We present two cases of transmission of a pancreatic adenocarcinoma from a single donor to two kidney transplant recipients. Autopsy of the donor revealed a pancreatic adenocarcinoma that had already spread locally to the regional lymph nodes and had not been detected at the time of organ procurement. Both recipients were carefully monitored, as neither consented to graft nephrectomy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProteinuria after kidney transplantation is accompanied by an increased risk of graft failure. In this single-center, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial we studied whether vitamin D receptor activator paricalcitol might reduce proteinuria. Patients with urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) ≥20 mg/mmol despite optimization of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) blockade were randomly assigned to receive 24 weeks' treatment with 2 μg/day paricalcitol or placebo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: Paricalcitol, a selective vitamin D activator, decreases proteinuria and may reduce graft failure risk in kidney transplant recipients. In this study, we evaluated the effect of paricalcitol on renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activity as well as interleukin (IL)-6 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β plasma concentrations as biomarkers of inflammation and fibrosis.
Methods: This placebo-controlled, double-blind trial enrolled a national cohort of kidney transplant recipients with urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) ≥ 20 mg/mmol despite optimization of the RAS blockade.
Background: The use of equations that predict glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with a kidney graft is still a matter of debate. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of accuracy of GFR equations and the relevance of dry lean body mass in the assessment of GFR.
Methods: In a prospective clinical study, 100 patients with a kidney graft were included.
Aims: A noninvasive test that foretells kidney graft rejection before loss of kidney function would be desirable. We hypothesized that an increase in estimated protein excretion rate (ePER) from spot urine samples is associated with graft rejection and predicts rejection phenotype.
Methods: 151 patients who had undergone first-indication kidney biopsy due to graft dysfunction beyond 3 months after transplant were identified from a national cohort of 616 transplant recipients between 2000 and 2012 (25%).
Renal transplantation is the optimal renal replacement therapy (RRT) in children, but some primary diseases can recur after transplantation, and recurrence accounts for a significant proportion of graft losses, being second only to acute rejection. The risk of disease recurrence is highest among patients with idiopathic focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), presumably due to a circulating permeability factor. Less is clear about the genetic forms of FSGS, where the data regarding the frequency of recurrence are rather conflicting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is a major cause of kidney graft failure. We aimed to analyze treatment and outcome of AMR in a national cohort of 75 biopsy-proven acute (43 patients, 57%) or chronic active (32 patients, 43%) AMR episodes between 2000 and 2015. The mean patients' age was 46 ± 16 years, the majority was treated with plasma exchange, 4% received immunoadsorption and 7% received both.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis report gives an overview of kidney transplantation in Slovenia, a country with a population of 2.1 million and one transplant center. The establishment of a national transplant organization resulted in the acceptance of Slovenia into Eurotransplant (ET) in 2000.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis report provides a summary of the 2013 Slovenian renal replacement therapy (RRT) data, obtained from 24 renal centers: 23 dialysis and one transplant center, referring from 31 December 2013, with 100% response rate to individual patient questionnaires. Slovenia had a population of 2 061 085 on 1 January 2014. The total number of patients treated by RRT was 2077, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Kidney recipients maintaining a prolonged allograft survival in the absence of immunosuppressive drugs and without evidence of rejection are supposed to be exceptional. The ERA-EDTA-DESCARTES working group together with Nantes University launched a European-wide survey to identify new patients, describe them and estimate their frequency for the first time.
Methods: Seventeen coordinators distributed a questionnaire in 256 transplant centres and 28 countries in order to report as many 'operationally tolerant' patients (TOL; defined as having a serum creatinine <1.
Background: Longest bipolar length of the kidney graft is routinely measured for ultrasonographic assessment of graft size (GS), although the value of the graft length remains unclear.
Methods: In a single-center, observational study involving 319 deceased-donor kidney transplant recipients, we assessed variations in absolute and adjusted GS (corrected for body surface area) between 1 and 12 months after transplantation ([INCREMENT]GS1m→12m). We tested whether variations in GS during the first year were predictive of the composite outcome of a reduction of 50% or more in the estimated glomerular filtration rate or end-stage graft failure.
Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) remains functional after kidney transplantation in many patients. The aim of this historical cohort study was to evaluate the data on AVF-related complications and surgery performed after kidney transplantation in our patients. The study cohort included the recipients of a kidney transplant with AVF complications between January 2006 and April 2012.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis has a great impact on kidney graft survival. This retrospective study presents immunoadsorption-plasmapheresis treatment and outcome in our renal graft recipients with significant post-transplant proteinuria (>1 g/day) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in native kidneys. Recurrence was defined as occurrence of nephrotic range proteinuria or biopsy-confirmed diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis report provides a summary of the 2011 Slovenian renal replacement therapy (RRT) data. Data were obtained from 24 renal centers: 23 dialysis and one transplant center, referred as of 31 December 2011, with 100% response rate to individual patient questionnaires. Slovenia has a population of approximately 2 million (2 052 496 in 2011).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence and efficacy of renal anemia treated with epoetin in maintenance kidney transplant recipients in Slovenia. By the end of 2009, 107 out of 537 patients (19.9%) had been treated with epoetin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKidney transplantation is considered the best renal replacement therapy (RRT) for patients with end-stage renal disease; nevertheless, some dialysis patients refuse to be transplanted. The aim of our registry-based, cross-sectional study was to compare kidney transplant candidates to dialysis patients refusing transplantation. Data were collected from the Slovenian Renal Replacement Therapy Registry database, as of 31 December 2008.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIncreased mortality has been reported in patients starting dialysis after kidney graft failure. In this study we analyzed this subgroup of dialysis patients based on the data from the Slovenian Renal Replacement Therapy Registry. Patients starting dialysis after graft failure in the period between 2004 and 2008 were identified from the registry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe effect of renal replacement therapy (RRT) duration on kidney transplant outcome is controversial. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between pretransplant RRT duration versus patient and graft survival. The study cohort included 445 recipients of a deceased-donor kidney transplant between January 2000 and December 2009.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In this prospective, randomized, open-label, single-center study, we compared the efficacy and safety of two anti-interleukin-2 receptor monoclonal antibodies combined with triple immunosuppression.
Methods: The adult recipients of at least one human leukocyte antigen-mismatched deceased donor renal graft on cyclosporine microemulsion, mycophenolate mofetil, and methylprednisolone were randomized to induction with basiliximab or daclizumab, given in standard doses. An intent-to-treat analysis of 1-year data assessed the incidence of acute rejections, graft function, patient and graft survival, and safety of this therapy.
This brief survey presents data on renal transplantation in Slovenia, a country with a population of 2 million, which has one renal transplant center. The establishment of an appropriate national transplantation organization resulted in an increase in transplantations and the acceptance of Slovenia into Eurotransplant (ET) at the beginning of 2000. Current immunosuppression is composed of cyclosporine microemulsion (Neoral), mycophenolate mofetil, methylprednisolone, and anti-interleukin-2 receptor monoclonal antibodies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNephrol Dial Transplant
January 2006
Background: This report presents data on renal transplantation in Slovenia before and after joining Eurotransplant (ET).
Methods: Slovenia (population: 2 million) has one renal transplant centre. The establishment of an appropriate national transplantation organization resulted in an increase in transplantations and the acceptance of Slovenia into ET at the beginning of 2000.
We carried out a prospective study of the safety and efficacy of daclizumab combined with triple immunosuppression in adult recipients of at least one HLA-mismatched cadaveric renal allograft. All studied patients received the same immunosuppression: a daclizumab infusion of 1 mg/kg immediately before transplantation, and at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks following the transplantation. Infusion of cyclosporine (CsA) (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective of our study was to assess the influence of residual renal function and other factors on epoetin requirements in chronic peritoneal dialysis patients. Fifty-one stable patients (mean age +/- SD: 52 +/- 13 years; 20 women) without recent bleeding, bone marrow disease or malignancy were recruited in four Slovenian centers. The target hemoglobin was above 110 g/L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpoetin treatment of renal anemia has been practiced in Slovenia since 1988. More than 90% of hemodialysis patients and 83% of peritoneal dialysis patients have been treated with epoetin. Epoetin has also been available for patients with renal anemia in the pre-dialysis period and for those with a failing kidney allograft.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective of our study was to present our experience in the treatment of small children with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and plasma exchange (PE). From March 1986 to April 2000, 21 critically ill children (14 newborns and 7 infants) with acute renal failure (ARF) and multiple organ failure were treated with CRRT and PE. In the newborn group, there were 8 males and 6 females, age 15.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF