Assay of cytomegalovirus susceptibility to ganciclovir in renal and heart transplant recipients

Ganciclovir (GCV) prophylaxis or pre-emptive therapy significantly reduce the rate of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease and viremia, but increase the potential for emergence of ganciclovir-resistant CMV strains. The inhibitor concentration at 50% (IC(50)) of GCV from 156 CMV isolates from 59 renal or heart transplant recipients was calculated by means of a rapid phenotypic susceptibility assay. Twenty-seven strains were from 14 patients undergoing GCV therapy. The IC(50) was higher in patients under the prophylaxis regimen. One CMV strain, from a heart transplant recipient, became GCV-resistant after 1 month of therapy (IC(50)=13.7 micromol/l). These data, together with clinical and virological markers, suggested that a switch to foscarnet was necessary, and good evolution was observed. Thus, assay of CMV susceptibility to GCV could be helpful in clinical management.     

Renal involvement in the Laurence-Moon-Bardet-Biedl syndrome: report of five cases

.We report five patients with Laurence-Moon-Bardet-Biedl syndrome (LMBBS) who had renal involvement. Intravenous pyelography showed bilateral or unilateral calyceal clubbing and blunting in all patients. In addition, one patient had a parapelvic cyst in the left kidney and another had bilateral lobulated renal outlines of the fetal type. One patient had a urinary concentrating defect and two patients showed increased fractional sodium excretion. Estimated tubular phosphate reabsorption values were in normal limits in all of five patients. No patient had a urine acidification defect, proteinuria, glycosuria, or hyperaminoaciduria. One patient died from end-stage renal failure. The remaining four patients had normal serum creatinine values and estimated creatinine clearances. ^99mTechnetium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetate renal scanning showed prolonged and delayed concentration and delayed excretion in three of the four patients who survived. A focal scar was determined on the left kidney of one of four patients by ^99mtechnetium-dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scanning. All LMBBS cases with or without renal symptoms should be routinely evaluated for renal abnormalities. Renal scanning is a valuable method, especially for determining the renal involvement in the early stage of disease. Received November 14, 1995; received in revised form and accepted May 23, 1996     

Extrinsic compression of the renal artery by diaphragmatic crus

Extrinsic compression of the renal artery due to a fibromuscular band originating from the diaphragm was encountered in a 26-year-old patient who had systemic hypertension associated with stenosis and kinking of one of her renal arteries. After surgical decompression, the renal artery assumed a normal expansion with disappearance of hypertension. Six other cases of extrinsic compression of the renal artery have been found in the literature. Surgical treatment is mandatory in all cases because the mechanism that causes the lesion makes percutaneous transluminal angioplasty illusory.     

An Evaluation of Technetium-99m Tin Colloid--Its Value in the Diagnosis of Renal Transplant Rejection

The value of the Technetium-99m tin colloid (TTC) scan in thediagnosis of renal transplant rejection occurring more than1 month following transplantation was assessed. To our knowledge,use of this agent has not previously been reported. Gamma cameraimaging was performed on 15 occasions in 14 patients in whomplasma creatinine was rising and in three patients in whom renalfunction was stable. Both a qualitative and a quantitative assessmentof images was made. The radioactivity recorded over the graft at 12–16 mmpost injection was expressed as a percentage of that recordedat 0–4 min. In the nine patients in whom graft perfusionwas adequate to allow interpretation of the TTC scan and inwhom rejection was diagnosed by biopsy (six cases) or on clinicalgrounds (three cases), the index ranged from 45 to 153%. Intwo patients the graft was poorly perfused and the accumulationof TTC was predictably low despite the presence of rejection.In the seven patients with either a stable creatinine or withrising creatinine not due to rejection, the index ranged from5 to 43%. Previously reported studies have shown that sulphur colloidsmay be of value in diagnosing graft rejection. This study suggeststhat Tc99m tin colloid may be regarded as a suitable alternativescanning agent and that some simplification of data collectionand analysis can be achieved.     

Nutritional aspects of Acute Renal Failure

The patient with acute renal failure is a very ill patient suffering from high urea levels causing poor appetite, nausea and vomiting. These patients are usually treated with a low sodium, low protein and, if the potassium in the blood is high, with a low potassium diet (1). This paper discusses whether or not this is the correct treatment. The symptoms of high urea levels in the blood together with increased needs for energy and protein makes it very hard to prevent the patient becoming malnourished. Often energy‐enriched drinks are necessary to achieve recommendations and it is prudent to let the patient eat and drink what they desire. By calculating the energy and protein needs and comparing these with the intake and the state of illness and by following the patient's body weight over time we can obtain information about the state of nourishment. When we alter the food that's offered we achieve better intake and reduce the risk of malnourishment.     

