Dilemma of commercial organ transplant in the Middle East.

In recent years, the Middle East has witnessed a significant rise in commercial transplantation activities. This practice is driven by a multitude of factors including economic disparities, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, and cultural attitudes towards organ donation. In this article, we try to explore the complex landscape of commercial transplantation within the Middle East, shedding light on the ethical, legal, and socio-economic dimensions of this contentious issue.

The successful treatment of mpox with brincidofovir in renal transplant recipients-a report of 2 cases.

An mpox outbreak was declared in July 2022 by the world health organization (WHO). It causes a mild self-limiting disease however; in immunosuppressed hosts, it tends to cause severe disseminated infection. Most cases of mpox in sold organ transplant (SOT) recipients reported in the literature were treated with tecovirimat. Here we report two cases of severe disseminated mpox infection in renal transplant recipients that were successfully treated with brincidofovir. Both patients were discharged from the hospital with no immediate significant side effects from brincidofovir reported until the submission of this report.

Clofazimine for treatment of multidrug-resistant non-tuberculous mycobacteria.

BACKGROUND: /QUESTION: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections are increasingly detected but difficult to cure given complex drug-resistance patterns. Select U.S. centers have incorporated clofazimine in the treatment of NTM but experience is limited as procurement restrictions hamper widespread use. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed in patients diagnosed with pulmonary or extrapulmonary NTM infection and treated with clofazimine between February 2015 and April 2019 at a tertiary referral hospital. Treatment success was defined by a combined outcome of clinical stabilization, microbiologic cure and radiologic improvement. Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality and time to sputum culture conversion. Uni/multi-variate regression were used to define associations between pre-determined predictor variables and overall treatment outcome. RESULTS: Of 44 patients enrolled, 39 (89 %) received clofazimine along with a median of 3 concomitant antibiotics. Thirty-one (80 %) of patients had pulmonary NTM infection, with Mycobacterium abscessus group and Mycobacterium avium complex being the most common species groups identified. Of 36 people with evaluable outcomes, 35 (97 %) survived and 22 (58 %) had treatment success, including 12 of 19 (63 %) with Mycobacterium abscessus group. In multivariate analysis, patients with Mycobacterium abscessus group were more likely to experience treatment success (OR 18.22, 95%CI 0.972-341.43, p = 0.052), while macrolide resistance predicted a lack of treatment success (OR 0.053, 95%CI 0.003-0.841, p = 0.037). Clofazimine was well-tolerated. CONCLUSION: Adding clofazimine to multi-class antibiotic regimens for drug-resistant NTM infection led to treatment success in the majority treated. Randomized controlled studies are needed to determine the individual impact of clofazimine within an otherwise optimized drug regimen.