Acute renal infarction. Clinical characteristics of 17 patients

We analyzed the medical records of patients with an established diagnosis of acute renal infarction to identify predictive parameters of this rare disease. Seventeen patients (8 male) who were admitted to our emergency department between May 1994 and January 1998 were diagnosed by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) as having acute renal infarction (0.007% of all patients). We screened the records of the 17 patients for a history with increased risk for thromboembolism, clinical symptoms, and urine and blood laboratory results known to be associated with acute renal infarction. A history with increased risk for thromboembolism with 1 or more risk factors was found in 14 of 17 patients (82%); risk factors were atrial fibrillation (n = 11), previous embolism (n = 6), mitral stenosis (n = 6), hypertension (n = 9), and ischemic cardiac disease (n = 7). All patients reported persisting pain predominantly from the flank (n = 11), abdomen (n = 4), and lower back (n = 2). On admission, elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase was found in 16 (94%) patients, and hematuria was found in 12 (71%) of 17 patients. After 24 hours all patients showed an elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase, and 14 (82%) had a positive test for hematuria. Our findings suggest that in all patients presenting with the triad--high risk of a thromboembolic event, persisting flank/abdominal/lower back pain, elevated serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase and/or hematuria within 24 hours after pain onset--contrast-enhanced CT should be performed as soon as possible to rule out or to prove acute renal infarction.     

Secretin Provocation: Gastrin Results in Various Clinical Situations

Our previous secretin provocation studies in normal volunteers and unoperated duodenal ulcer patients suggested that the gastrin rise in gastrinoma may be an exaggeration of the normal response rather than paradoxical. We report further studies in various clinical settings having normogastrinemia (normal, n = 17; unoperated duodenal ulcer, n = 13; primary hyperparathyroidism, n = 7) and hypergastrinemia (postvagotomy, n = 5; hypochlorhydria, n = 7; achlorhydria, n = 10; chronic renal failure, n = 10; gastrinoma, n = 5). Under all nongastrinoma conditions, there were similar gastrin rises of 9-19% between 2 and 5 min after bolus intravenous GIH secretin (2 CU/kg), which fell to baseline by 8 min, except for chronic renal failure. In chronic renal failure, gastrin remained elevated from 7 to 30 min and was significantly different (p less than 0.05) at 10-30 min compared to all other nongastrinoma conditions except hyperparathyroidism. Peak rises occurred within 5 min in all entities, but only three gastrinoma patients had positive secretin provocation tests by the predefined criterion of a gastrin rise greater than 200 pg/ml. The results of secretin provocation in various clinical entities with and without hypergastrinemia further support the hypothesis that the gastrin rise in gastrinoma is an exaggeration of the normal response. The prolonged gastrin rise seen in chronic renal failure may be due to altered renal clearance, inasmuch as other hypergastrinemic states had responses similar to normal and duodenal ulcer.     

Diagnostic applicability of intact and midregion/C-terminal parathyroid hormone assays in calcium metabolic disorders

We compared measurements of parathyroid hormone (PTH) using two assays, in order to detect intact PTH and midregion/C-terminal PTH (M/C-PTH) in a variety of calcium metabolic disorders. The series consisted of a total of 101 patients, including subjects with primary hyperparathyroidism (n = 24), hypoparathyroidism (n = 18), hypercalcaemia of malignancy (n = 10), moderate chronic renal failure (n = 14), chronic renal failure undergoing haemodialysis (n = 19), and small bowel disorders (n = 16). The intact PTH assay was superior to the M/C-PTH assay in reflecting parathyroid function in primary hyperparathyroidism, hypoparathyroidism and hypercalcaemia of malignancy. In patients with chronic renal failure, both assays were indicators of a comparable number of patients with elevated PTH levels. Intact PTH proved most reliable in detecting changes in parathyroid hormone secretion in response to variations in ionized calcium induced by haemodialysis. In patients with extensive intestinal resection, both assays showed increased levels of PTH. It is concluded that measurement of intact PTH is a more reliable index of parathyroid function than measurement of midregion/C-terminal PTH. Thus such an approach should be the one of choice for clinical evaluation of calcium homeostasis.     

