Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M A Beaujean

Publications and source records attributed to M A Beaujean.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Update on pancreatic transplantation].

Pancreas transplantation significantly improves the quality of life as well as the survival of the diabetic patient. It is also associated with stabilization and reversal of secondary diabetic complications. Improvements in organ preservation, surgical techniques and immunosuppression have achieved one-year graft survival of more than 90% for combined kidney-pancreas transplant and 80% for isolated pancreas transplantation. Recipient evaluation must weigh the benefits of the procedure with the risk associated with surgery and chronic immunosuppression. Combined kidney-pancreas transplantation appears today as the best treatment for the diabetic patient with end stage renal disease. Isolated pancreas transplantation is reserved to non-uremic patients with severe diabetic complications or with brittle glycaemic control and severe impairment of quality of life.

Humans↗

Cardiac transplantation beyond 55 years of age.

Between January 1985 and December 1988, 20 patients over the age of 55 years (extremes 56-63 years; 15 men and 5 women) underwent cardiac transplantation. The cause of cardiopathy was ischemic in 70% of the cases. The immunosuppressive regimen consisted of cyclosporin A, corticoids, and azathioprine. Rejection episodes were monitored by endomyocardial biopsies and treated by pulses of corticoids or monoclonal antibodies (OKT3). The operative mortality was 10% (n = 2). The 1-year survival rate was 70%. The 1-year incidence of infection and/or rejection episodes was 1 and 1.53 episodes/patient, respectively. One patient was successfully retransplanted after 9 months because of intractable rejection. Age beyond 55 years is no longer a contraindication to cardiac transplantation. This change in recipient selection policy should lead to parallel changes in donor selection criteria.

Age Factors↗

Glomerulonephritis due to transplant rejection affecting a patient's own kidneys.

The kidneys of a patient were removed 3 months after a cadaveric allograft; histological examination revealed tuberculosis and malignant nephroangiosclerosis. When examined one year later, the graft exhibited lesions of glomerulonephritis and of vascular rejection. Immunoglobulin deposits were shown by immunofluorescence in the patient's own kidneys as well as in the graft; they were isolated by acid elution and in both cases had lymphocytotoxic activity in vitro. It is suggested that the target organ released histocompatibility antigen with formation of antigen antibody complexes which deposited in the patient's own kidneys.

Adult↗