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T Steinmüller

Publications and source records attributed to T Steinmüller.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Pregnancies following liver transplantation--how safe are they? A report of 19 cases under cyclosporine A and tacrolimus.

The number of pregnancies following liver transplantation is increasing due to better patient and graft survival and quality of life. Out of 156 women of a reproductive age, there were 19 pregnancies in 16 women, 12 on CsA and seven on tacrolimus, which occurred between 7/92 and 1/97. The median age of the women was 27.9 yr, median time after transplantation 33 months. There were four spontaneous and two induced abortions in the first trimenon. Ten women delivered ten healthy babies; three newborns had problems (alcoholic embryopathy due to recurrent alcohol abuse of his mother, pneumonia, weight < 2000 g). In eight women mostly mild complications were observed, such as hypertension (n = 5), nonspecific elevation of liver enzymes (n = 2), infection (n = 3) and premature labor (n = 1). Mean gestational age was 39 wk and mean birth weight 2900 g. One case of prematurity and three cases of growth retardation occurred. Cesarean sections were performed in 7 patients (54%) for maternal hypertension (n = 2), presumed fetal hypoxia (n = 4) and breech position (n = 1). All children are normally developed, the oldest being 5 yr old. Although experience with tacrolimus is limited, pregnancies following liver transplantation carry an acceptable risk if carefully monitored by an experienced team of transplant surgeons and obstetricians.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Extended partial Kausch-Whipple duodenopancreatectomy by resection of tumor infiltrated vascular segments].

The experience with standard Kausch-Whipple procedure is reviewed and compared with partial duodenopancreatectomies extended by partial resection of the portal vein. Perioperative morbidity has decreased to below 5% and survival rates with and without vessel resection are not significantly different. Therefore, infiltration of mesentericoportal vessels is not a contraindication for Kausch-Whipple procedure.

Female↗
PubMed1997

Chronically rejected rat kidney allografts induce donor-specific tolerance.

Previous studies on pathophysiological mechanisms of chronic graft rejection demonstrated the impact of both alloresponsiveness and nonspecific immunological events on the process. To study the role of alloantigen-specific factors further, we hypothesized an acceleration of chronic graft rejection after presensitization. Chronically rejected renal allografts in the established Fischer 344 --> Lewis rat model were replaced sequentially by native allografts of donor origin. Grafting of second allografts was performed 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the original transplantation and followed long term. Second allografts demonstrated significantly ameliorated functional and structural alterations with few cellular infiltrates. These changes were independent from the time interval between first and second engraftment (2-12 weeks); immunosuppressive treatment after the second engraftment was not influential. The nonresponsiveness was not restricted to the second kidney allografts, as heart allografts of donor origin in these recipients also functioned indefinitely, whereas third-party grafts (Lewis x Brown Norway F1) and Fischer 344 heart grafts in untreated Lewis control rats were acutely rejected. Thus, donor-specific and tissue-nonspecific graft acceptance is achieved by second engraftment of donor-specific allografts in a model of chronic graft rejection. Those observations demonstrate the synergistic effects of alloresponsiveness and of the injured graft itself for the development of chronic graft failure.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

A prospective randomized trial comparing interleukin-2 receptor antibody versus antithymocyte globulin as part of a quadruple immunosuppressive induction therapy following orthotopic liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Quadruple immunosuppressive induction therapy has been shown to markedly reduce the incidence of acute rejection episodes without increasing the incidence of infectious complications after liver transplantation. However, the use of polyclonal antibody preparations (e.g. antithymocyte globulin [ATG]) is associated with side effects such as fever and tachycardia. To evaluate the efficacy and the safety of a monoclonal antibody directed against the interleukin-2 receptor (BT563) in comparison with ATG as part of a quadruple induction regimen, a prospective, randomized study was conducted. METHODS: Eighty consecutive adult recipients of primary orthotopic liver transplants were randomized to receive either BT563 (10 mg/day; days 0-12; n=39) or ATG (5 mg/kg/day; days 0-6; n=41) in addition to the standard immunosuppressive protocol consisting of cyclosporine, and prednisolone, and azathioprine. RESULTS: Patients treated with BT563 had a significantly lower incidence of steroid-sensitive rejection episodes (3 vs. 11; P<0.025) and also significantly fewer drug-related side effects (4 vs. 18, P<0.038) when compared with patients treated with ATG. The incidence of infectious complications was not different between the two groups. Patient survival did not differ significantly between the two groups (84.6% at 1, 2, and 3 years in the BT563 group and 90.2% at 1 year and 87.8% at 2 and 3 years for the ATG group). Analysis of graft function showed an advantage for the BT563 group in terms of postoperative bilirubin levels. However, no differences were observed in long-term follow-up between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that treatment with anti-interleukin-2 receptor antibody as part of quadruple induction therapy after orthotopic liver transplantation is safe and effective and shows fewer steroid-sensitive rejection episodes as well as fewer side effects when compared with quadruple induction therapy including ATG.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Liver transplantation: treatment of choice for hepatic and neurological manifestation of Wilson's disease.

