Coping in relation to perceived threat of the risk of graft rejection and Health-Related Quality of Life of organ transplant recipients

Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Patients With Heart Failure From Before to Early After Advanced Surgical Therapies: Findings From the SUSTAIN-IT Study

Restoring health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a therapeutic goal for older patients with advanced heart failure. We aimed to describe change in HRQOL in older patients (60–80 years) awaiting heart transplantation (HT) with or without pretransplant mechanical circulatory support (MCS) or scheduled for long-term MCS, if ineligible for HT, from before to 6 months after these surgeries and identify factors associated with change.

Plasma Vitamin C and Risk of Late Graft Failure in Kidney Transplant Recipients: Results of the TransplantLines Biobank and Cohort Study

Recent studies have shown that depletion of vitamin C is frequent in outpatient kidney transplant recipients (KTR) and that vitamin C is inversely associated with risk of death. Whether plasma vitamin C is associated with death-censored kidney graft failure remains unknown. We investigated KTR who participated in the TransplantLines Insulin Resistance and Inflammation Biobank and Cohort Study. The primary outcome was graft failure (restart of dialysis or re-transplantation). Overall and stratified (pinteraction < 0.1) multivariable-adjusted Cox regression analyses are presented here. Among 598 KTR (age 51 ± 12 years-old; 55% males), baseline median (IQR) plasma vitamin C was 44.0 (31.0-55.3) µmol/L. Through a median follow-up of 9.5 (IQR, 6.3‒10.2) years, 75 KTR developed graft failure (34, 26, and 15 events over increasing tertiles of vitamin C, log-rank p < 0.001). Plasma vitamin C was inversely associated with risk of graft failure (HR per 1-SD increment, 0.69; 95% CI 0.54-0.89; p = 0.004), particularly among KTR with triglycerides ≥1.9 mmol/L (HR 0.46; 95% CI 0.30-0.70; p < 0.001; pinteraction = 0.01) and among KTR with HDL cholesterol ≥0.91 mmol/L (HR 0.56; 95% CI 0.38-0.84; p = 0.01; pinteraction = 0.04). These findings remained materially unchanged in multivariable-adjusted analyses (donor, recipient, and transplant characteristics, including estimated glomerular filtration rate and proteinuria), were consistent in categorical analyses according to tertiles of plasma vitamin C, and robust after exclusion of outliers. Plasma vitamin C in outpatient KTR is inversely associated with risk of late graft failure. Whether plasma vitamin C‒targeted therapeutic strategies represent novel opportunities to ease important burden of graft failure necessitates further studies.

Toward Advancing Long-Term Outcomes of Kidney Transplantation with Artificial Intelligence

After decades of pioneering advances and improvements, kidney transplantation is now the renal replacement therapy of choice for most patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Despite this success, the high risk of premature death and frequent occurrence of graft failure remain important clinical and research challenges. The current burst of studies and other innovative initiatives using artificial intelligence (AI) for a wide range of analytical and practical applications in biomedical areas seems to correlate with the same trend observed in publications in the kidney transplantation field, and points toward the potential of such novel approaches to address the aforementioned aim of improving long-term outcomes of kidney transplant recipients (KTR). However, at the same time, this trend underscores now more than ever the old methodological challenges and potential threats that the research and clinical community needs to be aware of and actively look after with regard to AI-driven evidence. The purpose of this narrative mini-review is to explore challenges for obtaining applicable and adequate kidney transplant data for analyses using AI techniques to develop prediction models, and to propose next steps in the field. We make a call to act toward establishing the strong collaborations needed to bring innovative synergies further augmented by AI, which have the potential to impact the long-term care of KTR. We encourage researchers and clinicians to submit their invaluable research, including original clinical and imaging studies, database studies from registries, meta-analyses, and AI research in the kidney transplantation field.

Fear of graft rejection after heart transplantation - a nationwide cross-sectional cohort study

BACKGROUND

Cellular rejection is most common 3-6 months after heart transplantation while chronic rejection, that is, cardiac allograft vasculopathy and malignancy are the most common causes of death in heart-transplant recipients beyond the third year after transplantation. However, the heart transplantation recipient's perceived threat of graft rejection has never been explored.

AIM

The aim was to explore perceived threat of the risk of graft rejection and its relationship to psychological wellbeing, fatigue, health literacy, adherence and self-efficacy 1-5 years after heart transplantation.

METHODS

In a nationwide, cross-sectional study that constituted part of the Self-management after thoracic transplantation project, 79 heart recipients (68% men and 32% women with a mean age of 52.6 years) were investigated after one year (n=28), two years (n=17), three years (n=11), four years (n=17) and five years (n=6). The instruments used were: the Perceived Threat of the Risk of Graft Rejection, the Psychological General Well-being, Self-efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease, the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, the Newest Vital Sign and the Basel Assessment of Adherence to Immunosuppressive Medication Scale.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight per cent of the heart transplantation recipients perceived graft rejection as a serious threat. Intrusive anxiety was low and 37% perceived the threat of the risk of graft rejection as being beyond their control. Heart transplant recipients with high level of fatigue and low psychological well-being reported stronger intrusive anxiety and less control.

CONCLUSION

A perceived threat of the risk of graft rejection is present in the everyday lives of heart transplantation recipients and is strongly related to overall psychological well-being.

Fear of graft rejection 1-5 years after lung transplantation-A nationwide cohort study

AIM

To explore the perceived threat of the risk of graft rejection and its relationship to psychological general well-being and self-efficacy 1-5 years after lung transplantation.

DESIGN

A nationwide, cross-sectional cohort study as a part of the Self-management after thoracic transplantation study.

