Project description:BackgroundMembranous nephropathy (MN) is a common cause of proteinuria in patients receiving a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). The target antigen in HSCT-associated MN is unknown.MethodsWe performed laser microdissection and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) of glomeruli from 250 patients with PLA2R-negative MN to detect novel antigens in MN. This was followed by immunohistochemical (IHC)/immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy studies to localize the novel antigen. Western blot analyses using serum and IgG eluted from frozen biopsy specimen to detect binding of IgG to new 'antigen'.ResultsMS/MS detected a novel protein, protocadherin FAT1 (FAT1), in nine patients with PLA2R-negative MN. In all nine patients, MN developed after allogeneic HSCT (Mayo Clinic discovery cohort). Next, we performed MS/MS in five patients known to have allogeneic HSCT-associated MN (Cedar Sinai validation cohort). FAT1 was detected in all five patients by MS/MS. The total spectral counts for FAT1 ranged from 8 to 39 (mean±SD, 20.9±10.1). All 14 patients were negative for known antigens of MN, including PLA2R, THSD7A, NELL1, PCDH7, NCAM1, SEMA3B, and HTRA1. Kidney biopsy specimens showed IgG (2 to 3+) with mild C3 (0 to 1+) along the GBM; IgG4 was the dominant IgG subclass. IHC after protease digestion and confocal IF confirmed granular FAT1 deposits along the GBM. Lastly, Western blot analyses detected anti-FAT1 IgG and IgG4 in the eluate obtained from pooled frozen kidney biopsy tissue and in the serum of those with FAT1-asssociated MN, but not from those with PLA2R-associated MN.ConclusionsFAT1-associated MN appears to be a unique type of MN associated with HSCT. FAT1-associated MN represents a majority of MN associated with HSCT.
Project description:Lipoic acid (alpha lipoic acid, thioctic acid) is a popular over-the-counter antioxidant and insulin-mimetic supplement under investigation in a variety of conditions including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and schizophrenia. Unfortunately, high-grade proteinuria was an unexpected adverse event specific to the treatment arm of our clinical trial investigating lipoic acid supplementation in patients with multiple sclerosis. This observation led to detection of similar patients in our nephrology practice. Here, we describe four biopsy-proven cases of neural epidermal growth factor-like 1 (NELL1)-associated membranous nephropathy following lipoic acid supplementation and a fifth suspected case. Discontinuation of lipoic acid and supportive therapy resulted in remission.
Project description:IntroductionThe clinicopathological features of segmental membranous glomerulopathy (SMGN) have not been well characterized. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and clinicopathological features of SMGN in adults.MethodsAdult patients with biopsy-confirmed SMGN in the native kidney at our center between January 2017 to September 2020 were identified. The clinicopathological features of SMGN were collected. The glomerular deposition of IgG subclasses, M-type phospholipase A2 receptor 1 (PLA2R), thrombospondin type 1 domain-containing 7A (THSD7A), and neural epidermal growth factor-like 1 protein (NELL1) were tested. Clinical and pathologic features were comparable between NELL1-positive and NELL1-negative SMGN.ResultsA total of 167 patients with biopsy-proven SMGN were enrolled. During the same period, 32,640 (33.0%) out of 98,939 renal biopsies were diagnosed with membranous nephropathy (MN) in adults. SMGN accounted for 0.17% of total kidney biopsies and 0.51% of MN in adults. One hundred and fifty (89.8%) cases were isolated SMGN, and 17 (10.2%) cases were complicated with other kidney disease. Clinically, the median age of isolated SMGN patients was 41.5 years, with female (74%) predominance, and 33.1% had full nephrotic syndrome. Pathologically, IgG1 was the dominant subclass (92.5%), followed by IgG4 (45.0%). PLA2R and THSD7A staining were done in 142 and 136 isolated SMGN cases, respectively, in which, all the cases showed negative. NELL1 staining was done in 135 isolated SMGN cases; 58 cases (43.0%) showed positive. Fifty-eight patients (41.1%) had diffuse (≥90%) foot process effacement, and 119 patients (83.8%) had either stage I (38.0%) or stage II (45.8%) membranous alterations in patients with SMGN. Most patients with NELL1-positive SMGN were female. Patients with NELL1-positive SMGN were more likely with lower prevalence of full nephrotic syndrome than NELL1-negative SMGN.ConclusionsSMGN is a relatively rare pathological type. Majority of patients with isolated SMGN were female, with a median age of 41.5 years, 33.1% had full nephrotic syndrome, absence of PLA2R and THSD7A, 43.0% with NELL1-positive, and mainly stage I or II MN (83.8%). NELL1 is the major target antigen of SMGN in adults.
