Transplant Candidates Research Articles

Public Acceptance of Living Donor Liver Transplant for Colorectal Liver Metastases: A Web-Based Survey.

Recent advancements in cancer treatment and post-transplant management have expanded the population of living donor liver transplant (LDLT) candidates. We aimed to examine variations in public acceptance of LDLT based on patient diagnosis, including unresectable colorectal liver metastases (uCRLM). A web-based survey collected demographic information and general perceptions about organ donation in different settings. Respondents indicated their likelihood of being a living liver donor for a family member with genetic liver disease, alcohol-related liver disease (ALD), and uCRLM. Differences in the likelihood of donation between scenarios were compared. There were 491 survey respondents (female [76.5%], Caucasians [87.4%], and had at least a college degree [98.2%]). Most (82.4%) were aware of the option of living liver donation before the study and 95% supported living organ donation in general. Over 80% were registered as organ donors. Ninety percent indicated that they would be likely to donate to a family member with a genetic liver disease if they qualified as a living donor; significantly more than ALD (59%) and uCRLM (71%) (p < 0.001). Willingness to donate to patients with uCRLM was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than the hypothetical patient with ALD with a clinically accepted recovery period of 6 months. This study is the first of its kind to assess thepublic acceptance of living liver donation for uCRLM. Respondents were as or more supportive of donating to uCRLM as they were of generally accepted indications for LT. Further surveys with a broader respondent pool are warranted.

Kidney Transplant Candidacy in a Patient with Recurrent Infection: Balancing Improved Quality of Life vs. Potential Infection Risk

Kidney Transplant Candidacy in a Patient with Recurrent Infection: Balancing Improved Quality of Life vs. Potential Infection Risk

Kidney Replacement Therapies in Advanced Heart Failure - Timing, Modalities, and Clinical Considerations.

Acute kidney dysfunction is commonly encountered in advanced heart failure and carries significant prognostic implications, often leading to poorer outcomes and increased mortality. It can alter the course of decision making for left ventricular assist device (LVAD) and cardiac transplantation candidacy. Kidney replacement therapies (KRT) offer a critical intervention in this context but require careful consideration of timing, various types of KRT modalities, individual patient preferences and circumstances. This review discusses the intricacies of KRT in advanced heart failure, examining how to optimize timing and choose among the various KRT modalities. It also provides a detailed discussion on the unique clinical scenarios that clinicians may face when treating this vulnerable patient group.

Medical Mistrust Predicts Lower Likelihood of Wait-Listing in Kidney Transplant Candidates

Medical Mistrust Predicts Lower Likelihood of Wait-Listing in Kidney Transplant Candidates

Assessing Kidney Function in Combined Heart-Kidney Transplant Candidates: Challenges and Opportunities

Assessing Kidney Function in Combined Heart-Kidney Transplant Candidates: Challenges and Opportunities

Preemptive Registration in Hispanic Kidney Transplant Candidates: When Is Early Not Early Enough?

Preemptive Registration in Hispanic Kidney Transplant Candidates: When Is Early Not Early Enough?

BMI in Pediatric Kidney Transplant Candidates: Association with Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

BMI in Pediatric Kidney Transplant Candidates: Association with Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

Kidney Transplant Candidates with Reduced Ejection Fraction: Risky Business or Not?

Kidney Transplant Candidates with Reduced Ejection Fraction: Risky Business or Not?

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in HIV-positive transplant candidates and recipients from HIV-positive donors

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in HIV-positive transplant candidates and recipients from HIV-positive donors

Management of heart disease in renal transplant recipients: a national Delphi survey-based SET/SEC/SEN consensus document

Renal transplantation improves the survival and quality of life of patients with end-stage renal disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients. The bidirectional relationship between renal and heart disease creates a unique clinical scenario that demands a comprehensive and personalized approach. This expert consensus, drafted by the Spanish Society of Transplantation, the Spanish Society of Cardiology, and the Spanish Society of Nephrology, aims to assess current practices and propose strategies for the management of heart disease in renal transplant recipients. A panel of Spanish nephrologists and cardiologists with expertise in renal and heart transplantation reviewed the scientific evidence concerning the current management of heart disease in renal transplant recipients. Subsequently, consensus statements were created through a 2-round Delphi methodology, resulting in 30 statements covering key topics such as the identification of renal transplant candidates, the management of heart disease in renal transplant recipients, and eligibility for combined heart-kidney transplantation in patients with both end-stage renal disease and cardiac disease. These consensus statements provide expert guidance for the management of heart disease in renal transplant recipients, an area where published clinical evidence remains limited.

CytoSorb® hemoadsorption of apixaban during cardio-pulmonary bypass for heart transplantation

IntroductionHeart transplantation is an emergency surgery requiring cardio-pulmonary bypass (CPB) and its timing is unpredictable. Patients on the transplant waiting list often have multiple reasons for being anticoagulated. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) such as apixaban are very popular due to their well-known advantages. Intraoperative removal of apixaban using CytoSorb® (CytoSorbents Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA), seems to be an interesting solution for patients on DOACs requiring an emergency CPB intervention. The aim of this short communication is to describe the perioperative effects of the use of the CytoSorb® hemoadsorption device during emergency CPB for a heart transplant patient Case presentationA 61-year-old male patient (75kg/173cm) wait-listed for heart transplantation was admitted to our hospital (Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Sorbonne University, Paris, France) to benefit from a heart transplantation. This patient, with many comorbidities, has an end-stage heart failure with multiple episodes of decompensation over the previous year. He was anticoagulated with a Vitamin K antagonist (VKA) due to atrial fibrillation and was switched to apixaban (5mg twice daily) 9 days before surgery based on poor clotting control. A NaCl 0.9% primed CytoSorb cartridge was inserted into the CPB circuit. Hemoadsorption was performed during the entire CPB duration. Anti-Factor Xa Activity (AFXaA) levels were taken at multiple time points before, during and after surgery in order to monitor anticoagulation. Results. Preoperatively, activated Clotting Time (ACT) was 146 seconds. The ACT reached 545 seconds after administration of 25,000IU of unfractionated heparin (UFH). Surgery consisted of an orthotopic heart transplantation with bi-caval anastomoses.CPB duration was 133 minutes with 83 minutes of aortic cross clamping. Total graft ischemic time was 249 minutes. At the time of anesthesia induction and after UFH administration, AFXaA levels were 330ng/mL and 317ng/mL, respectively. Thereafter, AFXaA decreased to 137ng/mL during CPB and to 57ng/mL after the end of CPB and 250mg (=25,000IU) of protamine administration.After surgery, AFXaA levels stabilized over 50ng/mL over the next 14 hours. Postoperative anticoagulation was performed with the use of UFH starting 6 hours after surgery.No primary graft dysfunction (PGD) was observed, and during the post-operative period of 72 hours, the patient did not have any bleeding events requiring reintervention or transfusion. ConclusionIn conclusion, we observed that CytoSorb® could be a potential solution to remove apixaban intraoperatively. If this efficacy is confirmed in larger trials, it would allow transplant candidates to be treated with DOACs without requiring a switch to VKAs.

Statin therapy is associated with lower risk of mortality among liver transplant candidates with metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis

BackgroundStatin therapy is historically underutilized in patients with chronic liver disease. There is increasing evidence to support the use of statins in patients with cirrhosis, though data in decompensated patients are limited. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the association between statin use and mortality in patients with advanced liver disease, comparing MASH and non-MASH cirrhosis. MethodsThis single-center retrospective cohort study included patients undergoing liver transplant (LT) evaluation at a large quaternary care center. Patients were categorized by etiology as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) or non-MASH cirrhosis. Statin use was defined as having an active prescription at the time of LT evaluation. The association between statin use and mortality was evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression. ResultsThe study included 623 patients; 24% had MASH cirrhosis and 20% were prescribed a statin. Statin users were older, had a higher BMI and were more likely to have coronary artery disease. At the end of the study, statin use was associated with lower mortality among MASH patients (16% vs. 35%, p=0.010) and higher mortality among non-MASH patients (31% vs. 19%, p=0.066). After controlling for age (HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.00 – 1.10, p=0.039), MELD-Na (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.04 – 1.11, p<0.001), BMI (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.05 – 1.14, p<0.001), and CAD (HR 1.20, 95% CI 0.54 – 2.69, p=0.653), statin use conferred a 53% lower risk of death compared to no statin use in patients with MASH cirrhosis (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.22 – 0.98, p=0.043). ConclusionsStatin use was associated with reduced mortality in patients with decompensated MASH cirrhosis undergoing LT evaluation, but increased mortality in those with non-MASH cirrhosis, particularly those with high-MELD-Na. These findings underscore the importance of reviewing individual patient characteristics and disease etiology when considering the benefits of statin therapy in patients with cirrhosis.

Prognostic value of dobutamine stress echocardiography for the long-term outcomes in kidney transplant candidates

Prognostic value of dobutamine stress echocardiography for the long-term outcomes in kidney transplant candidates

Accuracy of Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI) in Predicting Post-transplant Cardiovascular Events among Asymptomatic Diabetic Kidney Transplant Candidates

Accuracy of Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI) in Predicting Post-transplant Cardiovascular Events among Asymptomatic Diabetic Kidney Transplant Candidates

A Program Offering CT Colonography for Colorectal Cancer Screening Avoided Colonoscopy and Sedation Risks in High-Risk Heart Transplant Candidates and Expedited Screening: A Retrospective Observational Study

A Program Offering CT Colonography for Colorectal Cancer Screening Avoided Colonoscopy and Sedation Risks in High-Risk Heart Transplant Candidates and Expedited Screening: A Retrospective Observational Study

Macronutrient intake and weight status in hiv-positive transplant candidates and recipients from an hiv-positive donor

Macronutrient intake and weight status in hiv-positive transplant candidates and recipients from an hiv-positive donor

Barriers to Obesity Management in Kidney Transplant Candidates

Barriers to Obesity Management in Kidney Transplant Candidates

Coronary Plaque Characteristics in Patients With Chronic Kidney Failure: Impact on Cardiovascular Events and Mortality.