METHODS

A total of 117 lung transplant recipients due for their yearly follow-up one (N = 35), two (N = 28), three (N = 23), four (N = 20) and 5 years (N = 11) after lung transplantation were included. We used three instruments; the Perceived Threat of the Risk of Graft Rejection, the Psychological General Well-being and Self-efficacy in chronic illness.

RESULTS

The lung recipients reported an overall low perceived threat of the risk of graft rejection with no gender differences. Intrusive anxiety explained 24.7% of the variance in the PGWB-sum (p ≤ 0.001) and makes a statistically significant (β = -497; p ≤ 0.001) unique contribution to the overall psychological general well-being (95%CI 3.004-1.515).

ASPECTOS PSICOSSOCIAIS DA QUALIDADE DE VIDA DE RECEPTORES DE TRANSPLANTE HEPÁTICO

RESUMO Objetivo: avaliar a dimensão psicossocial da qualidade de vida de pacientes antes e depois do transplante hepático. Método: estudo descritivo, transversal, com abordagem quantitativa, com 150 pacientes submetidos ao transplante de fígado em seguimento a partir do sexto mês, no ambulatório de um centro de referência em transplante hepático. A coleta de dados foi realizada a partir da aplicação de um instrumento com dados sociodemográficos/clínicos e do questionário Liver Disease Quality of Life. Foi utilizada análise estatística descritiva, teste t de Student para comparação das médias dos domínios e Games-Howell para comparações múltiplas. Resultados: houve melhoria nos níveis de qualidade de vida pós-transplante nos quatro domínios avaliados (<0,0001), com maior elevação de escores para os domínios: preocupação (55,5 vs 87,9) e estigma da doença hepática (58,6 vs 93,7). Conclusão: o estudo demonstrou que os pacientes submetidos ao transplante hepático obtiveram uma melhoria significativa da percepção da qualidade de vida no que diz respeito à dimensão psicossocial, sendo mais perceptiva nos domínios preocupação e estigma da doença hepática.

Piloting a Coping Skills Group Intervention to Reduce Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Patients Awaiting Kidney or Liver Transplant

The authors evaluated the use of a coping skills group (CSG) therapy intervention to decrease depression and anxiety and increase healthy coping skills in a population of kidney and liver transplant candidates. The study, using a pre-posttest design, piloted a CSG with a convenience sample of 41 consenting participants on a waiting list or in workup for kidney or liver transplant. Two transplant social workers led five eight-week closed psychoeducational groups. Coping skills, depression symptoms, and anxiety symptoms were assessed preintervention, postintervention, and at follow-up one month later. Results suggest that the CSG group created significant changes in some coping areas, such as decreasing the use of denial and self-blame and increasing the use of acceptance, religion, and instrumental supports. In this study, instrumental supports are strategies such as seeking assistance, finding information, or asking for advice about what to do. The effects on instrumental supports did not sustain at the one-month follow-up. Anxiety and depression scores were significantly reduced, and these changes were sustained at one-month follow-up. This study supports the use of a group-based psychosocial intervention for the pretransplant population and will be most relevant to social workers practicing in the transplant field.

Explaining the quality of life of organ transplant patients by using crisis theory

CONTEXT

Ubiquitous findings regarding the quality of life (QOL) of transplant patients have yet to be explained from a theoretical perspective.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate transplant patients' QOL by using the conceptual framework of crisis theory.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study to explore differences in transplant patients' experiences of stress, coping, and QOL. Regression analysis was used to test crisis theory in relation to QOL, stress, and coping.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 226 participants representing transplant candidates, transplant recipients, and nontransplant individuals participated via survey-based data collection.

RESULTS

Results showed that transplant candidates experience lower QOL than transplant recipients and nontransplant individuals. No significant differences were detected regarding stress levels or coping styles. Stress made a significant contribution to patients' QOL.

CONCLUSIONS

Current findings suggest important QOL benefits of organ transplant. Using a theoretical model is an effective way to investigate the QOL of people experiencing chronic illness such as end-stage organ failure. Further investigation is required to reach a conclusive understanding of the complex interaction between transplant patients' QOL, stress, and coping.

Understanding the Perceived Threat of the Risk of Graft Rejections: A Middle-Range Theory

From a clinical viewpoint, graft rejection is one of the greatest threats faced by an organ transplant recipient (OTR). We propose a middle-range theory (MRT) of Perceived Threat of the Risk of Graft Rejection (PTRGR) as a contribution to the practice of transplant nursing. It could also apply to the detection of risky protective behavior, that is, isolation, avoidance, or non-adherence. The proposed MRT covers the following concepts and the relationship between them: transplant care needs, threat reducing interventions, intervening variables, level of PTRGR, protective strategies, and evidence-based practice. Parts of this theory have been empirically tested and support the suggested relationship between some of the concepts. Further tests are needed to strengthen the theoretical links. The conceptual framework might serve as a guide for transplant nurses in their efforts to promote post-transplant health and reduce threat-induced emotions.

Women and kidney transplantation

Kidney transplant is the best kidney replacement treatment for end-stage kidney disease. The first step in moving toward kidney transplantation is referral to a transplant center for transplant evaluation. Education of dialysis staff and health-care providers may help increase referrals for evaluation. Patient education has been shown to enhance patient completion of the evaluation process. Patients have difficulty asking others to donate a kidney, but this process can be improved with home and community education. Living donors are more likely to be women than men, especially spousal donors. Deceased donors are more likely to be males younger than 35 years of age. There is a slight decrease in the rate of transplantation of women as compared with men, although not statistically significant. Pretransplant development of anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies is more common amongst women and can be a barrier to successful transplantation and may prolong the waiting time for transplant. The long-term management of cardiovascular risk factors, osteoporosis, and age-appropriate cancer screening need to be addressed with posttransplant recipients. Women have an overall increased patient and graft survival as compared with men after transplant.