Value of albumin dialysis therapy in severe liver insufficiency

Abstract A blood purification system, molecular adsorbents re-circulating system (MARS), is based on the removal of both protein-bound and water-soluble substances and toxins in the liver. We treated a total of 88 patients within 2 years. Of these patients, 45 had acute liver failure (ALF), 31 had acute decompensation of chronic liver disease, eight had graft failure and four had miscellaneous conditions. Of the patients with ALF, 80% survived; in 23 patients their own liver recovered and 13 patients underwent successful transplantation. Only 23% of patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure survived. Most of them were not considered for transplantation due to their having liver failure from alcoholism and from not abstaining from drinking. MARS is a promising therapy for ALF, allowing the patient's own liver to recover or allowing enough time to find a liver graft. Best results were achieved in patients who had been intoxicated with a lethal dose of toxin. On the other hand, we did not observe much benefit in patients with severe acute-on-chronic liver failure (AcoChr) who did not undergo liver transplantation.     

上尿路梗阻性急性肾功能不全内、外引流的选择

目的探讨内、外引流在上尿路梗阻急性肾功能不全时的选择和效果。方法25例各种原因引起的上尿路梗阻（15例肿瘤性梗阻,10例非肿瘤性梗阻）合并急性肾功能不全,分别或先后对12例行输尿管内置双J管（doub le J,D J）内引流15次,对19例行经皮肾穿刺造瘘（percutaneous nephrectomy,PCN）外引流23次。结果引流成功23例,PCN外引流成功率86.9%（20/23）,双J管内引流成功率60.0%（9/15）,PCN术后继发出血1例。结论对于盆腹腔进展期或广泛转移肿瘤导致的梗阻,PCN解除梗阻优于输尿管支架内引流;非肿瘤性梗阻宜先尝试D J内引流。     

Extremely High Association Between Appearance of HLA Antibodies and Failure of Kidney Grafts in a Five-Year Longitudinal Study

Longitudinal studies were conducted over a five-year period for HLA antibodies on 493 sera tested from 54 kidney transplant patients. HLA single antigen beads were employed to establish donor specificity of the antibodies. Only 3 of 22 patients without antibodies rejected a graft in contrast to 17 out of 32 patients with posttransplant antibodies (p = 0.003). Using a serum creatinine value of 4.0 mg/dL as the cut-off for a failed graft, 4 of 22 patients without antibodies failed compared to 21 of 32 with antibodies (p = 0.0006). Among patients with donor-specific antibodies (DSA) 13 of 15 failed (p = 0.000004). Even among patients with non-donor specific antibodies (NDSA), 8 of 17 failed (p = 0.05). Among patients who could be identified as making de novo antibodies (since they developed antibodies while not having antibodies for more than six months after transplantation), 6 of 11 failed (p = 0.03). Sequential testing for HLA antibodies shows that antibodies appear prior to a rise in serum creatinine and subsequent graft failure. The very strong association between the production of HLA antibodies after transplantation and graft failure indicates the importance of monitoring for posttransplant HLA antibodies.     

呼吸电刺激训练对肺功能康复的作用

通过电流和声、光信号刺激，对２０例慢性阻塞性肺疾患（ＣＯＰＤ）患者进行呼吸电刺激训练（ＲＥＴ），结果在ＲＥＴ时呼吸频率和平均吸气流速明显下降，潮气量和吸气间期明显增加，跨膈压增大，氧耗量和能量代谢无明显变化；于ＲＥＴ１５天后ＰａＣＯ２明显下降，ＰａＯ２和运动能力明显增高，肺勇气功能明显改善。表明ＲＥＴ１５天后ＰａＣＯ２明显下降，ＰａＯ２和运动能力明显增高，肺通气功能明显改善。表明ＲＥＴ能使ＣＯＰＤ     

