Altered Immunogenicity of Donor Lungs via Removal of Passenger Leukocytes Using Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion

Passenger leukocyte transfer from the donor lung to the recipient is intrinsically involved in acute rejection. Direct presentation of alloantigen expressed on donor leukocytes is recognized by recipient T cells, promoting acute cellular rejection. We utilized ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) to study passenger leukocyte migration from donor lungs into the recipient and to evaluate the effects of donor leukocyte depletion prior to transplantation. For this purpose, female pigs received male left lungs either following 3 h of EVLP or retrieved using standard protocols. Recipients were monitored for 24 h and sequential samples were collected. EVLP-reduced donor leukocyte transfer into the recipient and migration to recipient lymph nodes was markedly reduced. Recipient T cell infiltration of the donor lung was significantly diminished via EVLP. Donor leukocyte removal during EVLP reduces direct allorecognition and T cell priming, diminishing recipient T cell infiltration, the hallmark of acute rejection.

Trends in the HIV Epidemic Among African American Men Who Have Sex with Men, San Francisco, 2004-2011

African American men who have sex with men have been disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic in the United States and remain to this day one of the groups with highest HIV prevalence and incidence. Our goal was to clarify the current state of HIV risk, sexual behaviors, and structural/network-network level factors that affect black MSM's population risk of HIV, enabling the formulation of targeted and up-to-date public health messages/campaigns directed at this vulnerable population. Our approach maximized the use of local data through a process of synthesis and triangulation of multiple independent and overlapping sources of information that are sometimes separately published and often not examined side-by-side. Among African American MSM, we observed stable HIV incidence despite increases in reported individual risk behavior and STDs. An increasing proportion of African American MSM are reporting HIV testing in the past 6 months and seroadaptive behaviors, which may play a role in this observed decline in HIV among MSM in San Francisco, California. Our analysis suggests that currently the HIV epidemic is stable among African American MSM in San Francisco. However, we suggest that the observed stability is due to factors prohibiting expansion of new infections rather than decreasing risks for HIV infection among African American MSM.

Ames positive boronic acids are not all eukaryotic genotoxins

Boronic acids and their derivatives have been exploited for their pharmacological activity and their utility as intermediates in the synthesis of novel non-boron containing compounds. A recent study reported that boronic acids are bacterial mutagens. Here, results are reported from the testing of nine boronic acids using the pan-mechanistic eukaryotic GADD45a genotoxicity assays, BlueScreen HC and GreenScreen HC. Positive results were produced for one compound in GreenScreen and four compounds in BlueScreen. Only negative results were produced when tested with S9 metabolic activation. These data suggest that there is not a general genotoxic liability in eukaryotes, within this chemical domain. Furthermore, they are not potent eukaryotic genotoxins: positive results were produced only at concentrations between 1mM and 10mM. Their presence as low concentration contaminants or impurities would be unlikely to produce misleading positive results for a test material.

The NIF x-ray spectrometer calibration campaign at Omega

The calibration campaign of the National Ignition Facility X-ray Spectrometer (NXS) was carried out at the Omega laser facility. Spherically symmetric, laser-driven, millimeter-scale x-ray sources of K-shell and L-shell emission from various mid-Z elements were designed for the 2-18 keV energy range of the NXS. The absolute spectral brightness was measured by two calibrated spectrometers. We compare the measured performance of the target design to radiation hydrodynamics simulations.

A study of perceived racial discrimination in Black men who have sex with men (MSM) and its association with healthcare utilization and HIV testing

In HPTN 061, a study of Black men who have sex with men (MSM), we evaluated the association of healthcare-specific racial discrimination with healthcare utilization and HIV testing among 1167 HIV-negative participants. Median age was 38 years, 41 % were uninsured, and 38 % had an annual household income <$10,000. Overall, 19 % reported healthcare-specific racial discrimination directed toward family, friend, or self; 61 % saw a healthcare provider in the previous 6 months and 81 % HIV tested within the past year. Healthcare-specific racial discrimination was positively associated with seeing a provider [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.4 (1.0, 2.0)] and HIV testing [AOR = 1.6 (1.1, 2.4)] suggesting that barriers other than racial discrimination may be driving health disparities related to access to medical care and HIV testing among Black MSM. These results contrast with previous studies, possibly due to measurement or cohort differences, strategies to overcome discrimination, or because of greater exposure to healthcare.

Cranberry juice for the prevention of pediatric urinary tract infection: a randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE

Proanthocyanidins found in cranberry have been reported to have in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity. We determined the effectiveness of cranberry juice for the prevention of urinary tract infections in children.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 40 children were randomized to receive daily cranberry juice with high concentrations of proanthocyanidin vs cranberry juice with no proanthocyanidin for a 1-year period. The study was powered to detect a 30% decrease in the rate of symptomatic urinary tract infection with type I and II errors of 0.05 and 0.2, respectively. Toilet trained children up to age 18 years were eligible if they had at least 2 culture documented nonfebrile urinary tract infections in the calendar year before enrollment. Patients with anatomical abnormalities (except for primary vesicoureteral reflux) were excluded from study. Subjects were followed for 12 months. The participants, clinicians, outcome assessor and statistician were all blinded to treatment allocation.

