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Peripheral-blood stem-cell transplantation versus autologous bone marrow transplantation in Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas: a new matched-pair analysis of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Registry Data. Lymphoma Working Party of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

PURPOSE: To address the question of short-term and long-term advantages of peripheral-blood stem-cell transplantation (PBSCT) over autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT), we have reviewed the data of 3,214 patients with lymphoma, 2,859 undergoing ABMT, and 355 undergoing PBSCT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Analysis of prognostic factors for progression-free survival (PFS) was conducted separately for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (N = 1,915) and Hodgkin's disease (HD) (N = 1,299). In multivariate analysis, the relevant factors were status at transplant for NHL and sex, size of largest mass at transplant, status at transplant, and conditioning regimen for HD. The pair analysis was carried out by matching NHL and HD patients separately by their prognostic factors. Additionally, NHL patients were matched for histology, whereas both HD and NHL patients were matched for date of transplant. With this method, 454 patients were matched in the NHL group and 256 were matched in the HD group. RESULTS: The overall survival (OS) and PFS unexpectedy were better for ABMT versus PBSCT patients in the HD group (OS, 65.3% at 4 years for ABMT v 52.7% for PBSCT; P = .0198). There was no difference in OS or PFS in the NHL group (OS, 56.6% at 4 years for ABMT v 52.7% for PBSCT; P = .4148). The overall relapse or progression rate at 4 years for NHL was 42% after ABMT and 49.2% after PBSCT (P = .1220); for HD, it was 40% and 58.6%, respectively (P = .0164). Transplant-related mortality was lower, but not significantly, with PBSCT: 7.0% for ABMT versus 3.5% for PBSCT in NHL (P = .1356) and 7% for ABMT versus 4.7% for PBSCT in HD (P = .6056). Hematologic recovery occurred faster significantly with PBSCT irrespective of disease. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the advantage of PBSCT in terms of hematopoietic reconstitution, but it fails to show any superiority in the long term. Poorer results for both progression free and overall survival observed in HD patients who are receiving PBSCT are unexplained and should be confirmed with randomized studies.

Adult

Quo vadis, my transplant fellow: a discussion of transplant surgery fellowship training activity in the United States and Canada: 1991-1997. Education Committee of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

This is a discussion of transplant surgery fellowship training issues that pertain to educational quality guidelines of fellowship programs, the number of fellows being trained, and the individual's fate in securing transplant surgery positions after training. In 1995, the Council of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) revised the academic guidelines to enhance the educational standards of programs seeking ASTS approval as a transplant surgery fellowship training program. The criteria for accrediting training programs in kidney and liver transplant surgery were redefined, and new criteria for pancreas transplant surgery training were developed. Regarding the number of transplant surgery fellows being trained per year, during the period from 1991 to 1997, a total of 327 transplant surgery fellows completed training at ASTS-accredited transplant surgery fellowship training programs. The annual number of transplant surgery fellowship graduates has remained nearly constant at approximately 45 per year. However, the proportion of transplant surgery trainees who are foreign medical graduates has increased annually since 1995. Currently, 49% of the trainees are foreign medical graduates. Regarding the individual's fates in securing transplant surgery positions after training, the proportion of U.S./Canadian medical graduates who received transplant surgery training during the last year but are practicing in surgical disciplines other than transplant surgery appears to be increasing. Before 1996, it was rare for transplant surgery trainees to pursue surgical practice activities that did not include transplantation. Among the current group of 28 U.S./Canadian medical graduates who completed transplant surgery training between January 1997 and July 1997, six did not secure an acceptable position in transplantation. Instead, they are practicing in either general surgery or vascular surgery, or obtaining additional transplant training. These changes in the demographics and dynamics of transplant surgery fellowship training activity provoke important concerns.

