Plasma erythropoietin levels and acquired cystic disease of the kidney in patients receiving regular haemodialysis treatment.

Acquired cystic disease of the kidney (ACDK) in patients with end-stage renal failure can be associated with development of polycythaemia. The relationship between plasma erythropoietin levels and ACDK in 17 patients on long-term haemodialysis treatment was studied. There was a significantly higher level of plasma erythropoietin in patients with multiple renal cysts than in those patients with less than five cysts or no cysts.

The DQw7 allele at the HLA-DQB locus is associated with susceptibility to IgA nephropathy in Caucasians.

The frequencies of the MHC class II HLA-DR and DQ alleles in 36 Caucasian patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) were analyzed by RFLP analysis and allele specific oligonucleotide (ASO) probing of specifically amplified genomic DNA. The class II alleles HLA-DR4 (52.7%) and DR5 (30.

Systemic vasculitis in the 1980s--is there an increasing incidence of Wegener's granulomatosis and microscopic polyarteritis?

Thirty-six cases of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and microscopic polyarteritis (MPA) presenting to the nephrology service in Leicester between 1980 and 1989 were reviewed. Apart from the diagnostic respiratory tract lesions seen in WG, cases of MPA and WG could not be distinguished by age and sex, range and severity of organ involvement, response to treatment (oral prednisolone and cyclophosphamide), mortality or renal outcome. The combined incidence of WG and MPA in 1980-86 was 1.

The role of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in end-stage renal failure due to multiple myeloma.

A study in 10 patients (eight male, two female; mean age 61.9 +/- 10.7 years) suffering from multiple myeloma (MM) and end-stage renal failure (ESRF) is detailed.

Adrenal dysfunction in patients with renal amyloid.

Amyloidosis is a multi-system disease. Renal involvement often leads to end-stage renal failure, which carries a poor prognosis. This paper reports the adrenal status of 22 patients with renal amyloid who were considered for or who had been commenced on renal replacement therapy.

Effect of nifedipine on renal haemodynamics in an animal model of cyclosporin A nephrotoxicity.

1. This study investigates the effect of nifedipine on cyclosporin A nephrotoxicity in the spontaneously hypertensive rat. 2.

Gut permeability in IgA nephropathy.

Gut permeability to small molecules was assessed by the differential absorption of cellobiose and mannitolin 18 patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). The urinary cellobiose:mannitol excretion ratio in patients did not differ (P = 0.42) from controls.

Acute renal failure associated with a labetalol overdose.

A case of acute renal failure in association with a deliberate labetalol overdose is described. The possible pathogenetic mechanisms behind the deterioration in renal function are discussed. Treatment of beta-blockade overdose, with special emphasis on the place of glucagon in such poisoning, is reviewed.

The effect of nifedipine on renal function in normotensive cyclosporin-A-treated renal allograft recipients.

Intrarenal vasoconstriction is a characteristic feature of CsA nephrotoxicity. The influence of nifedipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker and potent renal vasodilator, on renal haemodynamics was investigated in 11 cyclosporin A (CsA)- and 9 azathioprine (Aza)-treated normotensive long-term renal allograft recipients. Baseline Cr51-EDTA clearance and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) were similar in both groups.

Does increasing haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit have a pressor effect in dialysis patients?

The haemodynamic consequences of differing rates of rise of haemoglobin and haematocrit in haemodialysis and CAPD patients were examined. Pre-dialysis mean arterial pressure, weight and haematological indices were recorded in 100 established haemodialysis patients prior to a 2-unit blood transfusion and repeated, pre-dialysis, within 1 week. Haemoglobin rose from 6.

Dietary protein manipulation in experimental nephrotic syndrome.

Evidence that glomerulosclerosis may be accelerated by high-protein diet and ameliorated by low-protein diet has led to debate concerning appropriate dietary recommendations in nephrotic syndrome. In this study, dietary protein was manipulated in a chronic, non-uraemic experimental model of nephrotic syndrome. Groups of 12 AS rats received 12, 24 or 48% protein diet after nephrotic syndrome was induced by adriamycin.

Response of circulating immune complexes to food challenge in relapsing IgA nephropathy.

The response of circulating immune complexes (CIC) to food challenge was assessed in 15 subjects with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and recurrent macroscopic haematuria. CIC were measured by solid-phase C1q binding assay (SP-C1q), immunoglobulin class-specific polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation assays (PEG-G, PEG-A, PEG-M) and by an antigen (ovalbumin)-specific radioimmunoassay after acid dissociation (OA-IC). CIC were measured when the subjects were fasting and hourly for 6 h after a test meal containing eggs.