24 adverse events in eight patients (17 related to immunosuppression, mostly mild renal insufficiency, and hematological adverse events); two serious unrelated adverse events were reported (atrial flutter and liver dysfunction). CONCLUSIONS: TL was rapidly attained with few dose adaptations after LCPT initiation in de novo liver transplant patients. Liver function rapidly improved, whereas kidney function remained normal. LCPT was well-tolerated in this population.

HPV screening in the urine of transpeople - A prevalence study.

Background: There is limited data on human papillomaviruses (HPV) prevalence in transpeople due to low acceptance rate of screening methods. HPV tests from self-collected urine are gender-neutral, have a high acceptance, and have a comparable accuracy in females to clinician-collected samples. The aim of this study was to evaluate both the HPV prevalence in the urine in a large cohort of 200 transpeople with common risk profiles and the acceptability of such screening method. Methods: The study was conducted at the outpatient clinic for transpeople at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. 200 transpeople have been enrolled between May and October 2021. Inclusion criteria were gender identity dysphoria, age over 18 years, and adequate language skills.Subjects were asked to answer a survey concerning gender identity, established risk factors for HPV infections as well as their preference regarding urine or provider-collected cytology-/HPV-based screening, and to provide a urine sample. Five patients not able to provide urine were excluded. HPV genotyping was performed using a validated multiplex real-time PCR assay, which simultaneously detects 28 HPV genotypes. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04864951. Findings: Overall HPV positivity was 19·0% (37/195), 24·2% in female to male, 11·8% in male to female, 26·3% in genderqueer/non binary/other subjects, 27·9% in subjects currently having a cervix, and 26·0% in subjects born with cervix. Independent of gender reassignment surgery, being born with a cervix was associated with a higher risk of HPV infections (p = 0·008), yet 42·3% (44/104) have never attended cervical cancer screening. Overall, 79·0% (154/195) of transpeople would prefer urine HPV tests to provider-collected HPV screening. Interpretation: HPV testing in self-collected urine samples provides a unique opportunity for screening of this hard-to-reach population and should be evaluated in further studies. Funding: None.

The post-transplant course of patients undergoing liver transplantation for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis versus cryptogenic cirrhosis: a retrospective case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can be considered the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) as its progressive form. With increasing prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, NASH cirrhosis is becoming a leading cause for liver transplantation. Some cases of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) due to cryptogenic cirrhosis (CC) might show typical features of NASH cirrhosis. Therefore, our aim was to assess recurrence of liver fibrosis in patients transplanted for NASH versus CC after OLT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients transplanted for CC or NASH between 1 January 2004 and 30 September 2015 were included. The histological NAFLD activity score and the NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) were assessed. RESULTS: In total, 15 and 12 patients underwent OLT because of NASH and CC, respectively. The case load for OLT because of NASH was constantly increasing (n=2 in 2004-2007 vs. n=9 in 2012-2015) whereas decreasing for CC (n=6 in 2004-2007 vs. n=2 in 2012-2015). Patient characteristics at OLT were similar, except for an older age and a higher BMI in NASH patients (59.1±2.2 vs. 51.8±2.9 years, P=0.05; 27.7±1.2 vs. 24.3±0.8 kg/m, P=0.035). Although post-OLT plasma lipid levels and incidence of de-novo hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia were similar between groups, the post-transplant NFS re-increased in the NASH group (but not in the CC: -0.1317 vs. -1.3645 at 12 months post-OLT, P=0.0400). Post-transplant survival was similar in NASH and CC patients. CONCLUSION: According to the NFS, some NASH patients show recurrence of fibrosis as early as 6-12 months after OLT.

High BMI and male sex as risk factor for increased short-term renal impairment in living kidney donors - Retrospective analysis of 289 consecutive cases.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation represents the treatment of choice for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, nephrectomy bears certain short- as well as long-term risks for the healthy, voluntary donor. As obesity is increasing and is a known risk factor for surgical complications, we wanted to assess the impact of BMI on perioperative complication rates and renal function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively assessed patients undergoing living donor kidney nephrectomy at our institution. We identified 289 donors that underwent unilateral nephrectomy between January 2006 and December 2015. Donors were categorized according to their BMI (BMI <25 kg/m2, BMI ≥25/<30 kg/m2, BMI ≥30 kg/m2). Where indicated, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare groups, a stepwise linear regression model was used to assess impact of BMI on the change of eGFR. RESULTS: 126 donors (43.6%) had a BMI <25 while 120 (41.5%) had a BMI ≥25/<30 and 43 (14.9%) were obese with a BMI ≥30. BMI had no statistically significant influence on the percentage of laparoscopic approach (86.5% vs. 83.3% vs. 88.4%, p = 0.6564), on conversion rates (0% vs. 2.0% vs. 2.6%, p = 0.2879) or postoperative complication rates defined as Clavien Dindo ≥ II (8.7% vs. 13.3% vs. 14.0%, respectively; p = 0.4474). Notably, there were no Grade III or higher complications in any group. There was no difference in pre-operative kidney function, postoperative surgical site infection or systemic infection. BMI and male sex had a statistically significant influence on short-term decline of eGFR. CONCLUSION: Obese donors do not suffer from an increased risk of intraoperative or perioperative complication rates. However, male sex and high BMI are associated with a more pronounced short-term decline in renal function. The impact of BMI on long-term consequences for kidney donors needs to be defined in larger prospective cohorts.

