PURPOSE The immunogenic characterization of amniotic membrane is still unknown. This study was designed to examine the immunogenicity of human amniotic membrane, by using experimental xenotransplantation models. METHODS Anti-human class I, class II, and Fas ligand monoclonal antibodies were used against cryopreserved amniotic membrane and cell viability tested for cryopreserved amniotic membr...

BACKGROUND Mechanical stretch, in term of skin expansion, can induce effective but limited in vivo skin regeneration for complex skin defect reconstruction. We propose a strategy to obtain regenerated skin by combining autologous stem cell transplantation with mechanical stretch. METHODS This randomized, blinded placebo-controlled trial enrolled 38 adult patients undergoing skin expansion pre...

Previous reports of cancer after kidney transplantation have been limited by small numbers of patients in single-center studies and incomplete ascertainment of cases in large registries. We examined rates of malignancies among first-time recipients of deceased or living donor kidney transplantations in 1995-2001 (n = 35 765) using Medicare billing claims. For most common tumors, e.g. colon, lun...

BACKGROUND Cancer is a well-recognized complication of organ transplantation. The pattern of malignancies that occur in the paediatric graft population is different from that in the general paediatric population and in the population of adult organ transplant recipients. METHODS We reviewed medical records from 240 consecutive paediatric renal transplantations performed in 219 children, aged ...

Chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) is a major complication that can develop after bone marrow transplantation. It involves an immune-mediated attack by transplanted donor lymphocytes, and often results in inflammatory damage of host target organs. Immune hyporesponsiveness induced by oral antigen administration has been recently shown to prevent the development of cGVHD in a murine model...

Tumor cells with donor genotype have been identified in human skin cancer after allogeneic transplantation; however, the donor contribution to the malignant epithelium has not been established. Kidney transplant recipients have an increased risk of invasive skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which is associated with accumulation of the tumor suppressor p53 and TP53 mutations. In 21 skin SCCs f...

Function of the skin lymphatics as well as blood perfusion of a meshed transplant is crucial for the healing. The lymphatic regeneration and arterial perfusion of skin transplants after severe burns of the extremities had been studied in eight patients by microlymphography, laser doppler perfusion imaging and transcutaneous oxygen pressure measurements 1, 6 and 18 months after transplantation. ...

BACKGROUND Recently, research on tissue-engineered skin substitutes have been active in plastic surgery, and significant development has been made in this area over the past several decades. However, a regenerative skin flap has not been developed that could provide immediate blood flow after transplantation. Here, we make a regenerative skin flap ex vivo that is potentially suitable for micros...

Delayed intradermal sensitivity to homologous white blood cells has been described in humans rejecting full thickness skin homografts (1). The reaction at the site of the challenge leukocyte was greatest at 18 to 24 hours against the cell suspensions obtained from the skin donor. It was noted, however, that lesser reactions were consistently elicited to similarly prepared and simultaneously inj...

Garment-like giant congenital melanocytic nevi are very rare, and those being treated are most often offered excision and split-thickness skin transplantation. Due to the risk of restricted mobility secondary to shrinkage and hypertrophic scarring of the transplant, we treated to date the largest reported giant congenital melanocytic nevus (16% total body surface area) with Integra dermal regen...