Trends in University cardiac surgery of Cape Town, at the 1971 1981

A review has been undertaken of the number and types of surgical procedures performed in the Department of Cardiac Surgery of the University of Cape Town during the 11-year period 1971-1981, together with data on associated mortality. A yearly average of 560 operations was carried out, of which 75% were for acquired and 25% for congenital heart disease. The number of patients treated continues to rise, from 434 in 1971 to 690 in 1981. There has been a slight reduction in the overall average yearly mortality, from 6,1 % between 1971 and 1975 to 5,0% between 1976 and 1981. There was a significant increase in the number of valve replacements in 1975 and 1976 and a more recent, continuing increase in operations for ischaemic heart disease, which now form 19% of the total operations. In both these groups the average yearly mortality has fallen during the period of study. The number of operations each year for congenital heart disease has remained fairly constant, but, disappointingly, there has been no significant reduction in mortality

Close contacts of xenograft recipients: Ethical considerations due to risk of xenozoonosis

With decades of pre-clinical studies culminating in the recent clinical application of xenotransplantation, it would appear timely to provide recommendations for operationalizing oversight of xenotransplantation clinical trials. Ethical issues with clinical xenotransplantation have been described for decades, largely centering on animal welfare, the risks posed to the recipient, and public health risks posed by potential spread of xenozoonosis. Much less attention has been given to considerations relating to potentially elevated risks faced by those who may care for or otherwise have close contact with xenograft recipients. This paper examines the ethical and logistical issues raised by the potential exposure to xenozoonotic disease faced by close contacts of xenotransplant recipients—defined herein as including but not limited to caregivers, household contacts, and sexual partners— which warrants special attention given their increased risk of exposure to infection compared to the general public. We discuss implications of assent or consent by these close contacts to potentially undergo, along with the recipient, procedures for infection screening and possible quarantine. We then propose several options and recommendations for operationalizing oversight of xenotransplantation clinical trials that could account for and address close contacts’ education on and agency regarding the risk of xenozoonosis

Lack of cardiac differentiation in c-kit-enriched porcine bone marrow and spleen hematopoietic cell cultures using 5-azacytidine

The adult spleen is a source of early hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). We therefore studied whether culturing spleen or bone marrow (BM) HSC in medium containing 5-azacytidine could induce a cardiac phenotype. c-kit enrichment and depletion of adult pig spleen and BM mononuclear cells were obtained by magnetic bead separation using biotinylated pig stem cell factor (c-kit ligand). Cells were incubated with 5-azacytidine for 24 h and refreshed with 5-azacytidine-free medium every 48 h. Western blot was used to detect cardiac troponin and myosin heavy chains. Alth

Kidney xenotransplantation: future clinical reality or science fiction?

There is a global shortage of organs for transplantation and despite many governments making significant changes to their organ donation systems, there are not enough kidneys available to meet the demand. This has led scientists and clinicians to explore alternative means of meeting this organ shortfall. One of the alternatives to human organ transplantation is xenotransplantation, which is the transplantation of organs, tissues, or cells between different species. The resurgence of interest in xenotransplantation and recent scientific breakthroughs suggest that genetically-engineered pigs may soon present a realistic alternative as sources of kidneys for clinical transplantation. It is therefore important for nurses and allied health professionals to understand what is involved in xenotransplantation and its future implications for their clinical practices. First, we explore the insufficiency of different organ donation systems to meet the kidney shortage. Second, we provide a background and a summary of the progress made so far in xenotransplantation research. Third, we discuss some of the scientific, technological, ethical, and economic issues associated with xenotransplantation. Finally, we summarise the literature on the attitudes of healthcare professionals towards xenotransplantation

Non-specific removal of antibodies in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy: implications for xenotransplantation

We assessed the efficiency of non-specific extracorporeal immunoadsorption (EIA), using polyclonal anti-human immunoglobulin antibodies, in depleting the serum of anti-galactose{alpha}1,3galactose (Gal) antibody and in decreasing serum cytotoxicity in 5 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. The mean concentrations of anti-Gal immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG before EIA were 74 μg/ml and 159 μg/ml, respectively. After EIA, these concentrations decreased by 86% and 88%, respectively. Both anti-Gal IgM and IgG returned to pre-EIA concentrations within 1 month, without rebound to greater than baseline concentrations. After EIA, mean serum cytotoxicity also decreased from 90% to 17%, with recovery by 1 month. Extracorporeal immunoadsorption proved safe in patients with heart failure and was effective in depleting anti-Gal antibody and in decreasing serum cytotoxicity to pig cells

Non-human primate regulatory T cells: Current biology and implications for transplantation

Regulatory T cells (Treg) offer potential for improving long-term outcomes in cell and organ transplantation. The non-human primate model is a valuable resource for addressing issues concerning the transfer of Treg therapy to the clinic. Herein, we discuss the properties of non-human primate Treg and prospects for their evaluation in allotransplantation and xenotransplantation