Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Ciancio.
Segments of ileum are used as conduits following ureteral resection and for bladder augmentation to achieve adequate bladder capacity. We herein report the use of a segment of transplanted ileum for this purpose in a patient with Gardner's syndrome who underwent multivisceral transplantation. To our knowledge this is the first such case report.
An overview of the first 4 decades of clinical kidney transplantation would characterize progress primarily in the development of new immunosuppressive agents designed to reduce the incidence and severity of acute rejection to improve short-term outcomes, but with less marked effects on long-term patient and graft survival. The new trend of immunosuppressive therapy is to facilitate long-term allograft and patient survival, and to help to maintain a good quality of life after renal transplantation. To achieve these goals, transplant physicians need to determine the immunosuppressive protocols that will best minimize risk factors associated with reduced allograft/patient survival and quality of life. Recent protocols and clinical experience with modern immunosuppression strategies, as well as the efficacy and safety of various combination protocols, will be reviewed.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Acute rejection still remains a major problem in organ transplantation and is a significant risk factor for chronic rejection, and chronic rejection is one of the most important causes of late graft loss. Current new immunosuppressive drugs such as tacrolimus, rapamycin and mycophenolate mofetil have been developed to reduce acute rejection and to improve renal allograft survival. More recently, antihuman antibodies, either monoclonal or polyclonal, have been developed to use for induction therapy at the time of transplantation or to treat rejection. Daclizumab, a new engineered human immunoglobulin monoclonal antibody to the interleukin-2 receptor a-subunit was approved to prevent acute rejection after solid organ transplantation. Data from clinical trials show daclizumab to be well tolerated in solid organ transplantation. It does not increase the incidence of infection, including cytomegalovirus infection.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether the extent of duodenal gastric metaplasia is due to Helicobacter pylori and/or acid. AIMS: To investigate the role of Helicobacter pylori eradication in the regression of duodenal gastric metaplasia in patients with duodenal ulcer maintained in acid suppression conditions. METHODS: . Duodenal (anterior, superior inferior walls of first part of duodenum) and gastric antrum biopsies were obtained from 44 Helicobacter pylori positive duodenal ulcer patients. Helicobacter pylori infection was diagnosed by rapid urease test, histology and 13C-Urea Breath Test. Patients were treated with 20 mg omeprazole tid associated with 250 mg clarithromycin and 500 mg amoxycillin four times daily for 10 days and maintained with 20 mg omeprazole daily for 18 weeks. Control endoscopies were performed at 6 and 18 weeks after beginning treatment. RESULTS: Duodenal gastric metaplasia regression was observed in all (32/32) patients in whom Helicobacter pylori was eradicated, but in only 3 out of 6 patients in whom eradication was not achieved (p<0. 001). CONCLUSIONS: . The present results suggest that Helicobacter pylori eradication associated with prolonged acid suppression may represent a good therapeutic strategy to achieve duodenal gastric metaplasia regression and highlight the combined role of acid and Helicobacter pylori in the pathogenesis of duodenal gastric metaplasia.
