[Infectious complications related to liver transplants]. / Infekcní komplikace u transplantací jater.

Infection is a feared complication in the process of transplantation. The study discusses sources of infection, screening of infection and risk factors for infection, time occurrence of individual infections during the peritransplantation and posttransplantation course. It describes the most frequent forms of bacterial, viral and mycotic infections. It specifies efficient prophylactic measures that considerably reduce the risk of infection following liver transplantation.Key words: bacterial infection - cytomegalovirus (CMV) - EB virus (EBV) - hepatitis B (HBV) - hepatitis C (HCV) - liver transplantation - mycotic infection prophylaxis - risk factors - viral infection.

[Tumours and liver transplants]. / Tumory a transplantace jater.

Liver transplantation as a curative treatment method can be used for selected primary liver tumours, in particular for hepatocellular carcinoma and rather rare semi-malignant tumours such as epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, further for infiltration of liver by metastatic neuroendocrine tumours (provided that metastases are only located in the liver and the primary tumour was removed) and for benign tumours (hemangiomas and adenomas) with oppression symptoms and size progression. Cholangiocarcinoma is not indicated for liver transplantation at the CKTCH Brno. In recent years liver transplants for hepatocellular carcinoma have increased and hepatocellular carcinoma has also been more frequently found ex post, in the explanted livers. Liver transplantation is indicated in selected patients with a good chance of long-term survival after liver transplantation (a generally accepted limit is 5 year survival of 50 % after transplantation). By 20 March 2015 there were liver transplants carried out on 38 patients - in 25 of them was hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed before transplantation and in 13 it was found in the liver explants. 5 year survival following transplantation is reached by 53 % of this cohort. 32 % patients suffered from chronic hepatitis C. The longest surviving (32 years) patient at CKTCH Brno had liver transplanted for a big fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma, which points to the prognostic significance of tumour histology: the criterion only considered in some indication schemes for practical reasons. Benign liver tumours (adenomatosis, cystadenoma, hemangioma with oppression symptoms) are rather rare indications and the transplantation results are favourable. 4 patients underwent transplantation for infiltration of liver by carcinoid, tumour recurrence occurred in one.

ADMA, SDMA and L-arginine/ADMA ratio but not DDAH genetic polymorphisms are reliable predictors of diabetic nephropathy progression as identified by competing risk analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Complex interplay of genetic and (patho)physiological factors influence availability of nitric oxide during the development and progression of diabetic complications. We assessed predictive value of commonly studied methylated asymmetric and symmetric dimethylarginines (ADMA and SDMA) and selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) 1 and 2 genes for the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). METHODS: A total of 341 type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients with variable degree of kidney disease were included at baseline. Plasma levels of ADMA, SDMA and L-arginine were measured and six tagging SNPs in DDAH1 and 2 were determined. Progression of DN was defined as a transition from any given stage to a more advanced stage of albuminuria. Competing risk analysis was applied. RESULTS: Plasma levels of ADMA and SDMA significantly correlated with GFR. No significant genotype-phenotype relationship was ascertained for ADMA and DDAH variants, but SNP rs805304 exhibited marginally significant association with DN. ADMA, SDMA and L-arginine/ADMA ratio standardised to GFR were identified as significant predictors of DN progression but not GFR decline using multivariate competing risk analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In our study we confirmed potentially significant role of ADMA and SDMA for the assessment of risk of DN progression in European diabetic population.

Role of thiamine status and genetic variability in transketolase and other pentose phosphate cycle enzymes in the progression of diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) represents a potentially 'protective' mechanism in hyperglycaemia due to shunting of glycolytic intermediates into PPP reactions. We hypothesized that thiamine status (plasma and erythrocyte levels of thiamine and its esters) together with genetic variability in key PPP enzymes-transketolase (TKT), transaldolase and TKT-like-might contribute to the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and mortality of diabetics. METHODS: A total of 240 diabetic subjects with variable degree of kidney disease were included at baseline and were followed up for a median of 26 (IQR 21-50) months. Concentrations of thiamine in plasma and whole blood and TKT-catalysed reaction were determined by HPLC. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (n = 14) were genotyped by means of PCR using TaqMan chemistry (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA). RESULTS: Significant differences in pTh, pThDP, eryThDP and eryTKT between DN-stage groups were ascertained (P < 0.05) with advancing stage of DN being accompanied with increasing values of pTh, pThDP and eryTKT but not eryThDP. A highly significant negative correlation (r = - 0.41, P < 0.001) was found between pThDP and eryThDP, and the tertiles of the ratio of eryThDP/pThDP were significantly associated with all-cause mortality rates (P = 0.0072). We also identified significant differences in the rate of DN progression between different pTDP tertile groups (P = 0.0017). No significant genetic effects were found. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the role of 'functional' thiamine deficiency in the development of hyperglycaemia-related pathology. Limited intracellular availability of active TKT co-factor seems to be a dominant abnormality.

Rejection-associated Phenotype of De Novo Thrombotic Microangiopathy Represents a Risk for Premature Graft Loss.

