Project description:Monogenic kidney diseases are involved in up to 15% of end-stage kidney diseases (ESKDs) in adults, and in 70 % of pediatric patients. When these disorders lead to kidney failure (KF), kidney transplantation (KT) is the preferred mode of replacement therapy. KT requires specific considerations depending on the nature of the genetic disorder, the potential oncological risk, the risk of recurrence in the graft, the possibility of specific complications of immunosuppression, and the issue of living donation. The availability of genetic testing should play an increasing role in the evaluation of patients or related living donor candidates before transplantation, relevant for the pretransplantation and posttransplantation management.
Project description:The recurrence of renal disease after renal transplantation is becoming one of the main causes of graft loss after kidney transplantation. This principally concerns some of the original diseases as the atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), the membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), in particular the MPGN now called C3 glomerulopathy. Both this groups of renal diseases are characterized by congenital (genetic) or acquired (auto-antibodies) modifications of the alternative pathway of complement. These abnormalities often remain after transplantation because they are constitutional and poorly influenced by the immunosuppression. This fact justifies the high recurrence rate of these diseases. Early diagnosis of recurrence is essential for an optimal therapeutically approach, whenever possible. Patients affected by end stage renal disease due to C3 glomerulopathies or to atypical HUS, may be transplanted with extreme caution. Living donor donation from relatives is not recommended because members of the same family may be affected by the same gene mutation. Different therapeutically approaches have been attempted either for recurrence prevention and treatment. The most promising approach is represented by complement inhibitors. Eculizumab, a monoclonal antibody against C5 convertase is the most promising drug, even if to date is not known how long the therapy should be continued and which are the best dosing. These facts face the high costs of the treatment. Eculizumab resistant patients have been described. They could benefit by a C3 convertase inhibitor, but this class of drugs is by now the object of randomized controlled trials.
Project description:Assembly of microtubule-associated protein tau into filamentous inclusions underlies a range of neurodegenerative diseases. Tau filaments adopt different conformations in Alzheimer's and Pick's diseases. Here, we used cryo- and immuno- electron microscopy to characterise filaments that were assembled from recombinant full-length human tau with four (2N4R) or three (2N3R) microtubule-binding repeats in the presence of heparin. 2N4R tau assembles into multiple types of filaments, and the structures of three types reveal similar 'kinked hairpin' folds, in which the second and third repeats pack against each other. 2N3R tau filaments are structurally homogeneous, and adopt a dimeric core, where the third repeats of two tau molecules pack in a parallel manner. The heparin-induced tau filaments differ from those of Alzheimer's or Pick's disease, which have larger cores with different repeat compositions. Our results illustrate the structural versatility of amyloid filaments, and raise questions about the relevance of in vitro assembly.
Project description:Although the focus in the area of health research may be shifting from infectious to non-communicable diseases, the infectious diseases of poverty remain a major burden of disease of global health concern. A global platform to communicate and share the research on these diseases is needed to facilitate the translation of knowledge into effective approaches and tools for their elimination. Based on the "One health, One world" mission, a new, open-access journal, Infectious Diseases of Poverty (IDP), was launched by BioMed Central in partnership with the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases (NIPD), Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) on October 25, 2012. Its aim is to identify and assess research and information gaps that hinder progress towards new interventions for a particular public health problem in the developing world. From the inaugural IDP issue of October 25, 2012, a total of 256 manuscripts have been published over the following five years. Apart from a small number of editorials, opinions, commentaries and letters to the editor, the predominant types of publications are research articles (69.5%) and scoping reviews (21.5%). A total of 1 081 contributing authors divided between 323 affiliations across 68 countries, territories and regions produced these 256 publications. The journal is indexed in major international biomedical databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus and Embase. In 2015, it was assigned its first impact factor (4.11), which is now 2.13. During the past five years, IDP has received manuscripts from 90 countries, territories and regions across six continents with an annual acceptance rate of all contributions maintained at less than 40%. Content analysis shows that neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), followed by the "Big Three" (HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis) and infectious diseases in general comprise 88% of all publications. In addition, a series of 10 thematic issues, covering 118 publications in all, was published as separate parts of the first five volumes. These publications were cited 975 times, which equals an average of 8.3 times per publication. The current challenge is to identify cutting-edge research topics and attract and to publish first-rate publications leading to increasing importance and impact of the journal in its field.
