The organizational model of the Interregional Transplant Agency Organizzazione Centro-Sud Trapianti

In Italy, all donation and transplant activities were officially disciplined in 1999 by the law 91 of April 1, 1999. This law enacted a coordinator-based model of transplantation, instituted the National Center for Transplantation (Centro Nazionale Trapianti-CNT), and endorsed the existing interregional transplant agencies (ITA), such as the Nord Italia Transplant program (NITp), the Associazione InterRegionale Trapianti (AIRT), and the Organizzazione Centro-Sud Trapianti (OCST). Within its borders each ITA has adopted its own organizational model; there is no overt centralized control exerted by the CNT according to the law 91/1999. The aim of the current work is to report on the organizational model adopted by OCST, the ITA gathering the Italian regions of Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Latium, Molise, Sardinia, Sicily, and Umbria

Transplantation activity in the Organizzazione Centro-Sud Trapianti: A retrospective study from 1999 to March 2004

Background. The Organizzazione Centro-Sud Trapianti (OCST) was set up in 1998 to coordinate the organ procurement and transplantation activity of 9 Italian regions (Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Molise, Sardinia, Sicily, and Umbria), each referring to a local Regional Transplant Center. The aim of the present study was to estimate organ donation and transplantation rates in the OCST from 1999 to March 2004. Materials and Methods. A retrospective study of organ donors and transplantation activity in the OCST during the study period was performed, pointing out donor epidemiological data, such as age and sex ratio, causes of death, reasons for discarding, and transplantation rate. Donors reported to the OCST were divided into 6 groups: A (October 1998-December 1999), B (2000), C (2001), D (2002), E (2003), and F (January-March 2004). Results. From 1999 to March 2004, 2272 potential donors were reported to the OCST. The nonharvested donors rate increased up to 52% (Group F), which was lower than the previous period (Group E, 64%), but higher than in 1999 (Group A, 43%). The major contributing factor was family opposition, which was 38% in 2002 and 41% in 2003. Conclusions. The introduction of the OCST into the field of organ transplantation has yielded an increase in organ donation and transplantation activity within the regions that set it up from 1999-2003. This trend is a consequence of the growth of reported donors from the intensive care unit, which grew 12.7% from 2002 to 2003. From the data analysis of the first months of 2004, we expect confirmation of this trend

Preclinical atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome increase cardio- and cerebrovascular events rate: a 20-year follow up

BACKGROUND: Intima-media thickness (IMT) is a validated marker of preclinical atherosclerosis and a predictor of cardiovascular events. PATIENTS: We studied a population of 529 asymptomatic patients (age 62\u2009\ub1\u200912.8 years), divided into two groups of subjects with and without Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). METHODS: All patients, at baseline, have had a carotid ultrasound evaluation and classified in two subgroups: the first one without atherosclerotic lesions and the second one with preclinical atherosclerosis (increased IMT or asymptomatic carotid plaque). Cardiovascular endpoints were investigated in a 20-years follow-up. RESULTS: There were 242 cardiovascular events: 144 among patients with MetS and 98 among in healthy controls (57.4% vs. 35.2%; P\u2009<\u20090.0001). 63 events occurred in patients with normal carotid arteries, while 179 events occurred in patients with preclinical atherosclerosis (31.8% vs. 54.1%; P\u2009<\u20090.0001). Of the 144 total events occurred in patients with MetS, 36 happened in the subgroup with normal carotid arteries and 108 in the subgroup with preclinical atherosclerosis (45% vs. 63.15%; P\u2009=\u20090.009). 98 events occurred in patients without MetS, of which 27 in the subgroup with normal carotid arteries and 71 in the subgroup with preclinical atherosclerosis (22.88% vs. 44.37%; P\u2009=\u20090.0003). In addition, considering the 63 total events occurred in patients without atherosclerotic lesions, 36 events were recorded in the subgroup with MetS and 27 events in the subgroup without MetS (45% vs. 22.88%; P\u2009=\u20090.0019). Finally, in 179 total events recorded in patients with preclinical carotid atherosclerosis, 108 happened in the subgroup with MetS and 71 happened in the subgroup without MetS (63.15% vs. 44.37%; P\u2009=\u20090.0009). The Kaplan-Meier function showed an improved survival in patients without atherosclerotic lesions compared with patients with carotid ultrasound alterations (P\u2009=\u20090.01, HR: 0.7366, CI: 0.5479 to 0.9904). CONCLUSIONS: Preclinical atherosclerosis leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular events, especially if it is associated with MetS

Glucosyltransferase-dependent and independent effects of Clostridioides difficile toxins during infection

