Clinical and histological characteristics of renal AA amyloidosis: a retrospective study of 68 cases with a special interest to amyloid-associated inflammatory response.

We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathological features of a series of 68 renal AA amyloidosis observations collected between 1990 and 2005. The amyloidogenic disease was a chronic infection (40.8%), a chronic inflammation (38%), a tumor (9.

Favorable outcome of IgA nephropathy on antituberculous treatment.

We report the case of an association of IgA nephropathy and tuberculosis with superimposed vasculitis lesions on the renal biopsy. Three previous cases of the same association are discussed. The nephropathy had a favorable course in all of these cases on antituberculous treatment only.

ANCA-negative pauci-immune renal vasculitis: histology and outcome.

Background: Pauci-immune renal vasculitis with focal glomerular necrosis and crescent formation is usually associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs). However, ANCA's are absent in up to 10% of cases, which constitutes a rarely studied variant of renal vasculitis.

Methods: This retrospective multicentre cohort study analyzed the presenting features, renal histology and outcome in 20 patients with pauci-immune crescentic necrotizing renal vasculitis in whom indirect immunofluorescence did not detect ANCA.

The renal tolerance of low-dose adefovir dipivoxil by lamivudine-resistant individuals co-infected with hepatitis B and HIV.

Background: Adefovir (ADV), an orally administered nucleotide analogue active against hepadnaviruses, retroviruses and herpes viruses was shown to be effective in HIV-infected patients, but the prevalence of nephrotoxicity with doses of 60-120 mg/day was considered unacceptable. Recently, lower doses of ADV were shown to be effective for the treatment of HIV-1 patients with chronic lamivudine (LAM)-resistant hepatitis B.

Methods: In a cohort of 35 patients infected with both HIV-1 and LAM-resistant hepatitis B virus, we investigated the renal tolerance of a once-daily dose of ADV 10 mg over 52 weeks.

Unusual IgM fibrillar deposits in glomerulonephritis: ultrastructural and diffraction studies in a case report.

Morphological examination of 2 renal biopsy specimens obtained from a 69-year-old woman with a nephrotic syndrome, high blood pressure, and a reduced glomerular filtration rate revealed, in ultrastructural study, a type of a glomerulonephritis with fibrillar deposits in a subendothelial position which were unusual in their immunoglobulin components (mainly IgM). The fibrillar components were of irregular size, 13 to 18 nm in diameter and presented a very particular "barbed wire" morphological aspect, not hitherto described. Diffraction studies and image analysis, revealed spiraled fibrils with regular alternating elements that we suggest may correspond to IgM molecules.

The expanding spectrum of renal diseases associated with antiphospholipid syndrome.

Background: The association of thrombotic events and/or pregnancy complications with circulating antiphospholipid antibodies defines antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). In previous reports, renal involvement in APS consisted mainly of thrombotic vascular complications involving large vessels or intrarenal small-sized vessels (APS nephropathy). We report 9 cases of glomerulonephritis associated with APS.

Long-term renal effects of low-dose cyclosporine in uveitis-treated patients: follow-up study.

Cyclosporine (CsA), a widely used immunosuppressive drug, is an effective treatment of sight-threatening posterior idiopathic uveitis. CsA's main side effect is nephrotoxicity. The aim of this single-center prospective cohort study (conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Paris, France) was to assess the long-term renal tolerance of a low-dose CsA treatment in patients with previously healthy kidneys on clinical, biologic, and pathologic criteria.

[ANCA associated glomerulonephritis related to benzylthiouracil].

Introduction: Vasculitis associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) have been reported in patients suffering from Graves' disease treated with anti-thyroid drugs and especially propylthiouracil (PTU).

Exegesis: We report a case of Graves' disease treated with benzylthiouracil (Basdène). This therapy was complicated by acute renal insufficiency due to crescentic glomerulonephritis associated with pANCA.

Primary chronic interstitial nephritis in Crohn's disease.

Background & Aims: In Crohn's disease, cases of interstitial nephritis with renal failure have been reported in connection with the use of mesalamine.

Methods: We observed 4 patients with severe interstitial nephritis proven by examination of kidney biopsy specimens. Renal failure was discovered before or simultaneously with the diagnosis of Crohn's disease, and patients were not treated with mesalamine.

Dysregulation of podocyte phenotype in idiopathic collapsing glomerulopathy and HIV-associated nephropathy.

Background: Idiopathic collapsing glomerulopathy (ICG) and HIV-associated nephropathy (HIV-AN) are characterized by severe nephrotic syndrome, collapse and sclerosis of the glomerular tuft with prominent podocyte alterations and extensive tubulointerstitial lesions. We previously showed phenotypic changes in podocytes from patients with diffuse mesangial sclerosis, a severe glomerulopathy sharing several morphological features with collapsing glomerulopathy. The aim of this study was to analyze the podocyte phenotype in ICG and HIV-AN.

