Conversion from calcineurin inhibitors to mTOR inhibitors stabilizes diabetic and hypertensive nephropathy after liver transplant

AIM: To investigate if conversion to the mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors(mTORi) improves renal function in diabetic and/or hypertensive liver transplant patients immunosuppressed with tacrolimus or cyclosporine.METHODS: The study included 86 liver graft recipients immunosuppressed with mTORi treatment after orthotopic liver transplantation(OLT), including all liver recipients with worsening renal function before conversion to mTORi(n = 55 patients) and recipients with normal renal function who converted to m TORi for other reasons(n = 31 patients). We identified patients with diabetes mellitus(n = 28), arterial hypertension(n = 27), proteinuria(n = 27) and all three factors(n = 8)(some patients have hypertension and diabetes and no proteinuria). The primary endpoint was evolution in renal function defined as the development in plasma creatinine as a function of diabetes mellitus(DM), hypertension(HT) or proteinuria. We required elevated serum creatinine for at least two weeks to define renal dysfunction.RESULTS: Only patients that converted because of renal failure with plasma creatinine levels > 1.5 mg/dL showed an improvement of renal function(2.14 to 1.77 mg/dL)(P = 0.02). Patients with DM showed no improvement of serum creatinine levels(1.31 mg/dL to 1.37 mg/dL) compared with non DM patients(1.31 mg/dL to 1.15 mg/dL)(P = 0.01), HT patients(1.48 mg/dL to 1.5 mg/dL) with non HT patients(1.21mg/d L to 1.08 mg/dL) and patients with proteinuria(1.44 mg/dL to 1.41 mg/dL) and no proteinuria(1.31 mg/dL to 1.11 mg/dL). CONCLUSION: In OLT recipients with diabetes or hypertensive nephropathy, conversion to m TORi does not improve renal function but stabilizes plasma levels of creatinine. Proteinuria is not a contraindication to conversion to m TORi; it also stabilizes renal function. Conversion to m TORi should only be avoided in patients with diabetes, hypertension and proteinuria.

Improving outcomes in pancreatic cancer: Key points in perioperative management

This review focused in the perioperative management of patients with pancreatic cancer in order to improve the outcome of the disease. We consider that the most controversial points in pancreatic cancer management are jaundice management, vascular resection and neoadjuvant therapy. Preoperative biliary drainage is recommended only in patients with severe jaundice, as it can lead to infectious cholangitis, pancreatitis and delay in resection, which can lead to tumor progression. The development of a phase Ⅲ clinical trial is mandatory to clarify the role of neo-adjuvant radiochemotherapy in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Venous resection does not adversely affect postoperative mortality and morbidity, therefore, the need for venous resection should not be a contraindication to surgical resection in selected patients. The data on arterial resection alone, or combined with vascular resection at the time of pancreatectomy are more heterogeneous, thus, patient age and comorbidity should be evaluated before a decision on operability is made. In patients undergoing R0 resection, arterial resection can also be performed.