Canada

HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplantation in younger patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize in detail the outcomes of HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplantation for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in patients younger than 60 years of age. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: 30 centers for bone marrow transplantation worldwide, which reported data on outcome of HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplantation for CLL to the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation or the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry between 1984 and 1992. PATIENTS: 54 patients diagnosed with CLL (median age, 41 years; range, 21 to 58 years). The median interval from diagnosis to transplantation was 37 months (range, 5 to 130 months). At the time of transplantation, 3 patients were at Rai stage 0; 10 were at stage 1; 10 were at stage 2; 7 were at stage 3; and 22 were at stage 4. INTERVENTION: Transplant regimens varied. Most patients received high-dose cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation, followed by infusion of bone marrow from an HLA-identical sibling. After transplantation, immune suppression with cyclosporine or methotrexate or both was generally used to prevent graft-versus-host disease. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was survival. We also studied hematologic remission, defined as normalization of the leukocyte count, hemoglobin level, and platelet count, and absence of lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly. RESULTS: 38 patients (70%) achieved hematologic remission. Twenty-four (44%) remain alive a median of 27 months (range, 5 to 80 months) after transplantation. Three-year survival probability was 46% (95% CI, 32% to 60%). Three patients who received transplants at Rai stage 0 remain alive 21, 32, and 45 months after transplantation. Three-year survival probabilities were as follows: 68% (CI, 38% to 98%) in 10 patients who received transplants at Rai stage 1, 30% (CI, 2% to 58%) in 10 patients who received transplants at Rai stage 2, 57% (CI, 21% to 93%) in 7 patients who received transplants at Rai stage 3, and 34% (CI, 12% to 56%) in 22 patients who received transplants at Rai stage 4 CLL. Five patients (9%) died of progressive leukemia and 25 (46%) of treatment-related complications. CONCLUSIONS: Bone marrow transplants from HLA-identical siblings can result in hematologic remission and survival in persons with CLL, but it is uncertain how these results compare with those of conventional therapies.

Adult

Mechanisms of postprandial hyperglycemia in liver transplant recipients: comparison of liver transplant patients with kidney transplant patients and healthy controls.

Impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes mellitus are frequent complications after organ transplantation, and are usually attributed to glucocorticoid and immunosuppressive treatments. Liver transplantation results in total hepatic denervation which may also affect glucoregulation. We therefore evaluated postprandial glucose metabolism in a group of patients with liver cirrhosis before and after orthotopic liver transplantation. Seven patients with liver cirrhosis of various etiologies, 6 patients having received a kidney transplant, and 6 healthy subjects were studied. Their glucose metabolism was evaluated in the basal state and over 4 hours after ingestion of a glucose load with 6.6 (2) H glucose dilution analysis. The patients with liver cirrhosis were studied before, and again 4 weeks (range 2-6) and 38 weeks (range 20-76, n=6) after orthotopic liver transplantation. Basal glucose metabolism was similar in liver and kidney transplant recipients. Impaired glucose tolerance was present in both groups, but postprandial hyperglycemia was exaggerated and lasted longer in liver transplant patients. Postprandial insulinemia was lower in liver transplant recipients, while C-peptide concentrations were comparable to those of kidney transplant recipients, indicating increased insulin clearance. Glucose turnover was not altered in both groups of patients during the initial 3 hours after glucose ingestion, but was higher in liver transplant early after transplantation during the fourth hour. Postprandial hyperglycemia remained unchanged in liver transplant recipients 38 weeks after liver transplantation, despite substantial reduction of immunosuppressive and glucocorticoid doses. We conclude that liver transplant recipients have severe postprandial hyperglycemia which can be attributed to insulinopenia (secondary, at least in part, to increased insulin clearance) and a late increased glucose turnover. These changes may be secondary to hepatic denervation.

Adult

[Revascularization of peripheral nerve transplants. Stereomicroangiographic evaluation of revascularization in allogeneic transplants, allogeneic transplants with cyclosporin A therapy and autologous transplants].

Allogeneic nerve grafts of the sciatic nerve longer than 3 cm were transplanted between August- and Wistar rats. One group of animals were treated with 17 mg/kg body weight Cyclosporine A from day 1-28. Autologous nerves served as controls. At various postoperative days contact microangiography, stereoangiography, microdensitometry and histology were performed. Allogeneic untreated grafts were rejected at day 7. Undisturbed neovascularisation was only seen in autografts. In Cyclosporine A treated rats a gradually reduced revascularisation could be observed until day 90.

