Psychological perspective of medication adherence in transplantation

To identify the risk factors and the post-transplant psychological symptoms that affect adherence to therapy in a population of kidney transplant recipients

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Simultaneous Native Nephrectomy and Kidney Transplantation in Patients With Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease.

INTRODUCTION:To evaluate the feasibility of simultaneous unilateral nephrectomy with kidney transplantation and to determine the effect of this procedure on perioperative morbidity and mortality and graft and patient survival. METHODS:Between January 2000 and May 2015, 145 patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) underwent kidney transplantation. Of those, 40 (27.5%) underwent concurrent ipsilateral native nephrectomy (group NT). Patients in group NT were compared with patients with ADPKD not undergoing concurrent nephrectomy (group NT-) and asymptomatic patients undergoing pretransplant nephrectomy (group PNT). RESULTS:The average follow-up was 66 months. The graft survival rate at 1 and 5 years was 95% and 87.5% versus 93% and 76.2% in the NT and NT- groups, respectively (P = .903 and P = .544, respectively); 1-year patient survival was 100% for NT and 97% for NT- patients (P = .288), whereas 5-year patient survival was 100% and 92% for NT and NT- groups, respectively (P = .128). After propensity score matching (34 patients per group) no significant differences were observed in 1-year (97.1% in NT and 94.1%; P = 1) and 5-year (88.2% in NT and 91.2% in NT-; P = 1) graft survival, and in 1-year (100% for both groups; P = 1) and 5-year (100% in NT and 94.1% in NT-; P = 1) patient survival. Perioperative mortality was 0% among NT and 1.2% among NT- patients, whereas perioperative surgical complications were similar in both groups. One- and 5-year graft and patient survival were similar between the NT and PNT groups, but patients in the PNT group had significantly lower levels of hemoglobin and residual diuresis volumes at the time of transplant. Moreover, PNT patients had a longer pretransplant dialysis and a longer time on the waiting list. CONCLUSIONS:Simultaneous unilateral nephrectomy does not have a negative effect on patient and graft survival in patients with ADPKD and is associated with low morbidity. Pretransplant nephrectomy should be restricted only to highly symptomatic patients, whereas unilateral nephrectomy in asymptomatic patients should be performed during kidney transplantation only if massive kidney size precludes graft positioning

Clinical outcomes after propensity score matching.

<p>Clinical outcomes after propensity score matching.</p

Surgical complications and clinical outcomes of 40 kidney transplant recipients with concomitant unilateral nephrectomy (NT).

<p>Patients of group NT were compared with 80 polycystic patients not undergoing simultaneous nephrectomy during kidney transplantation (NT-) and with 25 patients undergoing nephrectomy before transplantation (PNT).</p

Demographic and baseline characteristics after propensity score matching.

<p>Demographic and baseline characteristics after propensity score matching.</p

Clinical data of 40 kidney transplant recipients with concomitant unilateral nephrectomy (NT).

<p>Patients of group NT were compared with 80 polycystic patients not undergoing simultaneous nephrectomy during kidney transplantation (NT-) and with 25 patients undergoing nephrectomy before transplantation (PNT).</p

Post-transplant outcomes of 40 kidney transplant recipients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease with simultaneous ipsilateral nephrectomy (group NT) compared with 80 recipients with polycystic disease who did not receive adjuvant nephrectomy (group NT-).

<p>(A) Patient survival and (B) graft survival.</p

Systemic Chemotherapy for Advanced Rare Pancreatic Histotype Tumors: A Retrospective Multicenter Analysis

Two issues were put forth by clinicians in the management of the advanced stages of rare variants of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and other exocrine histotypes with peculiar clinical and pathological features: Do chemotherapy regimens recommended in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients have a clinical activity in rare pancreatic tumors? Or should other chemotherapy combinations be considered in this subset of patients