Suppressibility of parathyroid function in primary hyperparathyroidism as estimated by nephrogenous cyclic AMP (author's transl)

The effects of calcium injection (3 mg/Kg/10 min) or oral calcium administration (calcium lactate 7.7 g) on plasma iPTH and Nephrogenous cyclic AMP (NcAMP) were studied in 6 normal controls and 13 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. In the control subjects, plasma iPTH determined by a predominantly carboxyl-terminal antiserum was less than 0.3 ng/ml before and after both calcium loads, whereas 41 approximately 98% (mean 67%) of NcAMP was rapidly and uniformly suppressed to a level lower than the normal value. In 2 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, iPTH was clearly reduced from 8.0 to 4.6 ng/ml and 1.6 to 0.96 ng/ml, respectively, by the calcium load. However, in the other 7 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism who showed only a slight elevation of iPTH: less than 0.3 approximately 0.9 ng/ml, the reductions in iPTH were not detected after the calcium load: less than 0.3 approximately 0.7 ng/ml. In contrast, 30 approximately 54% (1.02 approximately 3.85 nmol/dl GF) of NcAMP, which was greater than the diurnal variation, was suppressed after calcium injection in 5 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (2 of 4 patients with urological, and 3 of 5 patients with chemical hyperparathyroidism). But NcAMP was not suppressed in all 4 patients with skeletal hyperparathyroidism including one with proximal renal tubular dysfunction whose basal iPTH was elevated markedly but reduced clearly by the calcium load. In general, suppression of NcAMP was followed by a decrease of phosphate excretion. On the other hand, even in a patient with primary hyperparathyroidism whose NcAMP was not suppressed at all after the calcium injection, calcium infusion (15 mg/Kg/3h) resulted in some (23%) decrease in NcAMP. Oral calcium administration resulted in responses which were almost the same as those produced by calcium injection. These results suggest that NcAMP provides a useful index in the parathyroid suppression test in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, especially those who display a rather mild elevation of iPTH. This is not the case, however, in a few patients who show a marked elevation of iPTH and/or proximal renal tubular dysfunction.     

Parathyroid localization by 201Tl-99mTc subtraction scintigraphy: results in secondary hyperparathyroidism

Subtraction scintigraphy with 201Tl and 99mTc for parathyroid localization was performed preoperatively in 13 patients with chronic renal failure and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Twenty of the 37 examined pathological glands were predicted correctly (sensitivity 54%). In 3 patients with recurrent hyperparathyroidism after surgery all pathological glands found at second operation had been detected correctly by subtraction scintigraphy. We conclude that this localization method has a limited value when used prior to first neck exploration in secondary hyperparathyroidism. In persistent hyperparathyroidism after surgery it may play a useful role in localizing missed and ectopic glands.     

Hypophosphatemia in dialysis units

Hypophosphatemia (Hf) is infrequently reported in chronic hemodialysis patients. The objective of this report is to describe the incidence, etiology, symptoms and treatment of Hf in a Dialysis Unit (defined as phosphorus < 2.5 mg/dL). In a retrospective study over a period of three years, we identified 22 cases of Hf, occurring on 11 among 149 patients. A two-groups distribution was made: Group A, patients with more than one episode (n = 3, 14 episodes of Hf) and Group B, patients with only one isolated episode of Hf (n = 8, 8 episodes of Hf). Plasma Ca, P, Albumin and nPCR were significant lower in group A (p < 0.05). Only two patients of group B had symptoms. Cases of Hf were: Group A: low-protein diet and alcoholism, Group B: decreased dietary intake due to non-digestive problems (n = 2) or due to digestive problems plus antacids (n = 4), phos-phate binders (n = 1) and dietary phosphorus restriction (n = 1). Three patients had secondary hyperparathyroidism. Treatment consisted on oral supplementarion by diet and changes in oral calcium salts. Intravenous supplementation was required acutely to raise serum P in a patient with auricular fibrilation. Two group A patients who has plasma 1.25 vitamin D < 5 pg/mL received vitamin D, and the third oral supplements of P. In all the cases, Hf resolved with these measures. We concluded that Hf is not so infrequent in hemodialysis. In patients with low-protein diet and low vitamin D concentration, Hf can be sustained. On the other hand, a decreased dietary intake maintaining similar phosphate binder's supplementation is the most frequent cause of occasional and symptomatic Hf, even in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism.     

