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Item Deceased Donor Liver Transplantation from a SARS‐CoV‐2–Positive Donor to a SARS‐CoV‐2–Positive Recipient(Wiley, 2021-12) Barros, Nicolas; Ermel, Aaron; Mihaylov, Plamen; Lacerda, Marco; Fridell, Jonathan; Kubal, Chandrashekhar; Medicine, School of MedicineItem Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Invasive Fungal Infections in Pancreas Transplant in the Absence of Postoperative Antifungal Prophylaxis(Oxford University Press, 2023-09-26) Zachary, Jessica; Chen, Jeanne M.; Sharfuddin, Asif; Yaqub, Muhammad; Lutz, Andrew; Powelson, John; Fridell, Jonathan A.; Barros, Nicolas; Medicine, School of MedicineBackground: Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) remain a rare yet dreaded complication following pancreas transplantation. Current guidelines recommend antifungal prophylaxis in patients with 1 or more risk factors. At our center, single-dose antifungal prophylaxis is administered in the operating room but none subsequently, regardless of risk factors. Here we evaluate the 1-year incidence, outcome, and risk factors associated with IFI following pancreas transplantation. Methods: A retrospective, single-center cohort study was conducted in patients who underwent pancreas transplantation between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2019. Records were manually reviewed, and cases were adjudicated using consensus definitions. The 1-year cumulative incidence, mortality, and risk factors were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and differences between populations were assessed with Fisher test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Three hundred sixty-nine recipients were included. Twelve IFIs were identified: candidiasis (8), aspergillosis (2), histoplasmosis (1), and cryptococcosis (1). Intra-abdominal infections were the most common presentation (5), followed by bloodstream infections (3), disseminated disease (2), pulmonary disease (1), and invasive fungal sinusitis (1). Median time to IFI was 64 days (interquartile range, 30-234 days). One-year cumulative incidence was 3.25% (95% confidence interval, 1.86%-5.65%). There were no significant differences between patients with or without IFI regarding type of transplant (P = .17), posttransplant dialysis (P = .3), rejection (P = .5), cytomegalovirus serostatus (P = .45), or reoperation (P = .19). For patients with IFI, the 1-year graft and patient survival rates were 58% versus 95% (P < .0001) and 75% versus 98.6% (P < .001), respectively. Conclusions: Our study suggests that the use of a single-dose antifungal prophylaxis administered in the operating room but none subsequently does not result in an increased incidence of IFI following pancreas transplantation.Item Epidemiology and risk factors for varicella zoster virus reactivation in heart transplant recipients(Wiley, 2021) La Hoz, Ricardo M.; Wallace, Ashley; Barros, Nicolas; Xie, Donglu; Hynan, Linda S.; Liu, Terrence; Yek, Christina; Schexnayder, Scott; Grodin, Justin L.; Garg, Sonia; Drazner, Mark H.; Peltz, Matthias; Haley, Robert W.; Greenberg, David E.; Medicine, School of MedicineHeart transplant (HT) recipients are at higher risk of varicella zoster virus (VZV) reactivation. Risk factors for VZV reactivation are currently not well defined, impeding the ability to design and implement strategies to minimize the burden of this illness in this population. Automated data extraction tools were used to retrieve data from the electronic health record (EHR) of all adult HT recipients at our center between 2010 and 2016. Information from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Standard Analysis and Research Files was merged with the extracted data. Potential cases were manually reviewed and adjudicated using consensus definitions. Cumulative incidence and risk factors for VZV reactivation in HT recipients were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox modeling, respectively. In 203 HT recipients, the cumulative incidence of VZV reactivation at 8-years post-transplantation was 26.4% (95% CI: 17.8-38.0). The median time to VZV reactivation was 2.1 years (IQR, 1.5-4.1). Half (14/28) of the cases experienced post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Post-transplant CMV infection (HR 9.05 [95% CI: 3.76-21.77) and post-transplant pulse-dose steroids (HR 3.19 [95% CI: 1.05-9.68]) were independently associated with a higher risk of VZV reactivation in multivariable modeling. Identification of risk factors will aid in the development of targeted preventive strategies.Item Histoplasmosis in Solid Organ Transplantation(MDPI, 2024-02-02) Barros, Nicolas; Wheat, L. Joseph; Medicine, School of MedicineHistoplasma capsulatum, the etiological agent for histoplasmosis, is a dimorphic fungus that grows as a mold in the environment and as a yeast in human tissues. It has a broad global distribution with shifting epidemiology during recent decades. While in immunocompetent individuals infection is usually self-resolving, solid organ transplant recipients are at increased risk of symptomatic disease with dissemination to extrapulmonary tissue. Diagnosis of histoplasmosis relies on direct observation of the pathogen (histopathology, cytopathology, and culture) or detection of antigens, antibodies, or nucleic acids. All transplant recipients with histoplasmosis warrant therapy, though the agent of choice and duration of therapy depends on the severity of disease. In the present article, we describe the pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical manifestations and management of histoplasmosis in solid organ transplant recipients.Item Invasive fungal infections in liver diseases(Wolters Kluwer, 2023-08-28) Barros, Nicolas; Rosenblatt, Russell