The authors use T cell receptor transgenic CD4+ cells to track the varying fates of T cells following transplantation, and find that fates are dependent upon both the immunologic status of the recipient and the timing of antigen exposure. See editorial by Burlingham on page 517.

The authors show that iNKT cells are not intrinsically alloreactive but are activated following transplantation through the sequestration of IL-2 produced by recently activated, conventional alloreactive T cells.

Thymus-selected T cells derived from HoxB4-transduced embryonic stem cells reject allogenic skin grafts but induce lethal graft-versus-host disease without thymic selection.

The authors find that cigarette smoke exposure hinders the induction of long-term islet allograft survival via suppressing indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase expression and activity.

The authors describe how the portal infusion of adipose-derived stem cells improves graft function and survival following small-for-size liver transplantation in rats, highlighting the role of secreted vascular endothelial growth factor in this process.

Three-year results from the BENEFIT-EXT study confirm the durability of the renal function benefits of belatacept over time compared to cyclosporine, while providing comparable 3-year patient/graft survival and balancing risks associated with belatacept in recipients of extended criteria donor kidneys.

Indirect pathway T cell responses to donor antigens or allopeptides, and not naive B cell counts in peripheral blood, are found to be correlated with clinical status in tolerant, monotherapy, standard immunosuppression, and chronically rejecting renal transplant recipients. See editorial by Alegre and Chong on page 519.

In this analysis of the United States Renal Data System, discharge from the hospital after kidney transplantation without maintenance corticosteroids is associated with a 31% reduction in fractures leading to hospitalizations.

The donor complement C3F allotype is not associated with renal allograft outcome after kidney transplantation; however, post-hoc analyses within donation after cardiac death donors suggests its protective association with primary nonfunction.

This study relates the impact of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific regulatory T cells on the quality of CMV-specific T cell responses to frequent antigen appearance.

The French Registry of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders occurring after kidney transplantation in adults is presented.

Conversion from calcineurin inhibitor to sirolimus-based immunosuppression for preservation of renal function in liver transplant recipients shows no demonstrable benefit at one year. See editorial by McKenna and Trotter on page 521.

Liver transplantation in patients with stage II hepatocellular carcinoma and Child's A cirrhosis results in a very low survival benefit and may not constitute optimal use of scarce liver donor organs.

A technical approach to dissection of the hilar plate for live donor liver donation is presented.

Reduced use of fresh frozen plasma and sensitization against human leukocyte antigens are closely related with posttransplant thrombotic microangiopathy, and poor outcomes may be associated with late onset and delayed diagnosis and/or treatment.

An analysis of liver transplant recipients with hepatitis C virus infection finds that the risk of developing posttransplant diabetes mellitus is significantly increased in recipients carrying the TT polymorphism of the IL28B gene.

The authors demonstrate that acute rejection episodes that occur concurrent with a 10% or greater drop in baseline lung function harbor a poor prognosis and identify patients at increased risk for earlier bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome and worse posttransplant survival.

Analysis of the gut microbial community in the ileostomy output of small bowel transplant patients can discriminate between patients that are or are not rejecting their grafted intestines.