Project description:Due to its negative impact on the outcome of stem cell transplant (SCT) and solid organ transplant patients (SOT) CMV has been called "the troll of transplantation". One of the greatest advances in the management of SCT has been the introduction of the preemptive strategy. Since its introduction, the incidence of the viremia, as expected, remains unchanged but there has been a marked decline in the incidence of early CMV disease. However, in spite of the advances in prevention of CMV disease, CMV is still today an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Late CMV disease is still occurring in a significant proportion of patients and the so-called indirect effects of CMV are causing significant morbidity and mortality. Fortunately there have been several advances in the development of new antivirals, adoptive immunotherapy and DNA-CMV vaccines that might transform the management of CMV in the near future.
Project description:Polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PVAN) is common in patients who have undergone kidney transplantation and has been reported in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplant recipients. Aside from reduction of immunosuppression, few therapeutic options exist for treatment of PVAN. We report a case of PVAN in a severely immunocompromised allogeneic HSC transplant recipient that was treated with brincidofovir without reduction of immunosuppression. We review our institutional experience of PVAN in HSC transplantation and discuss the potential use of brincidofovir for treatment.
Project description:We investigated a possible interaction between age-associated risk and HLA-mismatch associated risk on prognosis in different age categories of recipients of unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) (n=3019). Patients over 55 years of age transplanted with 8/10 donors showed a mortality risk of 2.27 (CI 1.70-3.03, P<0.001) and 3.48 (CI 2.49-4.86, P<0.001) when compared to 10/10 matched patients in the same age group and to 10/10 matched patients aged 18-35 years, respectively. Compared to 10/10 matched transplantations within each age category, the Hazards Ratio for 8/10 matched transplantation was 1.14, 1.40 and 2.27 in patients aged 18-35 years, 36-55 and above 55 years. Modeling age as continuous variable showed different levels of risk attributed to age at the time of transplantation [OS: 10/10: Hazards Ratio 1.015 (per life year); 9/10: Hazards Ratio: 1.019; 8/10: Hazards Ratio 1.026]. The interaction term was significant for 8/10 transplantations (P=0.009). Findings for disease-free survival and transplant-related mortality were similar. Statistical models were stratified for diagnosis and included clinically relevant predictors except cytomegalovirus status and Karnofsky performance status. The risk conferred by age at the time of transplantation varies according to the number of HLA-mismatches and leads to a disproportional increase in risk for elderly patients, particularly with double mismatched donors. Our findings highlight the importance of HLA-matching, especially in patients over 55 years of age, as HLA-mismatches are less well tolerated in these patients. The interaction between age-associated risk and HLA-mismatches should be considered in donor selection and in the risk assessment of elderly HSCT recipients.
Project description:Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) requires significant infrastructure. Little is known about HSCT use and the factors associated with it on a global level.To determine current use of HSCT to assess differences in its application and to explore associations of macroeconomic factors with transplant rates on a global level.Retrospective survey study of patients receiving allogeneic and autologous HSCTs for 2006 collected by 1327 centers in 71 participating countries of the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. The regional areas used herein are (1) the Americas (the corresponding World Health Organization regions are North and South America); (2) Asia (Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific Region, which includes Australia and New Zealand); (3) Europe (includes Turkey and Israel); and (4) the Eastern Mediterranean and Africa.Transplant rates (number of HSCTs per 10 million inhabitants) by indication, donor type, and country; description of main differences in HSCT use; and macroeconomic factors of reporting countries associated with HSCT rates.There were 50 417 first HSCTs; 21 516 allogeneic (43%) and 28 901 autologous (57%). The median HSCT rates varied between regions and countries from 48.5 (range, 2.5-505.4) in the Americas, 184 (range, 0.6-488.5) in Asia, 268.9 (range, 5.7-792.1) in Europe, and 47.7 (range, 2.8-95.3) in the Eastern Mediterranean and Africa. No HSCTs were performed in countries with less than 300,000 inhabitants, smaller than 960 km(2), or having less than US $680 gross national income per capita. Use of allogeneic or autologous HSCT, unrelated or family donors for allogeneic HSCT, and proportions of disease indications varied significantly between countries and regions. In linear regression analyses, government health care expenditures (r(2) = 77.33), HSCT team density (indicates the number of transplant teams per 1 million inhabitants; r(2) = 76.28), human development index (r(2) = 74.36), and gross national income per capita (r(2) = 74.04) showed the highest associations with HSCT rates.Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is used for a broad spectrum of indications worldwide, but most frequently in countries with higher gross national incomes, higher governmental health care expenditures, and higher team densities.