Angiography

Syngeneic transplantation in multiple myeloma - a case-matched comparison with autologous and allogeneic transplantation. European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Twenty-five patients with multiple myeloma received bone marrow grafts (n = 24) or peripheral blood stem cells (n = 1) from twin donors. The outcome was compared in a case-matched analysis to 125 patients who underwent autologous transplantation, and 125 who underwent allogeneic transplantation. Seventeen patients (68%) receiving twin transplants entered complete remission, which was not significantly different from that of autologous (48%) or allogeneic (58%) transplants. The median overall and progression-free survival for the twins was 73 and 72 months, respectively. The overall survival tended to be better (73 vs 44 months) and the progression-free survival was significantly better (72 vs 25 months) than with autologous transplantation and both were significantly better than with allogeneic transplantation. Three of 17 patients who entered complete remission following transplantation had relapsed at follow-up. This relapse rate was significantly lower than following autologous transplantation and similar to the relapse rate with allogeneic transplantation. Only two twins died of transplant-related toxicity. Six further patients died of progressive or relapsing disease. Syngeneic transplantation in multiple myeloma appears to be the treatment of choice if a twin donor is available. A lower relapse risk than in autotransplantation may be due to reinfusion of malignant cells in some patients treated with this modality or to the presence of a graft-versus-myeloma effect in some syngeneic transplants.

Adult

Thoracic organ transplants in the United States: a report from the UNOS/ISHLT Scientific Registry for Organ Transplants. United Network for Organ Sharing. International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.

1. The frequency of heart and lung transplantation has increased dramatically over time. The number of heart transplants increased 170% between 1968 and 1981. Exponential increases began in 1982 and increased through 1990, as evidenced by a 1,835% growth in the number of procedures performed during those years. In more recent years, heart transplant numbers have leveled off, with only an 8% increase in the last 3 years. Lung transplant procedures have grown significantly in the short period of time between 1987 (n = 18) and 1993 (n = 669). 2. Since the beginning of the ISHLT Registry in 1968 the number of thoracic transplant programs has increased 7,767%, from 3 to 236. 3. The most frequently reported indications for thoracic transplantation include: coronary artery disease (43.4%) for heart, cystic fibrosis (39.5%) for double-lung, emphysema/COPD (40.2%) for single-lung and primary pulmonary hypertension (38.3%) for heart-lung. 4. The majority of heart transplant recipients are at least 18 years old (89.5%), male (78.2%), and White (83.8%). The majority of lung transplant recipients are at least 18 years old (93.7%), female (53.2%), and White (91.3%). 5. One-year survival over time has almost doubled for all types of thoracic transplantation, with increases from 47.7% in 1968-79 to 81.6% in 1993 for heart; 35.3% in 1987 to 67.1% in 1993 for lung; and 40% in the early 1980s to 73% in 1993 for heart-lung. 6. Long-term 10-year survival rates were 33.5% for heart and 5.6% for heart-lung transplant recipients. Five-year survival for lung recipients was 37%. 7. Male-to-male donor-to-recipient gender-match heart transplant patients exhibited slightly higher survival (4-5%) than other match pairs from one to 5 years posttransplant. Female-to-male combinations in lung transplant recipients exhibited slightly higher survival (4-8%) at 3 years than other match pairs. 8. There was no significant difference in 5-year survival for donor hearts procured from local, intraregional, or interregional sources. Lungs procured from interregional sources exhibited an 8-10% advantage over local and intraregionally procured organs at 3 years posttransplant.

Adolescent

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplants for autoimmune disease--feasibility and transplant-related mortality. Autoimmune Disease and Lymphoma Working Parties of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, the European League Against Rheumatism and the International Stem Cell Project for Autoimmune Disease.

This ongoing multicentre prospective phase I/II trial enrolled 74 consecutive patients from 22 centres worldwide with severe autoimmune disease, 35 with rheumatological disorders, 31 with neurological, five with haematological and three with vasculitides. They were treated with autologous peripheral blood or bone marrow transplants according to predetermined criteria. Two patients died after mobilisation before transplant. Seventy-two patients were given 73 transplants, seven bone marrow, and 66 mobilised peripheral blood stem cell transplants. The graft was manipulated to remove T and/or B cells in 43 cases. All 73 transplants engrafted. Five patients died of transplant-related complications: two from bleeding, three from infections. Two patients died of progressive disease. The transplant-related mortality at 1 year of 9% (1-17%; 95% CI) is comparable to the transplant-related mortality of 6% (3-9%; 95% CI) in patients transplanted during the same period in Europe for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in sensitive relapse (P = 0.39). Sixty patients are evaluable for response, 40 patients (65%) showed some improvement in their disease. Haematopoietic stem cell transplants are feasible for patients with severe refractory autoimmune disease. Transplant-related mortality is comparable to results in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in responsive relapse. Two-thirds of the patients show at least some response. These preliminary data are promising. Although associated with considerable risk, randomised trials comparing autologous stem cell transplants to conventional therapy are warranted.