BACKGROUND: Obese patients frequently present clinical symptoms related to gastrointestinal motility alterations and autonomic nervous system dysfunction. AIM: To evaluate the possible correlation between cardiovascular autonomic nervous dysfunction and oesophageal motility in pathologically obese patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Enrolled in the study were 22 patients with a body mass index of 45.72 +/- 7.48 and 10 control subjects, all within 20% of their ideal weight. Oesophageal motility was measured by stationary manometry and scintigraphic transit. Tests for the evaluation of autonomic nervous system were: Valsalva ratio, deep breathing, sustained handgrip, sudormotor axon reflex test and spectral analysis of the variability of R-R interval. RESULTS: The mean pressure of oesophageal peristaltic waves in patients and controls was 39.36 +/- 14 mmHg and 73 +/- 12 mmHg, respectively The scintigraphic mean transit time was 22.96 +/- 16.26 seconds in patients and 10.23 +/- 16.26 seconds in controls (p < 0.001). Spectral analysis of the variability of the R-R interval showed an increase in the parasympathetic component both in the lying and standing position compared to controls. The other autonomic nervous system function tests showed no significant difference between obese patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that obese patients present a reduction of oesophageal transit and autonomic nervous system dysfunction albeit no direct correlation was found between these phenomena.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
BACKGROUND: Hepatic vein invasion by renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus is relatively uncommon. The Budd-Chiari syndrome that results from obstruction of the suprahepatic venous drainage by the tumor could evolve toward liver fibrosis and death. Early diagnosis and surgical treatment of this condition is of prime importance. Complete mobilization of the liver and rotation of the inferior vena cava enhances exposure of the ostium of the hepatic veins. This maneuver allows for the complete removal of tumor from the hepatic veins and decompression of the liver. METHODS: Between May 1997 and April 2000, four patients with renal cell carcinoma and inferior vena cava thrombus with hepatic vein invasion underwent surgery at the study institution. Three of the patients had Budd-Chiari syndrome. Surgical techniques were developed to handle these difficult tumors safely. RESULTS: Three patients presented with the Budd-Chiari syndrome, one of whom was found to have severe liver failure before surgery. The fourth patient presented with a hepatic vein tumor thrombus. A caval atrial thrombus and hepatic vein thrombus in one patient were removed successfully without opening the chest. Three patients required cardiopulmonary bypass. Hypothermic arrest was required in one patient. At the time of last follow-up, 2 patients were alive at 14 months and 30 months after surgery, respectively, without recurrence. One patient died 6 months after surgery due to metastatic renal carcinoma and 1 patient who had prior severe liver failure died of multiple organ failure 2 weeks after undergoing surgery. None of the four patients required reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: Prompt surgical treatment should be performed to avoid hepatic failure and disease progression. The surgical technique described in the current study allowed for removal of the tumor from the hepatic veins and the authors believe it can be used with cardiopulmonary bypass to enhance visibility of the hepatic veins.
BACKGROUND: To date, several single- and multicenter clinical trials have attempted to induce specific immunological unresponsiveness using donor bone marrow cell infusions to augment solid organ transplantation, but the outcomes have not been definitive. METHODS: Between September 1994 and May 1998, 63 cadaver (CAD) renal transplant recipients of either one or two postoperative donor bone marrow cell (DBMC) infusions were prospectively compared with 219 non-infused controls given equivalent immunosuppression. There was at least a 1 HLA DR antigen match present between donors and recipients. The immunosuppressive regimen included a 10-day course of OKT3 induction, and tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and methylprednisolone maintenance. A total 7.01x10(8)+/-1.9x10(8) (SD) DBMC/kg was infused into the CAD recipients on either days 4 and 11 (n=42) or one half of that dose on day 4 (n=21) postoperatively. Clinical follow-up has ranged from 2.9 to 6.3 years (mean, 4.7 years). Studies were also performed of humoral immunity and quantitative cellular chimerism. RESULTS: There is clear-cut equivalence in immunosuppressive dosaging and in the other major demographic variables in both groups. However, only 2/63 DBMC recipients had biopsy-proven chronic rejection, whereas 41/219 showed chronic rejection in the controls (P = <0.01). In both groups, mortality was not associated with rejection. The actuarial graft survival at 6.3 years in the CAD DBMC group was 84.3% compared with 72.2% in the