Follow-up and surveillance of immunosuppressive treatment in intestinal transplantation

Objective To evaluate the efficiency of monitoring parameters and methods of immunosuppresive treatment in intestinal transplantation and to provide scientific evidence for establishment of Intestinal Transplant Registry.

Successful use of plasma exchange in fulminant lupus myocarditis coexisting with pneumonia: A case report

BACKGROUND Fulminant lupus myocarditis is a rare but fatal manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus.Aggressive immunosuppressive treatments are important in its successful management.However,they can significantly damage the immunity and are associated with a considerable risk of infection development and spread.We present a rare and complicated case of a 20-year-old female diagnosed with fulminant lupus myocarditis accompanied by pneumonia.The patient was successfully treated with plasma exchange(PE)for fulminant lupus myocarditis.CASE SUMMARY A 20-year-old Chinese woman presented to the Hematology Department complaining of fatigue and knee pain.Blood test showed anemia and thrombocytopenia.On the second day of hospitalization,she was transferred to the ICU due to dyspnea and hypotension.Autoimmune profiles showed hypocomplementemia and positive antinuclear antibodies.Computer tomography showed an enlarged heart and pneumonia.Ultrasound revealed an enlarged heart with a low left ventricular ejection fraction.Fulminant lupus myocarditis with cardiogenic shock was initially considered.Due to the accompanying pneumonia,aggressive immunosuppression was contraindicated.Her cardiac function remained critical after the initial therapy of intravenous immunoglobulin and corticosteroids at a conventional dose,but she responded well to later PE therapy plus corticosteroids administration.The patient fully recovered with normal cardiac function.CONCLUSION This case indicates that PE is a valuable treatment choice without adverse effects of immunosuppression in patients with fulminant lupus myocarditis and coexisting infection.

Large vessel vasculitis with rare presentation of acute rhabdomyolysis:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Musculoskeletal involvement in primary large vessel vasculitis(LVV),including giant cell arteritis and Takayasu's arteritis(TAK),tends to be subacute.With the progression of arterial disease,patients may develop polyarthralgia and myalgias,mainly involving muscle stiffness,limb/jaw claudication,cold/swelling extremities,etc.Acute development of rhabdomyolysis in addition to aortic aneurysm is uncommon in LVV.Herein,we report a rare case of LVV with the first presentation of acute rhabdomyolysis.CASE SUMMARY A 70-year-old Asian woman suffering from long-term low back pain was hospitalized due to limb claudication,dark urine and an elevated creatine kinase(CK)level.After treatment with fluid resuscitation and antibiotics,the patient remained febrile.Her workup showed persistent elevated levels of inflammatory markers,and imaging studies revealed an aortic aneurysm.A decreasing CK was evidently combined with elevated inflammatory markers and negativity for antineutrophilic cytoplasmic antibodies.LVV was suspected and confirmed by magnetic resonance angiography and positron emission tomography with 18Ffluorodeoxyglucose/computed tomography.With a favourable response to immunosuppressive treatment,her symptoms resolved,and clinical remission was achieved one month later.However,after failing to follow the tapering schedule,the patient was readministered 25 mg/d prednisolone due to disease relapse.Follow-up examinations showed decreased inflammatory markers and substantial improvement in artery lesions after 6 mo of treatment.At the twelvemonth follow-up,she was clinically stable and maintained on corticosteroid therapy.CONCLUSION An exceptional presentation of LVV with acute rhabdomyolysis is described in this case,which exhibited a good response to immunosuppressive therapy,suggesting consideration for a differential diagnosis when evaluating febrile patients with myalgia and elevated CK.Timely use of high-dose steroids until a diagnosis is established may yield a favourable outcome.

Analysis of 8 chronic kidney disease patients complicated with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia

Objective To study the clinical characteristics and outcome of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia(PCP) in patients with chronic kidney diseases.Methods Clinical data of 8 cases of chronic kidney diseases complicated with PCP(excluding renal transplant patients) were examined retrospectively.Results The most common presenting symptoms at admission were fever(100%),cough without or with a little sputum(87.5%),and exertional dyspnea(75%).Beside these,they complained of chest tightness,fatigue,sweating and chills.Six patients(75%) presented with hypoxemia were diagnosed with type 1 respiratory failure during the course of illness.The most common CT feature was bilateral patchy areas of ground-glass opacities.Five patients had peripheral blood lymphocyte count less than 1 ×109/L.Four patients had CD4 cell count less than 200/mm3.Serum LDH level was elevated in 5 patients(582±222.55).Among the 8 patients,2 patients died within 20 days of PCP diagnosis.Conclusion Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is an opportunistic and serious complication in chronic kidney disease patients treated with immunosuppressants.The disease progression is fast and patients with respiratory failure have a high mortality rate.Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important for better prognosis.

AN EXPERIMENTAL TRIAL OF ARTEMETHER IN TREATMENT OF PNEUMOCYSTIS CARINII IN IMMUNOSUPPRESSED RATS

An immunosuppressed rat model was establisbed by injecting cortisone acetate 25 mg/rat twice a week for 4 weeks and 12.5mg/rat for another 2 weeks subcutaneously.A development of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia(PCP) was found at the end of the 6th week in all rats.