Ultrasonography for preoperative localization of enlarged parathyroid glands in primary hyperparathyroidism: comparison with (99m)technetium sestamibi scintigraphy

OBJECTIVE: To determine the utility of ultrasonography for the preoperative localization of enlarged parathyroid glands in primary hyperparathyroidism, and to compare this method with (99m)technetium sestamibi scintigraphy. DESIGN: The results of ultrasonography for localization of enlarged parathyroid glands were determined in 120 consecutive patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and compared with findings at surgery (n = 86) and with the results of (99m)technetium sestamibi scintigraphy (n = 99). PATIENTS: All patients had biochemically documented primary hyperparathyroidism based on elevated serum calcium and 'intact' parathyroid hormone measured by immunoassay. Patients with prior parathyroid surgery or secondary hyperparathyroidism were excluded. MEASUREMENTS: High-resolution ultrasonography was performed by a single observer. (99m)Technetium sestamibi scintigraphy was performed using early and delayed (2-h) views, and correlated with simultaneous thyroidal 123I uptake in most patients. RESULTS: Ultrasonography detected putative enlarged parathyroid glands in 92 of 120 unselected patients (77%). It correctly predicted surgical findings in 64 of 86 patients undergoing surgery (74%), including 61 of 72 patients with solitary eutopic parathyroid adenomas (84%), but only two of eight patients with solitary ectopic adenomas, and only one of six patients with multigland parathyroid disease. Sestamibi scintigraphy was positive in 87 of 99 unselected patients (88%), a higher proportion than ultrasonography (P < 0.05), reflecting superior sensitivity for the detection of ectopic parathyroid adenomas. For 74 patients undergoing parathyroid surgery who underwent both imaging tests there was no statistically significant difference between ultrasonography and sestamibi scintigraphy in ability to correctly predict surgical findings (74%vs. 82%, respectively) or in positive predictive value (93%vs. 90%, respectively). However, sestamibi scintigraphy was clearly more sensitive for ectopic parathyroid adenomas, providing correct localization in 8/8 cases. When one test was negative, testing with the second method was usually positive, improving the likelihood of a positive result to 98% when both tests were employed. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonography can be a sensitive and accurate method for preoperative localization of enlarged parathyroid glands in primary hyperparathyroidism, comparable in overall utility to sestamibi scintigraphy. These results suggest that a strategy of initial testing with one or the other method, followed by the alternate imaging test if the first test is negative, would provide correct parathyroid imaging in most patients without prior parathyroid surgery.     

Assay of Parathyroid Hormone in Disturbances of Calcium Metabolism*

Summary: A radioimmunoassay using antiserum made to bovine parathyroid hormone (PTH) and purified bovine PTH labelled with I¹³¹has been applied to the measurement of PTH in human plasma. Evidence for the validity and precision of the assay is presented. PTH could not be detected in the plasma of normal subjects but was measured in most patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, and in some with hyper-calcaemia due to malignancy. In patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism, levels of PTH were higher than in primary hyperparathyroidism, and were elevated more frequently. The highest levels were found in patients with renal osteodystrophy. After renal transplantation PTH was not detectable with one exception. Infusions of calcium intravenously lowered the high levels of PTH in two patients with osteomalacia and in one with renal osteodystrophy; they had no effect on four patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Serial studies over many months were carried out in two patients with renal disease. One showed some fall in PTH after dialysis commenced and no PTH could be measured after successful renal transplantation. The other showed a fall in PTH levels during treatment with vitamin D which caused radiological healing of osteodystrophy. Immunoreactive PTH could not be detected in urine.     

Development and Treatment of Tertiary Hyperparathyroidism in Patients with Pseudohypoparathyroidism Type 1B

Context: Pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1B (PHP1B) patients have PTH resistance at the renal proximal tubule and develop hypocalcemia and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Hyperparathyroid bone disease also develops in some patients. PHP1B patients are at theoretical risk of developing tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Setting: Patients were studied in a clinical research center. Patients: Five female PHP1B patients presented with hypercalcemia and elevated PTH. Intervention: Patients either underwent parathyroidectomy (n = 4) or received cinacalcet (n = 1). Main Outcome Measures: Serum calcium and PTH were serially measured before and after intervention. Results: Five PHP1B patients developed concomitantly elevated serum calcium and PTH levels (range, 235-864 ng/liter) requiring termination of calcium and vitamin D therapy (time after diagnosis, 21-42 yr; median, 34 yr), consistent with tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Four patients underwent parathyroidectomy with removal of one (n = 2) or two (n = 2) enlarged parathyroid glands. Calcium and vitamin D therapy was reinstituted postoperatively, and at 93-month median follow-up, PTH levels ranged between 56 and 182 (normal, <87) ng/liter. One patient was treated with cinacalcet, resulting in resolution of hypercalcemia. Conclusions: PHP1B patients are at risk of developing tertiary hyperparathyroidism and/or hyperparathyroid bone disease and should therefore be treated with sufficient doses of calcium and vitamin D to achieve serum calcium and PTH levels within or as close to the normal range as possible. Surgery is the treatment of choice in this setting. Cinacalcet may be a useful alternative in those who do not undergo surgery.     

High prevalence of osteoporosis in cardiac transplant recipients and discordance between biochemical turnover markers and bone histomorphometry

OBJECTIVE: All patients attending the cardiac transplantation clinic at the Royal Perth Hospital were investigated to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis and to assess changes in bone metabolism and histomorphometry in a cohort of cardiac transplant recipients. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. PATIENTS: Thirty-two patients (27 male; 5 female) who had received a cardiac transplant during the past 10 years and who were receiving immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporin, azathioprine and prednisolone were studied. MEASUREMENTS: All patients had bone densitometry by DEXA of the lumbar spine and femoral neck and X-rays of the thoracolumbar spine. Fasting serum ionized calcium, intact PTH, creatinine, 25 hydroxy-vitamin D, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, testosterone and free thyroxine and urine calcium, creatinine, hydroxyproline and deoxypyridinoline were measured. Six osteoporotic patients consented to transiliac bone biopsy following double tetracycline labelling. RESULTS: Osteoporosis was present at the lumbar spine in eight patients, femoral neck in seven patients and was present at one or more sites in 13 patients (41%). Seven patients (22%) had vertebral fractures which were asymptomatic in five patients. Secondary hyperparathyroidism was present in 16 patients (53%) but significant renal failure (creatinine clearance < 70 ml/min) was only found in 8 (50%). Levels of biochemical markers of bone turnover were increased in 23 patients (72%). Serum osteocalcin (P = 0.02) and alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.04) were significantly higher in osteoporotic patients than in nonosteoporotic patients. Histomorphometric findings varied markedly between patients. Microscopic features of hyperparathyroidism were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: Osteoporosis and asymptomatic vertebral fractures are common following cardiac transplantation. Biochemical markers of bone turnover were increased in the majority of patients. Many had biochemical evidence of secondary hyperparathyroidism but this could be attributable to significant renal failure in only 50% of cases. Osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase correlated inversely with bone density. Histomorphometric findings did not correlate with these biochemical changes in most cases. These results suggest that multiple factors are responsible for osteoporosis in cardiac transplant recipients. Osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase may be useful biochemical markers, predicting patients at highest risk of fracture.     

