Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39960552›Full record

SynthesisPediatric surgery international2025

Thymus transplantation for DiGeorge Syndrome: a systematic review.

H Shafeeq Ahmed, Akhil Fravis Dias, Sneha Reddy Pulkurthi

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Pediatric surgery international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

H Shafeeq AhmedBangalore Medical College and Research Institute, K.R Road, Bangalore, 560002, Karnataka, India. shafeeqahmed2002@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1671-8474
Akhil Fravis DiasM S Ramaiah Medical College, M S Ramaiah Nagar, Bangalore, 560054, Karnataka, India.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-8269-514X
Sneha Reddy PulkurthiM S Ramaiah Medical College, M S Ramaiah Nagar, Bangalore, 560054, Karnataka, India.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-8390-238X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDiGeorge syndrome (DGS) is a condition typically associated with athymia, parathyroid hypoplasia or aplasia, and congenital heart defects. Athymia in these patients causes severe immunodeficiency, causing high mortality and morbidity, often requiring thymic tissue transplantation. The present systematic review aims to consolidate the present evidence on thymus transplantation in DGS.

methodsAn electronic literature search of five databases (PubMed, Medline, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and CINAHL) was performed from inception till September 2024. Relevant articles were selected, and data was extracted by two independent reviewers.

resultsA total of 16 articles were included from an initial set of 1227 articles. Patients diagnosed with DGS in the included studies were predominantly male, and the age at which thymus transplantation was done typically varied from 0.8 to 26 months. Several patients had chromosome 22q11 hemizygosity. Thymic tissue was taken from tissues of pediatric patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery. Pre-transplant medication included immunosuppressants with rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (RATGAM) being frequently used alongside steroids and tacrolimus. This tissue was cultured and transplanted into the quadriceps muscle of the patients under general anesthesia. Thymopoiesis was well described in most patients with graft failures and rejections occurring rarely. Naive T-cell development was noted in almost all patients with clearance of infections in many cases. Common postoperative complications include sepsis, haemorrhage, gastrointestinal disturbances, among others. Mortality was uncommon but often associated with intracerebral hemorrhages and sepsis.

conclusionThymus transplantation is a relatively safe and effective procedure in patients with DGS with athymia. Future research should explore the addition of allogenic parathyroid gland transplantation along with thymic tissue.

Indexed as

DiGeorge SyndromeThymus GlandHumansCongenital abnormalitiesGraftImmunodeficiencyLymphocyteThymus glands

Identifiers

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.