Value of Doppler ultrasound for the diagnosis of renal artery stenosis in children

To evaluate the reliability of Doppler ultrasonography (US) in identifying children with renal artery stenosis (RAS) among those with hypertension, we compared Doppler US results in 22 hypertensive children (mean age 8.9±4.3 years), with (13 cases) and without RAS at angiography, and in 33 normotensive children (mean age 8.8±4.7 years). We observed 2 false-negatives and 2 false-positives with Doppler US. Of the 2 false-negative diagnoses, 1 had RAS on an accessory renal artery located behind a normal upper polar artery and the other was observed in a patient with bilateral multiple stenosis of the very distal segments of renal arteries. The 2 false-positive diagnoses were due to sinuous left renal artery and to technical reasons, respectively. In another patient, Doppler US showed a tight RAS, while arteriography was normal. RAS was subsequently confirmed by a second arteriography. Peak systolic velocity values of Doppler US were significantly higher in patients with proven angiographic RAS (3.44±0.66 m/s) than in hypertensive patients with normal renal arteries at angiography (0.99±0.35 m/s, P <0.0001) and normotensive healthy children (1.04±0.23 m/s, P <0.0001). With the use of multiple views, and the experience acquired with practice, false-negatives or false-positives due to the geometry of the renal artery can be avoided. Nevertheless, very distal stenosis can be missed by Doppler US. Received October 30, 1995; received in revised form April 16, 1996; accepted May 14, 1996     

病理性损伤因素对肾小管上皮细胞表型转化的影响

目的 :观察低血清、高糖、高蛋白刺激下肾小管上皮细胞向间叶性细胞的表型转化 ,探讨损伤的肾小管上皮细胞在肾小管间质纤维化中的作用。方法 :以体外培养的人近端肾小管上皮细胞为对象 ,分别用含低血清(0 .2mol·L-1小牛血清 )、高葡萄糖 (4.5 g·L-1)、高白蛋白 (15 g·L-1)的培养液培养 7d ,透射电镜检测细胞形态变化 ;免疫组化和Westernblot检测细胞表型改变 ,包括CK、Vimentin、α SMA、Ⅰ和Ⅲ型胶原 ,原位杂交检测Ⅰ型胶原mRNA表达 ,同时检测细胞TGFβ1蛋白表达。 结果 :低血清、高糖、高蛋白直接刺激下 ,肾小管上皮细胞出现明显形态学改变 ,包括细胞变为长梭形 ;透射电镜下细胞内线粒体明显减少 ,粗面内质网明显增加 ,并出现actin样微丝。免疫组化染色和Westernblot显示CK表达明显减弱 ,Vimentin、Ⅰ、Ⅲ型胶原、α SMA和TGFβ1表达增强。原位杂交显示Ⅰ型胶原mRNA表达增强。结论 :低血清、高糖、高蛋白可直接引起人近端肾小管上皮细胞TGFβ1表达增加 ,并发生向间叶性细胞的表型转化     

肾移植后细菌败血症治疗过程中内毒素血症和菌血症的动态变化

为研究败血症时细菌溶解的程度对内毒素血症的影响,本文对肾移植术后怀疑为革兰氏阴性杆菌败血症患者的血中内毒素和细菌进行了定量检查。13名患者中有4人血中细菌定量>50cfu/ml,其血中内毒素水平由开始检查到最高峰时相差2～35倍,有一名患者在使用抗生素治疗过程中突然发生休克,最后由于呼吸、循环衰竭而死亡,其血中内毒素明显升高。本文结果表明:对于感染发病率很高的肾移植患者,如何控制和处理抗生素治疗后的高内毒素血症是一个值得研究的问题。血中内毒素和细菌的定量检查可以为及时采取针对性措施,防治内毒素血症提供依据。     

益母草防治初发期急性肾小管坏死的实验研究

ＳＤ成年雄性大鼠，禁止１６小时，肌注甘油引起急性肾小管坏死（ＡＴＮ），于其初发期给予不同药液，观察到益母草组３、２４及４８小时Ｂｃｒ升高值，２４及４８小时ＢＵＮ升高值均明显低于自来水组和单纯禁水组，而与校正对照异搏停组近似，肾组织损伤程度亦明显减轻。结果表明，益母草对初发期急性肾小管坏死（ＩＡＴＮ）有一定的防治作用。     

Cyclosporine in the treatment of azathioprine-induced red cell aplasia following renal transplantation

Azathioprine, a well-known immunosuppressive agent, is used extensively in renal transplantation. There have been several case reports of pure red cell aplasia induced by this drug following a successful kidney transplant. Previous management of azathioprine-induced red cell aplasia included reduction of azathioprine dose, or treatment with cyclophosphamide. We propose the substitution of cyclosporine for azathioprine, in this clinical setting. Not only does cyclosporine allow recovery of bone marrow function, but it maintains a level of immunosuppression which stabilizes renal function in the post-transplant patient.