Project description:Regulatory cell therapies, including regulatory T cells and mesenchymal stromal cells, have shown promise in early clinical trials for reducing immunosuppression burden in transplantation. While regulatory cell therapies may also offer potential for treating autoimmune kidney diseases, data remains sparse, limited mainly to preclinical studies. This review synthesises current literature on the application of regulatory cell therapies in these fields, highlighting the safety and efficacy shown in existing clinical trials. We discuss the need for further clinical validation, optimisation of clinical and immune monitoring protocols, and the challenges of manufacturing and quality control under Good Manufacturing Practice conditions, particularly for investigator-led trials. Additionally, we explore the potential for expanding clinical indications and the unique challenges posed in paediatric applications. Future directions include scaling up production, refining protocols to ensure consistent quality across manufacturing sites, and extending applications to other immune-mediated diseases.
Project description:Lung transplantation in Japan is an increasingly accessible treatment option for end-stage lung disease; however, the lack of donor organs is a persisting challenge. Five- and 10-year survival rates of lung transplant recipients in Japan are comparable, if not superior, to international standards. The outcomes of lung transplantation in Japan are likely affected by multiple factors. Infectious disease complications are a significant burden to transplant recipients and account for approximately 30% of recipient mortality in Japan, presenting a major challenge in peri-transplant management. Herein, we explore the current status of infectious disease epidemiology, available evidence surrounding infectious diseases in lung transplantation, and potentially influential factors pertinent to lung transplantation outcomes in Japan. Although infection remains the major cause of morbidity and mortality associated with lung transplantation in Japan, there is limited data and evidence. Despite some uncertainties, publicly available data suggests a low rate of antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacteria and a distinct set of endemic pathogens that recipients may encounter. As a countermeasure against the burden of infectious diseases, 8 out of 10 transplant centers in Japan have a dedicated infectious diseases department. Despite these efforts, specific surveillance, prevention, and management are indispensable to improving post-transplantation infectious disease management. We accordingly lay out potential areas for improving infectious disease-related outcomes among lung transplant recipients in Japan.
Project description:BackgroundThe burden and timeline of posttransplant infections are not comprehensively documented in the current era of immunosuppression and prophylaxis.MethodsIn this prospective study nested within the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study (STCS), all clinically relevant infections were identified by transplant-infectious diseases physicians in persons receiving solid organ transplant (SOT) between May 2008 and December 2014 with ≥12 months of follow-up.ResultsAmong 3541 SOT recipients, 2761 (1612 kidney, 577 liver, 286 lung, 213 heart, and 73 kidney-pancreas) had ≥12 months of follow-up; 1520 patients (55%) suffered 3520 infections during the first year posttransplantation. Burden and timelines of clinically relevant infections differed between transplantations. Bacteria were responsible for 2202 infections (63%) prevailing throughout the year, with a predominance of Enterobacteriaceae (54%) as urinary pathogens in heart, lung, and kidney transplant recipients, and as digestive tract pathogens in liver transplant recipients. Enterococcus spp (20%) occurred as urinary tract pathogens in kidney transplant recipients and as digestive tract pathogens in liver transplant recipients, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9%) in lung transplant recipients. Among 1039 viral infections, herpesviruses predominated (51%) in kidney, liver, and heart transplant recipients. Among 263 fungal infections, Candida spp (60%) prevailed as digestive tract pathogens in liver transplant recipients. Opportunistic pathogens, including Aspergillus fumigatus (1.4%) and cytomegalovirus (6%), were rare, scattering over 12 months across all SOT recipients.ConclusionsIn the current era of immunosuppression and prophylaxis, SOT recipients experience a high burden of infections throughout the first year posttransplantation, with rare opportunistic pathogens and a predominance of bacteria.
