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Patient reacts to peanut after receiving transplanted lung from donor with allergy history

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After receiving a lung from a donor with known peanut allergy, a transplant patient with no history of allergy developed a temporary sensitization to peanut, according to a case study published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

This case suggests that IgE-mediated food allergies acquired from a donor through solid organ transplants may be transient, Stephanie Stojanovic, MBBS, registrar in allergy, asthma and clinical immunology at Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues wrote in the study. Read more in Healio.

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Man is oldest person possibly cured of HIV after stem cell transplant

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A 66-year-old man is the oldest person yet to possibly be cured of HIV after undergoing a stem cell transplant, researchers announced Wednesday.

The man had HIV for more than 31 years when he received a blood stem cell transplant in early 2019 for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) using cells from a donor with a rare genetic mutation that prevents HIV from entering human cells, making people who have it resistant to most strains of the virus. Read more in Healio.

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Low MELD Score No Barrier to Long Survival After Living-Donor Transplant

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— End-stage liver disease patients with scores as low as 11 achieved survival of 13 years or beyond

End-stage liver disease patients at lower risk for death in the short term still reaped the substantial benefits of a living-donor liver transplant (LDLT), a case-control study revealed.

Compared with individuals who remained on the transplant waitlist, those with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease incorporating sodium levels (MELD-Na) scores ranging from 6 to 19 gained an additional 13 to 17 years of life following LDLT, reported John Malamon, PhD, of the University of Colorado in Aurora, and colleagues. Read more in MedPage Today.

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New Therapeutic Approach Could Prevent Injury to Fragile Transplanted Lungs

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Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a potential therapeutic target in the donor lung that can prevent primary graft dysfunction (PGD) in lung transplant recipients, according to findings published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI).

GR Scott Budinger, MD, chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care in the Department of Medicine and the Ernest S. Bazley Professor of Airway Diseases, was senior author of the study. Read the full story from the Northwestern Medicine News Center.

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Kidney Transplant Rejection: What You Need to Know

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Since the first kidney transplant more than 60 years ago,1 doctors have developed a deeper understanding of how to protect donated organs. With newer medications and improved management, it’s less likely transplanted kidneys will undergo rejection by the immune system.

That’s not to say doctors have completely eliminated the risk of kidney transplant rejection, though. Unfortunately, while many kidneys will last much longer, the median life of a kidney transplant is still only ten years. Understanding the risks and early warning signs of rejection gives you the best chance of a successful kidney transplant. Read the full story on CareDx.com.

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New Biomarker Speeds Up Identification of Lung Disease

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A new diagnostic method could help identify one of the deadliest types of interstitial lung disease (ILD) sooner, allowing for faster treatment and improved patient outcomes.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is one of the most serious and common types of ILD, occurring most often in patients 60 and older with an average survival time of three to five years. At any given time roughly 300 patients are being treated for IPF in London, Ontario. Globally, it is the number one reason for lung transplants. Read more in Technology Networks.

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Shrinking Liver Tumors Before Transplant Greatly Improves Outcomes in HCC

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Mount Sinai researchers have shown that shrinking liver tumors to a size that allows the patient to qualify for liver transplant results in excellent 10-year outcomes, validating current US policies for transplant eligibility.

Parissa Tabrizian, Associate Professor of Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and colleagues explain in JAMA Surgery that liver transplant eligibility among people with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been guided by the Milan Criteria for more than 20 years. Read more from Inside Precision Medicine.

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Bacteria in donor organs complicate immune response after transplantation

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Organ transplant recipients take life-long immunosuppressive drugs to prevent their bodies from mounting an immune response against the donated organ, yet a substantial number of them still reject the organs. A new study by researchers from the University of Chicago shows that transplant recipients also mount an immune response against commensal bacteria in the organ graft, adding to the immune response against the genetic makeup of the tissue and reducing the effectiveness of immunosuppressive drugs.

The study, published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, also shows that this anti-microbial immune response can be triggered by immune cell memory of previous encounters with bacteria, further complicating the body’s ability to accept a lifesaving new organ. Read more in Medical Xpress here.

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Death, disability from rheumatic heart disease decreased globally from 1990 to 2019

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Despite an increased incidence and prevalence of rheumatic heart disease worldwide from 1990 to 2019, death and disability caused by the condition trended downward, according to data published in Arthritis Research &Therapy.

“Due to the high risks of premature morbidity, mortality and disability, [rheumatic heart disease (RHD)] remains a critical public health issue worldwide, particularly in many low-income countries,” Zejin Ou, PhD, of Guangzhou Twelfth People’s Hospital, in Guangzhou, China, and co-authors wrote. Read more in Healio.

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