Objective To evaluate the effect of irregular follow-up during normalized prevention and control of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) epidemic on BK virus (BKV) reactivation and clinical prognosis of kidney transplant recipients. Methods Clinical data of 363 kidney transplant recipients were retrospectively analyzed, and they were divided into the pre-epidemic follow-up group and during-epidemic follow-up group according to the follow-up time. All patients were followed up for 1 year. The follow-up interval was compared between two groups. The infection of BKV and the correlation between the infection process of BKV and renal graft function were analyzed in two groups. Results A total of 1 790 preson-times were followed up before COVID-19 epidemic and 2 680 during COVID-19 epidemic. Compared with the during-epidemic follow-up group, the follow-up intervals within 3, 3-6 and 7-12 months after kidney transplantation were shorter in the pre-epidemic follow-up group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Within 1 year after kidney transplantation, 35 cases（32%） were diagnosed with BKV viruria, 3 cases（3%） of BKV viremia and 1 case（1%） of BKV-associated nephropathy (BKVAN) in the pre-epidemic follow-up group, and 53（25%）, 3（1%） and 1（1%） in the during-epidemic follow-up group, with no statistical significance (all P>0.05). In the pre-epidemic follow-up group, the time for the initial diagnosis of BKV viruria was longer and the viral load of the first urinary BKV reactivation was smaller than those in the during-epidemic follow-up group, with statistical significance (both P<0.05). The load of the first urinary BKV reactivation was positively correlated with the peak load of urinary BKV, and the differences between the baseline and serum creatinine levels at 1 and 3 months after BKV reactivation (all P<0.05). Conclusions Irregular follow-up after kidney transplantation may lead to early BKV reactivation and higher detection value of the first viral load of urinary BKV, delay diagnosis and interventions, and lead to poor prognosis. It is urgent to establish a remote follow-up system to meet the follow-up requirements of kidney transplant recipients when public health incidents occur.

OX40 is a costimulatory receptor that is expressed primarily on activated CD4⁺, CD8⁺, and regulatory T cells. The ligation of OX40 to its sole ligand OX40L potentiates T cell expansion, differentiation, and activation and also promotes dendritic cells to mature to enhance their cytokine production. Therefore, the use of agonistic anti-OX40 antibodies for cancer immunotherapy has gained great interest. However, most of the agonistic anti-OX40 antibodies in the clinic are OX40L-competitive and show limited efficacy. Here, we discovered that BGB-A445, a non-ligand-competitive agonistic anti-OX40 antibody currently under clinical investigation, induced optimal T cell activation without impairing dendritic cell function. In addition, BGB-A445 dose-dependently and significantly depleted regulatory T cells in vitro and in vivo via antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. In the MC38 syngeneic model established in humanized OX40 knock-in mice, BGB-A445 demonstrated robust and dose-dependent antitumor efficacy, whereas the ligand-competitive anti-OX40 antibody showed antitumor efficacy characterized by a hook effect. Furthermore, BGB-A445 demonstrated a strong combination antitumor effect with an anti-PD-1 antibody. Taken together, our findings show that BGB-A445, which does not block OX40-OX40L interaction in contrast to clinical-stage anti-OX40 antibodies, shows superior immune-stimulating effects and antitumor efficacy and thus warrants further clinical investigation.
Mice ; Animals ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor/physiology* ; Receptors, OX40 ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; Ligands ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/pharmacology* ; Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology*

Acute Disease ; Allografts ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Nephritis ; Pyelonephritis ; Transplantation, Homologous

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and the experience of multi-disciplinary team (MDT) on recurrence of primary hyperoxaluria (PH) type I after renal transplantation. Methods One case presenting with unexplained rapid decline of renal allograft function after allogeneic renal transplantation was discussed by MDT. The role of MDT in diagnosing rare hereditary diseases and improving the long-term survival of renal transplant recipients was summarized. Results After MDT consultation, the patient was diagnosed with recurrence of PH type I. Routine immunosuppressive regimen was initiated after the exclusion of rejection. The patient was instructed to drink a large quantity of water, and given with high-quality protein and low-phosphorus diet, vitamin B6, calcium and other conservative therapies to actively prevent and treat postoperative complications. The deterioration of renal graft function was delayed. Nevertheless, regular hemodialysis was resumed at 5 months after renal transplantation until the submission date of this manuscript. Conclusions Recurrence of PH type I after renal transplantation is relatively rare. The main clinical manifestations are recurrent kidney stones and decreased renal function with multiple complications and poor prognosis. The condition of the patient is consulted by MDT for confirming the diagnosis, determining the optimal treatment scheme, delaying the progression and improving the clinical prognosis.