Chronic renal failure and its treatment in tuberous sclerosis

BACKGROUND.: Chronic renal failure is rare in tuberous sclerosis, but itsprecise frequency is not known and treatment modalities havenot been evaluated. METHODS.: A questionnaire was addressed to the 260 French dialysis centresand the characteristics of 65 patients with tuberous sclerosisand chronic renal failure were analysed. RESULTS.: In France the approximate prevalence of tuberous sclerosis withend-stage renal failure is 0.7 cases per million and that ofend-stage renal failure in tuberous sclerosis 1 per 100. Tuberoussclerosis with chronic renal failure was more frequent in females(63.1%) and was diagnosed at a mean age of 29 years. Renal impairmentwas the first manifestation of tuberous sclerosis in about halfthe cases. Renal tumours were frequent, with angiomyolipomasin 15 cases (23.1%), cysts in 12 cases (18.5%), and both in35 cases (53.8%). Malignancies were associated in nine cases(13.8%). Nephrectomy was done before dialysis in 21 cases (32.3%),and after the start of dialysis in six cases (9.2%). All butone of the 48 patients with end-stage renal failure were treatedby dialysis; 20 were transplanted, with good results. CONCLUSIONS.: Tuberous sclerosis with end-stage renal failure is rare. Thesepatients require dialysis and renal transplantation, but werecommend binephrectomy after starting dialysis and before transplantation,given the risk of cancer and bleeding related to angiomyolipomas.     

Critical review of treatment trials in hypertension

Summary: Despite numerous deficiencies in some antihypertensive drug treatment trials, and some questionable selections of studies for inclusion in several meta-analyses, undoubtedly such trials have shown treatment benefits from reducing hypertension. Complications that can be corrected or prevented include malignant hypertension, hypertensive heart failure, stroke and coronary artery morbidity. the all-cause mortality has been lowered in several trials. the benefits have been seen in subjects aged over 60 years, in women and men, and in patients with isolated systolic hypertension. the benefits have been achieved using a wide range of drugs, not only with beta-blockers or diuretics. Non-pharmacological means of lowering blood pressure have not been evaluated in relation to morbidity.     

Heart failure: Effects of beta receptor antagonists on left ventricular function in patients with clinical evidence of heart failure after myocardial infarction. A double-blind comparison of metoprolol and xamoterol Echocardiographic results from the Metoprolol and Xamoterol Infarction Study (MEXIS)

Two hundred and ten patients with clinical evidence of heartfailure, developing after an acute myocardial infarction, wererandomized to treatment with the ß₁ antagonist metoprolol50–100mg b.i.d. (n=106) or the ß₁ partial agonistxamoterol 100–200 mg bid. (n=104). Left ventricular systolicand diastolic function were assessed with echocardiography andtransmitral Doppler cardiography before and after 3 and 12 monthsof double-blind treatment. E-point septal separation and percent left ventricular fractional shortening were used as indicesof systolic function. The ratio between peak early and latemitral diastolic flow (E/A ratio) and isovolumic relaxationtime were used as indices of diastolic function. In the xamoterol group, there was a deterioration in E-pointseptal separation (P<0·05). A difference between thetreatment groups was present both at 3 months (E-point septalseparation 11·4 vs 13·0 mm, P<0·0l,fractional short ening 271 vs 252%, P<005) and 12 months(E-point septal separation Ill vs 13·2 mm, P<0·05fractional shortening 26·9 vs 25·0%, P<0·05).E/A ratio increased in the metoprolol group (P<0·05)but not in the xamoterol group. At 3 months there was a significantdifference (0·85 vs 0·67, P<0·005 betweenthe groups but not at 12 months. In comparison with the ß₁-receptor antagonist metoprolol,the ß₁ partial agonist xamoterol impaired left ventricularsystolic function in patients with clinical evidence of heartfailure after an acute myocardial infarction.     

Abnormal cardiac histology in severe intrauterine growth retardation infants

Four infants with severe intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) weighing less than 1000 g at birth developed heart failure and died in our unit, where heart failure of IUGR infants is the main reason of death in extremely low birth-weight infants. The causes of their heart failure are one of the main themes in current neonatal medicine. The subjects of this study were four small for gestational age infants; all died due to heart failure 5 to 10 days after birth. Microscopic specimens of hearts from autopsies were evaluated with respect to the following characteristics: thickness of myocardial fibers, maturation of nuclei, presence of dysgenesis or necrosis in myocardium, and amount of glycogen in the heart. Neither dysgenesis nor infarction of the heart was found but hypoplasia in myocardial fibers and decreased glycogen levels were observed. Maturation delay in myocytes' nuclei did not appear to be severe. We conclude that these infants' hearts failed to adapt to postnatal hemodynamic changes because of inadequate myocardial function and inadequate glycogen reserves.