Liver transplantation (LTX) is an approved method to treat patients with end-stage liver cirrhosis and acute liver failure due to Wilson's disease. Initially, there was some consideration about the indication for LTX in the case of Wilson's disease with severe neurological impairment but normal liver function. From 1988 until 1995, 13 out of 700 LTX (1.9%) were performed for Wilson's disease. Indications for LTX were (I) intractable neurological impairment with normal liver function (n = 4; including one patient with Child A cirrhosis), (II) fulminant hepatic failure (n = 3), and (III) end-stage liver cirrhosis (n = 6) (Child B, n = 1; Child C, n = 5). There were 8 females and 5 males with a mean age of 27 yr (range 15-34 yr). All patients of group I required continuous nursing care before LTX, in spite of pretreatment with d-penicillamine and zinc. The most frequent symptoms in these patients were dysphagia (n = 4), dysarthria (n = 4), tremor (n = 4), sialorrhea (n = 3), ataxia (n = 3), dystonia (n = 3) and handwriting difficulties (n = 3). All patients of group II presented with hemolytic anemia. The survival rate was 100%, and all patients were doing well after a mean follow-up period of 32.8 months (range 8-68 months). The postoperative course was without severe infectious and other complications. All patients of group I revealed the first signs of improvement for all types of neurological symptoms 4-6 wk after LTX. One patient has been without any symptoms from 18 months until 5.5 yr after LTX. Two patients with short-term follow-up also had noticeable improvement of neurological impairment, but residual symptoms are still present. One patient showed only slight improvement. We conclude that Wilson's disease may be a good indication for LTX for both neurological manifestation with stable liver function and hepatic manifestation with cirrhosis or acute liver failure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Prophylactic use of low-dose urodilatin for prevention of renal impairment following liver transplantation: a randomized placebo-controlled study.

Many therapeutic measures have been employed to prevent or at least ameliorate postoperative renal impairment following liver transplantation. Recent clinical phase II studies have demonstrated that the new natriuretic peptide urodilatin has beneficial effects on renal function following heart and liver transplantation. The present study reports the first prospective randomized placebo-controlled trial of prophylactic urodilatin administration following liver transplantation. Seventy consecutive recipients of primary liver transplants were included in the study following randomization, and 33 patients continuously received urodilatin at a dose of 20 ng/kg/min for 7 d. The remaining 37 patients received a placebo infusion for the same time period. The course of serum creatinine and urea did not differ between the two groups nor did the daily urine production. However, the urodilatin group showed a higher preoperative median serum creatinine and a significant reduction on days 1 and 2, whereas this observation was not made in the placebo group. Furthermore, less furosemide was administered to the patients in the urodilatin group during the first 2 d. The incidence of postoperative hemodialysis and the number of treatments did not differ between the groups either (urodilatin group 4, vs. placebo group 6 and 22 for both groups, respectively). Side effects of the urodilatin therapy were not detected. The prophylactic low-dose urodilatin administration resulted in a trend towards amelioration of the renal function, but did not result in significant differences between the two experimental groups. Further studies, using higher doses, will be required to define the value of urodilatin for prevention of renal impairment after liver transplantation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Cytokine pattern during rejection and infection after liver transplantation--improvements in postoperative monitoring?