Project description:The apparent cure of an HIV-infected person following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from an allogeneic donor homozygous for the ccr5Δ32 mutation has stimulated the search for strategies to eradicate HIV or to induce long-term remission without requiring ongoing antiretroviral therapy. A variety of approaches, including allogeneic HSCT from CCR5-deficient donors and autologous transplantation of genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells, are currently under investigation. This Review covers the experience with HSCT in HIV infection to date and provides a survey of ongoing work in the field. The challenges of developing HSCT for HIV cure in the context of safe, effective, and convenient once-daily antiretroviral therapy are also discussed.
Project description:Myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation is curative in children with sickle cell disease, but in adults the procedure is unduly toxic. Graft rejection and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) are additional barriers to its success. We performed nonmyeloablative stem-cell transplantation in adults with sickle cell disease.Ten adults (age range, 16 to 45 years) with severe sickle cell disease underwent nonmyeloablative transplantation with CD34+ peripheral-blood stem cells, mobilized by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), which were obtained from HLA-matched siblings. The patients received 300 cGy of total-body irradiation plus alemtuzumab before transplantation, and sirolimus was administered afterward.All 10 patients were alive at a median follow-up of 30 months after transplantation (range, 15 to 54). Nine patients had long-term, stable donor lymphohematopoietic engraftment at levels that sufficed to reverse the sickle cell disease phenotype. Mean (+/-SE) donor-recipient chimerism for T cells (CD3+) and myeloid cells (CD14+15+) was 53.3+/-8.6% and 83.3+/-10.3%, respectively, in the nine patients whose grafts were successful. Hemoglobin values before transplantation and at the last follow-up assessment were 9.0+/-0.3 and 12.6+/-0.5 g per deciliter, respectively. Serious adverse events included the narcotic-withdrawal syndrome and sirolimus-associated pneumonitis and arthralgia. Neither acute nor chronic GVHD developed in any patient.A protocol for nonmyeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation that includes total-body irradiation and treatment with alemtuzumab and sirolimus can achieve stable, mixed donor-recipient chimerism and reverse the sickle cell phenotype. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00061568.)
Project description:Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) represents a vital curative choice for many disease. However its outcome can be hampered by a variety of transplant associated complications. Hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) considered as one of the major difficulties after HSCT. HC symptoms comprise hematuria, dysuria, burning during urination, urinary frequency, urgency and incontinency, abdominal or suprapubic pain, urinary obstruction, and renal or bladder damage. There are a lot of causes for HC development. BK virus reactivation is one of the major causes of HC after HSCT. There is still no standard and approved treatment protocol for BK virus associated HC (BKV-HC). Treatment of HC is according to the local standard operating procedures, depending on the cause and severity. In this study we will review the current treatments available for this disease. We have divided the therapeutic procedures into 5 categories including conservative therapy, complimentary options, surgical procedures, pharmacological treatments and adoptive cell therapy. We believe that comparing the advantages and disadvantages of different therapies make it easier to choose the best treatment protocol. In addition, we had a greater focus on adoptive cell therapy, because it is a relatively new introduced method and might be a logical alternative to conventional treatments for refractory patients. In total, no definitive recommendation is possible for current available treatments because these procedures have only been utilized sporadically in a limit number of patients. Furthermore, a number of treatment options are only experimental and definitely need more effort.