Long-term renoprotective effects of standard versus high doses of telmisartan in hypertensive nondiabetic nephropathies.

Background: This report describes an open randomized study intended to evaluate the long-term renoprotective effects of "standard" (80 mg once daily) versus "high" (80 mg twice daily) doses of telmisartan in hypertensive patients without diabetes with biopsy-proven chronic proteinuric nephropathies.

Methods: We included 78 patients (age, 43.5 +/- 13.

Immunogenicity and safety of an adjuvanted hepatitis B vaccine in pre-hemodialysis and hemodialysis patients.

Background: Due to their impaired immune system, patients with renal insufficiency have a suboptimal response to hepatitis B (HB) vaccination and frequent boosters are needed to maintain protection. GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals has developed a HB vaccine containing a new adjuvant system AS04 for use in this immunocompromised patient population.

Methods: In an open, randomized clinical trial conducted in pre-hemodialysis (documented creatinine clearance < or =30 mL/min) and hemodialysis patients, over 15 years of age and naïve for HB, the immunogenicity and safety of single doses of HB-AS04 (Fendrix, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals) were compared to double doses of commercially available HB vaccine (Engerix, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals) administered at 0, 1, 2, and 6 months, and followed-up for 36 months.

Non-heart beating donors.

Background: Several groups have demonstrated that non-heart beating donation is a viable source of organs for transplantation. However, the theoretically worse graft function and survival of the kidneys obtained from non-heart beating donors (NHBDs) is still a matter of debate that has led to consider them as marginal donors for kidney transplantation.

Methods: In this report, we compare the outcome and course of 83 kidney transplants from NHBDs with those corresponding to 3177 adult cadaveric heart beating donor (HBD) transplants performed over the same period in our country.