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of central nerve system (CNS) infection and grasp the necessity and possibility of early diagnosis and precise intervention of CNS infection after renal transplantation.Methods:This retrospective study enrolled consecutive recipients of renal transplantation with CNS infection after transplant between January 2000 and December 2020. Correlative factors for CNS infection after renal transplant were determined by comparing the clinical data between recipients with and without CNS infection. After screening 3, 199 consecutive renal transplant recipients, 12 patients with CNS infection post-transplant were identified and recruited. The median age-of-onset was 48.5 (23-65) years. And the median time to disease onset after transplant was 50.5(1-204) months. The most common symptoms of CNS infection after renal transplant included fever (75.00%), consciousness disorder (58.33%), headache (58.33%) and neck rigidity (41.67%).Results:Hepatitis B virus carrier and pulmonary infection were correlated with CNS infection after transplantation ( P<0.05). Nine patients failed to identify the pathogen and only received empirical anti-infective regimen. The outcomes were curing ( n=3) and death ( n=6). Metagenomic sequencing was performed for identifying the pathogen in three recipients and actively adjusting the anti-infective regimen. As a result, 2 were cured and 1 died. The overall mortality was 58.33%. The median time to death or curing from disease onset were 20(2-19) and 25(16-35) days respectively in surviving and non-surviving recipients. Conclusions:The progress of CNS infection after transplantation is rapid with a high mortality. HBV carrier and pulmonary infection are possible risk factors of CNS infection after renal transplantation. Early pathogenic identification and precise etiological intervention are vital for better clinical outcomes.

Objective To analyze the incidence and risk factors of de novo malignant tumors in renal transplant recipients. Methods Clinical data of 1 549 renal transplant recipients were retrospectively analyzed, including the basic status, pathological type and incidence rate of patients with de novo malignant tumors after renal transplantation. The survival situation of these patiensts was assessed. And the risk factors of de novo malignant tumors after renal transplantation were identified. Results The incidence rate of de novo malignant tumors in renal transplant recipients was 3.03%(47/1 549). The 47 recipients were (48±12) years old when undergoing renal transplantation, and they were (55±12) years old when diagnosed malignant tumors. The time interval between transplantation and diagnosis was 66 (36, 100) months. Among the de novo malignant tumors, colorectal cancer was the most common, with a cumulative incidence rate (CIR) of 0.58%. The survival time of 47 recipients with de novo malignant tumors after renal transplantation was 59 (2, 135) months, and the 5-year survival rate was 50%. The recipients with the age > 45 years old when undergoing renal transplantation was a risk factor for de novo malignant tumors after renal transplantation (P < 0.05). Conclusions The incidence rate of de novo malignant tumors is relatively high in renal transplant recipients. The recipients with the age > 45 years old when undergoing renal transplantation is a risk factor for de novo malignant tumors.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of metastatic lymph node ratio (MLNR) combined with preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the detection of distant metastasis of stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ colon cancer after radical resection.Methods A retrospective study was performed on the clinical data of 325 patients with stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ colon cancer undergoing radical resection in the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University from Jan 2010 to Jan 2015.Results MLNR was correlated with the maximum diameter of tumors,the degree of differentiation of tumors,clinical TNM stage and distant metastasis (P ＜ 0.05),serum CEA was correlated with the maximum diameter of tumors,clinical TNM stage,nerve or vascular invasion and distant metastasis (P ＜ 0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that low differentiation of tumor tissue,TNM Ⅲ stage,high MLNR and high serum CEA were independent risk factors for distant metastasis of colon cancer after radical operation.Conclusions The combined detection of MLNR and serum CEA has a good predictive value for distant metastasis with stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ colon cancer.

