A new approach to organ transplantation that may be particularly applicable to kidney transplantation is suggested by analogy with the immunological mechanism responsible for the survival of the fetal allograft. The method concerns identifying donor-recipient tissue compatibility by use of the two-way mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), in which reacting cells from patients awaiting transplants ar...

OBJECTIVE The first Phase I study of autologous tolerogenic dendritic cells (Tol-DCs) in Type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients was recently completed. Pancreatic islet transplantation is an effective therapy for T1D, and infusion of Tol-DCs can control diabetes development while promoting graft survival. In this study, we aim to systematically review islet allograft survival following infusion of Tol-...

OBJECTIVE NOD mice model human type 1 diabetes and are used to investigate tolerance induction protocols for islet transplantation in a setting of autoimmunity. However, costimulation blockade-based tolerance protocols have failed in prolonging islet allograft survival in NOD mice. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS To investigate the underlying mechanisms, we studied the ability of costimulation bl...

BACKGROUND Immune responses are somewhat suppressed in immune privileged sites, including the testes, which provide a preexisting opportunity to prolong allograft survival. Previous studies have shown that intratesticular islet allografts enjoy extended survival even without any immunosuppression. However, it is unknown if testicular immune privilege can be exploited to prolong the survival of ...

BACKGROUND Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens are important for alloimmune responses as well as immune tolerance. Previous studies have shown that presentation of donor MHC antigens by donor-specific transfusion prior to or upon transplantation promotes transplant tolerance induced by other agents. However, it is unclear whether presentation of donor MHC antigens by DNA vaccination...

The effect of an exercise program during hemodialysis on dialysis efficacy, blood pressure and quality of life in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Kidney transplantation is generally accepted as the best way for renal replacement therapy in patients with end-stage renal disease. Kidney transplant recipients could have a relatively high quality of life compared with maintenance hemodialy...

CONTEXT Several observational studies have investigated the significance of hypertension in renal allograft failure; however, these studies have been complicated by the lack of adjustment for baseline renal function, leaving the role of elevated blood pressure in allograft failure unclear. OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between blood pressure adjusted for renal function and survival af...

Background: The Presence of donor leukocytes in recipients of organ allograft has been shown even several years after transplantation. However, it remains unclear whether this donor cell microchimerism plays an effective role in allograft acceptance or is simply a consequence of immunosuppressive conditions in recipients. Objective: To study microchimerism in a group of kidney transplant recipi...

Background: Correlations between bone marrow, heart, kidney, liver, skin and lung transplant rejection or survival with human cytokine gene polymorphisms have been described. There are also reports about the role of cytokines and Tumor Necrosis Factors-Alpha (TNF-α) on corneal transplant in animal models. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of cytokines in corneal allograft rejection...

Data from seven randomized, prospective trials were pooled to determine the effect of steroid-free immunosuppression on allograft survival, patient survival, and the incidence of acute allograft rejection in renal transplant recipients receiving cyclosporine-based maintenance immunosuppression. Six of the seven trials incorporated into this analysis examined the effects of either complete avoid...