Review
Immunology
Leonie Groeneweg, Yvette G. T. Loeffen, Anne Birgitta Versluys, Tom F. W. Wolfs
Summary: The review evaluates the safety and efficacy of early measles vaccination for HSCT and SOT recipients, indicating that vaccination after SOT and less than two years after HSCT is efficacious and well-tolerated. Early measles vaccination could be considered in selected groups of SOT and HSCT recipients during increased measles transmission or an outbreak setting.
Review
Biology
Arnaud Del Bello, Emmanuel Treiner
Summary: Manipulating immune checkpoints could potentially lead to a state of specific hypo-responsiveness towards grafted organs, reducing the need for immunosuppressive medications and their associated toxicities.
Review
Cell Biology
Dixie Bakker, Walbert J. Bakker, Marcel W. Bekkenk, Rosalie M. Luiten
Summary: Non-melanoma skin cancers are common in Caucasians and can be burdensome for healthcare. Solid organ transplant recipients have a higher risk of developing these cancers due to immunosuppressive medication use. Different classes of immunosuppressants have varying effects on the incidence of skin cancers.
Article
Immunology
Lauren E. Higdon, Claire E. Gustafson, Xuhuai Ji, Malaya K. Sahoo, Benjamin A. Pinsky, Kenneth B. Margulies, Holden T. Maecker, Jorg Goronzy, Jonathan S. Maltzman
Summary: Immune function changes with age, and infection with CMV accelerates these changes, resulting in increased mortality and impaired responses in elderly individuals. Following organ transplantation, CMV+ recipients show accelerated aging of CD8 T cells.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Aracelly Gaete-Argel, Vicente Saavedra-Alarcon, Denis Saure, Luis Alonso-Palomares, Monica L. Acevedo, Marion Alarcon, Susan M. Bueno, Alexis M. Kalergis, Ricardo Soto-Rifo, Fernando Valiente-Echeverria, Claudia P. Cortes
Summary: This study shows that booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines can improve seroconversion rates in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs). However, the impact of homologous and heterologous booster doses on neutralizing antibody titers and their ability to interfere with the Omicron variant has not been well studied. Therefore, monitoring antibody responses is crucial in planning booster vaccination programs for immunocompromised individuals.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Shuailong Li, Amal Abu Omar, Adam Greasley, Bowen Wang, Tan Ze Wang, Serina Chahal, Raj Kumar Thapa, Douglas Quan, Anton Skaro, Kexiang Liu, Xiufen Zheng
Summary: Knockdown of circMAP2K2 can induce immunosuppressive dendritic cells, which can alleviate immune rejection and prolong graft survival.
BIOENGINEERING & TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Priscila Ferreira Slepicka, Mahboubeh Yazdanifar, Alice Bertaina
Summary: This article discusses the conventional and unconventional immunological mechanisms underlying the development of immune tolerance in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients, as well as how these mechanisms can inform clinical progress. Specifically, recent mechanistic studies elucidating the role of regulatory cells in dampening cytotoxic immune reactivity and fostering a tolerogenic environment are reviewed. The understanding of regulatory cells can shape graft engineering and other therapeutic strategies to improve long-term outcomes for patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and SOT.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Surgery
Paul Gabarre, Christopher Loens, Yanis Tamzali, Benoit Barrou, Frederic Jaisser, Jerome Tourret
Summary: Understanding of the involvement of the gut microbiota in human health has significantly grown in recent decades, particularly in the fields of metabolism, inflammation, and immunology. Immunosuppressive treatments given to solid organ transplant recipients can cause changes in the gut microbiota that impact various physiological processes. Medications such as Tacrolimus and steroids induce dysbiosis and metabolic disorders, while Mycophenolate Mofetil can lead to gastrointestinal side effects.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION
(2022)
Article
Surgery
Bob Z. Sun, Aaron Wightman, Douglas S. Diekema
Summary: This article examines ethical considerations of mandating COVID-19 vaccination for primary caregivers of solid organ transplant candidates. It highlights the potential improvement in overall utility in organ allocation and the need for sensitivity to the changing circumstances of disease severity, transmissibility, and vaccine effectiveness.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Lei Wang, Erik A. M. Verschuuren, Davy Paap, Christien Rondaan, Elisabeth Raveling-Eelsing, Siqi Liu, Johanna Westra, Nicolaas A. Bos
Summary: The average age of lung transplant recipients has increased significantly over time. Elderly recipients are more at risk of developing herpes zoster (HZ) and have poorer vaccination responses compared to younger individuals. The study focused on the relationship between immune responses to HZ vaccination and T and B cell subsets, particularly in elderly individuals.
