Başkent Üniversitesi Yayınları

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    Acute Tubular Necrosis After Renal Allograft Segmental Infarction: The Nephrotoxicity of Necrotic Material
    (Başkent Üniversitesi, 2008-12) Ardalan, Mohammad Reza; Shoja, Mohammadali Mohajel; Ghabili, Kamyar; Nasri, Hamid
    Objectives: Renal allograft dysfunction can be caused by renal vessel thrombosis, acute tubular necrosis, hyperacute or acute rejection, nephrotoxicity induced by cyclosporine or tacrolimus, thrombotic microangiopathy, or urinary tract obstruction. Materials and Methods: We describe a renal transplant recipient in whom oliguria developed during the first week after transplant, although his early renal allograft function was good. Results: A Doppler ultrasonographic study revealed a lack of perfusion in the lower pole of the allograft. A perfusion defect was noted in the lower pole that was supplied by a polar artery, which had been damaged during engraftment. Light microscopy disclosed tubular cell necrosis without evidence of vascular or humoral rejection. Conclusions: We suggest that toxic molecules such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha released from a segmental infarcted area can induce tubular cell damage and necrosis leading to renal allograft dysfunction.
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    Do We Need To Maximize the Knowledge and Attitude Level of Physicians and Nurses Toward Organ Donation and Transplant?
    (Başkent Üniversitesi, 2008-12) Bener, Abdulbari; Al-Maslamani, Yousuf; El-Shoubaki, Hatem
    Objectives: We sought to assess the knowledge level, attitudes, and personal views of physicians and nurses toward organ donation and transplant. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey, carried out from November 2007 to June 2008 in the intensive care units and accident and emergency departments of the hospitals of the Hamad Medical Corporation. A representative sample of 685 health care professionals working in the hospitals was approached; 521 agreed to participate in the study (76.1%). Face-to-face interviews were based on a questionnaire that included sociodemographic information, knowledge level, and personal views toward organ donation and transplant. Results: Of the 521 participants, there were 268 physicians (51.4%) and 253 nurses (48.6%). The knowledge level of nurses was significantly lower for most of the questions related to organ donation, compared with physicians. Mean ± standard deviation for the score reflecting knowledge level was higher for physicians (4.9 ± 1.9) than it was for nurses (4.4 ± 2.0). The majority of the nurses believed, more than physicians, that brain-dead persons are eligible for organ donation (71.5% vs 63.1%), and that certain organs can be donated while the person is living, including kidneys, lobes of livers, and lungs (71.5% vs 62.3%). Many physicians (72.4%) and nurses (74.7%) did not know that brain death can be described as death. Most physicians and nurses supported organ donation (91.8% vs 79.8%), although a lower proportion of physicians and nurses were willing to donate a kidney to a family member in need (64.6% vs 68.0%). More than physicians (23.9%), nurses (61.3%) agreed that they lacked sufficient information about organ donation. Conclusions: Although the physicians and nurses had an acceptable level of knowledge about organ donation, the mean knowledge score for physicians showed significantly better understanding of the criteria for organ donation and procurement.
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    Long-Term Donor Outcomes After Living Kidney Donation
    (Başkent Üniversitesi, 2008-09) Soneji, N. D.; Papalois, V. E.; Vyas, J.
    Kidney transplant is the first choice of treatment for end-stage renal failure. The issue of long-term donor safety again has been raised by recent increases in living-donor kidney transplants worldwide, relaxation of donor selection criteria, and the introduction of new surgical techniques. In this review, we collated the results of various studies to discuss the effects of donation on the quality of life of donors, encompassing their physical, mental, and social well-being. We found that the health risks donors face are minimal in the long term with respect to renal function, hypertension, and life span. Furthermore, donors scored higher in quality of life studies than did persons in the general population. Despite these findings, there is a clear need to monitor the minimal risks with long-term follow-up of donors to promptly recognize and treat any negative health effects. Such data from thorough follow-up studies also would provide accurate information on long-term donor health and improve the safe expansion of donor selection criteria.
