II. Definitions
- Transplant
- Biologic object transferred from one anatomic site to another
III. Types
- Autograft
- Transplantation of tissue within the same patient (e.g. skin graft)
- Synergeneic Graft (Syngraft, Isograft)
- Transplantation of tissue between identical twins
- Allogeneic Graft (Allograft)
- Transplant between non-genetically identical persons (e.g. Blood Transfusion)
- Xenogeneic Graft (Xenograft)
- Transplant between species (e.g. bovine Heart Valve transplant in humans)
IV. Epidemiology
- Transplantant Incidence: Approaches 39,719 per year with over 7397 live donor transplants (2019, U.S.)
- Kidney Transplant (23,401)
- Liver Transplant (8,896)
- Heart Transplant (3,552)
- Lung Transplant (2,714)
- Kidney-Pancreas Transplant (872)
- Pancreas Transplant (143)
- Intestine Transplant (81)
- Heart-Lung Transplant (45)
- References
- United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS, accessed 11/6/2020)
V. Physiology
- Graft success depends on Immune System acceptance of the transplanted tissue
- Autografts (from self) and Syngrafts (between twins) are accepted as self
- Blood Transfusions are matched between donor and recipient by ABO, Rh (and other Antigens)
- Allogenic grafts are rejected without HLA matching and suppressing immune response
- Major Histocompatibility Complex or MHC (Human Leukocyte Antigen or HLA Complex) matching
- Immunosuppressive Medications (e.g. Corticosteroids, cyclosporin, Tacrolimus, Sirolimus)
VI. Types
- Cardiopulmonary
- Lung Transplant
- Heart Transplant
- Eye
- Cornea Transplant
- Gastrointestinal
- Liver Transplant
- Kidney Transplant
- Pancreas Transplant
- Intestine Transplant
- Hematologic
- Skin (Autografts)
- Hair Transplant
- Skin Transplant
VII. Precautions: Transplant Anti-Rejection Drugs
- See Transplant Rejection
- Continuation of antirejection drugs at appropriate dose is critical to prevent rejection and serious adverse events
- Antirejection drugs have a narrow Therapeutic Index, Drug Interactions, and Immunosuppression risks
- Clarify anti-rejection drugs and doses, as well as monitoring (e.g. target trough levels) at Transitions of Care (e.g. hospital admission)
- Specific drug formulations and concentrations may vary significantly and are high risk for error
- Consult transplant team when patient is NPO or with Nasogastric Tube
- Consult transplant team regarding possible adverse effects (e.g. nephrotoxicity with Tacrolimus or Cyclosporine)
- Also consult when there is the potential for Drug Interactions
- References
- (2023) Presc Lett 30(10): 59
VIII. References
- Mahmoudi (2014) Immunology Made Ridiculously Simple, MedMaster, Miami