Renal complications in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis: the Mayo Clinic experience

While the renal complications of plasma cell dyscrasia have been well-described, most information in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis is derived from case reports. This is a retrospective analysis of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis who underwent kidney biopsy for renal insufficiency and/or nephrotic syndrome. Between January 1995 and June 2014, 49 of 4,024 (1.2%) patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (n=44) or monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (n=5) had a renal biopsy: 34 (69%) for renal insufficiency and 15 (31%) for nephrotic syndrome. The most common findings on biopsy were: membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (n=10, 20%), chronic lymphocytic leukemia interstitial infiltration as primary etiology (n=6, 12%), thrombotic microangiopathy (n=6, 12%), and minimal change disease (n=5, 10%). All five membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis patients treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide and prednisone-based regimens had recovery of renal function compared to 0/3 patients treated with rituximab with or without steroids. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia infiltration as the primary cause of renal abnormalities was typically observed in relapsed/refractory patients (4/6). Thrombotic microangiopathy primarily occurred as a treatment-related toxicity of pentostatin (4/6 cases), and resolved with drug discontinuation. All cases of minimal change disease resolved with immunosuppressive agents only. Renal biopsy plays an important role in the management of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis who develop renal failure and/or nephrotic syndrome.     

Renal adenylate cyclase assay for biologically active parathyroid hormone: clinical utility and physiological significance

The stimulation of cyclic AMP production by human renal cortical membranes in the presence of the GTP analogue 5'-guanylimidodiphosphate and a calcium chelator represents a homologous assay system for the evaluation of biologically active parathyroid hormone (bioPTH) in human serum. Bioactive PTH was raised above normal (normal range: undetectable to 4.6 pmol human PTH(1-34) per 1) in 13/17 (76%) patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, in 5/6 (83%) patients with surgically proven hyperparathyroidism secondary to chronic renal failure, in 4/5 (80%) patients with hyperparathyroidism secondary to hypocalcaemia, in all three patients with pseudohypoparathyroidism, in 5/17 (29%) patients with osteoporosis and in 1/9 (11%) patients with renal stones and/or hypercalciuria. Bioactive PTH correlated positively with immunoreactive PTH (iPTH) measured with a radioimmunoassay predominantly recognizing the middle- and carboxyl-terminal region of the PTH molecule (r = 0.503, P less than 0.001). A positive correlation (r = 0.572, P less than 0.05) was found between values of serum calcium and bioPTH in the group with primary hyperparathyroidism. Immunoreactive PTH did not correlate significantly with calcium in this group. In the other patients except those who had chronic renal failure, a negative correlation between serum calcium and both bioPTH and iPTH was observed (P less than 0.01). When alkaline phosphatase was compared with bioPTH in all patients, the correlation was positive (r = 0.390, P less than 0.01); no significant correlation existed between iPTH and alkaline phosphatase in the patients studied.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Diagnostic approach to hypercalcemia: relevance of parathyroid hormone and parathyroid hormone-related protein measurements

