Pancreas Transplant Patients (pancreas + transplant_patient)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Successful Treatment of T-cell Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder with the Retinoid Analog Bexarotene

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 8 2005
Donald E. Tsai
T-cell post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a rare life threatening complication of organ transplantation. It is usually resistant to treatment with reduction in immunosuppression or chemotherapy and carries a poor prognosis. We report on a combined kidney and pancreas transplant patient with Epstein,Barr virus (EBV) positive T-cell PTLD that had recurred after chemotherapy and reduction in immunosuppression. The patient was successfully treated with bexarotene, a novel synthetic retinoid analog, achieving a complete clinical response. Bexarotene may be a promising treatment for T-cell PTLD. [source]


Intrapyloric Injection of Botulinum Toxin A for the Treatment of Persistent Gastroparesis Following Successful Pancreas Transplantation

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 1 2006
R. Ben-Youssef
Intrapyloric injection of botulinum toxin A (BoTx) successfully improved symptoms in idiopathic and diabetic gastroparesis (DGP) refractory to medical treatment. Therefore, we used it in three pancreas transplant patients done in our institution during the last 18 months. They had severe, persistent DGP despite successful pancreas transplantation. They received 100 units of BoTx during the first injection. The clinical effect became evident within 2 weeks after the treatment, and lasted for an average of 29 weeks (range 14,44 weeks). The patients' subjective evaluation showed improvement of their symptoms and quality of life following BoTx. Patients 2 and 3 had recurrent symptoms at 44 and 24 weeks, respectively, after the first injection; they required a second dose of 90 and 80 units, respectively. They are doing well at 3 months follow-up. Intrapyloric injection of BoTx is safe and efficient. It should be considered for treating residual DGP following successful pancreas transplantation. [source]


The low-dose (1 ,g) adrenocorticotropin stimulation test in kidney and kidney,pancreas transplant patients: a potential guideline for steroid withdrawal

CLINICAL TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 1 2006
M Baz-Hecht
Abstract:, Chronic steroid treatment is known to impair the hypothalamic,pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) but the need to assess HPA function prior to withdrawal of steroid therapy in post-transplant patients has not been uniformly accepted. We evaluated the status of the HPA axis in 48 kidney or kidney,pancreas transplant patients who were considered for possible discontinuation of glucocorticoid therapy using a recently validated dynamic test of HPA integrity, the low-dose (1 ,g) adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) test. HPA suppression was detected in 29 (60%) of the patients, four of which had severe hypoadrenalism prohibitive of steroid withdrawal. Neither the duration of steroid treatment nor 8:00 am serum cortisol was a useful marker of hypoadrenalism. 8:00 am cortisol in subjects with normal HPA reserve and subjects with partial hypoadrenalism overlapped considerably but levels <5 ,g/dL were indicative of severe hypoadrenalism. Pre-withdrawal diagnosis of partial hypoadrenalism allowed the identification of subjects requiring no further steroid replacement under regular daily circumstances. However glucocorticoid supplementation was prescribed in the event of stress such as infection, exceptional effort, trauma or surgery. Individuals with partial HPA impairment, but not patients with severe HPA suppression, improved upon retesting 3 months later. Patients exhibiting normal response to 1 mcg ACTH enjoyed an uneventful course following steroid withdrawal. Since hypoadrenalism is extremely common in post-transplant patients, we recommend the use of the low-dose ACTH test as a convenient method to identify patients with various degrees of hypoadrenalism prior to steroid withdrawal. [source]