[Infectious and neoplasic complications after kidney transplantation].

Infections and malignancies are the expected complications of immunosuppressive therapy, which non-specifically impairs cellular and humoral immune responses in renal transplant recipients. Infections were usually frequent and severe during the early post-transplant period (first year). Recent diagnostic methods (molecular biology) and availability of new antivirals, antifungal and antibiotic drugs made rapid diagnosis and systematic preventive strategies much easier and this resulted in a significant reduction of infections and infectious death in this population.

The general picture of uremia.

The clinical presentation and manifestations of uremia that constitute the uremic syndrome are presented. The first descriptions of patients with advanced or "terminal" renal failure who were treated with hemodialysis are evoked to illustrate the wide range of signs and symptoms that are associated even to a moderate decrease in renal function, presently referred to as chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3-4. The kidney is a central organ guaranteeing the maintenance of the "milieu intérieur," where all the cells of the body are generated, develop, proliferate, and die.

Does reduction in immunosuppression in viremic patients prevent BK virus nephropathy in de novo renal transplant recipients? A prospective study.

Background: BK virus nephropathy (BKVN) is a severe complication of renal transplantation, resulting in graft loss in >50% of cases. Because patients with BKV viremia are at high risk for developing BKVN, the aim of our study was to analyze whether early reduction of immunosuppression (IS) could prevent BKVN in viremic patients.

Methods: BKV viruria was prospectively screened every 3 months by real-time polymerase chain reaction during the first year after transplantation in 123 consecutive renal transplant recipients.