Adolescent

Prospective study of the quality of life in patients assessed for liver transplantation: outcome in transplanted and not transplanted groups.

The quality of life in adult patients with chronic liver disease who were considered for transplantation was assessed prospectively over a 2 year period, for both those who did and did not subsequently receive transplants. The main outcome measures were the Nottingham Health Profile and survival. Of the 109 patients who completed an entry profile, 27 were transplanted, 71 not transplanted during the study period, and 11 rejected for transplant. Quality of life and severity of liver disease at entry was worse for the transplant group, whose survival at 15 months from entry was 81% compared with 78% for those not transplanted. Among transplant survivors there were marked improvements in quality of life, whilst amongst those not receiving transplants there was little change. In conclusion, liver transplantation was effective in improving quality of life in patients with chronic liver disease, but comparison between transplant and non-transplant patients is difficult because of differences between the groups.

Activities of Daily Living

Outcome of listing for heart transplantation in infants younger than six months: predictors of death and interval to transplantation. The Pediatric Heart Transplantation Study Group.

BACKGROUND: The major limiting factor to successful heart transplantation in infants is the limited supply of donors. To examine the impact of donor limitations on survival after listing, a multiinstitutional study was designed to identify risk factors for death while waiting and for longer interval to transplantation. METHODS: Between January 1 and December 31, 1993, 118 infants 6 months of age or younger (86 younger than 29 days) were listed for heart transplantation from 21 institutions. The primary diagnosis was hypoplastic left-sided heart syndrome (HLHS) in 70 (59%), other congenital defects in 32 (27%), cardiomyopathy or myocarditis in 13 (11%), and other diagnoses in 3. Among the 48 patients without HLHS, 32 (67%) required inotropic, mechanical, or prostaglandin support, whereas 16 (33%) did not. RESULTS: At 6 months after listing, only 6% remained on the list awaiting transplantation, 59% underwent transplantation. 31% died while waiting, and 4% were removed from the list. The greatest mortality rate before transplantation was among patients with HLHS in whom the actuarial mortality rate if they were unable to receive a transplant was 77% at 6 months, compared with 52% in patients without HLHS and without inotropic or mechanical support (p = 0.05). By multivariable analysis, risk factors for death while waiting included inotropic support (p = 0.02), smaller size (p = 0.0007), and blood type O (p = 0.003). Surgical procedures before listing did not significantly influence pretransplantation mortality rates. The interval from listing to transplantation increased with young age (p = 0.01) in patients without HLHS and smaller size (p = 0.001) and blood group O (p = 0.0006) for patients with HLHS. The effect of blood type O on mortality rates and longer interval to transplantation was due to the distribution of type O donor hearts to non-type O recipients. Palliative operations after listing did not favorably influence survival; nine patients underwent first-stage Norwood while waiting, and six died before transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: The mortality rate is unacceptably high among infants awaiting transplantation, particularly in patients with HLHS. Infants receiving intravenous inotropes or mechanical support at listing are at high risk of early death while waiting. The distribution of blood group O donors to non-blood group O recipients results in higher mortality rates among blood group O recipients. Greater emphasis should be placed on medical strategies to improve survival while waiting and on expanding existing graft resources.

ABO Blood-Group System

Allogeneic bone marrow transplant is not better than autologous transplant for patients with relapsed Hodgkin's disease. European Group for Blood and Bone Marrow Transplantation.

