Taking care of kidney transplant recipients during the COVID-19 pandemic: experience from a medicalized hotel.

The global overload that health systems are undergoing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced hospitals to explore sustainable alternatives to treat vulnerable patients that require closer monitoring and higher use of resources, such as Kidney Transplant Recipients (KTRs)1,2 .The use of telemedicine and hospital-like infrastructures represent a valid option for most patients with mild-moderate COVID-19, as well as for patients in the recovery phase who cannot be discharged from hospital

Preemptive simultaneous pancreas kidney transplantation has survival benefit to patients

Several organ allocation protocols give priority to wait-listed simultaneous kidney-pancreas (SPK) transplant recipients to mitigate the higher cardiovascular risk of patients with diabetes mellitus on dialysis. The available information regarding the impact of preemptive simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation on recipient and graft outcomes is nonetheless controversial. To help resolve this, we explored the influence of preemptive simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplants on patient and graft survival through a retrospective analysis of the OPTN/UNOS database, encompassing 9690 simultaneous transplant recipients between 2000 and 2017. Statistical analysis was performed applying a propensity score analysis to minimize bias. Of these patients, 1796 (19%) were transplanted preemptively. At ten years, recipient survival was significantly superior in the preemptive group when compared to the non-preemptive group (78.9% vs 71.8%). Dialysis at simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation was an independent significant risk for patient survival (hazard ratio 1.66 [95% confidence interval 1.32-2.09]), especially if the dialysis duration was 12 months or longer. Preemptive transplantation was also associated with significant superior kidney graft survival compared to those on dialysis (death-censored: 84.3% vs 75.4%, respectively; estimated half-life of 38.57 [38.33 -38.81] vs 22.35 [22.17 - 22.53] years, respectively). No differences were observed between both groups neither for pancreas graft survival nor for post-transplant surgical complications. Thus, our results sustain the relevance of early referral for pancreas transplantation and the importance of pancreas allocation priority in reducing patient mortality after simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation

Kidney transplant from a living monozygotic twin donor with no maintenance immunosuppression.

From a theoretical point of view, an alloimmune response can not take place, still some type of standard immunosuppression is used in about 60% of patients receiving kidney grafts from their monozygotic twins. We aimed at assessing clinical response in patients receiving renal grafts from a living monozygotic twin donor when no immunosuppressive therapy is used. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study of patients receiving kidney grafts from their monozygotic twins from 1969 to 2013. The following data were recorded: age, renal graft recipient's primary disease, renal function, renal survival and overall survival. Immunosuppressive therapy included a single intraoperative dose of methylprednisolone 500 mg and no maintenance immunosuppression. RESULTS: Five patients with kidney grafts from their monozygotic twins were dentified in our centre. Mean age at transplantation was 33 years (27-39). One-year overall survival and graft survival were 100%. Mean creatinine level was 0.96 ± 0.2 one year after transplantation, and 1.2 ± 0.37 mg/dl at most recent follow-up. Two patients died with a functional graft more than 15 years after kidney transplantation (causes were melanoma and cardiovascular event respectively). Follow-up was lost in a patient one year after transplantation. Two patients are alive with a functioning graft at 18 months and 42.5 years after transplantation respectively. CONCLUSION: Kidney transplantation from a living monozygotic twin is associated to outstanding clinical outcomes. Immunossuppresive therapy to suppress alloimmune response in probably unnecessary 11 zygosity has been confirmed

Mineral metabolism disorders, vertebral fractures and aortic calcifications in stable kidney transplant recipients: The role of gender (EMITRAL study).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The relationship between mineral metabolism disorders, bone fractures and vascular calcifications in kidney transplant recipients has not been established. METHOD: We performed a cross-sectional study in 727 stable recipients from 28 Spanish transplant clinics. Mineral metabolism parameters, the semi-quantification of vertebral fractures and abdominal aortic calcifications were determined centrally. RESULTS: Vitamin D deficiency (25OHD3<15ng/ml) was more common in female recipients at CKD-T stages I-III (29.6% vs 44.4%; p=0.003). The inverse and significant correlation between 25OHD3 and PTH was gender-specific and women exhibited a steeper slope than men (p=0.01). Vertebral fractures (VFx) with deformity grade ≥2 were observed in 15% of recipients. Factors related to VFx differed by gender; in males, age (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01-1.06) and CsA treatment (OR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.6-6.3); in females, age (OR 1.07; 95% CI: 1.03-1.12) and PTH levels (OR per 100pg/ml increase: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.043-1.542). Abdominal aortic calcifications were common (67.2%) and related to classical risk factors but not to mineral metabolism parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency is more common among female kidney transplant recipients at earlier CKD-T stages, and it contributes to secondary hyperparathyroidism. Prevalent vertebral fractures are only related to high serum PTH levels in female recipients

Mineral metabolism disorders, vertebral fractures and aortic calcifications in stable kidney transplant recipients: the role of gender (EMITRAL study)

Background and objectives: The relationship between mineral metabolism disorders, bone fractures and vascular calcifications in kidney transplant recipients has not been established. Method: We performed a cross-sectional study in 727 stable recipients from 28 Spanish transplant clinics. Mineral metabolism parameters, the semi-quantification of vertebral fractures and abdominal aortic calcifications were determined centrally. Results: Vitamin D deficiency (250HD(3) = 2 were observed in 15% of recipients. Factors related to VFx differed by gender; in males, age (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01-1.06) and CsA treatment (OR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.6-6.3); in females, age (OR 1.07; 95% CI: 1.03-1.12) and PTH levels (OR per 100 pg/ml increase: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.043-1.542). Abdominal aortic calcifications were common (67.2%) and related to classical risk factors but not to mineral metabolism parameters. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is more common among female kidney transplant recipients at earlier CKD-T stages, and it contributes to secondary hyperparathyroidism. Prevalent vertebral fractures are only related to high serum PTH levels in female recipients. (C) 2016 Sociedad Espanola de Nefrologia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U

Mineral metabolism disorders, vertebral fractures and aortic calcifications in stable kidney transplant recipients: the role of gender (EMITRAL study)

Background and objectives: The relationship between mineral metabolism disorders, bone fractures and vascular calcifications in kidney transplant recipients has not been established. Method: We performed a cross-sectional study in 727 stable recipients from 28 Spanish transplant clinics. Mineral metabolism parameters, the semi-quantification of vertebral fractures and abdominal aortic calcifications were determined centrally. Results: Vitamin D deficiency (250HD(3) = 2 were observed in 15% of recipients. Factors related to VFx differed by gender; in males, age (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01-1.06) and CsA treatment (OR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.6-6.3); in females, age (OR 1.07; 95% CI: 1.03-1.12) and PTH levels (OR per 100 pg/ml increase: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.043-1.542). Abdominal aortic calcifications were common (67.2%) and related to classical risk factors but not to mineral metabolism parameters. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is more common among female kidney transplant recipients at earlier CKD-T stages, and it contributes to secondary hyperparathyroidism. Prevalent vertebral fractures are only related to high serum PTH levels in female recipients. (C) 2016 Sociedad Espanola de Nefrologia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U