• The Korean Nurse
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• v.8 no.3 s.41
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• pp.22-30
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• 1969

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.105-108
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• 2019

Background: Although kidney transplantation outcomes have improved dramatically after using calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs), CNI toxicity continues to be reported and the mechanism remains uncertain. Here, we investigated the neurotoxicity of CNIs by focusing on the viability of glioma cells. Methods: Glioma cells were treated with several concentrations of CNIs for 24 hours at $37^{\circ}C$ and their cell viability was evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Results: Exposure to 0, 0.25, 0.5, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 mM concentrations respectively showed 100%, 64.3%, 61.3%, 68.1%, 62.4%, and 68.6% cell viability for cyclosporine and 100%, 38.6%, 40.8%, 43.7%, 37.8%, and 43.0% for tacrolimus. The direct toxic effect of tacrolimus on glioma cell viability was stronger than that of cyclosporine at the same concentration. Conclusion: CNIs can cause neurological side effects by directly exerting cytotoxic effects on brain cells. Therefore, we should carefully monitor the neurologic symptoms and level of CNIs in kidney transplant patients.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.35-38
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• 2022

Cerebral toxoplasmosis is often life-threatening in an immunocompromised patient due to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Several differential diagnoses could be possible only with preoperative brain images of cerebral toxoplasmosis which show multiple rim-enhancing lesions. Due to the rarity of cerebral toxoplasmosis cases in Korea, the diagnosis and treatment are often delayed. This paper concerns a male patient whose cerebral toxoplasmosis was activated 21 years post kidney transplantation. Brain open biopsy was decided to make an exact diagnosis. Cerebral toxoplasmosis was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and PCR analyses of the tissue samples. Although cerebral toxoplasmosis was under control with medication, the patient did not recover clinically and died due to sepsis and recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.395-406
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between the level of stress and the quality of life among the adult recipients of living donor liver transplantation. Methods: Participants were 213 outpatients who received living donor liver transplantation at least 3 months prior to this study. Stress was measured using a modified version of the Kidney Transplant Recipient Stressor Scale (KTRSS), and the quality of life was measured using SF-36 version 2. Results: The mean of scaled stress level and quality of life of liver transplant recipients were $2.44{\pm}0.13$, $69.28{\pm}18.25$, respectively. There was an inverse correlation between those two parameters. Therefore lower stress could improve quality of life. Conclusion: For the liver transplantation recipients, improving the quality of life is to be the ultimate goal of health-related mediation. Liver transplantation recipients would need to cultivate self-care ability to manage stress, and improving their quality of life.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.242-249
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• 2016

Background: We evaluated early and long-term results after heart transplantation (HTPL). Methods: One hundred five consecutive patients (male:female=80:25) who underwent HTPL between 1994 and 2013 were enrolled. Based on the changes in immunosuppressive regimen, the study patients were divided into two groups. Early and long-term clinical outcomes were evaluated and compared between the patients who underwent HTPL before (group E, n=41) and after July 2009 (group L, n=64). The group L patients were older (p<0.001), had higher incidence of hypertension (p=0.001) and chronic kidney disease (p<0.001), and more frequently needed preoperative mechanical ventilation (p=0.027) and mechanical circulatory support (p=0.014) than the group E patients. Results: Overall operative mortality was 3.8%, and postoperative morbidities included acute kidney injury (n=31), respiratory complications (n=16), reoperation for bleeding (n=15) and wound complications (n=10). There were no significant differences in early results except acute kidney injury between group E and group L patients. Overall survival rates at 1, 5, and 10 years were 83.8%, 67.7%, and 54.9%, respectively, with no significant difference between the two patient groups. Rejection-free rates at 1 and 5 years were 63.0% and 59.7%, respectively; rates were significantly higher in group L than in group E (p<0.001). Conclusion: Despite increased preoperative comorbidities, group L patients showed similar early and long-term outcomes and significantly higher rejection-free rates when compared with group E patients.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.181-188
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• 2021

Anemia commonly occurs in kidney transplantation (KT) recipients. Many factors such as viral infection, bleeding, erythropoietin deficiency, and immunosuppressants are the causes of chronic anemia in KT recipients. We report 2 cases who developed severe anemia caused by parvovirus B19 infection and were successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulin in pediatric KT recipients.

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 2023

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) in end-stage renal disease patients and its change after kidney transplantation (KT). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent KT between 2007 and 2018 at two tertiary centers. We analyzed 488 patients (median age, 53 years; 58% male) who had obtained echocardiography both before and within 3 years after KT. Conventional echocardiography and LV GLS assessed by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography were comprehensively analyzed. Patients were classified into three groups according to the absolute value of pre-KT LV GLS (|LV GLS|). We compared longitudinal changes of cardiac structure and function according to pre-KT |LV GLS|. RESULTS: Correlation between pre-KT LV EF and |LV GLS| were statistically significant, but the constant was not high (r = 0.292, p < 0.001). |LV GLS| was widely distributed at corresponding LV EF, especially when the LV EF was > 50%. Patients with severely impaired pre-KT |LV GLS| had significantly larger LV dimension, LV mass index, left atrial volume index, and E/e' and lower LV EF, compared to mildly and moderately reduced pre-KT |LV GLS|. After KT, the LV EF, LV mass index, and |LV GLS| were significantly improved in three groups. Patients with severely impaired pre-KT |LV GLS| showed the most prominent improvement of LV EF and |LV GLS| after KT, compared to other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in LV structure and function after KT were observed in patients throughout the full spectrum of pre-KT |LV GLS|.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.2-10
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• 2017

Early detection and proper management of kidney rejection are crucial for the long-term health of a transplant recipient. Recipients are normally monitored by serum creatinine measurement and sometimes with graft biopsies. Donor-derived cell-free deoxyribonucleic acid (cfDNA) in the recipient's plasma and/or urine may be a better indicator of acute rejection. We evaluated digital PCR (dPCR) as a system for monitoring graft status using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based detection of donor DNA in plasma or urine. We compared the detection abilities of the QX200, RainDrop, and QuantStudio 3D dPCR systems. The QX200 was the most accurate and sensitive. Plasma and/or urine samples were isolated from 34 kidney recipients at multiple time points after transplantation, and analyzed by dPCR using the QX200. We found that donor DNA was almost undetectable in plasma DNA samples, whereas a high percentage of donor DNA was measured in urine DNA samples, indicating that urine is a good source of cfDNA for patient monitoring. We found that at least 24% of the highly polymorphic SNPs used to identify individuals could also identify donor cfDNA in transplant patient samples. Our results further showed that autosomal, sex-specific, and mitochondrial SNPs were suitable markers for identifying donor cfDNA. Finally, we found that donor-derived cfDNA measurement by dPCR was not sufficient to predict a patient's clinical condition. Our results indicate that donor-derived cfDNA is not an accurate predictor of kidney status in kidney transplant patients.

• Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research
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• v.95 no.5
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• pp.278-285
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• 2018

Purpose: We investigated the clinical outcomes of deceased donor kidney transplantation (KT) using kidneys with terminal acute kidney injury (AKI). Methods: Between February 2000 and December 2013, we performed 202 deceased donor renal transplants from 159 brain dead donors. According to the expanded criteria donor (ECD) and AKI network criteria, we divided 202 recipients into 4 groups: Group I: Non-AKI & standard criteria donor (SCD) (n = 97); group II: Non-AKI & ECD (n = 15); group III: AKI & SCD (n = 52); and group IV: AKI & ECD (n = 38). Results: The incidence of delayed graft function (DFG) was significantly higher in patients with AKI than it was in the non-AKI group (P = 0.008). There were no significant differences among the 4 groups in graft survival (P = 0.074) or patient survival (P = 0.090). However, the long-term allograft survival rate was significantly lower in group IV than it was in other groups (P = 0.024). Conclusion: Allografts from deceased donors with terminal AKI had a higher incidence of DGF than did those from donors without AKI. However, there is no significant difference in graft and patient survival rates among the groups. So, the utilization of renal grafts from ECDs with terminal AKI is a feasible approach to address the critical organ shortage.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.176-179
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• 2015

Rituximab (RTX), a monoclonal antibody against the B-cell marker CD20, is commonly used as a treatment for antibody-mediated diseases or B-lymphocyte-mediated diseases. Destruction of B cells may reverse the disease course in many conditions; however, patients who are treated with RTX cannot respond appropriately to de novo infection due to lack of B lymphocytes. Here, we report one such case. A 7-year-old renal allograft recipient presented with severe anemia due to parvovirus infection after RTX treatment. The patient had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and had received cadaveric kidney transplantation 6 months previously. She was treated with high-dose steroid for acute rejection and RTX for Epstein Barr Virus infection 3 months previously. At presentation, her hemoglobin level was 5.4 g/dL and leukocyte and platelet counts were normal. She had microcytic normochromic anemia and high viral load of parvovirus B19(70,578 copies/mL). Intravenous immunoglobulin ($200mg/kg{\cdot}d$) treatment controlled the progression of anemia and parvovirus infection. De novo parvovirus infection during the B lymphocyte-depletion period may have precipitated the severe anemia in this case. Close monitoring of infection is required after RTX therapy.