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    Association Between Increased Body Mass Index, Calcineurin Inhibitor Use, and Renal Graft Survival
    (Başkent Üniversitesi, 2008-09) Ghahramani, Nasrollah; Hollenbeak, Christopher; Reeves, W. Brian
    Objectives: Using data from the US Renal Data System, we examined the relation between body mass index and graft survival as mediated through calcineurin inhibitor use. Materials and Methods: Adult patients who received a first kidney-only transplant, with at least 6 months’ survival were classified into 5 categories (underweight, normal, overweight, obese, and extremely obese) according to body mass index. Associations between calcineurin inhibitor use, body mass index categories, and outcomes were investigated. Results: Underweight and normal-weight recipients lived longer than the other 3 categories, regardless of calcineurin inhibitor use. Graft survival was significantly inferior among obese and extremely obese patients. Average graft survival was significantly higher for recipients with a normal body mass index than it was for overweight, obese, and extremely obese recipients. Risk ratio for graft failure was constant for the calcineurin inhibitor versus the noncalcineurin inhibitor group across all body mass index categories. Mean body mass index for the group with rejection episodes was similar to the group with no rejections; there was no correlation between body mass index and rejection risk. Conclusions: Increased body mass index is associated with inferior patient and graft survival, independent of calcineurin inhibitor use. Because we found no correlation between body mass index and risk of rejection, we assume that, at least after the initial 6 months, the adverse effect of obesity on graft outcome is partially mediated through nonimmunologic mechanisms. When analyzing graft and patient survival rates, we recommend that body mass index be considered a risk factor.
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    Parvovirus B19 Microepidemic in Renal Transplant Recipients With Thrombotic Microangiopathy and Allograft Vasculitis
    (Başkent Üniversitesi, 2008-06) Ardalan, Mohammad R.; Jayne, David; Tubbs, R. Shane; Shoja, Mohammadali M.
    Parvovirus B-19 (B-19) can lead to various clinical scenarios in renal transplant recipients. Here, we report a B-19 microepidemic that occurred between January and March 2007, involving renal transplant recipients from a single center in Tabriz, Iran. We observed 6 patients in whom there was a temporal association between active B-19 infection and thrombotic microangiopathy and intrarenal small- and medium-sized vessel vasculitis. Patients typically presented with deteriorating renal allograft function and anemia, and laboratory findings revealed thrombotic microangiopathy. Ultimately, extensive endothelial injury and renal allograft vasculitis that mimicked a vascular rejection ensued. In conclusion, B-19–related thrombotic microangiopathy may precede allograft vasculitis in renal transplant recipients. A high index of suspicion is required for early diagnosis and treatment of B-19 infection. To the best of our knowledge, this series represents the first report of B-19–related renal allograft vasculitis in the English literature.
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    Clinicoepidemiologic Study of Posttransplant Diabetes After Living-Donor Renal Transplant
    (Başkent Üniversitesi, 2008-03) Elmagd, Mogahid M Abu; Wahab, Ahmad M abd El; AMetwally, Abdel Hameed; Bakr, Mohammed A.
    Objectives: We sought to evaluate posttransplant diabetes mellitus with regard to its incidence, risk factors for occurrence, complications, impact on graft function, and impact on patient and graft survival rates. Materials and Methods: A total of 1580 patients received living-donor renal allografts at Mansoura University, Egypt, between March 1976 and November 2004. Of these, 286 recipients developed diabetes after transplant (diabetic group). These patients were matched with 316 kidney transplant recipients who did not develop diabetes after transplant (control group). A complete clinical history was obtained and a clinical examination was done. Laboratory analyses including urine analysis, complete blood count, total serum cholesterol, fasting and 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose, Hb A1c, serum creatinine, and creatinine clearance were obtained in all patients. In each patient, presence of hepatitis B and C was determined with polymerase chain reaction, and a graft biopsy was obtained to diagnose renal allograft rejection. Results: The onset of diabetes mellitus among our recipients occurred primarily during the first 6 months after transplant (in 52.4% of the patients). Significant correlations were found between posttransplant diabetes mellitus and the recipients’ age (P = .0001), obesity (P = .001), positive family history of diabetes mellitus (P = .001), hepatitis C virus infection (P = .039), cumulative dose of steroids in the first 3 months (P = .047), and calcineurin inhibitor-based immunosuppressive therapy (P = .001). Moreover, posttransplant diabetes mellitus significantly affected rates of coronary heart disease (P = .001), hypertension (P = .02), and hypercholesterolemia (P = .001). Graft survival was similar in both groups until 15-year follow-up, at which time graft survival began to decrease in patients with diabetes mellitus compared with those without diabetes mellitus (43.5% vs 53.6%, P = .013). Similarly, patient survival was similar until 8-year follow-up, at which time survival rates began to decline in patients with diabetes as compared with patients without diabetes (79.9% vs 86.1%, P = .001); this trend continued to the 15-year follow-up (60.6% vs 77.8%, P = .001). Conclusions: Posttransplant diabetes mellitus is a major problem that endangers patient and graft survival. In our population, the incidence of posttransplant diabetes mellitus was 18.2%. Further studies are recommended to screen for patients with impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance for prediction, early detection, and better management of posttransplant diabetes mellitus.