Article
Immunology
Jennie H. Kwon, Mark W. Tenforde, Manjusha Gaglani, H. Keipp Talbot, Adit A. Ginde, Tresa McNeal, Shekhar Ghamande, David J. Douin, Jonathan D. Casey, Nicholas M. Mohr, Anne Zepeski, Nathan Shapiro, Kevin W. Gibbs, D. Clark Files, David N. Hager, Arber Shehu, Matthew E. Prekker, Sean D. Caspers, Matthew C. Exline, Mena Botros, Michelle N. Gong, Alex Li, Amira Mohamed, Nicholas J. Johnson, Vasisht Srinivasan, Jay S. Steingrub, Ithan D. Peltan, Samuel M. Brown, Emily T. Martin, Akram Khan, Catherine L. Hough, Laurence W. Busse, Abhijit Duggal, Jennifer G. Wilson, Cynthia Perez, Steven Y. Chang, Christopher Mallow, Randal Rovinski, Hilary M. Babcock, Adam S. Lauring, Laura Felley, Natasha Halasa, James D. Chappell, Carlos G. Grijalva, Todd W. Rice, Kelsey N. Womack, Christopher J. Lindsell, Kimberly W. Hart, Adrienne Baughman, Samantha M. Olson, Stephanie Schrag, Miwako Kobayashi, Jennifer R. Verani, Manish M. Patel, Wesley H. Self
Summary: The effectiveness of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in preventing COVID-19 hospitalization is lower for solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients compared to immunocompetent individuals and those with other immunocompromising conditions. Among SOT recipients, receiving 3 doses of an mRNA vaccine provides significantly greater protection than receiving 2 doses.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Rosario Mazzola, Francesco Cuccia, Alessandro Bertani, Slavisa Tubin, Pier Giulio Conaldi, Stefanie Corradini, Maria Tolia, Markus Guba, Filippo Alongi
Summary: Radiotherapy in cancer patients with prior organ transplants poses challenges due to potential effects on immunosuppressive therapy and organ tolerance. This systematic review aims to assess the safety and efficacy of radiotherapy in these patients, focusing on modern treatment techniques.
Article
Immunology
G. Blanchard-Rohner, N. Enriquez, B. Lemaitre, G. Cadau, E. Giostra, K. Hadaya, P. Meyer, P. M. Gasche-Soccal, T. Berney, C. van Delden, C-A Siegrist
Summary: The systematic vaccination with PCV13 of all SOT candidates without additional PPV23 is a good strategy as it confers seroprotection against a wide range of pneumococcal serotypes. The results show that SOT recipients had higher seroprotection rates against PCV13 and PPV23 serotypes compared to controls transplanted before the systematic PCV13 vaccination in 2013. However, a portion of PCV13-vaccinated SOT candidates still lacked seroprotection at the time of transplant, indicating the need for additional doses of pneumococcal vaccines in some cases.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eunjeong Kang, Jangwook Lee, Sehoon Park, Yaerim Kim, Hyo Jeong Kim, Yong Chul Kim, Dong Ki Kim, Kwon Wook Joo, Yon Su Kim, Insun Choi, Hajeong Lee
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the recognition of live kidney donation among the general population in Korea. The results showed that although the majority of participants understood and were knowledgeable about living donor kidney transplantation, only half of them were willing to donate due to concerns about possible complications. The study also found that most participants agreed on the need for social and economic support for living kidney donors, particularly in terms of surgery-related costs.
Article
Surgery
Nassim Kamar, Florence Abravanel, Olivier Marion, Laure Esposito, Anne Laure Hebral, Chloe Medrano, Joelle Guitard, Laurence Lavayssiere, Olivier Cointault, Marie Betriace Nogier, Julie Belliere, Stanislas Faguer, Chloe Couat, Arnaud Del Bello, Jacques Izopet
Summary: The immunogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine was enhanced by a third dose. A retrospective study on solid organ transplant patients found that two-thirds of them developed anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after three doses, but one-third remained weak or non-protected. Antibody concentrations and protection levels decreased between 1 and 3 months after vaccination.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Jelena Blagojevic, G. Abignano, J. Avouac, L. Cometi, M. Frerix, S. Bellando-Randone, S. Guiducci, C. Bruni, D. Huscher, V. K. Jaeger, V. Lorand, B. Maurer, S. Nihtyanova, G. Riemekasten, E. Siegert, I. H. Tarner, S. Vettori, U. A. Walker, L. Czirjak, C. P. Denton, O. Distler, Y. Allanore, U. Mueller-Ladner, A. Moggi-Pignone, M. Matucci-Cerinic, F. Del Galdo
CLINICAL RHEUMATOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Rheumatology
Veronika K. Jaeger, Mohammed Tikly, Dong Xu, Elise Siegert, Eric Hachulla, Paolo Airo, Gabriele Valentini, Marco Matucci Cerinic, Oliver Distler, Franco Cozzi, Patricia Carreira, Yannick Allanore, Ulf Muller-Ladner, Lidia P. Ananieva, Alexandra Balbir-Gurman, Jorg H. W. Distler, Laszlo Czirjak, Mengtao Li, Jorg Henes, Sergio A. Jimenez, Vanessa Smith, Nemanja Damjanov, Christopher P. Denton, Francesco DelGaldo, Lesley Ann Saketkoo, Ulrich A. Walker
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Silja Buehler, Veronika Katharina Jaeger, Gilles Eperon, Hansjakob Furrer, Christoph A. Fux, Stephanie Jansen, Andreas Neumayr, Laurence Rochat, Sabine Schmid, Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit, Cornelia Staehelin, Adriette W. de Visser, Leonardus G. Visser, Matthias Niedrig, Christoph Hatz
JOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE
(2020)
Article
Rheumatology
Maria-Grazia Lazzaroni, Emiliano Marasco, Corrado Campochiaro, Jeska DeVries-Bouwstra, Montserrat-Ixchel Gonzalez-Perez, Jorge Rojas-Serrano, Eric Hachulla, Elisabetta Zanatta, Simone Barsotti, Federica Furini, Konstantinos Triantafyllias, Giuseppina Abignano, Marie-Elise Truchetet, Giacomo De Luca, Ellen De Langhe, Roger Hesselstrand, Francesca Ingegnoli, Eugenia Bertoldo, Vanessa Smith, Silvia Bellando-Randone, Hadi Poormoghim, Enrico Colombo, Angela Ceribelli, Alessio Furloni, Stefania Zingarelli, Ilaria Cavazzana, Franco Franceschini, Francesco Del Galdo, Christopher P. Denton, Lorenzo Cavagna, Oliver Distler, Yannick Allanore, Paolo Airo
Summary: The study evaluated clinical associations of anti-PM/Scl antibodies in SSc patients, showing that patients with isolated anti-PM/Scl+ had a more severe disease phenotype, while those with both anti-PM/Scl and SSc-specific antibodies exhibited more typical SSc features.
Article
Rheumatology
Simone Arnold, Veronika K. Jaeger, Almut Scherer, Adrian Ciurea, Ulrich A. Walker, Diego Kyburz
Summary: This study aimed to identify predictors of successful discontinuation of bDMARD therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a real-world cohort. The majority of patients who discontinued bDMARD treatment lost remission within <1 year. Fulfillment of more rigorous remission criteria and csDMARD treatment increased the chance of maintaining bDMARD-free remission.
Article
Rheumatology
Michele Iudici, Matthias Jarlborg, Kim Lauper, Ulf Mueller-Ladner, Vanessa Smith, Yannick Allanore, Alexandra Balbir-Gurman, Andrea Doria, Paolo Airo, Ulrich A. Walker, Valeria Riccieri, Madelon C. Vonk, Armando Gabrielli, Anna-Maria Hoffmann-Vold, Gabriella Szucs, Thierry Martin, Oliver Distler, Delphine S. Courvoisier
Summary: The objective of this study was to assess the extent of ineligibility and determine the reasons for it in SSc patients included in the EUSTAR database. The study found that the representativeness of patients in SSc-RCTs varies greatly, and is more influenced by treatment and safety factors rather than demographic criteria.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Ralf Krumkamp, Benno Kreuels, Veronika K. Jaeger, Juergen May, Rafael Mikolajczyk, Andre Karch
Summary: This study simulated the increase in infectious individuals over time in asymptomatic individuals following a negative SARS-CoV-2 test using a Monte Carlo approach. The results showed that the false negative rates of PCR tests or rapid antigen tests, as well as the time since testing, play a crucial role in determining the number of infectious individuals. The simulated results were comparable to mathematically predicted case numbers, highlighting the importance of these factors in testing population groups.
