Search

In pLT recipients, the advantages of ICVCs need to be weighed against the risk of complications. This single-center retrospective study aimed to review ICVC complications in our cohort of pLT recipients. We performed chart reviews of pLT patients having undergone transplant between 01/2000 and 03/2014 and who underwent ICVC placement either before or after LT. We identified 100 ICVC in 85 patients. Overall observation time was 90 470 catheter-days. There was no difference in catheter lifespan between those inserted pre- or post-transplant; 46% of ICVC presented a complication. Most frequent complications were MD and infection. The infection rate was 0.09 per 1000 catheter-days, and MD rate was 0.36 per 1000 catheter-days. Patients having received technical variant grafts were more at risk of complications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study examining ICVC complications in pLT recipients. We conclude that ICVC have a high rate of MD. Children receiving technical variants may be more at risk of complications. By removing ICVC in a select number of patients at six months post-insertion, we might avoid as much as 60% of complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing interest about the impact of donor‐specific HLA antibodies (DSA) in LT limited data are available for pediatric recipients. Our aim was to perform a retrospective single‐center chart review of children (0‐16 years) having undergone LT between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2017, to characterize DSA, to identify factors associated with the development of de novo DSA, and to analyze potential associations with the diagnosis of TCMR. Information on patient‐ and donor‐characteristics and LB reports were analyzed retrospectively. Serum obtained before LT and at LB was analyzed for presence of recipient HLA antibody using Luminex® technology. MFI > 1000 was considered positive. In 63 pediatric LT recipients with a median follow‐up of 72 months, the overall prevalence of de novo DSA was 60.3%. Most were directed against class II antigens (33/38, 86.8%). Preformed DSA were present in 30% of patients. Twenty‐eight (28/63) patients (44.4%) presented at least one episode of TCMR, mostly (12/28, 43%) moderate (Banff 6‐7). De novo DSA were significantly more frequent in patients with TCMR than in patients without (75% vs 48.6%, P =.03), and patients with preformed and de novo DSA had a significantly higher rate of TCMR than patients without any DSA (66.7% vs 20%, P =.02). Neither preformed DSA nor de novo DSA were associated with frequency or severity of TCMR. Recipients with lower weight at LT developed de novo DSA more frequently (P =.04). De novo DSA were highly prevalent in pediatric LT recipients. Although associated with the development of TCMR, they did not appear to impact the frequency or severity of TCMR or graft survival. Instead, de novo DSA may suggest a state of insufficient IS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]