Impact of pretreatment thrombocytosis on survival in primary breast cancer.

Platelet count has been reported to have predictive value in various cancer entities. In the case of breast cancer, evidence about involvement of platelets is still incomplete. Our objective was to assess the influence of pretreatment thrombocytosis on survival and establish its prognostic relevance for breast cancer patients. We performed a retrospective, multivariate analysis of 4,300 patients with early-stage breast cancer. All subjects participated in one of five prospective, randomized, multicenter trials conducted by the Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group. Thrombocytosis was defined as a platelet count exceeding 400 G/L. Median follow-up was 52 months. Univariate and multiple Cox regression models were calculated for overall survival (OS), breast cancer-related survival and disease-free survival (DFS). Pretreatment thrombocytosis was observed in 161 patients (3.7%). Estimated median OS, breast cancer-related survival and DFS for patients with versus those without thrombocytosis was 71.0 versus 99.5, 72.0 versus 100.9, and 80.4 versus 88.4 months, respectively (p = 0.0054, p = 0.0095, p = 0.0199). A multiple Cox regression model including tumor and nodal status, grading, age, hormone receptor status and pretreatment thrombocytosis identified pretreatment thrombocytosis as an independent predictive factor for OS (p = 0.0064) and breast cancer-related survival (p = 0.0162). Multivariate analysis failed to identify pretreatment thrombocytosis as an independent risk factor for DFS (p = 0.1355). In our retrospective study, elevated platelet counts at time of diagnosis were associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. We hypothesize that platelets may contribute to the pathophysiology of hematogenous metastasis.

Sealing of the mediastinum with a local hemostyptic agent reduces chest tube duration after complete mediastinal lymph node dissection for stage I and II non-small cell lung carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the impact of coverage of the mediastinum with a local hemostyptic agent as well as the impact of perioperative thromboembolic prophylaxis on cumulative chest drain volume and on the duration of chest tubes after surgical resection with complete mediastinal lymph node dissection for stage I or II non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: In a prospective, randomized two-by-two factorial design, 80 patients with clinical stage I or II non-small cell lung cancer were allocated to one of two surgical therapy arms (TachoComb or conventional surgical hemostasis) and one of two anticoagulation arms (enoxaparin 4,000 IU or dalteparin 5,000 IU). Primary end point was cumulative chest drain volume; secondary end point was duration of chest tubes. Additionally clinical data were obtained. RESULTS: Comparison of the surgical arms revealed significantly lower cumulative chest drain volumes and thereby an earlier chest tube removal in the TachoComb group (p = 0.045). With regard to thromboembolic prophylaxis, a significantly earlier chest tube removal was found for patients treated with dalteparin (p = 0.039). Analysis of the interaction of surgical and anticoagulation treatment revealed the combined use of TachoComb and dalteparin was superior to other combinations (cumulative chest drain volumes 498 +/- 67 mL versus 1,000 +/- 88 mL, 924 +/- 87 mL, and 895 +/- 118 mL; p = 0.008; mean duration of chest tubes 1.78 +/- 0.15 days versus 2.96 +/- 0.21 days, 2.93 +/- 0.17 days, and 3.06 +/- 0.27 days; p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: The combined use of a local hemostyptic agent and dalteparin seems superior as compared with other regimens of hemostasis and thromboembolic prophylaxis in patients undergoing surgical resection and complete mediastinal lymph node dissection for stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer with regard to cumulative chest drain volume as well as duration of chest tubes.

