Impact of Τh1 and Τh2 cytokines in the progression of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome due to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and minimal change disease.

Background: Differential diagnosis between primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and minimal change disease (MCD) is sometimes difficult as nephrotic syndrome is the main clinical symptom in both diseases.

Objectives: This study has attempted to evaluate the urinary excretion of Th1 and Th2 cytokines as potential biomarkers in distinguishing the two types of nephrotic syndrome, and predicting outcome of renal function.

Patients And Methods: Thirty-six patients with FSGS (M/F 22/14, Age; 41.

A Case of Pulmonary-Renal Syndrome Leading to the Diagnosis of Legionnaires' Disease.

We report a case of a 51-year-old Caucasian man referred at our department due to acute renal failure (ARF) complicating respiratory failure during hospitalization in a regional hospital. The patient was previously started on steroids due to the suspicion of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) in the context of Goodpasture syndrome. However, clinical and laboratory findings did not support this diagnosis; instead a careful evaluation limited differential diagnosis of the renal insult to acute tubular necrosis or acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) following respiratory infection.

Up-regulation of urinary markers predict outcome in IgA nephropathy but their predictive value is influenced by treatment with steroids and azathioprine.

Objective: Steroids and immunosuppressants can delay progression of renal function in IgAN, but their possible effect in local cytokines has not been studied.

Material And Methods: Histology in 53 IgAN patients (M/F 35/18 age 40.5 years (17 - 65)) was evaluated using the Oxford classification system.

Detection of multiple cytokines in the urine of patients with focal necrotising glomerulonephritis may predict short and long term outcome of renal function.

Background: Detection of urinary cytokines in pauci-immune focal segmental necrotizing glomerulonephritis (FSNGN) may provide valuable information about disease pathogenesis and prognosis.

Methods: Epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor (TGF-β1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured by ELISA, and Interleukins, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP1β) by a multiplex cytokine assay, in 38 patients with FSNGN. Their levels were correlated with severity of histological findings and renal function outcome in short and long term.

Steroids and azathioprine in the treatment of IgA nephropathy.

Aim: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a very common glomerulonephritis among young adults, but the best therapeutic approach has not been fully elucidated. This study evaluated the effect of two different treatment regimes in IgAN, steroids alone or in combination with azathioprine.

Methods: Among 122 patients with primary IgA nephropathy diagnosed in the 2000-2007 period, 22 fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the study: estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGRF) ≥30 ml/min/1.

Osmotic nephrosis due to the use of anti-adhesive membrane intraperitoneally.

Background: A common strategy for the prevention of intra-abdominal adhesions post-operatively has been the application of adhesion barriers into the peritoneal cavity. Side effects of these barriers are infection, abscesses and inadequate wound healing. There is no information about such a side effect of these materials on renal function.

C5b-9 glomerular deposition and tubular alpha3beta1-integrin expression are implicated in the development of chronic lesions and predict renal function outcome in immunoglobulin A nephropathy.

Objective: Tubular atrophy is one of the factors predicting poor outcome of renal function in primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). However, the development of tubular atrophy is a late phenomenon during the disease progression. It would be useful to identify early factors that potentially result in renal damage and could be used as early predictors of renal outcome.

Urinary levels of epidermal growth factor, interleukin-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 may act as predictor markers of renal function outcome in immunoglobulin A nephropathy.

Aim: Urinary cytokine excretion may reflect histological changes in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), and their measurement can give information about disease outcome.

Methods: Thirty-three IgAN patients were prospectively followed for 5.6 +/- 3.

Mixed exocrine-endocrine tumor of the pancreas.

Context: Neoplasms of the pancreas usually show ductal, acinar or endocrine differentiation. Tumors with mixed exocrine and endocrine components are unusual. We herein describe a case of a mixed ductal-endocrine tumor.

Rare manifestations of sirenomelia syndrome: a report of five cases.

Five cases of sirenomelia presented with rare manifestations are discussed. Three neonates were born alive and died within 2 to 12 hours after birth. One case was the offspring of a triple in vitro fertilization pregnancy with history of early intrauterine death of one of the triplets.

A rare case of solitary fibrous tumor of the nasal cavity.

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) arises in the pleura and less commonly in extrapleural sites. SFT can be found in various head and neck sites. SFTs of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses are extremely rare with only ten previously reported cases in the world literature.