Facial transplantation is a life-changing procedure for patients with severe composite facial defects. However, skin is the most immunogenic of all transplants and better understanding of the immunological processes after…
Leonardo Riella01/2016
CD28 is a well-characterized co-stimulatory molecule that interacts with CD80/86 on antigen-presenting cells (APCs), comprising the critical signal 2 of T cell activation. Targeting CD28 has become an important immunosuppressive…
Leonardo Riella01/2016
For severe or refractory rejections, thymoglobulin/ATG is commonly employed in combination with steroids and B-cell targeted therapies when indicated. However, alemtuzumab could be more effective then thymoglobulin since it depletes…
Leonardo Riella09/2015
One controversial aspect in the evaluation of potential kidney recipients is the performance of stress tests for risk stratification. With the cost of stress tests ranging from U$2,500-5,000 and the long waiting…
Leonardo Riella09/2015
A 31 year-old healthy male donated his kidney to his mother who had IgA nephropathy. Prior to donation, his creatinine was 1.08 mg/dl. One year after donation, his creatinine is…
Leonardo Riella08/2015
Accurate risk assessment is critical when evaluating potential living kidney donors. High-risk kidney APOL1 variants have been associated with end-stage renal disease of multiple causes among African Americans, though the predictive power…
Leonardo Riella07/2015
Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis on kidney biopsy. Monoclonal gammopathies generally arise from the development of an abnormal clone of B-cell lineage. The monoclonal protein can be intact immunoglogulin (often associated with free…
Leonardo Riella06/2015
What are the most common type of cancers in kidney transplant recipients? Post-transplant malignancy The four most common cancers are: non-melanoma skin cancers, Kaposi’s sarcoma, kidney cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Compared…
Leonardo Riella04/2015