Lung wedge resection improves outcome in stage I primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the role of apical lung wedge resection in patients with recurrent primary spontaneous pneumothorax with no endoscopic abnormalities at surgery as compared with simple apical pleurectomy. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis on 126 consecutive video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) procedures in 113 patients treated for stage I recurrent PSP between January 1994 and December 2001. Two surgical strategies were applied: simple apical pleurectomy (57 procedures, 45.2%: group A) and apical pleurectomy together with an apical lung wedge resection (69 procedures, 54.8%: group B). RESULTS: Mean duration of chest tubes was 1.4 days (range, 1 to 7), mean hospital stay was 2.4 days. Three patients (2.4%) required redo VATS, 2 in group A (3.5%) for persistent air leak and 1 (1.4%) in group B for apical hematothorax. Mean follow-up was 38.7 months. Overall recurrence rate was 3.2%. Four patients in group A (7%) experienced recurrent ipsilateral pneumothoraces 4 to 73 weeks (mean, 30.2) after surgery. No recurrences were observed in group B (p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: In this selected group of patients without endoscopical abnormalities, VATS offers low recurrence rates. However, these data suggest that apical pleurectomy should be accompanied by apical lung wedge resection even for this favorable category of patients.

Comparison of in vitro closure time (PFA-100) with whole blood electrical aggregometry and platelet surface antigen expression in healthy volunteers.

It was the aim of this study to compare in vitro closure time (PFA-100), reflecting platelet-related primary hemostasis, to more platelet-specific tests like whole blood electrical aggregometry and platelet surface antigen expression in healthy volunteers. In vitro closure time was measured using a PFA-100. Platelet surface antigen expression (CD63, CD62-P, CD42b, CD36, CD31) was determined in accordance with the consensus protocol for flow-cytometric characterisation of platelet function. Platelet aggregometry was performed using a whole blood electrical aggregometer (ADP and arachidonic acid as agonists). Analysis of the obtained data revealed only a few significant correlations between the different platelet function tests used. This finding can be explained by the various aspects of platelet function being focused by these tests in different extents. Whenever platelet function is analysed, the investigator should be aware of the specific and limited evidence of the method used. For screening purposes, it may be useful to introduce a platelet function index, referring to basal platelet activity, platelet adhesion and platelet aggregation at low and high shear stress forces.

Extensive coagulation monitoring in patients after implantation of the MicroMed Debakey continuous flow axial pump.

Ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation is associated with impaired primary hemostasis and thromboembolic complications. Recently, a new generation of implantable continuous flow axial pumps was introduced into clinical application. To study the potential thrombogenic properties of this type of pump, we applied extensive platelet monitoring was applied. In our institution, 13 patients received the MicroMed DeBakey VAD as a bridge to transplantation. Routine coagulation tests (platelet count, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, antithrombin III activity) and platelet function tests (whole blood aggregometry, thrombelastography, flow cytometry) were performed. No clinically relevant thromboembolic events were detected. No correlation was found between global function tests, platelet aggregation, and thrombelastography. No correlation was detected between platelet activation and hemolysis parameters. Platelet aggregation and coagulation index were significantly suppressed early after operation. A subsequent phase of hyper-aggregability, starting around day 6, suggested the initiation of antiaggregation therapy. Platelet activation markers were upregulated in the postoperative period but were returned to preoperative levels after initiation of aspirin. In contrast to routine coagulation monitoring, platelet function tests reflect in detail the coagulation status of blood pump recipients and the efficiency of antiaggregation therapy. Aspirin and dipyridamole therapy in addition to oral anticoagulation using phenprocoumon may contribute to platelet function and clot mechanics restoration and is, therefore, recommended for patients after VAD implantation.

[Consensus statement haemorrhoidal disease]. / Konsensusbericht Hämorrhoidalleiden.

Haemorrhoidal disease belongs to the most common benign disorders in the lower gastrointestinal tract. Treatment options comprise conservative as well as surgical therapy still being applied arbitrarily in accordance with the surgeon's expertise. The aim of this consensus statement was therefore to assess a stage-dependent approach for treatment of haemorrhoidal disease to derive evidence-based recommendations for clinical routine. The most common methods are discussed with respect of haemorrhoidal disease in extraordinary conditions like pregnancy or inflammatory bowel disease and recurrent haemorrhoids. Tailored haemorrhoidectomy is preferable for individualized treatment with regard to the shortcomings of the traditional Goligher classification in solitary or circular haemorrhoidal prolapses.

Anal human papillomavirus testing with Digene's hybrid capture 2 using two different sampling methods.