PURPOSE: To compare the results achieved with myeloablative therapy followed by either allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (alloBMT) or autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) for patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Of more than 1,200 patients with HD reported to the European Bone Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) registry, 49 underwent alloBMT. Of these, 45 with sufficient data were matched to 45 patients who underwent ABMT. The matching criteria were sex, age at time of transplantation, stage of disease at diagnosis, bone marrow involvement at diagnosis and at transplantation, year of transplantation, disease status at time of transplantation, time from diagnosis to transplantation, and conditioning regimen with or without total-body irradiation (TBI). RESULTS: The 4-year actuarial probabilities of survival, progression-free survival (PFS), relapse, and non-relapse mortality were 25%, 15%, 61%, and 48% and 37%, 24%, 61%, and 27% after alloBMT and ABMT, respectively. The toxic death rate at 4 years was significantly higher for alloBMT patients (P = .04). For patients with sensitive disease at the time of transplantation, the 4-year actuarial probability of survival was 30% after alloBMT and 64% after ABMT (P = .007). This difference is mainly due to a higher transplant-related mortality rate after alloBMT (65% v 12%, P = .005). Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) > or = grade II was associated with a significantly lower risk of relapse, but also with a lower overall survival (OS) rate. CONCLUSION: Based on this study, alloBMT from a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical sibling donor does not appear to offer any advantage when compared with ABMT. A graft-versus-Hodgkin effect is associated with > or = grade II aGVHD, but its positive effect on relapse is largely offset by its toxicity. In most circumstances, alloBMT cannot be recommended for patients with HD.

Adolescent

Prophylactic ganciclovir is more effective in HLA-identical family member marrow transplant recipients than in more heavily immune-suppressed HLA-identical unrelated donor marrow transplant recipients. Australasian Bone Marrow Transplant Study Group.

A multi-centre Australasian study of the efficacy of prophylactic ganciclovir in 88 recipients of marrow allografts at high risk for post-transplant cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease was conducted. The actuarial incidence of CMV disease was 10% in 74 recipients of HLA-identical family member transplants given ganciclovir but was 33% in 14 recipients of HLA-identical unrelated donor transplants given more immune-suppression pre- and post-transplant (P = 0.006). CMV disease developed in 4 of the 14 recipients of HLA-identical unrelated donor transplants at a median of 59 days post-transplant and was associated with concurrent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in 2 of the 4. CMV disease occurred in 5 of 74 recipients of an HLA-identical family member transplant at a median of 137 days post-transplant and was associated with concurrent moderate to severe GVHD in 4 of the 5. Thus the risk of CMV disease was higher in recipients who were not genotypically identical for HLA with their donors and who (in consequence) were given more immune-suppression than HLA-identical family member transplant recipients. Additionally, CMV disease can occur beyond the period of prophylactic ganciclovir administration (first 3 months post-transplant) in patients developing significant chronic GVHD and prophylaxis should be reintroduced at that time in such patients.

Adolescent

Evaluating survival after allogeneic bone marrow transplant for chronic myeloid leukaemia in chronic phase: a comparison of transplant versus no-transplant in a cohort of 258 patients first seen in Italy between 1984 and 1986. Italian Cooperative Study Group on Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia.

Information on the outcome of allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) for chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) was previously provided by BMT centres or registries. This report uses the data from another source, based on a cohort of 258 patients aged 50 or less who were first seen and recruited between 1984 and 1986 at 55 Italian hospitals. These patients were registered and followed for a prospective study of the course and prognosis of CML, without any obligations for treatment. All patients had Ph+ CML; 50 of them were transplanted in first chronic phase (CP), and 208 were not transplanted. Leukaemia-free survival at 8 years was 34% (95% CI 20-47%) for the transplant group versus zero in the non-transplant group. Overall survival at 8 years was 43% (95% CI 29-57%) for the transplant group versus 25% (95% CI 19-32%) in the non-transplant group (P = 0.24). The difference in overall survival between transplant and non-transplant was significant in patients less than 30 years old (P = 0.035), but not in patients aged 30-50 years (P = 0.439). This report points out that although freedom from leukaemia could be obtained only with BMT, a beneficial effect of BMT on overall survival could be detected only in a patients' subset, and that many hundreds of cases and a decade could be necessary to evaluate the effect on survival of new transplant policies.

Adult

Retrospective evaluation of autologous bone marrow transplantation vs allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from an HLA identical related donor in acute myelocytic leukemia. A study of the European Cooperative Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT).