RESULTS

Of the children 39 girls and 1 boy were recruited. Mean and median patient age was 9.5 and 7 years, respectively (range 5 to 18). There were 20 patients with comparable baseline characteristics randomized to each group. After 12 months of followup the average incidence of urinary tract infection in the treatment group was 0.4 per patient per year and 1.15 in the placebo group (p = 0.045), representing a 65% reduction in the risk of urinary tract infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Cranberry juice with high concentrations of proanthocyanidin appears to be effective in the prevention of pediatric nonfebrile urinary tract infections. Further studies are required to determine the cost-effectiveness of this approach.

Reproductive technologies and the risk of birth defects

BACKGROUND

The extent to which birth defects after infertility treatment may be explained by underlying parental factors is uncertain.

METHODS

We linked a census of treatment with assisted reproductive technology in South Australia to a registry of births and terminations with a gestation period of at least 20 weeks or a birth weight of at least 400 g and registries of birth defects (including cerebral palsy and terminations for defects at any gestational period). We compared risks of birth defects (diagnosed before a child's fifth birthday) among pregnancies in women who received treatment with assisted reproductive technology, spontaneous pregnancies (i.e., without assisted conception) in women who had a previous birth with assisted conception, pregnancies in women with a record of infertility but no treatment with assisted reproductive technology, and pregnancies in women with no record of infertility.

RESULTS

Of the 308,974 births, 6163 resulted from assisted conception. The unadjusted odds ratio for any birth defect in pregnancies involving assisted conception (513 defects, 8.3%) as compared with pregnancies not involving assisted conception (17,546 defects, 5.8%) was 1.47 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33 to 1.62); the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio was 1.28 (95% CI, 1.16 to 1.41). The corresponding odds ratios with in vitro fertilization (IVF) (165 birth defects, 7.2%) were 1.26 (95% CI, 1.07 to 1.48) and 1.07 (95% CI, 0.90 to 1.26), and the odds ratios with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) (139 defects, 9.9%) were 1.77 (95% CI, 1.47 to 2.12) and 1.57 (95% CI, 1.30 to 1.90). A history of infertility, either with or without assisted conception, was also significantly associated with birth defects.

CONCLUSIONS

The increased risk of birth defects associated with IVF was no longer significant after adjustment for parental factors. The risk of birth defects associated with ICSI remained increased after multivariate adjustment, although the possibility of residual confounding cannot be excluded. (Funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research Council.).

Transvaginal ultrasonography to predict preterm birth in women with bicornuate or didelphus uterus

OBJECTIVE

To estimate whether cervical length measured by transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) in women with uterine anomalies predicts spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB).

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study compared women with a uterine anomaly who were pregnant with singleton gestations and delivered August 2000 to April 2008 to a low risk control group. Transvaginal ultrasonographic cervical lengths were measured 16-30 weeks gestation. Primary outcome was cervical length and SPTB less than 35 weeks and the primary exposure variable of interest was cervical length. Secondary outcomes were SPTB less than 37 weeks, less than 32 weeks, low birth weight, maternal and neonatal outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to identify the best cervical length cutoff.

RESULTS

Women with a bicornuate uterus (N = 35) had shorter cervical length (3.46 cm) than the low risk control group (N = 122, 4.32 cm, p < 0.0001). Women with a bicornuate or didelphus uterus, compared with low risk women, had higher rates of SPTB less than 35 weeks (8.6% and 30.8% versus 0.8%, p = 0.0007), neonatal intensive care unit admission more than 24 h (26.5% and 41.7% versus 7.5%, p = 0.0021) and composite perinatal morbidity (32.4% and 69.2% versus 8.3%, p < 0.0001). Using a cutoff of 3.0 cm, TVUS cervical length in women with a bicornuate uterus predicted SPTB less than 35 weeks (positive predictive value [PPV] = 37.5% and negative predictive value [NPV] = 100%), birth weight less than 2500 g (PPV = 50.0% and NPV = 96.3%) and respiratory distress syndrome (PPV = 37.5% and NPV = 100%). CONCLUSION Women with a bicornuate uterus have shorter cervical lengths than low risk controls, and are at higher risk of SPTB less than 35 weeks. Transvaginal ultrasonographic cervical length predicts SPTB less than 35 weeks, low birth weight and perinatal morbidity in these women.

Single transplanted kidneys from a 90-year-old deceased donor perform acceptably at 1 year

Most centers are reluctant to accept expanded criteria donors above 70 to 75 years of age. We accepted kidneys from a 90-year-old male and report the 1-year outcome. The kidneys were used as single transplants and both had immediate graft function. Recipient A was a 71-year-old male, with cold ischemia time of 4 hours 49 minutes. One rejection was successfully treated with intravenous methylprednisolone. At 1 year, serum creatinine was 146 μmol/L with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 41 mL/min. Recipient B was a 79-year-old male with known panel-reactive antibody positivity prior to transplantation. Cold ischemia time was 10 hours 4 minutes. He experienced no rejections. At 1 year serum-creatinine was 99 μmol/L with eGFR 63 mL/min. Both recipients performed a surveillance biopsy at 1 year with identical findings: interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy grade 1 with moderate to severe arteriolosclerosis. We conclude that both kidneys performed acceptably 1 year after engraftment. The use of old kidneys in old recipients gives them a properly functioning kidney and improves quality of life. Longer observation is needed.