Background: Transfusion-transmitted virus (TTV) is a single-stranded DNA virus. Renal transplant patients have a higher risk of TTV infection. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of TTV and its correlation with post-renal transplantation complications in a population of Iranian patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 120 renal transplant recipients. TTV infection in the peripheral blood samples was detected by semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (semi-nested PCR). Then, the relationship between TTV and renal post-transplant complications was examined. Results: 34. 2% renal transplant recipients were positive for TTV. There was a significant correlation between the presence of TTV and diabetes, acute transplant rejection, and urinary tract infection. We did not find any direct correlation between the presence of TTV infection and hypertension, hyperlipidemia, respiratory tract infection, and cytomegalovirus infection. Conclusion: We found an increased rate of TTV infection in renal transplant recipients associated with post-transplantation complications. TTV may be an important risk factor for some post-renal transplantation complications.

Background: Adipose tissue stem cells (ASCs) cause faster repair of damaged tissue POSTTRANSPLANTATION by releasing growth factors in neurodegenerative diseases. ASCs secrete factors in the culture medium called conditioned medium (CM) in vitro. This study investigated the expression of neurotrophin genes in vitro culture and transplant of ASCs in Parkinsonian rats. Materials and Methods: In this study, expression of neurotrophin genes was investigated in vitro and in vivo. In vitro means evaluating expression of genes in the conditioned medium from 21-day culture of ASCs (culture group) and the transplantation group, which were divided into subgroups of Parkinsonian rat model receiving ASCs (Cell group), and another group reveiving cells and conditioned medium (Cell + Conditioned Medium group). The sham groups were designed with Parkinsonian model and sham animals injected respectively with 6-OHDA (neurotoxin) and normal saline (neurotoxin solvent) instead of neurotoxin. All the injections were performed stereotaxically into the right striatum. After eight weeks of treatment, the transplantation areas were isolated and stored at-70 °, C. Then, the exression of neurotrophin (BDNF, NT3 and NGF) mRNAs was analyzed. Results: BDNF and NT3 mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in the cells+conditioned medium and cell, as compared with the culture group. A significant decrease in NT3 gene expression in cell group was observed compared to that of cell group + conditional medium. NGF expression of the culture and cell groups showed a significant decrease compared to the cell+conditional medium group. Conclusion: In vitro cultured ASCs cannot significantly induce expression of neurotrophin genes, but when the cells are transplanted along with secretions (conditional medium) at the site of injury, the microenvironment of the transplantation site can induce higher expressions of neurotrophins. These cells will be good candidates for cell therapy.

Background: After organ transplantation, many patients have diverse experiences; they face many changes in the physical and emotional aspects of their life. Patients’ understandings of the post-transplantation period influence their adaptation to the changes. There is a need to improving the knowledge of patients’ unique experiences of post-transplantation period and the changes occur in their life.Objective: To explore the experiences of organ recipients in the post-transplantation period.Methods: In a qualitative research using a hermeneutical phenomenological approach, data were collected from April 2015 to June 2016. Participants were consisted of 15 patients who received organ chosen using a purposive sampling method. In-depth semi-structured interviews were held with them. The collected data were analyzed using Diekelmann’s hermeneutical analysis approach.Results: The data analyses led to the development of 3 main themes and 17 subthemes as "back from the grave" with the subthemes of "organ as the God’s deposit, " "God as the source of life, " and "new life"; "chapter of prosperity" with the subthemes of "the spring of the body, " "recovery, " "peace and joy, " "benevolent and good behavior, " "renewal, " "opportunity of being together again, " "golden age, " "positive perspective, " "the sense of normality, " "the return of health, " and "spiritual evolution"; and "the fall" with the subthemes of "a lack of energy, " "the mirage of transplantation, " and "hell on the earth." Conclusion: The patients had diverse experiences of the post-transplantation period, which varied from the feeling of exhilaration and youth to losing energy and the wish for not undertaking organ transplantation.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the pathologic causes of renal allograft failure in transplant nephrectomy specimens. Materials and Methods: In this cross‑ sectional study performed in the referral transplant center of Isfahan, Iran, medical files of all patients who underwent nephrectomy in 2008– 2013 were studied. Age at transplantation, sex, donor’ s characteristics, causes of primary renal failure, duration of allograft function, and pathologic reasons of nephrectomy were extracted. Slides of nephrectomy biopsies were evaluated. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: Medical files of 39 individuals (male: 56. 4%; mean age: 35. 1 ± 16. 0 years) were evaluated. The main disease of patients was hypertension (17. 9%), and most cases (64. 1%) were nephrectomized < 6 months POSTTRANSPLANTATION. Renal vein thrombosis (RVT) (51. 3%) and T‑ cell‑ mediated rejection (TCMR) (41. 0%) were the most prevalent causes of transplanted nephrectomy. Cause of primary renal failure was correlated to nephrectomy result (P = 0. 04). TCMR was the only pathologic finding in all of patients nephrectomized >2 years POSTTRANSPLANTATION. There were 14 cases in which biopsy results showed a relationship between primary disease of patients and pathologic assessment of allograft (P = 0. 04). A significant relationship between transplantation‑ nephrectomy interval and both the nephrectomy result and histopathologic result existed (P < 0. 0001). A relationship between primary allograft biopsy appearance and further assessment of nephrectomized specimen (P < 0. 001) existed as well. Conclusion: The most pathologic diagnoses of nephrectomy in a period of less than and more than 6 months POSTTRANSPLANTATION were RVT and TCMR, respectively. Early obtained allograft protocol biopsy is suggested, which leads to better diagnosis of allograft failure.

