Journal of Renal and Hepatic Disorders

Impact of Induction Therapy on Clinical Outcomes of Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Single-Centre Cohort Study

2022-11-09T18:45:54+00:00

The purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term efficacy of immunosuppressive drugs based on the type of induction therapy given to kidney transplant recipients, and determine the occurrence of graft dysfunctions or rejections. We compared the safety and efficacy of anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) and basiliximab (BAS) in high-risk patients and analyzed the cumulative incidence of immediate, slow, and delayed graft function in kidney transplant recipients to determine their initial short-term graft function. Evaluation of the long-term efficacy after 3 years post-transplantation by assessment of patients and graft survival, incidence of infections, and risks of rejection were the primary endpoints. Patients with stable graft survival were observed more with ATG (85%) than BAS (70%); in contrast, graft dysfunctions, graft nephrectomy, rejection episodes, and patient deaths were more prevalent with BAS than ATG, with statistically significant differences in long-term graft functioning. Patient survival at 3 years in ATG group was 90.4%, compared to 88% in BAS group, and graft survival was 90.4% in the ATG group and 81.3% in the BAS group (P < 0.001). The use of both induction therapies resulted in good patient and graft survival outcomes than placebo, and the results showed that there was a significant difference in both patient and graft survival after 3 years between induction of ATG and BAS, suggesting that ATG can be safer, effective, and preferable drug over BAS for high-risk recipients.

Quality of Life of Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis and Contributing Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study

2022-11-02T14:51:35+00:00

In recent years, interest in Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) as a major indicator of clinical efficacy and treatment outcome in patients of End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) has grown significantly. This study aimed to determine the contributing factors affecting the quality of life (QoL) of ESRD patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). A cross-sectional study was conducted on PD patients presented at PD centres of Al-Zahra and Noor hospitals in Isfahan, Iran, from May to August 2019. A total of 173 patients having peritoneal dialysis for more than 3 months filled the validated 36-item short-form health survey questionnaire (SF-36). Baseline demographic details and dialysis-related factors were collected from patients’ medical records. The overall QoL score of patients was 50.28 ± 20.87. Male patients had a higher QoL score than female patients (58.18 in males, compared to 48.18 in females; P = 0.04). A significant association between frequency of dialysis and quality of life was observed, where three sessions of dialysis per day yielded the highest quality of life (QoL score = 59.62; P = 0.047). A significant positive correlation was discovered between QoL score and residual renal function (P = 0.013). In addition, a higher QoL score was observed in self-employed patients (60.95), compared to housewives (46.49) (P = 0.001). QoL assessment should be included as an integral part of patient follow-up to evaluate treatment outcomes and implement possible interventions to improve patient’s quality of life.

A Comprehensive Overview of In-patients Treated for Hepatocellular Carcinoma at a Tertiary Care Facility in Tanzania

2023-02-08T17:01:41+00:00

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the commonest causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, only a limited number of studies on HCC have been conducted in Tanzania. We therefore conducted a cross-sectional study among in-patients treated for HCC in a tertiary referral hospital located in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in order to provide a concise description of the clinical characteristics and treatment options offered in the study setting. We identified 36 in-patients treated for HCC over a 6-month data collection period. Seventy-seven percent (n = 28) of the participants were males and about two-thirds (61.2%) were aged between 40 and 60 years. Majority (44.4% [n = 16]) of the patients had Child-Pugh class B and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 2 (33.3% [n = 12]). Patients with tumors >6.5 cm and multinodular tumors (>3 nodules) accounted for 69.4% (n = 25) and 55.6% (n = 20), respectively. Portal vascular invasion and extrahepatic metastasis were respectively present in 27.8% (n = 10) and 25% (n = 9) of the patients. Of the study participants, only two had early-stage disease as per the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system, corresponding to the observed tumor resection rate of 5.6%. The most frequently reported inoperable factor among the study participants was an ECOG performance status > 0 (n = 30 [83.3%]). Findings thus reveal a high proportion of late-stage diseases among participants that could have resulted in the observed low tumor resection rate. Initiatives to facilitate identification of the disease at an early stage are therefore paramount in optimizing care.