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    Ethical Aspects of Organ Donation Activities
    (Başkent Üniversitesi, 2007-12)
    Renal transplant remains the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage renal disease. Human organs can be harvested from 2 main sources: living and deceased donors. Preference should be given to deceased-donor transplants since they represent the only source of organs for several nonrenal solid-organ transplants and the only modality where there is no risk to the donor. Unfortunately, even the most well-developed deceased-donor program (eg, the Spanish program) can barely cover 50% of its waiting list because the demand for deceased-donor organs far exceeds supply. The success of transplant surgery has created a waiting list dilemma. Despite all efforts, deceased-donor donation cannot meet current needs and therefore, living donation demands serious consideration. This is supported by the fact that the risk to live donors is minimal, graft survival is significantly better than that of deceased-donor kidneys regardless of HLA matching, and professional ethical philosophers have fewer difficulties with voluntary living donations than with the removal of an organ from a cadaver. This is especially true in our region. Living-related donation has always been acceptable ethically. It is, however, limited by the number of willing and qualified donors, the high incidence of familial renal diseases, and donor coercion (especially in our area). Living-unrelated donation increases the availability of donors, decreases the chances of coercion, and eliminates the problem of consanguinity. It raises, however, the ethical issues of commercialism, transplant tourism, and organ trafficking. The arguments for and against living-unrelated donation are innumerable. They have been the subject of several international forums and have raised endless discussions. We have set long ago a series of rules and regulations that are in close agreement with the recent Amsterdam and Kuwait resolutions. We have been continually modifying them over the last 15 years to try to implement our ideal, which is to protect the interest of the living donor and avoid commercialism.
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    Recurrent Glomerulonephritis in the Renal Allograft: An Update of Selected Areas
    (Başkent Üniversitesi, 2005-06) Couser, William
    Glomerular diseases, including diabetes and various forms of glomerulonephritis, account for more than 70% of patients undergoing renal transplantation. Among these patients, more than 40% develop significant proteinuria, and around 15% develop persistent nephrotic syndrome. The most common cause of posttransplantation proteinuria is chronic allograft nephropathy (60%), followed by recurrent (15%) and de novo (10%) glomerulonephritis. Persistent proteinuria is associated with a significantly reduced rate of graft survival but often can be controlled with non–disease-specific therapy including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers with favorable effects on long-term prognosis. Recurrent or de novo glomerulonephritis occurs in 6%-20% of patients overall and is more common in patients transplanted with glomerulonephritic organs. Glomerulonephritis in the allograft is also associated with a reduction in long-term (5-year) graft survival (40% vs 70%). The most common diseases associated with allograft glomerulonephritis and their recurrence rates in transplantation patients are idiopathic focal glomerular sclerosis (20%-30%), IgA nephropathy (25%), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (type 1, 25%; type 2, 80%), membranous nephropathy (30%), and hemolytic-uremic syndrome (classic, 10%; atypical, 40%; familial, 60%). This article reviews new developments in the understanding of 3 of these diseases—focal glomerular sclerosis, membranous nephropathy, and hemolytic-uremic syndrome—as they relate to the incidence of recurrence, the effects of recurrence on graft survival, risk factors for recurrence, and management issues for nephrologists caring for patients with renal allografts. Proper donor selection, early diagnosis in high-risk patients, and appropriate management can prolong graft survival and improve long-term outcomes.