Despite improvements in immunosuppression, rejection occurs in 50% of liver transplant patients and may cause significant morbidity. The most frequent cause of death after liver transplantation is severe infection. Determination of the cytokine network may lead to earlier detection of patients at risk for severe rejection and infection. For this purpose, 81 patients with 85 liver transplants were monitored for cytokines and neopterin on a daily basis. During the first postoperative month, 28 patients (34.6%) developed acute rejection; 14 patients were successfully treated with methylprednisolone (steroid-sensitive rejection), while 14 patients required additional treatment with FK506 and OKT3 (steroid-resistant rejection). Ten patients developed severe infections, and 11 patients experienced asymptomatic cholangitis. Patients with an uneventful postoperative course (n=37) were the control group. One-year patient survival was 88.9%: 1 patient died because of chronic rejection and Pseudomonas urosepsis; a further 4 patients died of aspergillus pneumonia and bacterial sepsis. Soluble TNF-RII, sIL-2R-, and IL-10 levels were significantly elevated 3 days prior to or at the onset of acute steroid-resistant rejection (P < or = 0.01 versus steroid-sensitive rejection and on uneventful postoperative course). An increase in IL-8, neopterin, and sTNF-RII was indicative of severe infection 3 days prior to onset of infection. In this group of patients, a simultaneous increase in IL-10 indicated a lethal outcome of severe infection. During the second week of acute steroid-resistant rejection and lethal infection, a significant rise in IL-1beta, IFN-gamma, and IL-6 was observed (P < or = 0.01 versus control groups). The different patterns in neopterin- and cytokine-increase could differentiate between severe rejection and severe infection. Furthermore, the increase in these parameters indicated severe rejection--i.e., steroid resistance at the onset of acute rejection--which could prompt us to initiate rescue therapy immediately. The ability to detect patients at risk for severe or lethal infection may result in intensified infectious screening and more aggressive antiinfectious treatment. Therefore, routine monitoring of these parameters may lead to changes in therapeutic management of severe acute rejection and infection after liver transplantation.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1996

Indications for tacrolimus anti-rejection therapy in liver allograft recipients.

We reviewed our experience with conversion to Tacrolimus after 600 liver transplantations, performed from September 1988 to March 1995. Conversion to Tacrolimus as an anti-rejection therapy was implemented in 78 patients because of chronic ductopenic rejection (n = 9), early chronic rejection (n = 5), OKT3-resistant cellular rejection (n = 12), steroid-resistant cellular rejection (n = 30), late-onset cellular rejection (n = 10), cellular rejection in patients suffering from cyclosporin malabsorption (n = 5) and uncomplicated cellular rejection (n = 7). Control of rejection was achieved in 72 of 78 patients (92%); 6 patients (18%) were non-responsive. Patient and graft survival were 82% and 77%, respectively. Fourteen patients died almost exclusively from opportunistic infections. Out of the six patients who did not respond to Tacrolimus treatment, four underwent successful retransplantation and two died from infections associated with a poor graft function. Overall, graft loss with or without patient death occurred in 6 of 9 patients undergoing chronic rejection, in 3 of 12 patients with OKT3-resistant cellular rejection, in 6 of 30 patients suffering from steroid-resistant cellular rejection and in one patient each suffering from late-onset or uncomplicated cellular rejection. In severe steroid-resistant cellular rejection, successful Tacrolimus rescue therapy corresponded to a significantly lower preconversion total serum bilirubin when compared to failures (9.9 +/- 6.8 mg% vs. 22.2 +/- 7.3 mg%, P < 0.05). Conversion to Tacrolimus was a reliable treatment option in liver allograft rejection. However, failures occurred in the OKT3- and steroid-resistant cellular rejection groups, and only in a subgroup of patients suffering from chronic rejection was a permanent benefit observed. Implementation of a conversion early in the course of a rejection episode may result in a further improved outcome. Predictive parameters, e.g. the total serum bilirubin in steroid-resistant cellular rejection, are still needed to select those patients who would profit rather from a retransplantation.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The optimal immunosuppressant after liver transplantation according to diagnosis: cyclosporine A or FK506?