In patients with coronary artery disease, coronary plaques with high-risk features and low-attenuation plaque burden are independent measures associated with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Patients with chronic kidney failure may have different coronary artery disease characteristics. The aim was to assess the association of coronary plaque characteristics and coronary artery disease extent with MACE and all-cause mortality in patients with chronic kidney failure. Potential kidney transplant candidates who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography as part of the cardiac screening program before kidney transplantation were included. We evaluated high-risk plaques and diameter stenosis semiqualitatively and quantified coronary artery calcium score and plaque burden (percentage atheroma volume). In 484 patients with chronic kidney failure and few or no symptoms of coronary artery disease (mean age, 53±12 years; 62% men; 32% on dialysis), 56 (12%) patients suffered MACE and 69 (14%) patients died during a median follow-up of 4.9 years. High-risk plaques were present in 39 (70%) patients with MACE. Median calcified plaque burden was 3.7% in patients with MACE versus 0.2% in patients without MACE. The median low-attenuation plaque burden was 0.3% versus 0.03%, respectively. In semiqualitative analyses, the presence of high-risk plaque and a higher coronary artery calcium score were associated with increased risk of MACE (hazard ratio (HR), 2.0 [95% CI, 1.0-3.7]; P=0.040; HR, 1.2 [95% CI, 1.0-1.3]; P=0.014), respectively. Neither were associated with all-cause mortality. In quantified analysis, increasing levels of both calcified and low-attenuation plaque burdens were associated with risk of MACE (HR, 2.6 [95% CI, 1.8-3.7]; P<0.001; HR, 2.6 [95% CI, 1.5-4.5]; P=0.001 [per variable doubling, respectively]) and all-cause mortality (HR, 1.6 [95% CI, 1.2-2.1]; P=0.002; HR, 1.8 [95% CI, 1.1-3.0]; P=0.028, respectively). In patients with chronic kidney failure, calcified and low-attenuation plaque burdens were independently associated with MACE and all-cause mortality, while high-risk plaques and coronary artery calcium score were only associated with MACE. URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT01344434.

The University of Southern California psychosocial checklist: A novel tool to remotely screen transplant candidates with alcohol-associated liver disease prior to hospital transfer.

The University of Southern California psychosocial checklist: A novel tool to remotely screen transplant candidates with alcohol-associated liver disease prior to hospital transfer.

Proximal splenic artery embolization for treatment of refractory ascites, a single-center experience.

Refractory ascites from portal hypertension can be managed with regular large-volume paracentesis (LVP) or transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). Large-volume paracentesis is clinically unsatisfactory and many patients are ineligible or relatively contraindicated for TIPS or Denver shunt. Proximal splenic artery embolization (PSAE) using coils or plugs reduces but does not completely stop splenic arterial inflow, differing from distal splenic artery embolization techniques. By reducing splenic arterial inflow, splenic vein outflow is also decreased, lowering portal pressure and thus treating refractory ascites. In this institutional review board-approved single-center retrospective study, electronic medical records were reviewed to obtain demographics and baseline clinical and laboratory data, paracentesis data before and after PSAE, PSAE procedural details, and follow-up imaging up to 12months post-PSAE. Mixed-effects models were used for statistical analysis. Ten patients with LVP-dependent ascites meeting inclusion criteria underwent PSAE for refractory ascites from 2017 to 2024. Prior to PSAE, four patients had TIPS, three had liver transplants, and the remaining three were neither TIPS nor transplant candidates. In the month before PSAE, patients averaged 3.8±1.7 paracentesis sessions, draining a total of 20.84±10.39L of fluid monthly. Post-PSAE, the number of paracentesis sessions decreased to 2.1±2.7, 1.0±1.7, 0.4±1.1, and 0.0±0.0 at 1, 3, 6, and 12months, respectively (p=0.03). Corresponding ascitic volume drained decreased to 8.7±10.3, 2.7±6.4, 2.0±5.4, and 0.0±0.0L (p=0.01). Over the 12-month follow-up period, 6 of 10 patients became LVP-independent. Proximal splenic artery embolization can improve refractory ascites in certain patients with portal hypertension, thus providing safe and effective treatment as an alternative to TIPS.