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of nosocomial diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis in the USA. In addition to these symptoms, patients with CDI can develop severe inflammation and tissue damage, resulting in life-threatening toxic megacolon. CDI is mediated by two large homologous protein toxins, TcdA and TcdB, that bind and hijack receptors to enter host cells where they use glucosyltransferase (GT) enzymes to inactivate Rho family GTPases. GT-dependent intoxication elicits cytopathic changes, cytokine production, and apoptosis. At higher concentrations TcdB induces GT-independent necrosis in cells and tissue by stimulating production of reactive oxygen species via recruitment of the NADPH oxidase complex. Although GT-independent necrosis has been observed in vitro, the relevance of this mechanism during CDI has remained an outstanding question in the field. In this study we generated novel C. difficile toxin mutants in the hypervirulent BI/NAP1/PCR-ribotype 027 R20291 strain to test the hypothesis that GT-independent epithelial damage occurs during CDI. Using the mouse model of CDI, we observed that epithelial damage occurs through a GT-independent process that does not involve immune cell influx. The GT-activity of either toxin was sufficient to cause severe edema and inflammation, yet GT activity of both toxins was necessary to produce severe watery diarrhea. These results demonstrate that both TcdA and TcdB contribute to disease pathogenesis when present. Further, while inactivating GT activity of C. difficile toxins may suppress diarrhea and deleterious GT-dependent immune responses, the potential of severe GT-independent epithelial damage merits consideration when developing toxin-based therapeutics against CDI

Organizzazione Centro-Sud Trapianti: Outcome analysis 1999 to 2002

Background. The Organizzazione Centro-Sud Trapianti (OCST), which was created in 1998, is organized into eight regional areas, each referring to a local Regional Transplant Coordinating Center. Organs are primarily allocated to meet the demands of transplant C, centers in each regional area. Urgencies, pediatric grafts, and paybacks are managed by an Interregional Transplant Coordinating Center. The aim of the current work is to report on the impact of introduction of OCST on organ donation and transplant activity over the period from 1999 to 2002. Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of donor and transplant data charts over the period from 1999 to 2002 focused on outcome analysis based on donor epidemiological data, cause of death, reasons for discards and grafts performed at OCST local transplant centers. Results. From 1999 to 2002, we observed a remarkable increase in organ donation from 8.8 to 22.5 donors per million people. Donor epidemiology showed an increase in median a(ye and stroke incidence rates and a decrease in trauma cases. The nonharvested donor rate rose steadily over the study period, plateauing at 58%, which was compensated for by a threefold increase in donation. Family oppositions ranged as high as 35.5% on average, despite public efforts to support donation. Transplant activity rose by 76%. Conclusions. The institution of OCST and the efforts from central and regional authorities have yielded a significant increase in organ donation and transplant activity rates over the period from 1999 to 2002. Major areas of concern are the high opposition rate and the decreasing quality of harvested grafts. Long-term analysis is underway to assess the impact of OCST on the quality of transplants performed in the catchment area

The organizational model of the interregional transplant agency Organizzazione Centro-Sud Trapianti.

In Italy, all donation and transplant activities were officially disciplined in 1999 by the law 91 of April 1, 1999. This law enacted a coordinator-based model of transplantation, instituted the National Center for Transplantation (Centro Nazionale Trapianti-CNT), and endorsed the existing interregional transplant agencies (ITA), such as the Nord Italia Transplant program (NITp), the Associazione InterRegionale Trapianti (AIRT), and the Organizzazione Centro-Sud Trapianti (OCST). Within its borders each ITA has adopted its own organizational model; there is no overt centralized control exerted by the CNT according to the law 91/1999. The aim of the current work is to report on the organizational model adopted by OCST, the ITA gathering the Italian regions of Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Latium, Molise, Sardinia, Sicily, and Umbri

Strategies to increase heart transplantation in centre-sud transplant organization.

The 21 heart transplantations in Centre-Sud Transplant Organization (OCST) is a stable number despite increasing donations, especially among subjects aged 50 to 60 years. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibility to increase the usage of marginal hearts through dipyridamole ecostress. From 2008 to 2010 we analyzed OCST donors at 74 donation sites for echocardiography (31 yes versus 43 no) and heart utilization: (1) principal sites (n > 13) versus (2) minor sites (n 60 years with 217 (90%); 24 (10%), and 3 (1%) utilized hearts respectively to the analyzed sites, the utilized donors with echocardiography were 373: 259 (69.4%) versus 114 (30.5%) from those without such a service. Utilized donors between 50 and 60 years came from principal sites (n = 50), minor sites (n = 7) or those without an echocardiagram (n = 16). Utilized heart donors in each type of site were eight, one, and six, respectively. We believe that it may be possible to increase the total number of heart transplantations using dipyridamole stress-test echocardiography at the sites with major retrieval activity to increase heart transplantation among donors in the age range of 50 to 60 years. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved