Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Simona Granata, Gianpaolo Tessari, Giovanni Stallone, Gianluigi Zaza
Summary: In the last two decades, advancements in organ preservation, surgical techniques, and personalised immunosuppression have reduced the occurrence of acute rejections and early post-transplant complications. However, long-term graft survival rates have remained stagnant, possibly due to chronic calcineurin inhibitor toxicity. Skin cancer, particularly non-melanoma skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma), is the most common malignancy among Caucasian solid organ transplant recipients. Various factors, including immunosuppression, contribute to the susceptibility to skin cancers, which have higher mortality rates compared to the general population. Early identification and treatment, along with patient education on sun protection and self-diagnosis, are crucial preventive measures. Collaboration between transplant clinicians, dermatologists, and surgeons is essential for effective management of these complications.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Anke S. Lonsdorf, Alexander H. Enk, Julia Hartmann
Summary: The risk of developing keratinocyte cancer in solid organ transplant recipients can be assessed by evaluating cumulative sun exposure. A higher total sun burden score is associated with an increased risk of developing keratinocyte cancer. Proper use of sunscreen and identification of personal risk factors are important in preventing keratinocyte cancer in these patients.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER PREVENTION
(2023)
Article
Dermatology
John A. G. Gibson, Andrea Cordaro, Thomas D. Dobbs, Rowena Griffiths, Ashley Akbari, Sairan Whitaker, Hayley A. Hutchings, Ronan A. Lyons, Iain S. Whitaker
Summary: This study found a higher incidence of skin cancer in solid organ transplant recipients, with age, male gender, and azathioprine use being associated with increased risk. Contemporary immunomodulators such as tacrolimus and mycophenolate were found to reduce skin cancer risk when compared to older medications like cyclosporin and azathioprine. Different organ transplant recipients had varying levels of risk for skin cancer.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Isabella Pirozzolo, Zhipeng Li, Martin Sepulveda, Maria-Luisa Alegre
Summary: The microbiome plays a crucial role in shaping immune responses in transplantation, affecting various aspects such as cell modulation, immune response phases, and drug metabolism. The complex interactions between the microbiota and the host have significant implications for transplant outcomes and alloimmunity.
JOURNAL OF HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Daniel Zieman, Michael Heckman, Danielle Brushaber, Catherine Degesys, Leila Tolaymat
Summary: Solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs), especially non-White individuals, have an increased risk of developing skin cancer. This retrospective study at Mayo Clinic aimed to characterize the development pattern of cutaneous malignancies in non-White SOTRs and provide information for the development of guidelines and interventions to improve patient outcomes.
SOUTHERN MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Jeffrey Clement, Angela Q. Maldonado
Summary: The advancements in systems immunology have the potential to improve personalized immunosuppression regimens in transplant patients. The integration of AI can help in discovering patterns and making predictions for specific patients, overcoming biases and judgment errors. However, AI faces challenges such as bias/accuracy and acceptability criteria in the field of transplantation.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Morteza Hafezi, Anthony Tan, Antonio Bertoletti
Summary: The study introduces a new class of Armored TCR T cells capable of targeting recurrent hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma in liver transplanted recipients, while temporarily evading immunosuppressive drugs. This strategy holds promise for providing new treatment opportunities for pathologies under immunosuppressant treatment.
Article
Dermatology
Mirit Gluck, Emmilia Hodak, Batya Davidovici
Summary: Immunosuppressants are crucial for graft survival in solid-organ transplant recipients, but they can lead to an increased incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancers. A retrospective study showed that mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (mTORi) have a sustained effectiveness in reducing the occurrence of nonmelanoma skin cancers.
DERMATOLOGIC THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Nadja Angela Stenz, Susanne Stampf, Andreas W. Arnold, Antonio Cozzio, Michael Dickenmann, Olivier Gaide, Mirjam Harms, Robert E. Hunger, Emmanuel Laffitte, Michael Muhlstadt, Mirjam Nageli, Gunther F. L. Hofbauer
Summary: This study in Switzerland found an increased risk of skin cancer among solid organ transplant recipients, with key risk factors including age, gender, history of skin cancer before transplantation, previous transplantations, and the number of immunosuppressive drugs used.
Review
Surgery
Amanda Szczepanik, David Choi, Beth Brady, Mary Moss Chandran, Adam Diamond, Vincent Do, Stacy Fredrick, Tiffany Kaiser, Karen Khalil, Melissa R. Laub, Abbie Leino, Jeong M. Park, Dana Pierce, TrisAnn Rendulic, Joshua J. Wiegel, Jillian Fose, Margaret R. Jorgenson
Summary: Biologics have become a crucial tool in managing autoimmune conditions, but their use in solid organ transplant recipients poses challenges. This review aims to summarize the current literature on the use of biologics in this patient population and provide practical references for management strategies and infection prevention.
CLINICAL TRANSPLANTATION
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Robert P. Carroll, Michael Boyer, Val Gebski, Bronwyn Hockley, Julie K. Johnston, Svjetlana Kireta, Hsiang Tan, Anne Taylor, Kate Wyburn, John RZalcberg
Summary: Maintaining baseline immunosuppression before treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor in kidney transplant recipients might not affect expected efficacy and might reduce the risk of allograft rejection mediated by immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Article
Immunology
Efrat Talgam-Horshi, Yael Mozer-Glassberg, Orit Waisbourd-Zinman, Liat Ashkenazi-Hojhung, Orly Haskin, Shelly Levi, Gilad Hamdani, Daniel Landau, Hadas Alfandary
Summary: This study describes the clinical manifestations and outcomes of 25 pediatric solid organ transplant recipients who tested positive for COVID-19. The majority of patients developed mild disease, but a small percentage experienced severe illness. Close monitoring of this population is crucial.
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Hematology
Parag Mahale, Dennis D. Weisenburger, Amy R. Kahn, Lou Gonsalves, Karen Pawlish, Lori Koch, Maribel Tirado-Gomez, Christina A. Clarke, Georgetta Alverson, Meredith S. Shiels, Eric A. Engels
Summary: The risk of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is significantly increased in HIV-infected individuals and transplant recipients, with a higher risk compared to the general population. In HIV-infected individuals, the incidence of ALCL is closely related to CD4 cell count, while in transplant recipients, the risk is highest within the first year post-transplant and 10+ years post-transplant. Limited reports suggest that ALCL risk may be unrelated to Epstein-Barr virus infection in these immunosuppressed populations.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Dermatology
Areeg A. Abu El Hawa, Jenna C. Bekeny, Paige K. Dekker, Elizabeth G. Zolper, Abigail R. Tirrell, Christopher J. Kennedy, Elliot T. Walters, John D. Bovill, Kenneth L. Fan, Christopher E. Attinger, John S. Steinberg, Peter L. Abrams, Karen K. Evans
Summary: The study evaluated the outcomes of surgical management of lower extremity wounds in solid organ transplant recipients, demonstrating high rates of amputation and failed minor amputations in this population. Further research is needed to optimize surgical management of lower extremity wounds in solid organ transplant recipients.
ADVANCES IN WOUND CARE
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Iris Amitay-Laish, Elena Didkovsky, Batya Davidovici, Rivka Friedland, Dan Ben Amitai, Hagai Landov, Shoshana Greenberger, Ayelet Ollech, Hadas Prag Naveh, Emmilia Hodak, Aviv Barzilai
Summary: This study retrospectively investigated the characteristics of Mycosis fungoides (MF) in solid-organ transplant recipients (SOTR). The findings showed that MF in SOTR is usually diagnosed at an early stage with an overrepresentation of folliculotropic MF and children. Careful consideration of immunosuppressive therapy alterations is needed due to the potential risk of organ compromise and rejection. The course of the disease in SOTR was similar to that in immunocompetent patients during the limited follow-up period.