control group (not statistically significant). However, if death with a functioning graft was excluded, graft survival was 94.1% in the DBMC group and 79.8% in the controls (P=0.039). Forty patients in the control group continue to have deteriorating renal function (increasing serum creatinine concentrations to 2 mg/dl and higher), compared with 2 patients in the DBMC group (P=0.04). In the DBMC group, chimerism in iliac crest marrow aspirates has increased 3-fold in yearly sequential measurements between 1 and 4 years postoperatively averaging 1.3+/-0.36% (SE) most recently. This has not occurred in the controls. CONCLUSIONS: There now appears to be more solid long-term evidence, in kidney transplant recipients prospectively receiving DBMC infusions, of an improvement in long-term graft survival, and of the degree of chimerism positively correlating with the absence of graft loss.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of the genitourinary tract is an uncommon disease in renal transplant recipients and presentation is atypical. Genitourinary tuberculosis is associated with graft rejection, and this diagnosis should be considered for renal transplant recipients with unexplained fever and constitutional symptoms.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the inflammatory involvement of shoulder articular and extraarticular structures in polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) patients with a normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) at diagnosis. METHODS: This was a case-control study. All consecutive, untreated new outpatients diagnosed as having PMR with a normal ESR (<40 mm/hour) during a 6-month period were included in the study (case patients). Controls were 12 consecutive, untreated PMR outpatients with an ESR of >40 mm/hour who were observed after the case patients. Before starting corticosteroid therapy, all case patients and controls underwent bilateral shoulder ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). US and MRI scans were evaluated independently by two radiologists who were blinded to the reciprocal results. RESULTS: Six case patients (4 men and 2 women) and 12 controls (4 men and 8 women) were studied. Both US and MRI demonstrated bilateral subacromial/subdeltoid bursitis in all 6 case patients and in 11 of the 12 (92%) controls (P not significant [NS]). One control had unilateral bursitis. Glenohumeral joint synovitis was found in 4 of 6 case patients (67%) by MRI and in 3 of 6 case patients (50%) by US (P NS), as well as in 8 of 12 controls (67%) by MRI and in 7 of 12 controls (58%) by US (P NS). Both MRI and US detected biceps tenosynovitis in 5 of 6 case patients (83%) and in 8 of 12 controls (67%) (P NS). The severity of bursitis did not differ significantly between the groups. US was as effective as MRI in detecting inflammatory changes of the shoulder. CONCLUSION: MRI and US studies showed that PMR patients with normal or high ESRs have similar inflammatory shoulder lesions. Moreover, bilateral subacromial/subdeltoid bursitis represents the imaging hallmark in PMR patients with a high or normal ESR. MRI or US of the shoulder may facilitate the proper diagnosis in patients with the typical proximal symptoms of PMR who also have normal ESRs.
Clinical trials using quadruple immunosuppression that include the combination of tacrolimus (TAC) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) have been shown to reduce the incidence of acute rejection episodes in simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplantation. In attempting to obtain a low rejection rate without antibody induction therapy, we proceeded with the combination of TAC intravenous (i.v.), MMF, and steroids as induction therapy and as primary immunosuppression for recipients with previous transplants. In this study, we analyzed 10 patients who received previous transplants, treated with low-dose TAC i.v. as induction therapy. Group A consisted of 6 patients with previous transplants that underwent SPK and group B consisted of four recipients with previous SPK that underwent cadaveric kidney transplants. For group A, the previous transplants were: living related kidney (LRK) followed by islet cell (IC) transplant (n=2), LRK transplant (n=1), cadaver kidney (CAD) and IC transplant (n=1), SPK (n=1), and three previous CAD kidney transplants (n=1). In group A, all six kidneys were lost due to recurrent diabetic nephropathy, IC possibly to rejection, and the pancreas due to thrombosis. In group B with previous SPK transplants, three recipients lost their kidney to chronic rejection and one to long-term use of a nephrotoxic antibiotic. Currently, in all group A and B patients, the kidney and the pancreas are functioning, although 1 patient in group A developed type 2 diabetes (normal fasting C-peptide). Two patients in group A developed three rejection episodes that responded to steroid treatment. The results indicate the TAC i.v. in combination with oral TAC, MMF, and steroids offer effective induction therapy in patients with previous transplants.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.