Browsing by Author "Einollahi, Behzad"

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Cytomegalovirus Disease in Renal Transplant Recipients: An Iranian Experience
(Başkent Üniversitesi, 2008-06) Nemati, Eghlim; Einollahi, Behzad; Pourfarziani, Vahid; Taheri, Saeed
Background: Cytomegalovirus is considered the most important infectious cause of mortality and morbidity in organ transplant recipients. In the current study, we evaluate the potential impact of cytomegalovirus infection and cytomegalovirus disease on the outcomes of renal allograft recipients under different conditions. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data from 48 renal transplant recipients who had undergone a transplant at the Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran, Iran, between 1984 and 2007. We included all patients with valid laboratory test results for cytomegalovirus infection. Values for P less than .05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Overall, 48 patients (2.1%) were documented as developing cytomegalovirus disease. From these, 1 patient (2%) died, and 3 (6%) lost their allograft function. Compared with mycophenolic-acid–based triple immunosuppressive therapy, azathioprine was less likely to induce cytomegalovirus disease and also promised better survival (P < .0001 and P < .001). Being negative for the anti-cytomegalovirus IgG antibody and receiving an allograft from a positive donor also were associated with cytomegalovirus disease development and poorer patient survival (P = .03 and P < .0001). Conclusions: Cytomegalovirus infection induces unfavorable outcomes in renal allograft recipients, especially when the infection occurs early on in the posttransplant phase. We suggest close monitoring of cytomegalovirus-positive patients and the use of less-intensive immunosuppressive treatments. Future prospective studies seem necessary.
Plasmapheresis in the Treatment of Early Acute Kidney Allograft Dysfunction
(Başkent Üniversitesi, 2006-12) Nafar, Mohsen; Farrokhi, Farhat; Hemati, Keyvan; Pour-Reza-Gholi, Fatemeh; Firoozan, Ahmad; Einollahi, Behzad
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of plasmapheresis (PP) in kidney transplant recipients with acute humoral rejection (AHR). Patients and Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of all kidney allograft recipients who had undergone PP rescue therapy for early acute allograft dysfunction diagnosed as AHR at Shaheed Labbafinejad Medical Center from 1995 to 2002. Results: Twelve patients (4 men and 8 women; median age, 32 years; age range, 15-68 years) with AHR were treated with PP. The median time from transplantation to AHR was 6 days (range, 2-7 days). PP was performed in 2 to 11 sessions (median, 8.5 sessions) in the patients studied. Eight patients responded to that treatment, and their creatinine value normalized. Those responders were monitored for a median of 162.5 weeks (range, 69.3-484.7 weeks), and all had a functioning allograft during the follow-up period except for 1 patient in whom the graft failed 154 weeks after transplantation. In the 4 remaining patients (nonresponders), the allograft failed within the first posttransplant month. The median time from the acute serum creatinine elevation to the initiation of PP was 6 days in responders and 18.6 days in nonresponders (P = .37). Conclusions: We suggest that PP with or without other therapeutic measures may have a role in the salvage of grafts with early acute dysfunction that is resistant to conventional therapy. Our findings indicate that graft survival in patients with AHR who respond to PP can be comparable to that in other kidney recipients.
Role of Folic Acid in Atherosclerosis After Kidney Transplant: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial
(Başkent Üniversitesi, 2009-03) Farjad, Reza; Einollahi, Behzad; Nafar, Mohsen; Khatami, Fatemeh; Kardavani, Babak; Farhangi, Soudabeh; Kalantar, Akbar; Firouzan, Ahmad; Pour-Reza-Gholi, Fatemeh
Objectives: We investigated the effects of folic acid supplementation on plasma total homocysteine levels and carotid intima-media thickness after kidney transplant. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients who had undergone a kidney transplant were studied in this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Those subjects were randomized to receive either 5 mg/d of oral folic acid or an equivalent dosage of placebo. The main outcome variables were the plasma total homocysteine level and carotid intima-media thickness (determined via B-mode sonography) at baseline and 2, 4, and 6 months after kidney transplant. We used independent and paired sample t tests for data analysis. Results: The mean age of the patients was 40.9 ± 10 years, and 32 of those subjects (58.2%) were men. In the control group, the plasma total homocysteine levels were 19 µmol/L at baseline, 18.7 µmol/L after 2 months, 19.3 µmol/L after 4 months, and 20 µmol/L after 6 months; and the carotid intima-media thickness measurements were 0.81 mm at baseline, 0.82 mm after 2 months, 0.84 mm after 4 months, and 0.85 mm after 6 months. In the folic acid group, the plasma total homocysteine levels were 18.5 µmol/L at baseline, 4.7 µmol/L after 2 months, 12.9 µmol/L after 4 months, and 10.9 µmol/L after 6 months; and the carotid intima-media thickness measurements were 0.73 mm at baseline, 0.73 mm after 2 months, 0.72 mm after 4 months, and 0.71 mm after 6 months. Conclusions: Folic acid supplementation reduces both the plasma total homocysteine level and carotid intima-media thickness shortly after kidney transplant.