We analyzed retrospectively data from 1696 patients with AML transplanted in Europe from January 1987 to December 1992 and reported to the acute leukemia EBMT registry. Groups of patients were analyzed according to age (adults and children) and status at transplant (first remission = CR1; second remission = CR2). (1) 1114 adult patients were transplanted in CR1; 516 received an allograft; 598 received an autograft. Following alloBMT, the transplant-related mortality (TRM) was significantly higher (27 vs 13%, P < 10(-4)), the relapse incidence (RI) lower (25 vs 52%, P < 10(-4)) and the leukemia-free survival (LFS) better (55 vs 42%, P = 0.006). Favorable prognostic factors for alloBMT were a FAB type other than M4-M5, a donor-recipient combination excluding a female donor to a male recipient, and a younger age. Favorable prognostic factors for ABMT were a younger age of the patients at time of transplant, the AML3 FAB type, and a longer interval from CR1 to ABMT. (2) 288 adult patients were transplanted in CR2: 98 received an allograft; 190 received an autograft. The TRM was higher following allogeneic BMT (32 vs 20%, P = 0.02) and the RI lower (42 vs 63%, P = 0.001). The LFS was not significantly different (alloBMT: 39%; ABMT: 30%, P = 0.22). (3) 242 children were transplanted in CR1; 129 received an allograft; 113 received an autograft. Following alloBMT, the RI was lower (25 + 5 vs 48 + 6%, P < 10(-4)), and the LFS better (68 vs 47%, P = 0.002). The use of TBI was a favorable prognostic factor in allografted patients with a lower RI and a better LFS. (4) The number of children transplanted in CR2 was too small for a comparative analysis. These results confirm that both allogeneic and autologous BMT are suitable curative approaches for AML. They favor the use of an HLA identical related allogeneic transplant when available, especially in younger patients, over ABMT with unpurged marrow. The role of purging in ABMT could not be addressed in this study.

Acute Disease

The results of combined liver/kidney transplantation for primary hyperoxaluria (PH1) 1984-1997. The European PH1 transplant registry report. European PH1 Transplantation Study Group.

Between 1984 and 1987 thirty European Centres reported 87 liver transplants (usually in combination with a renal transplant) in 80 patients with an underlying diagnosis of Primary Hyperoxaluria (PH1). Mean age of onset of first symptoms was 5.4 +/- 7.9 years with a mean delay to diagnosis of 4.2 +/- 6.3 years. The mean age at transplantation was 17.3 +/- 11.7 years with a mean duration of dialysis of 3.1 +/- 3.1 years. There was a family history in 43% of cases. Following transplantation one, two and five year patient survival rates were 88%, 80% and 72% and graft survival rates were 82%, 78% and 62% at the same time intervals. Patients who had been on dialysis for less than two years at the time of transplant were more likely to be assessed as being in good general condition at the time of transplantation and had better survival than those who had been on dialysis for longer time periods and carne to transplantation with evidence of marked systemic oxalosis. Combined liver/kidney transplantation appears to give excellent results in patients with PH1 although the results are poor when transplantation is delayed until advanced systemic oxalosis has developed. The registry will continue to collect and analyse data from patients undergoing liver/kidney grafting for PH1.

Adolescent

National Transplantation Pregnancy Registry: report on outcomes in cyclosporine-treated female kidney transplant recipients with an interval from transplant to pregnancy of greater than five years.

Successful renal transplantation enables previously infertile females to conceive and carry a pregnancy. Much of the reported data on posttransplantation pregnancy accrued before the advent of cyclosporine, when steroids and azathioprine were the mainstays of maintenance immunosuppression. One factor affecting pregnancy outcome in kidney recipients is the length of time from transplantation to conception or transplant interval. It has been recommended that patients wait at least 2 years posttransplantation to conceive, as transplant intervals of shorter duration have had less favorable outcomes. Some have suggested that extended transplant intervals (> 5 years) paradoxically result in adverse outcomes. We have extracted data on cyclosporine-treated recipients with transplant intervals longer than 5 years from the National Transplantation Pregnancy Registry, and report 17 pregnancies from 15 recipients (transplant interval, 5.9 +/- 0.9 years). There were 13 live births (76.5%) and four spontaneous abortions (23.5%). The mean gestational age was 37.7 +/- 2.04 weeks and mean birth weight was 2,753 +/- 679 g. Prematurity occurred in 30.8%, low birth weight in 15.4%, very low birth weight in 7.7%, and neonatal complications in 15.4%. There were no maternal or neonatal deaths. The mean serum creatinine before pregnancy was 1.31 mg/dL, and there was no significant change during or after pregnancy. There were no rejections during or up to 3 months postpartum. Graft survival at 2 years was 100%. We conclude that most pregnancy outcomes in cyclosporine-treated recipients with transplant intervals greater than 5 years are favorable for the newborn, recipient, and graft.

