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Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the prognostic effect of peripheral blood lymphocyte subgroup CD4+ and CD8+ cells on renal transplant patients with cytomegalovirus (CMV) viremia., Materials and Methods: Using 41 renal transplant patients with CMV-PCR(+) in peripheral blood and stable values of serum creatinine (SCr), we evaluated the changes in lymphocyte subgroup CD4+ and CD8+ cells with onset of antiviral therapy with gancyclovir for treatment of pneumonia. We compared patients with or without pneumonia., Results: The lower the peripheral blood lymphocyte subgroup CD4+ and CD8+ cell numbers, the higher the incidence of CMV pneumonia. The numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ cells at 1 month posttransplantation and at the time of CMV-PCR(+) detection were significantly lower than those before transplantation in the CMV pneumonia group (P < .01) and also in the nonpneumonia group., Conclusions: The decrease in peripheral blood lymphocyte subgroup CD4+ and CD8+ cells after renal transplantation in patients with CMV viremia showed prognostic value for pneumonia. Increased CD4+ and CD8+ cells in peripheral blood combined with preemptive therapy may reduce the incidence of pneumonia among patients with CMV viremia.

Objective: Tacrolimus concentrations are associated with CYP3A5 genotype. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes and drug concentrations/doses among a posttransplant population with various CYP3A5 genotypes within 12 months., Methods: Sixty seven kidney recipients receiving immunosuppression with tacrolimus + mycophenolate mofetil + prednisolone were grouped according to their CYP3A5 genotypes (*1/*1; *1/*3; *3/*3). The initial dose of tacrolimus (0.15 mg/kg/d) was adjusted according to achieve a target therapeutic window. All patients underwent a protocol biopsy at 1 month posttransplantation. We assayed serum creatinine and tacrolimus blood trough concentrations to calculate the concentration per dosage during follow-up. We also investigated the incidence of acute rejection episodes and the nephrotoxicity of tacrolimus according to the renal biopsy., Results: There was no significant difference among serum creatinine concentrations. Tracrolimus blood concentrations showed a significant difference at day 7 and 1 month with no significant difference at 3, 6, or 12 months among the three groups. The CYP3A5*3/*3 group showed the largest concentration per dosage (C/D) and CYP3A5*1/*1, the smallest C/D. There was a significant difference among the three groups. The occurrence of an acute rejection episode within 3 months showed a significant difference among the three groups but not from 3 to 12 months after transplantation. Nephrotoxicity was greatest among the CYP3A5*3/*3 group., Conclusion: CYP3A5 influenced the blood concentrations of tacrolimus. Our study suggested to choose the initial dosage according to the CYP3A5 genotype to obtain a better outcome and reduce the incidences of acute rejection episodes and nephrotoxicity.

Sirolimus (SRL) is a potent immunosuppressive drug used to prevent acute allograft rejection after renal transplantation. Nevertheless, the occurrence of proteinuria has recently been recognized among patients on SRL-based therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. (T II) on proteinuria associated with SRL in renal transplant recipients. According to accepting T II, 36 recipients were divided into 2 groups: T II group (n = 21) and valsartan group (n = 15). The T II group was administered 1 mg/kg/d, and the valsartan group, 80 mg twice per day for 12 months. Efficiency was then evaluated. Complete remission: proteinuria decreased by >50%; partial remission: proteinuria decreased by 20% to 50%; ineffective: proteinuria decreased by <20%. Upon 12-month follow-up, the total effective rates in the T II group and the valsartan group were 95.2% and 86.7% (P < .05), respectively. Twenty of 21 patients with proteinuria in the T II group were negative at 3-month follow-up with disappearance of edema. There were some adverse events that had greater incidence rates in the valsartan group compared with the T II group, such as hyperkalemia (26.7% vs 4.8%). We concluded that the application of T II markedly reduced proteinuria associated with SRL in renal transplant patients.

The potential of embryonal day 14 (ED) fetal liver epithelial progenitor (FLEP) cells to repopulate the normal and damaged liver was studied throughout a 3-month period in syngeneic mice. In normal liver, FLEP cells proliferated and differentiated into hepatocytes after transplantation, and liver repopulation was moderate (5%-10%) after 3 months. In diethylnitrosamine-treated livers FLEP cells continued to proliferate at 3 months after transplantation; both the number and size of clusters derived from FLEP cells gradually increased throughout time. Transplanted cells proliferated and differentiated into both hepatocytes and bile ducts to produce extensive liver repopulation (30%-50%). This report showed that isolated fetal liver epithelial cells exhibit bipotential properties of stem cells, which can engraft, proliferate, and differentiate into hepatocytes and bile duct epithelial cells with high repopulation capacity in the injured liver.

We are the first to report the use of thymosin alpha1 to treat cytomegalovirus infection accompanied with acute respiratory distress syndrome after renal transplantation. The patients were divided into the thymosin alpha1 group (Zadaxin group, n = 32) and the control group (n = 14). All patients received the same rescue therapy protocol. Suitable antiviral (ganciclovir, 5 mg/kg every 12 hours, intravenously), antibacterial, or antifungal treatment was given if needed. In addition, patients in the Zadaxin group received thymosin alpha1, (1.6 mg) subcutaneously every other day or every day. The rescue success rate was significantly higher in the Zadaxin than in the control group (78.1% vs 50.0%) while the death rate was greatly reduced (21.9% vs 50%). In the Zadaxin group, the CD4(+) lymphocyte level was significantly increased on day 14; so was the ratio of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-lymphocyte subsets. In the survival group, CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocyte cell counts were significantly increased on days 7, 14, and 21 compared with admission. This study suggested that thymosin alpha1 significantly promoted CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes, repairing cellular immunity and successfully reinforcing resistance to cytomegalovirus disease.

A young adult was diagnosed with steroid-resistant minimal change disease (MCD) without evidence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) despite serial and detailed sectioning and screening of the renal biopsy. He received initial treatment with steroids and then cyclosporine plus low-dose steroids for 2 years. Renal function progressively deteriorated due to resistance to steroid and cyclosporine. Two months after initiation of hemodialysis, the patient received a living-related allogenic kidney transplant. However, recurrent nephrotic syndrome and renal insufficiency occurred after transplantation. In spite of aggressive treatment, renal function showed no significant improvement. The kidney graft was removed 2 weeks after transplantation. Serial sectioning and thorough sampling and screening revealed no evidence of FSGS, but light microscopy and electron microscopy showed the typical morphologic pattern of MCD, corresponding to the pretransplant diagnosis. We believe that this is the first reported case of recurrent MCD after renal transplant.