Background: Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTH-rP) are two potent hypercalcemic hormones that act on the same targets. Autonomous secretion of the former is involved in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), whereas the latter is responsible for humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM). Methods: From 250 consecutive, hypercalcemic serum samples sent to our laboratory for assessment of intact PTH, we were able to obtain clinical information, as well as an additional plasma sample for PTH-rP measurement, in 134 patients. At the time of sampling, patients could be classified into seven groups: cancer without known bone metastases (CaNoMeta, n=36), cancer with bone metastases (CaMeta, n=9), no evidence of cancer (noEvCa, n=71), sarcoidosis (Sarc, n=3), end-stage renal disease (ESRD, n=12), vitamin D overdose (VIT-D, n=2), and hyperthyroidism (Thyr, n=1). Results: In the CaNoMeta group, 29/36 patients had elevated PTH-rP levels, 9/36 patients had inappropriately elevated PTH levels, and 5/36 had elevated levels of both hormones. In the CaMeta group, three of the nine patients had inappropriately elevated PTH levels, two of them with concomitantly elevated PTH-rP levels. In the NoEvCa group, 63/71 patients had an inappropriate elevation of PTH levels and were diagnosed as having PHPT. Four of the 71 patients had elevated levels of both PTH and PTH-rP; three of them were in poor health and died within a short period of time. All of the ESRD patients had very high PTH and normal PTH-rP levels, except for one woman with high PTH-rP and undetectable PTH levels; she died from what later turned out to be a recurrent bladder carcinoma. In the Sarc, Vit-D, and Thyr groups, both PTH and PTH-rP levels were normal. Conclusions: (1) Elevated PTH-rP levels are a common finding in cancer patients without bone metastases. Intact PTH, however, should always be measured in hypercalcemic patients with malignancy because concurrent primary hyperparathyroidism is not rare. (2) Primary hyperparathyroidism accounts for hypercalcemia in 90% of patients without evidence of cancer whose PTH-rP levels may also be found to be elevated in a few cases, even some with surgically demonstrated parathyroid adenoma.     

Recurrence of hyperparathyroidism; a long-term follow-up after surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism

OBJECTIVE: In general it is thought that recurrence of primary hyperparathyroidism is a rare event. To our knowledge, however, only one large patient series has been reported with a mean of more than 7 years of follow-up. The aim of the present study was to determine the long-term recurrence rate in 785 out of 886 patients operated on for primary hyperparathyroidism and followed-up for a mean of 10.03 years after surgery. DESIGN: Medical records were scrutinised. The patients who were still alive answered a questionnaire and had laboratory tests. METHODS: Follow-up data concerning the state of health, medical treatment, other diagnoses, renal function, and serum calcium and creatinine levels were found in the medical records of 203 patients, and were registered at the start of investigation of 582 patients. Intact parathyroid hormone values were determined in 252 patients. Recurrence rate and 95% confidence interval (C.I.) were calculated. RESULTS: Recurrence rate of hyperparathyroidism with constant or intermittent hypercalcaemia (n=39) was 4.97% (95% C.I.=3.45-6.74%) during a mean of 10 years of follow-up. Nine out of 39 had elevated serum creatinine levels. Recurrence rate of hyperparathyroidism with normal serum creatinine levels, including patients with normocalcaemia, intermittent hypercalcaemia, and constant hypercalcaemia was estimated to be 7-8% during a mean of 10 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrence rate was determined with reasonable precision in this large patient series, and recurrence of hyperparathyroidism cannot be considered to be extremely rare, but it may occur more than 20 years after treatment in both single and multiple gland disease.     

肾移植2,3,5年患者的免疫抑制用药分析

目的：分析肾移植后免疫抑制剂对长期存活的影响，寻找移植后不同时间合适的免疫抑制用药方案及其用药剂量。 方法：对肾移植一年以上、肾功能正常的４９７例患者进行５年连续随访。根据移植后２、３、５年的不同免疫抑制用药将患者分为三联、二联、传统二联治疗三组。统计各组的排异发生率，排异和无排异患者免疫抑制用药的种类、剂量及ＣｓＡ浓度，对排异患者追踪排异发生前１２个月内的药物更动情况。 结果：肾移植后２、３、５     

Predictive value of kidney stone composition in the detection of metabolic abnormalities