BACKGROUND: Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) significantly affects kidney graft survival, but its pathophysiology remains poorly understood. METHODS: In this multicenter, retrospective, case-control paired study designed to control for donor-associated risks, we assessed the recipients' risk factors for de novo TMA development and its effects on graft survival. The study group consists of patients with TMA found in case biopsies from 2000 to 2019 (n = 93), and the control group consists of recipients of paired kidney grafts (n = 93). Graft follow-up was initiated at the time of TMA diagnosis and at the same time in the corresponding paired kidney graft. RESULTS: The TMA group displayed higher peak panel-reactive antibodies, more frequent retransplantation status, and longer cold ischemia time in univariable analysis. In the multivariable regression model, longer cold ischemia times (odds ratio, 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.39; P = 0.043) and higher peak pretransplant panel-reactive antibodies (odds ratio, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.06; P = 0.005) were found to be associated with increased risk of de novo TMA. The risk of graft failure was higher in the TMA group at 5 y (hazard ratio [HR], 3.99; 95% CI, 2.04-7.84; P < 0.0001). Concomitant rejection significantly affected graft prognosis at 5 y (HR, 6.36; 95% CI, 2.92-13.87; P < 0.001). De novo TMA associated with the active antibody-mediated rejection was associated with higher risk of graft failure at 5 y (HR, 3.43; 95% CI, 1.69-6.98; P < 0.001) compared with other TMA. CONCLUSIONS: Longer cold ischemia and allosensitization play a role in de novo TMA development, whereas TMA as a part of active antibody-mediated rejection was associated with the highest risk for premature graft loss.

Drug interaction profile of TKI alectinib allows effective and safe treatment of ALK+ lung cancer in the kidney transplant recipient.

ALK targeting with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is a highly potent treatment option for the therapy of ALK positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, pharmacokinetics of TKIs leads to clinically significant drug interactions, and the interfering co-medication may hamper the anti-cancer therapeutic management. Here, we present for the first time a drug interaction profile of ALK-TKIs, crizotinib and alectinib, and immunosuppressive agent cyclosporine A in kidney transplant recipients diagnosed with ALK+ lung cancer. Based on therapeutic drug monitoring of cyclosporin A plasma level, the dose of cyclosporine A has been adjusted to achieve a safe and effective therapeutic level in terms of both cancer treatment and kidney transplant condition. Particularly, 15 years upon the kidney transplantation, the stage IV lung cancer patient was treated with the 1st-line chemotherapy, the 2nd-line ALK-TKI crizotinib followed by ALK-TKI alectinib. The successful therapy with ALK-TKIs has been continuing for more than 36 months, including the period when the patient was treated for COVID-19 bilateral pneumonia. Hence, the therapy of ALK+ NSCLC with ALK-TKIs in organ transplant recipients treated with cyclosporine A may be feasible and effective.

Simultaneous electrochemical monitoring of metabolites related to the xanthine oxidase pathway using a grinded carbon electrode.

Using a mechanically grinded pyrolytic graphite electrode in edge orientation, a sensitive electrochemical method was developed for simultaneous determination of uric acid (UA), xanthine (XAN), hypoxanthine (HYP) (products of purine catabolism in human), allopurinol (ALO), and oxypurinol (OXY) (a drug used in treatment of purine catabolism disorders and its metabolite, respectively). It is demonstrated that differential pulse voltammetry in connection with this electrode can serve as a simple and efficient tool for monitoring transformation of purine catabolites (HYP --> XAN --> UA) catalyzed by xanthine oxidase (XO) as well as inhibition of this pathway by ALO being enzymatically converted to OXY. Our protocol is based on direct electrochemical measurement of oxidation peaks for each of the substances during in vitro reactions in a single detection step by the same electrode system. In addition, we show that the proposed electrochemical technique can be applied to parallel detection of metabolites involved in the XO pathway excreted in urine without any pretreatment of the clinical samples.

Renal function assessed using cystatin C and antiplatelet efficacy of clopidogrel assessed using the vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein index in patients having percutaneous coronary intervention.

Renal dysfunction is a strong independent predictor of stent thrombosis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the strength and direction of the association between kidney function and clopidogrel efficacy. The study group consisted of consecutive patients (n = 275) who underwent stent implantation. Drug efficacy was measured using the vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) index 20 ± 4 hours after clopidogrel 600 mg. Nonresponse was defined as an VASP index ≥50%. Renal function was determined using serum cystatin C. The upper reference levels are 1.12 mg/L for ≤65 years of age and 1.21 mg/L for >65 years of age. Estimated glomerular filtration was calculated using cystatin C. The median value of cystatin C was 1.16 mg/L (twenty-fifth and seventy-fifth percentiles 0.96 and 1.43); 47.63% of the study population had cystatin C above reference levels and 33.1% of patients were nonresponders to clopidogrel. No correlation was found between clopidogrel efficacy assessed with the VASP index and kidney function assessed with cystatin C (Spearman r = -0.070, p = 0.248). Based on cystatin C the proportion of nonresponders to clopidogrel was 34.4% versus 31.9% (p = 0.702) in patients with impaired renal function compared to normal renal function, respectively. The proportion of clopidogrel nonresponders did not differ (p = 0.902) among groups with normal (28.8%), mildly impaired (34.8%), moderately impaired (32.9%), and severely impaired (34.8%) renal function. In conclusion, renal function assessed by cystatin C does not predict clopidogrel efficacy. Renal dysfunction is a complex entity and its significant relation to stent thrombosis cannot be explained simply by a decrease in clopidogrel efficacy.