Since we may soon be able to choose between primarily CsA- or FK506-based immunosuppression, it is important to establish the superior immunosuppressive agent for the individual patient. In the present study, 121 patients, 61 randomly assigned to FK506- and 60 assigned to CsA-based immunosuppression, were analyzed according to the primary diagnosis for liver transplantation. One-year patient survival was similar in all groups. However, the incidence and severity of acute rejection within the 1st year after transplantation was significantly higher in patients transplanted due to HCV disease who were receiving FK506 (58.8%) compared with those patients receiving CsA (27.8%; p < or = 0.05). Furthermore, the incidence of moderate and severe neurotoxicity was significantly higher during the 1st month after LTX in patients transplanted owing to HCV disease treated with FK506 (35.3%) compared with those patients receiving CsA (16.7%; p < or = 0.05). Irrespective of the immunosuppressive regimen, the incidence of early postoperative neurotoxicity was significantly lower in patients transplanted owing to HBV disease, alcoholic cirrhosis and various other liver diseases summarized than in patients transplanted due to HCV disease receiving FK506 therapy. During the 1st year, the incidence and severity of rejection in patients transplanted due to alcoholic cirrhosis and PBC was significantly lower in patients treated with FK506 (11.1% for both groups) compared with those patients receiving CsA (54.5% and 60.0%, respectively; p < or = 0.05. Furthermore, this was accompanied by a lower incidence of toxicity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1993

[Recurrent paroxysmal neck swellings as the primary manifestation of a pheochromocytoma].

A 45-year-old female had been suffering for about 6 months almost daily from paroxysmal neck swellings with occasional difficulties in swallowing and from non-specific abdominal complaints. Hormone analyses, performed because of the marked blood pressure increase up to 210/120 mm Hg during such an attack, revealed an increase in vanillyl mandelic acid and epinephrine concentrations in the 24-hour urine. CT demonstrated a tumour of 4 x 5 x 5 cm size in the region of the right adrenal. The paroxysmal neck swellings and blood pressure increase could be reproduced by means of pressure applied over the tumour range with the ultrasound transducer. The tumour was extirpated and histology revealed a phaeochromocytoma. For more than one year now the patient has been free from complaints. To date, recurrent neck swellings have not been reported in association with a phaeochromocytoma. Possible causes may be an enhanced congestion of the deep neck vessels during paroxysmal blood pressure increase or an enhanced response by the adrenoreceptors of these vessels to the released catecholamines.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed1993

[Porphyrin-induced biliary cirrhosis in protoporphyria: indications for liver transplantation].

A 51-year-old patient, who had experienced photosensitivity from childhood on, fell ill with an icterus accompanied by abdominal complaints. At the age of 46 years an erythropoietic protoprophyria had been diagnosed by an excessive protoporphyrinemia. Meanwhile, in consequence of the protoporphyria's erythrohepatic progression, a biliary liver cirrhosis developed, associated with portal hypertension and marked splenomegalie. As a remission of the protoporphyria-induced hepatobiliary complication could not be achieved by conservative medical treatment, the indication for orthotopic liver transplantation was established. The operation proceeded without complications, and the postoperative course, too, revealed no problems. With primarily good bile production, bilirubin and aminotransferases soon declined to normal values. Urinary coproporphyrin excretion was found to be normal after transplantation, only a domination of isomer I still peristed. Furthermore, a distinct elevation of protoprophyrin continued to exist both in erythrocytes and plasma as expression of the immanent enzyme deficiency typical for the genodermatosis protoporphyria. In the liver explant a micronodular transformation of parenchyma was found besides a deposition of reddish-brown protoporphyrin pigment in hepatocellular cytoplasma and Kupffer's cells, in addition to pigment casts in the canaliculi and within single portal bile ducts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Biopsy↗
PubMed1992

[Liver transplantation in erythrohepatic protoporphyria].

A 51-year-old man had for 5 years been known to have erythropoietic protoporphyria. GPT levels were raised up to 40 U/l, gamma-GT up to 120 U/l. After lengthy exposure to sun radiation an erythema with blisters, abdominal discomfort and jaundice developed (total bilirubin 7.3 mg/dl) and biliary liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension and splenomegaly were diagnosed. Because the acute hepatobiliary complications were not improved by conservative treatment (daily 750 mg ursodeoxycholic acid and 12 g colestyramine), an orthotopic liver transplantation was performed without complication. The excised liver showed small nodular parenchymal transformation and contained reddish brown protoporphyrin pigment in the hepatocellular cytoplasm, the Kupffer cells, the canaliculi and in some biliary ducts. Bilirubin and transaminase levels in blood became normal after the transplantation, as did the urinary excretion of coproporphyrin. However, isomer I was still dominant. The protoporphyrin level in erythrocytes and plasma remained elevated. After a symptom-free interval of one year biochemical and histological tests demonstrated protoporphyrin-induced damage in the transplanted liver.

Cholestyramine Resin↗