The influence of hemodialysis membrane permeability on serum procalcitonin values in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

Background: Procalcitonin (PCT) has emerged as a marker of infection and it could be useful for detection of systemic bacterial infections in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD). The aim of this study was to assess the influence of HD membrane permeability to PCT serum levels in noninfected HD patients on maintenance HD.

Methods: In a prospective comparative study, we measured PCT serum levels and C reactive protein (CRP) before and after HD in 36 sessions (18 sessions of HD with low-flux = Group L; and 18 sessions with high flux membranes = Group H), in 18 chronic HD patients without history of infection.

[Visceral leishmaniasis, pemphigus and immunosuppressive treatment: case report from Morocco].

Atypical forms of visceral leishmaniasis associated with immunosuppressive treatment are difficult to diagnose and cause high mortality. The purpose of this report is to describe a case involving a 42-year-old patient living in a leishmaniasis-endemic area, who was undergoing immunosuppressive treatment using corticosteroids and methotrexate for pemphigus. Despite clinical and laboratory findings consistent with visceral leishmaniasis, detection of Leishmania bodies was a coincidental finding of cytological examination of bone marrow during workup for pancytopenia and associated clinical signs.