Introduction. Cyclosporine has a narrow therapeutic serum level in kidney transplantation. Achieving the recommended therapeutic levels is necessary, but in different ethnic groups, the impact of the cyclosporine level on patient and graft survival has not been fully addressed yet. We investigated this issue by studying the 2-hour postdose serum concentration of cyclosporine (C2) and the longterm graft and patient survival in Iranian transplant recipients. Materials and Methods. A total of 397 kidney recipients were evaluated for the C2 serum levels. All patients were under treatment with prednisolone, mycophenolate mofetil, and cyclosporine (Neoral). Measurements C2 were considered at different time intervals: the first 2 months, 2 to 6 months, and after 6 months POSTTRANSPLANTATION. The mean of C2 levels at specified intervals were evaluated and compared with the recommended optimal ranges. Patient and graft survival rate were also calculated. Results. In the studied patients, C2 levels were lower than the upper recommended range in 96.9%, 83.6% and 64.5% in the first 2 months, between 2 and 6 months, and after 6 months POSTTRANSPLANTATION, respectively. The overall 5-year patient and graft survival rates were 95% and 85%, respectively. Conclusions. Despite the fact that the majority of the patients had C2 levels lower than the recommended values, we observed good patient and graft survival rates. Our data suggests that different populations may need different target levels definition.

Introduction. Chronic allograft nephropathy is characterized by interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. The main players in the process of fibrosis are transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β ) and miR-21 expression with a bidirectional interplay. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of angiotensin receptor type 1 antagonist, losartan, on peripheral blood and tissue expression of TGF-β and miR-21 and histologic findings in allograft biopsy in kidney transplant recipients. Materials and Methods. In a randomized controlled trial, 54 patients were enrolled and divided randomly into 2 groups. Group 1 was treated with a daily dose of 25 mg of losartan and group 2 was considered as control. Blood sampling was done at 48 hours POSTTRANSPLANTATION and the 3rd and 6th months after transplantation for measurement of TGF-β RNA and miR-21. Protocol biopsy was performed at the 6th month POSTTRANSPLANTATION for RNA extraction and histologic evaluation of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. Results. Although patients were not different initially, those who underwent treatment with losartan had lower miR-21 and TGF-β levels in circulating PBMCs, and there was a decreasing trend in peripheral blood TGF-β levels during the 6-month follow-up period. Tissue expression of miR-21 and TGF-β was also considerably lower among the losartan-treated patients at the time of tissue biopsy. Conclusions. Losartan treatment decreased the tissue expression of miR-21 and TGF-β and tissue fibrosis in kidney transplant patient, and it had a protective effect on allograft function and may delay chronic allograft dysfunction by reducing mediators of fibrosis.

Background and Objectives The aim of the present study was to evaluate red blood cell chimerism after bone marrow transplantation by flow cytometry. Materials and Methods In order to perform this assay, FITC labeled antibodies against blood groups ABH, Rh, Kell, Duffy, Kidd, MNS were used.14 hematologic patients under BMT were selected for this study. The required sample was 5 ml peripheral blood that is collected in tubes containing EDTA. At first, donor and recipients red cells phenotypes were identified with the use of both agglutination and flow cytometry methods; then, on post-transplantation days of 15, 30 and 60, only blood samples of the recipients were analyzed by flow cytometry for the antigens differing from donors to recipients. Antibody screening test and titration of ABH Isohemagglutinins were performed on recipients plasma samples and then repeated on POSTTRANSPLANTATION day of 60. Results After BMT, red cell chimerism was detected in all 14 patients (in 9 patients on POSTTRANSPLANTATION day of 15 and in 5 patients on day of 30). Antibodies against minor blood groups and Rh blood group were not detected at all. The occurrence of chimerism was not inhibited by ABO incompatibility of donors and recipients but in patients who were ABH incompatible with their donors, ABH isohemagglutinins titer following transplantation decreased. Although the presence of isohemagglutinins did not prevent chimerism but it seems these antibodies by attaching to their related antigens on chimeric red cells membrane prevented corresponding antigen detection. Conclusions Now by using flow cytometry, red cell phenotyping is applicable and reticulocyte analysis is much easier to perform so that chimerism can be detected in patients who have recently experienced blood transfusion. Moreover, through further evaluation of red cell chimerism and detection of recipient autologous red cells, disease relapse can be predicted.