BMC MEDICAL RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Damilola Victoria Tomori, Nicole Ruebsamen, Tom Berger, Stefan Scholz, Jasmin Walde, Ian Wittenberg, Berit Lange, Alexander Kuhlmann, Johannes Horn, Rafael Mikolajczyk, Veronika K. Jaeger, Andre Karch
Summary: This study compared the ability of social contact data and population mobility data in reflecting transmission dynamics during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Germany. The findings suggest that social contact data better reflected infection dynamics compared to population mobility data. Using contact type-specific weights significantly reduced the mean absolute percentage error, indicating that measuring changes in mobility alone is not sufficient for understanding changes in transmission dynamics triggered by public health measures.
Article
Immunology
Johannes Mischlinger, Veronika K. Jaeger, Adrian Ciurea, Cem Gabay, Paul Hasler, Ruediger B. Mueller, Claire Ann Siegrist, Peter Villiger, Ulrich A. Walker, Christoph Hatz, Silja Buehler
Summary: This study found that patients with rheumatic diseases have lower long-term antibody persistence after receiving the diphtheria/tetanus vaccine, which may be influenced by the presence of rheumatic diseases and its treatment on plasma cells in the immune system.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Kerry L. M. Wong, Amy Gimma, Enny S. Paixao, Christel Faes, Philippe Beutels, Niel Hens, Christopher I. Jarvis, W. John Edmunds
Summary: During the COVID-19 pandemic, pregnant women had slightly fewer social contacts compared to non-pregnant women, with fewer work contacts but marginally more contacts in non-essential social settings. A significant proportion of both pregnant and non-pregnant individuals reported being in isolation or quarantine for a large part of the study period. COVID-19 vaccine coverage in pregnant women was initially higher than in non-pregnant women, but the situation reversed since May 2021.
BMC PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Imeke Goldschmidt, Evgeny Chichelnitskiy, Nicole Ruebsamen, Veronika K. Jaeger, Andre Karch, Lorenzo D'Antiga, Angelo Di Giorgio, Emanuele Nicastro, Deirdre A. Kelly, Valerie McLin, Simona Korff, Dominique Debray, Muriel Girard, Loreto Hierro, Maja Klaudel-Dreszler, Malgorzata Markiewicz-Kijewska, Christine Falk, Ulrich Baumann
Summary: Soluble cytokines levels were found to be elevated in children suspected to have T-cell-mediated acute rejection (TCMR) after liver transplantation. However, the diagnostic accuracy of these cytokines for TCMR is poor.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Geraldine Engels, Anna-Lisa Oechsle, Anne Schlegtendal, Christoph Maier, Sarah Holzwarth, Andrea Streng, Berit Lange, Andre Karch, Astrid Petersmann, Hendrik Streeck, Sabine Blaschke-Steinbrecher, Christoph Haertel, Horst Schroten, Ruediger von Kries, Reinhard Berner, Johannes Liese, Folke Brinkmann, Nicole Toepfner
Summary: The study evaluates the effects of the Omicron variant on the sero-immunity, health status, and quality of life of children and adolescents in Germany. The results show that a majority of children and adolescents have immunity against SARS-CoV-2, with differences in vaccination rates and infection rates across age groups. Overall, the health status and quality of life of children were good.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Shozen K. Dan, Yu Chen, Yining Chen, Melodie Monod, Veronika E. Jaeger, Samir E. Bhatt, Andre E. Karch, Oliver Ratmann
Summary: The study develops a model-based approach to estimate fine-age contact patterns from coarse-age data and measure real-time effective reproduction numbers. The model can also adjust for reporting fatigue and time trends, and is applicable to modern survey data with coarsely reported age information.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Yomei Shaw, Delphine S. Courvoisier, Almut Scherer, Adrian Ciurea, Thomas Lehmann, Veronika K. Jaeger, Ulrich A. Walker, Axel Finckh
Summary: The study found that rheumatic disease patients who discussed app data with their rheumatologist had better shared decision making and physician awareness of disease fluctuations. On the other hand, patients who only used the app without discussing data did not show significant improvement in patient-provider interactions.
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Julian Nicolas Erzer, Veronika Katharina Jaeger, Mohammed Tikly, Ulrich Andreas Walker
PAN AFRICAN MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2020)