BACKGROUND: The primary limitation to kidney transplantation is organ shortage. Recent progress in gene editing and immunosuppressive regimens has made xenotransplantation with porcine organs a possibility. However, evidence in pig-to-human xenotransplantation remains scarce, and antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is a major obstacle to clinical applications of xenotransplantation. METHODS: We conducted a kidney xenotransplantation in a brain-dead human recipient using a porcine kidney with five gene edits (5GE) on March 25, 2024 at Xijing Hospital, China. Clinical-grade immunosuppressive regimens were employed, and the observation period lasted 22 days. We collected and analyzed the xenograft function, ultrasound findings, sequential protocol biopsies, and immune surveillance of the recipient during the observation. RESULTS: The combination of 5GE in the porcine kidney and clinical-grade immunosuppressive regimens prevented hyperacute rejection. The xenograft kidney underwent delayed graft function in the first week, but urine output increased later and the single xenograft kidney maintained electrolyte and pH homeostasis from postoperative day (POD) 12 to 19. We observed AMR at 24 h post-transplantation, due to the presence of pre-existing anti-porcine antibodies and cytotoxicity before transplantation; this AMR persisted throughout the observation period. Plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin treatment mitigated the AMR. We observed activation of latent porcine cytomegalovirus toward the end of the study, which might have contributed to coagulation disorder in the recipient. CONCLUSIONS 5GE and clinical-grade immunosuppressive regimens were sufficient to prevent hyperacute rejection during pig-to-human kidney xenotransplantation. Pre-existing anti-porcine antibodies predisposed the xenograft to AMR. Plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin were safe and effective in the treatment of AMR after kidney xenotransplantation.
Transplantation, Heterologous/methods* ; Kidney Transplantation/methods* ; Heterografts/pathology* ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/administration & dosage* ; Graft Survival/immunology* ; Humans ; Animals ; Sus scrofa ; Graft Rejection/prevention & control* ; Kidney/pathology* ; Gene Editing ; Species Specificity ; Immunosuppression Therapy/methods* ; Plasma Exchange ; Brain Death ; Biopsy ; Male ; Aged

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of selective fetal reduction in the first trimester for the treatment of intrauterine pregnancy combined with cesarean scar pregnancy (CI-CSP), this article reports a 41-year-old pregnant woman diagnosed with CI-CSP after assisted reproductive technology. At 6 + weeks of gestation, mechanical fetal reduction surgery was performed under ultrasound guidance to eliminate the fetus at the scar site, and the fetal reduction was successful. The pregnancy lasted until 38 weeks of gestation. A healthy male infant was delivered by cesarean section. This case suggests that selective fetal reduction surgery can be a feasible option to preserve intrauterine pregnancy and reduce the risk of CI-CSP, but the indications and perioperative management need to be strictly controlled.

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of selective fetal reduction in the first trimester for the treatment of intrauterine pregnancy combined with cesarean scar pregnancy (CI-CSP), this article reports a 41-year-old pregnant woman diagnosed with CI-CSP after assisted reproductive technology. At 6 + weeks of gestation, mechanical fetal reduction surgery was performed under ultrasound guidance to eliminate the fetus at the scar site, and the fetal reduction was successful. The pregnancy lasted until 38 weeks of gestation. A healthy male infant was delivered by cesarean section. This case suggests that selective fetal reduction surgery can be a feasible option to preserve intrauterine pregnancy and reduce the risk of CI-CSP, but the indications and perioperative management need to be strictly controlled.

Abstract: Objective　The aim of this study was to observe the expression levels and clinical significance of peripheral blood interferon γ-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) and various cytokines in patients with different infection statuses of tuberculosis and to assess the efficacy of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in the progression to active tuberculosis (ATB). Methods　Seventy-six outpatient and inpatient cases from the Third People's Hospital of Kunming were collected and analyzed from March 2023 to February 2024. The patients were divided into three groups: ATB group (31 cases, 17 males, median age 33 years), LTBI group (27 cases, 17 males, median age 29 years), and healthy control (HC) group (18 cases, 11 males, median age 25 years). Peripheral blood samples from the three groups were taken and the expression levels of IP-10 and cytokines IL-6, IL-4, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-2, and TNF-α were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods. The t-test was used for normally distributed samples, while the Mann-Whitney U test was used for skewed distributions. For comparisons between multiple groups, the Kruskal-Wallis H test was first employed, followed by Dunn's multiple comparison test for pairwise comparisons. Finally, the effectiveness of each cytokine in distinguishing different population groups was analyzed. Results　The expression levels of peripheral blood IP-10 were higher in the LTBI and ATB groups than in the HC group, but the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) of the subjects showed moderate sensitivity (AUC:0.7-0.9) and low specificity (AUC:0.5-0.7). The IL-6 expression levels were in the order of high to low in the ATB group, LTBI group, and HC group, where the HC group was significantly lower than the ATB and LTBI groups (F=12.15, P<0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of the ATB group were higher than those in the HC group. Conclusions　IP-10 exhibits unique advantages in distinguishing different tuberculosis statuses. The predictive efficacy of a single cytokine is limited. Combining multiple cytokines such as IL-6 with clinical manifestations, a more accurate and comprehensive prediction model can be established.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of targeting and killing CD248-positive myofibroblasts on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Methods IgG78-DM1, an antibody-maytansine 1 (DM1) conjugate targeting CD248, was prepared. The drug conjugation efficiency was measured and calculated by UV spectrophotometer, and the identification of IgG78-DM1 was performed through SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. In vitro, the binding activity of IgG78-DM1 on CD248-positive myofibroblasts was detected by flow cytometry and the cytotoxicity of IgG78-DM1 to CD248-positive myofibroblasts was evaluated by CCK-8 assay. In vivo, C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into control group, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis group, human IgG-DM1 (hIgG-DM1) control group, and IgG78-DM1 treatment group. Then, the mouse models with pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin were constructed. Two weeks later, the animal models were intravenously injected with IgG78-DM1. After the treatment of two weeks, lung tissues were collected for Masson staining and Sirius Red staining to evaluate the degree of pulmonary fibrosis. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to measure the expression levels of CD248, as well as markers of fibroblastic activation including alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and type I collagen alpha 1 (COL1A1). The safety of IgG78-DM1 was preliminarily assessed by conducting liver and kidney function tests. Results IgG78-DM1 was successfully prepared, and its drug conjugation ratio was 3.2. The antibody structure remained stable after conjugation, allowing effective binding and cytotoxicity against CD248-positive myofibroblasts. After treatment with IgG78-DM1, the degree of pulmonary fibrosis in mice significantly reduced, accompanied by the decrease of the expression of CD248, α-SMA, and COL1A1. The liver and kidney function of the mice remained at normal levels compared to the normal control group. Conclusion IgG78-DM1 effectively inhibits pulmonary fibrosis in mice by targeting and killing CD248-positive myofibroblasts. The safety of this strategy is preliminarily assessed.
Humans ; Animals ; Mice ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Pulmonary Fibrosis/drug therapy* ; Myofibroblasts ; Antibodies ; Bleomycin ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; Antigens, CD