PURPOSE: The incidence of human papillomavirus detection in the anal canal is rising. Efficient anal screening by cytology is hampered because of poor specificity. Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is proposed in addition to Papanicolaou (Pap) testing for the detection of cervical neoplasia. The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of a human papillomavirus-DNA detection test to detect human papillomavirus-associated disease and to compare two different methods of sample collection. METHODS: In 555 patients, anal samples were obtained by using a cervical brush and a Dacron swab to test for high-risk and low-risk human papillomavirus-DNA. Patients positive for human papillomavirus-DNA underwent anoscopy. Biopsies were taken from visible lesions. RESULTS: Low-risk human papillomavirus-DNA was found in 325 of 555 patients (58.6 percent) and high-risk human papillomavirus-DNA in 285 of 555 patients (51.4 percent). Positive results confined to one single test method were higher for Dacron swab sampling (2.3 vs. 4.3 percent for low-risk human papillomavirus, P < 0.0001; 3.1 vs. 4.9 percent for high-risk human papillomavirus, P < 0.001). A positive correlation of relative light units was found for both sampling methods in the total cohort (P < 0.0001) as well as for patients who tested human papillomavirus-positive by both sampling techniques (P < 0.0001). Sampling with Dacron swabs yielded higher relative light units values compared with sampling with cervical brush for low-risk human papillomavirus-DNA and high-risk human papillomavirus-DNA. CONCLUSIONS: Anal screening for human papillomavirus-DNA by hybrid capture 2 is a useful method for detection of human papillomavirus-associated disease. Sample collection using Dacron swabs identifies more human papillomavirus-positive patients, and yields higher relative light unit values than using the cervical brush. Further studies are needed to determine the exact value of hybrid capture 2 in the screening for (pre)cancerous lesions of the anal canal.

Management of postoperative esophageal leaks with the Polyflex self-expanding covered plastic stent.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal anastomotic leaks can lead to prolonged hospitalization. In this article we present our experience with the placement of the Polyflex self-expanding plastic stent (Willy Ruesch GMBH, Kernen, Germany) for leak occlusion. METHODS: Between April 2000 and November 2003, 24 patients were included into this prospective study and underwent Polyflex stent placement for postoperative esophageal anastomotic leaks. The primary operation was esophagectomy in 13 patients, gastrectomy in 7, cardia resection in 2, and other procedures in 2 patients. The median interval between operation and stent placement was 19 days (range, 4 to 65). The effectiveness of leak occlusion was evaluated by water-soluble contrast swallow and the clinical course. RESULTS: In 2 patients stent misplacement produced an enlarged anastomotic dehiscence that necessitated reoperation. Radiologic evaluation was impossible in 4 patients because of their generally restricted condition. Among 18 evaluable patients, leak occlusion was successful with a single stent in 16 patients (89%) based on radiologic evaluation. Immediate oral feeding was well tolerated by these patients. After a median follow-up of 220 days (range, 7 to 1221), 9 cases of late stent dislocation were observed. Stent removal in patients after esophagectomy with gastric pull-up led to dysphagia from anastomotic strictures in 2 patients. Symptomatic strictures did not develop in the 5 evaluable postgastrectomy patients after stent removal. CONCLUSIONS: The placement of self-expanding plastic stents is a highly effective treatment for esophageal anastomotic leaks. Because clinically-relevant anastomotic strictures can be expected, we do not recommend stent removal after esophagectomy with gastric pull-up reconstruction.

Prevalence of anal HPV infection in solid-organ transplant patients prior to immunosuppression.

Patients that undergo organ transplantation have a high risk of developing various malignancies, depending on the duration and magnitude of immunosuppressive therapy. Among others, a 10-fold increased relative risk has been reported for the development of anal cancer. There is a strong association between persistent infection with high-risk mucosal types of human papillomavirus (HPV) and anogenital neoplasia. In this study we analysed the prevalence of anal HPV infection in organ transplant patients before starting immunosuppressive therapy. In a university transplant unit, patients ( n=60, 40 male, 20 female) that were undergoing solid-organ transplantation (kidney, liver) for the first time were routinely screened for anal HPV infection. Anal swabs were obtained within 24 h after transplantation and analysed for the presence of mucosal-type HPV DNA by liquid DNA/RNA hybridization [hybrid capture (HC) 2 test]. Overall, some type of HPV DNA was detected in 14/60 (23.3%) patients; 9/60 (15%) were positive for high-risk HPV and 8/60 (13.4%) were positive for low-risk HPV, and 3/60 (5%) were positive for both types. Prevalence of HPV infection tended to be higher in patients that were receiving liver transplants than in those receiving kidney transplants (29.4% vs. 20.9%), but the difference did not reach statistical significance. In our series of organ transplant patients the prevalence of previous HPV infection (23.3%) before immunosuppressive therapy was started was higher than that found in previous epidemiological studies or in a control group. In particular, there was a high rate (15%) of infection with oncogenic HPV types. These findings have important implications on screening and surveillance policies in this patient group at risk of developing neoplasias, including anal cancer.