PURPOSE: To determine if kidney stone composition can predict the underlying medical diagnosis, and vice versa. METHODS: We studied 1392 patients with kidney stones who underwent a complete ambulatory evaluation and who submitted one or more stones for analysis. We ascertained the associations between medical diagnosis and stone composition. RESULTS: The most common kidney stones were composed of calcium oxalate (n = 1041 patients [74.8%]), mixed calcium oxalate-calcium apatite (n = 485 [34.8%]), and calcium apatite alone (n = 146 [10.5%]). The most common medical diagnoses were hypocitraturia (n = 616 patients [44.3%]), absorptive hypercalciuria (n = 511 [36.7%]), and hyperuricosuria (n = 395 [28.4%]). Calcium apatite and mixed calcium oxalate-calcium apatite stones were associated with the diagnoses of renal tubular acidosis and primary hyperparathyroidism (odds ratios >/=2), but not with chronic diarrheal syndromes. As the phosphate content of the stone increased from calcium oxalate to mixed calcium oxalate-calcium apatite, and finally to calcium apatite, the percentage of patients with renal tubular acidosis increased from 5% (57/1041) to 39% (57/146), and those with primary hyperparathyroidism increased from 2% (26/1041) to 10% (14/146). Calcium oxalate stones were associated with chronic diarrheal syndromes, but not with renal tubular acidosis. Pure and mixed uric acid stones were strongly associated with a gouty diathesis, and vice versa. Chronic diarrheal syndromes and uric acid stones were associated with one another, and brushite stones were associated with renal tubular acidosis. As expected, there was a very strong association between infection stones and infection, and between cystine stones and cystinuria. CONCLUSION: Stone composition has some predictive value in diagnosing medical conditions, and vice versa, especially for noncalcareous stones.     

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients with hepatic cirrhosis: evaluation of a treatment protocol at specialized units.

INTRODUCTION: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is a common and severe complication in patients with cirrhosis and ascitis. Its prognosis clearly depends on its precocious clinical recognition and efficacious therapy. AIM: To optimize a treatment protocol, after auditing clinical efficacy and describe microorganisms implicated at our institution. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of clinical files of patients with hepatic cirrhosis with positive culture of ascitic fluid (AF) and/or an AF polymorphonuclear (PMN) count of more than 250/mm3, treated at our units between 1st January, 2000 and 31st December, 2001 (n = 38). Patients showed a median age of 49 years (30-76), 63% of which were male. Forty-eight percent were classified as belonging to Child-Pugh B class, and 52% to C. RESULTS: First, considering cases with PMN > 250/mm3 (n = 29), antibiotics were given to all patients (cefotaxime and ampiciline). Fifty-two percent had hepatic encephalopathy, 42% had fever, 66% abdominal pain. In 42% a microorganism was isolated. Although 24% of fatal cases (only two related to infection), we noted a 73% clinical and laboratorial response. Five patients (72%) that died, showed renal failure by the time of death. Second, in all cases with positive culture of ascitic fluid (n = 21), 42% of which with PMN > 250/mm3 and 9 monobacterial nonneutrocytic bacterascites' cases, one only agent was found: E. coli in 36%, Streptococci (37%), Staphylococci (14%), and other (14%): Klebsiella oxytoca, n = 1; Salmonella enteritidis, n = 1; Enterococcus faecium, n = 1, Acinectobacter anitratus, n = 1. Only one of the agents, E. faecium (3%) showed in vitro sensitivity exclusively to ampiciline; all other were cefotaxime sensitivite. CONCLUSIONS: Our protocol will be modified, to treat patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis with cefotaxime, as monotherapy. Albumin infusion will also be added to the protocol, as, we found renal failure to be an important negative prognosis factor.     

Dialysis osteodystrophy. A study involving 94 patients

Dynamic skeletal histomorphometry was performed in 94 unselected patients receiving maintenance dialysis for chronic renal failure. An attempt was made to correlate the results with the clinical, biochemical and radiological findings. Skeletal histology was abnormal in each case. Hyperparathyroidism was present as the only abnormality in 18 patients and osteomalacia in 26; 50 patients showed both abnormalities. Osteomalacia, in contrast to hyperparathyroidism, increased in prevalence and severity with the duration of dialysis and with bone aluminum content. The majority of patients had histological osteosclerosis. It was impossible to predict either the nature or the severity of the histological lesions on the basis of symptoms and physical signs or on the basis of most biochemical parameters (including serum concentrations of three vitamin D metabolites). Serum alkaline phosphatase values and serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (iPTH) concentrations were positively correlated with the severity of histological hyperparathyroidism. Subperiosteal erosions of the phalanges were associated with severe histological hyperparathyroidism in each case but this radiological sign was absent in 66% of patients with histological hyperparathyroidism. Radiological osteosclerosis was associated with severe histological osteomalacia in each case, but this radiological sign was absent in 87% of patients with histological osteomalacia. No other radiological sign proved a reliable guide to the underlying skeletal histology. In the majority of dialysis patients, a skeletal biopsy is required for an accurate diagnosis of the nature and severity of azotemic osteodystrophy.     