Project description:BackgroundAs the population ages, the burden on the healthcare system might increase and require changed public health priorities. As infections are often more severe at older age, we rank notifiable infectious diseases (ID) and describe trends of ID among the general population aged ≥65 years in Norway in order to inform public health priorities for the aging population.MethodsWe included all eligible cases of the 58 IDs notified between 1993 and 2011 (n = 223,758; 12% ≥65 years) and determined annual notification rates as the number of notified cases divided by the number of inhabitants of the corresponding year. We ranked diseases using their average annual notification rate for 2007-2011. Trends in notification rates from 1993 onwards were determined with a non-parametric test for trend. Using notification rate ratios (NRR), we compared results in those aged ≥65 years to those aged 20-64 years.ResultsInvasive pneumococcal disease was the most common ID among the population ≥65 years (notification rate 58/100,000), followed by pertussis (54/100,000) and campylobacteriosis (30/100,000). Most ID notification rates did not change over time, though the notification rate of symptomatic MRSA infections increased from 1/100,000 in 1995 (first year of notification) to 14/100,000 in 2011.Overall, fewer cases were notified among the population ≥65 years compared to 20-64 year olds (NRR = 0.73). The NRR of each of the invasive bacterial diseases and antibiotic-resistant infections were above 1.5 (i.e. more common in ≥65), while the NRR of each food- and waterborne disease, blood-borne disease/STI and (non-invasive) vaccine preventable disease was below 1.ConclusionsBased on our results, we emphasise the importance of focusing public health efforts for those ≥65 years on preventing invasive bacterial infections. This can be achieved by increasing pneumococcal and influenza vaccine uptake, and risk communication including encouraging those aged ≥65 years and their caretakers to seek healthcare at signs of systemic infection. Furthermore, good compliance to infection control measures, screening of the at-risk population, and careful use of antibiotics may prevent further increase in antibiotic-resistant infections.
Project description:More than 25% of pediatric kidney transplants are lost within 7 years, necessitating dialysis or retransplantation. Retransplantation practices and the outcomes of repeat transplantations, particularly among those with early graft loss, are not clear.We examined retransplantation practice patterns and outcomes in 14,799 pediatric (ages <18 years) patients between 1987 and 2010. Death-censored graft survival was analyzed using extended Cox models and retransplantation using competing risks regression.After the first graft failure, 50.4% underwent retransplantation and 12.1% died within 5 years; after the second graft failure, 36.1% underwent retransplantation and 15.4% died within 5 years. Prior preemptive transplantation and graft loss after 5 years were associated with increased rates of retransplantation. Graft loss before 5 years, older age, non-Caucasian race, public insurance, and increased panel-reactive antibody were associated with decreased rates of retransplantation. First transplants had lower risk of graft loss compared with second (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64-0.80; P<0.001), third (aHR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.49-0.78; P<0.001), and fourth (aHR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.24-0.78; P=0.005) transplants. However, among patients receiving two or more transplants (conditioned on having lost a first transplant), second graft median survival was 8.5 years despite a median survival of 4.5 years for the first transplant. Among patients receiving three or more transplants, third graft median survival was 7.7 years despite median survivals of 2.1 and 3.1 years for the first and second transplants.Among pediatric kidney transplant recipients who experience graft loss, racial and socioeconomic disparities exist with regard to retransplantation, and excellent graft survival can be achieved with retransplantation despite poor survival of previous grafts.
Project description:The intestinal microbiota is recognized to play a role in the defense against infection, but conversely also acts as a reservoir for potentially pathogenic organisms. Disruption to the microbiome can increase the risk of invasive infection from these organisms; therefore, strategies to restore the composition of the gut microbiota are a potential strategy of key interest to mitigate this risk. Fecal (or Intestinal) Microbiota Transplantation (FMT/IMT), is the administration of minimally manipulated screened healthy donor stool to an affected recipient, and remains the major 'whole microbiome' therapeutic approach at present. Driven by the marked success of using FMT in the treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, the potential use of FMT in treating other infectious diseases is an area of active research. In this review, we discuss key examples of this treatment based on recent findings relating to the interplay between microbiota and infection, and potential further exploitations of FMT/IMT.