Analysis of Variance

Can low volume liver transplant centers be successful? The Regional Transplant Center of Willis-Knighton & Louisiana State University Medical Center. The first 120 liver transplants.

The development of orthotopic liver transplantation represents this century's most significant advance in the management of liver disease. In the 1980s the vast majority of liver transplants were performed at several large centers; however, in this decade, improvements in techniques and success rates have allowed live transplantation to expand to regional centers across the country, particularly in the southeast. This proliferation of regional centers and the widening disparity between organ availability and numbers of recipients have created tremendous controversy at the national level regarding the allocation scheme used to distribute livers to recipients. The large programs today are advocating change to a national waiting list which would eliminate local priority and jeopardize the existence of smaller regional centers. Furthermore, the large programs favor establishing a limited number of megacenters where all liver transplants would take place, arguing that low volume centers cannot perform liver transplants with acceptable complication and survival rates. At the Regional Transplant Center of Willis-Knighton Hospital and Louisiana State University Medical Center in Shreveport (WK/LSUMC) we performed 122 liver transplants between July 1, 1991 and December 31, 1997. The purpose of this study was to examine our complication and survival rates and compare them to national averages. The actuarial graft survival at 1, 2, and 3 years in this series compared to the national average respectively was 76% and 70%, 66% and 66%, 62% and 62%. The actuarial patient survival (WK/LSUMC vs National) at 1, 2, and 3 years was 80% and 80%, 75% and 75%, 70% and 74%. The rate of retransplantation was 8% with a national average of 10% to 20%. Our rate of graft primary non-function was 5% with the national average being 2% to 10%. The rate of vascular thrombosis of the graft in this series was 2% with a national rate of 5%. The differences in these results were not statistically significant (P < .05). Low volume transplant centers can perform liver transplant successfully, allowing the regionalization of the treatment of choice for end-stage liver disease.

Actuarial Analysis

Commercially motivated renal transplantation: results in 540 patients transplanted in India. The Living Non-Related Renal Transplant Study Group.

Commercial renal transplantation is widely condemned on moral and ethical grounds. Moreover, previous studies involving small numbers of patients, mostly from tertiary care centers, have reported poor patient and graft survival. The Living Non-Related Renal Transplant Study Group was established to determine the overall results and complications in a large number of patients who received this type of transplantation in India. In this study we retrospectively collected data from 22 centers on 540 patients who had received commercial renal transplantation (CRT) in India between 1978 and 1993. The data collected included demographic characteristics of patients, the primary renal disease, dialysis and pretransplant data, immunosuppressive regimen, rejection episodes, post-transplant data, as well as patient and graft outcomes. Results were compared with those of 75 recipients of emotionally related renal transplantation (ERT) performed in two participating institutions in the Middle East. Among the 540 patients, 7.5% were younger than 20 yr of age and 14.2% were 50 yr of age or older. After adjusting for several variables, the 1-, 3-, and 5-yr patient survival rates in the CRT were 97, 94, and 92%, and in the ERT 95, 91, and 91% respectively (p = 0.4921). The corresponding rates for graft survival were 90, 81, and 72%, and 90, 86, and 83%, respectively (p = 0.5336). There was a higher incidence of human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection (4.6% vs. 0% p = 0.053), and hepatitis B virus (HbsAg) infection rate (8.1% vs. 1.4% p = 0.03) in CRT. In conclusion, patient and graft survival rates in recipients of commercial renal transplantation are similar to those in recipients of emotionally related transplantation done in our institutions. However, the incidence of serious infections with HIV and HbsAg is significantly higher.

Adult