Plasma chromogranin-A in primary hyperparathyroidism

We sought an explanation for prior findings of high plasma chromogranin-A (Chr-A) in primary hyperparathyroidism. Chr-A was measured in plasma samples from 55 controls and 73 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism caused by adenoma (n = 14), sporadic or familial hyperplasia (n = 10), or familial multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (FMEN1; n = 49). Serum or plasma samples were also tested for calcium, PTH, gastrin, pancreatic polypeptide, CG alpha, and PRL. Plasma Chr-A was 34 +/- 10 in parathyroid adenoma, 55 +/- 33 in parathyroid hyperplasia without FMEN1, 63 +/- 88 in FMEN1, and 25 +/- 8 in controls (mean +/- SD; nanograms per ml; FMEN1 or parathyroid hyperplasia vs. control, P less than 0.05). Plasma Chr-A did not correlate with other hormonal variables in controls. Plasma Chr-A correlated with log serum gastrin (r = 0.43; P = 0.003) and plasma PTH (r = 0.52; P less than 0.05) only in FMEN1. In FMEN1, plasma Chr-A was highest in subjects with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES, 120 +/- 127; no ZES, 30 +/- 33 (P less than 0.0001). Parathyroidectomy did not decrease plasma Chr-A in patients with parathyroid adenoma or parathyroid hyperplasia. For FMEN1 patients with available pre- and postparathyroidectomy samples, Chr-A decreased postoperatively in four of five patients with ZES compared to none of six patients without ZES (P less than 0.05). Elevated plasma Chr-A is not a general feature of primary hyperparathyroidism. Elevated plasma Chr-A in primary hyperparathyroidism was restricted principally to patients who also had ZES. Primary hyperparathyroidism may influence the level of Chr-A by an effect of hypercalcemia or elevated PTH on Chr-A secretion from pancreatic islet tissue.     

Renal biopsy in patients 65 years of age or older. An analysis of the results of 334 biopsies

We studied the clinical and pathological data for 334 patients age 65 or more who underwent renal biopsy for acute renal failure (ARF, n = 55), subacute renal failure (SRF, n = 72), chronic renal failure (CRF, n = 57), proteinuria (n = 137), and hematuria (n = 13). Tissue diagnoses were glomerulopathy (n = 252, 75.4%), acute tubular lesions (n = 18), interstitial nephritis (n = 23), vascular diseases (n = 36, including 14 with cholesterol emboli), and five miscellaneous diagnoses. Of the 55 patients with ARF, 23 had a glomerular lesion, 15 had acute tubular necrosis, and 8 had acute interstitial nephritis. Of 72 patients with SRF, 49 had a glomerulopathy, 12 had a vascular disorder, and six had acute interstitial nephritis. Hence, patients with ARF or SRF exhibited a high potential for reversible lesions. Only 11.3% of patients with CRF had potentially reversible causes. The most common causes of proteinuria were membranous glomerulopathy (34.3%), minimal change disease (14.6%), focal segmental sclerosis (11.7%), and amyloidosis (8.8%). Of the 25 patients with advanced nephrosclerosis, 24 had renal failure, 20 were hypertensive, and 13 had cholesterol emboli. Of 33 patients with diabetes mellitus, 66.7% were found to have lesions not related to diabetes. We conclude that renal biopsy is most useful in older patients with ARF or SRF because of potentially reversible renal disease. Old age alone is not a contraindication to performing a renal biopsy.