E.; Phipps, Meaghan M.; Fomin, Vladislav; Mansour, Michael K.; Medicine, School of MedicinePatients with liver diseases, including decompensated cirrhosis, alcohol-associated hepatitis, and liver transplant recipients are at increased risk of acquiring invasive fungal infections (IFIs). These infections carry high morbidity and mortality. Multiple factors, including host immune dysfunction, barrier failures, malnutrition, and microbiome alterations, increase the risk of developing IFI. Candida remains the most common fungal pathogen causing IFI. However, other pathogens, including Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, Pneumocystis, and endemic mycoses, are being increasingly recognized. The diagnosis of IFIs can be ascertained by the direct observation or isolation of the pathogen (culture, histopathology, and cytopathology) or by detecting antigens, antibodies, or nucleic acid. Here, we provide an update on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of IFI in patients with liver disease and liver transplantation.Item A National Survey of Practice Patterns for Accepting Living Kidney Donors With Prior COVID-19(Science Direct, 2021-08-01) Jan, Muhammad Y.; Jawed, Areeba T.; Barros, Nicolas; Adebiyi, Oluwafisayo; Diez, Alejandro; Fridell, Jonathan A.; Goggins, William C.; Yaqub, Muhammad S.; Anderson, Melissa D.; Mujtaba, Muhammad A.; Taber, Tim E.; Mishler, Dennis P.; Kumar, Vineeta; Lentine, Krista L.; Sharfuddin, Asif A.; Medicine, School of MedicineIntroduction A critical question facing transplant programs is whether, when, and how to safely accept living kidney donors (LKDs) who have recovered from COVID-19 infection. The purpose of the study is to understand current practices related to accepting these LKDs. Methods We surveyed US transplant programs from 3 September through 3 November 2020. Center level and participant level responses were analyzed. Results A total of 174 respondents from 115 unique centers responded, representing 59% of US LKD programs and 72.4% of 2019 and 72.5% of 2020 LKD volume (Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network-OPTN 2021). In all, 48.6% of responding centers had received inquiries from such LKDs, whereas 44.3% were currently evaluating. A total of 98 donors were in the evaluation phase, whereas 27.8% centers had approved 42 such donors to proceed with donation. A total of 50.8% of participants preferred to wait >3 months, and 91% would wait at least 1 month from onset of infection to LD surgery. The most common reason to exclude LDs was evidence of COVID-19−related AKI (59.8%) even if resolved, followed by COVID-19−related pneumonia (28.7%) and hospitalization (21.3%). The most common concern in accepting such donors was kidney health postdonation (59.2%), followed by risk of transmission to the recipient (55.7%), donor perioperative pulmonary risk (41.4%), and donor pulmonary risk in the future (29.9%). Conclusion Practice patterns for acceptance of COVID-19−recovered LKDs showed considerable variability. Ongoing research and consensus building are needed to guide optimal practices to ensure safety of accepting such donors. Long-term close follow-up of such donors is warranted.Item Neutrophil functional profiling and cytokine augmentation for patients with multiple recurrent infections: A case study(Elsevier, 2021) Alexander, Natalie J.; Bozym, David J.; Farmer, Joceyln R.; Parris, Priscilla; Viens, Adam; Atallah, Natalie; Hopke, Alex; Scherer, Allison; Dagher, Zeina; Barros, Nicolas; Knooihuizen, Sally A.I.; Saff, Sally Rebecca R.; Pasternack, Mark S.; Thompson, Ryan W.; Irimia, Daniel; Mansour, Michael K.; Medicine, School of MedicineItem Pulmonary Histoplasmosis: A Clinical Update(MDPI, 2023-02-10) Barros, Nicolas; Wheat, Joseph L.; Hage, Chadi; Medicine, School of MedicineHistoplasma capsulatum, the etiological agent for histoplasmosis, is a dimorphic fungus that grows as a mold in the environment and as a yeast in human tissues. The areas of highest endemicity lie within the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys of North America and parts of Central and South America. The most common clinical presentations include pulmonary histoplasmosis, which can resemble community-acquired pneumonia, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, or malignancy; however, certain patients can develop mediastinal involvement or progression to disseminated disease. Understanding the epidemiology, pathology, clinical presentation, and diagnostic testing performance is pivotal for a successful diagnosis. While most immunocompetent patients with mild acute or subacute pulmonary histoplasmosis should receive therapy, all immunocompromised patients and those with chronic pulmonary disease or progressive disseminated disease should also receive therapy. Liposomal amphotericin B is the agent of choice for severe or disseminated disease, and itraconazole is recommended in milder cases or as "step-down" therapy after initial improvement with amphotericin B. In this review, we discuss the current epidemiology, pathology, diagnosis, clinical presentations, and management of pulmonary histoplasmosis.Item Rabbit anti‐thymocyte globulin administration to treat rejection in simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant recipients with recent COVID‐19 infection(Wiley, 2020) Barros, Nicolas; Sharfuddin, Asif A.; Powelson, John; Yaqub, Muhammad; Adebiyi, Oluwafisayo O.; Beeler, Cole; Lutz, Andrew; Fridell, Jonathan A.; Medicine, School of MedicineTransplant recipients may be more susceptible to COVID‐19 and itsrelated complications.1‐3Despite most patients being managed with reduction of immunosuppression, the risk of rejection or graft loss does not seem to be increased during COVID‐19.