Objective:Objective To explore the clinical values of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in bacterial 16S rRNA region and fungal ITS region for diagnosing and treating urinary tract infection (UTI) in renal transplant recipients.Methods:A total of 90 mid-stream clean-catch urine samples were collected from renal transplant recipients who were diagnosed with UTI at Hospital from January 2017 to December 2019. Each sample was equally divided and tested via NGS method and traditional urine culture separately. The results of pathogen test and detection rate were analyzed and compared.Results:And 21/90 sample were considered to be contaminated due to the identification of three or more kinds of microorganisms by culture. And among the remaining 69 samples, 36 (52.17%) cases tested positive by 16S rRNA sequencing, 25 (36.23%) positive by urine bacterial culture; meanwhile, 34(49.28%) tested positive by ITS sequencing and 4(5.80%) positive by urine fungal culture.Conclusions:The detection rate of both bacteria and fungi in NGS microorganism testing is higher than that in traditional urine culture ( P< 0.05). For renal transplant recipients with UTI, NGS microorganism testing is an effective supplement for traditional urine culture. Improving the detection rate and accuracy of etiology may enable an optimization of individualized treatment.

BACKGROUND: Benvitimod cream, a novel synthetic small molecule, was effective in treating mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis. We conducted a phase III clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of benvitimod cream in patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis. METHODS: We randomly assigned 686 patients (2:1:1) to receive 1% benvitimod cream, 0.005% calcipotriol ointment or placebo twice a day for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy end points were the percentage of patients with a 75% or greater reduction from baseline in the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI 75) score and with a score of 0 or 1 in static physician's global assessment (sPGA) at week 12. RESULTS: The results showed that 50.4% of patients in the benvitimod group achieved PASI 75, which was significantly higher than that in the calcipotriol (38.5%, P < 0.05) and placebo (13.9%, P < 0.05) groups. The proportion of patients achieving an sPGA score 0 or 1 was 66.3% in the benvitimod group and 63.9% in the calcipotriol group, which were both significantly higher than that in the placebo group (34%, P < 0.05). In the long-term follow-up study, 50.8% of patients experienced recurrence. After retreatment with 1% benvitimod, 73.3% of patients achieved an sPGA score of 0 or 1 again at week 52. Adverse events included application site irritation, follicular papules, and contact dermatitis. No systemic adverse reactions were reported. CONCLUSION: During this 12-week study, benvitimod cream was demonstrated with high effectiveness and safety in patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), ChiCTR-TRC-13003259; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=6300.
Double-Blind Method ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ointments ; Psoriasis/drug therapy* ; Resorcinols ; Severity of Illness Index ; Stilbenes ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the optimal dose range of immunosuppressants in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) after renal transplantation. METHODS: A cohort of 68 patients with ADPKD who received their first renal transplantation between March, 2000 and January, 2018 in our institute were retrospectively analyzed, with 68 non-ADPKD renal transplant recipients matched for gender, age and date of transplant as the control group. We analyzed the differences in patient and renal survival rates, postoperative complications and concentrations of immunosuppressive agents between the two groups at different time points within 1 year after kidney transplantation. The concentrations of the immunosuppressants were also compared between the ADPKD patients with urinary tract infections (UTI) and those without UTI after the transplantation. RESULTS: The recipients with ADPKD and the control recipients showed no significantly difference in the overall 1-, 5-, and 10- year patient survival rates (96.6% 96.0%, 94.1% 93.9%, and 90.6% 93.9%, respectively; > 0.05), 1-, 5-, and 10-year graft survival rates (95.2% 96.0%, 90.8% 87.2%, and 79.0% 82.3%, respectively; > 0.05), or the incidences of other post- transplant complications including acute rejection, gastrointestinal symptoms, cardiovascular events, pneumonia, and neoplasms ( > 0.05). The plasma concentrations of both tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil (MPA) in ADPKD group were significantly lower than those in the control group at 9 months after operation ( < 0.05). The incidence of UTI was significantly higher in ADPKD patients than in the control group ( < 0.05). In patients with ADPKD, those with UTI after transplantation had a significantly higher MPA plasma concentration ( < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS In patients with ADPKD after renal transplant, a higher dose of MPA is associated with a increased risk of UTI, and their plasma concentrations of immunosuppressants for long-term maintenance of immunosuppression regimen can be lower than those in other kidney transplantation recipients.
Graft Survival ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Kidney Transplantation ; Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant ; Retrospective Studies