Antiphospholipid syndrome nephropathy in systemic lupus erythematosus.

In the course of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), the existence of vaso-occlusive lesions capable of affecting numerous organs is now well established. The renal involvement attributable to primary APS, APS nephropathy (APSN), corresponds to vaso-occlusive lesions of the intrarenal vessels, associating side-by-side, acute thromboses with chronic arterial and arteriolar lesions, leading to zones of cortical ischemic atrophy. A retrospective study of 114 lupus patients undergoing renal biopsy was undertaken to determine the following: (1) if APSN can be found in the course of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); (2) if certain clinical and biologic factors can permit the prediction of the presence of APSN; and (3) if APSN is a superadded renal morbidity factor in lupus patients.

[Low cost telepathology].

Low cost, high-quality consumer-type digital cameras are now available on the market to be used for taking macrophotographs and microphotographs by simply fixing the camera over the eyepiece of a conventional light microscope using an adaptator. The quality of the images obtained is as good as obtained with more expensive materials using Tri CCD cameras. Using the JPEG format for compression, the image file size is approximately 180 Ko.

Retinopathy, hematuria, and diabetic nephropathy.

We have retrospectively analyzed the incidence of diabetic nephropathy in 21 diabetic patients who underwent renal biopsy between 1985 and 1995 for microscopic hematuria and/or proteinuria >2.5 g/day without retinopathy. Diabetic nephropathy was observed in 13 of 21 patients (62%).

Pregnancy in past or present lupus nephritis: a study of 32 pregnancies from a single centre.

Objective: To study maternal and fetal outcome in women with past or present histologically proven systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) nephritis.

Method: Retrospective study of 32 pregnancies in 22 women with past or present histologically proven SLE nephritis in a single French centre.

Results: Pregnancy (25 planned and 7 not planned) occurred in a mean (SD) of 8 (5) years after SLE diagnosis and 6 (4) years after renal disease onset.

Amyloid goiter as the initial manifestation of systemic amyloidosis due to familial mediterranean fever with homozygous MEFV mutation.

We describe a case of amyloid goiter revealing a systemic amyloidosis secondary to familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) with homozygous MEFV mutation, and we review the literature. A 45-year-old euthyroid Sephardic man, known to suffer from FMF, developed a goiter with cold nodule, after which a subtotal thyroidectomy was performed. Histologic evaluation revealed diffuse AA amyloid deposition without any associated thyroid neoplasia.

Erythropoietin enhances recovery after cisplatin-induced acute renal failure in the rat.

Background: Erythropoietin (Epo) is a growth factor whose synthesis mainly takes place in the kidney. Epo has been shown to support the growth not only of erythroid progenitor cells but also of certain other cell types. We attempted to establish whether Epo enhances the recovery from acute renal failure induced by cisplatin.

Hemolytic and uremic syndrome after heart transplantation.

Two cases of hemolytic and uremic syndrome in heart transplant recipients are reported. Among solid organ transplantations, this complication mainly occurred in renal transplantation and only 1 case was reported in heart transplantation in the literature. Cyclosporine was the only etiologic factor found.

Reversibility of experimental acute renal failure in rats: assessment with USPIO-enhanced MR imaging.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential reversibility of kidney lesions in an experimental model of acute renal failure using ultra-small particles of iron oxide (USPIO)-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. This study was conducted in 21 uninephrectomized rats using a model of iodinated contrast media-induced renal failure. Thirteen rats received selective intraarterial renal administration of diatrizoate (370 mg/ml) and were compared with two control groups, including six animals injected with saline and two noninjected animals.

Transjugular versus percutaneous renal biopsy for the diagnosis of parenchymal disease: comparison of sampling effectiveness and complications.

Purpose: To compare the effectiveness and safety of transjugular renal biopsy with those of percutaneous renal biopsy for diagnosis of renal parenchymal disease.

Materials And Methods: Results and complications of 400 consecutive transjugular renal biopsies performed between 1993 and 1998 with a modified Colapinto transjugular hepatic biopsy system were compared retrospectively with those of 400 percutaneous renal biopsies performed during the same period. Transjugular renal biopsy was associated with 14 cardiac and 35 hepatic biopsies.

Sodium restriction decreases AP-1 activation after nephron reduction in the rat: role in the progression of renal lesions.

Renal hyperplasia and hypertrophy are early events after nephron reduction which precede progressive destruction of the remnant kidney. Restriction of dietary sodium content was shown to reduce renal lesions following nephron reduction. AP-1 is a transcription factor, resulting from heterodimerization of fos and jun proteins, which mediates the effects of mitogenic growth factors.