Investigating kidney donation as a risk factor for hypertension and microalbuminuria: findings from the Swiss prospective follow-up of living kidney donors.

Objectives: To assess the role of nephrectomy as a risk factor for the development of hypertension and microalbuminuria.

Design: Prospective, long-term follow-up study.

Setting: Swiss Organ Living-Donor Health Registry.

Prospective Swiss cohort study of living-kidney donors: study protocol.

Background Offering living kidney donation raised the concern that donors are exposed to unknown risks. All Swiss transplant centres therefore decided to start a prospective cohort study of living kidney donors in Switzerland. This paper describes the rationale for and implementation of this cohort study.

An easy to calculate equation to estimate GFR based on inulin clearance.

Background: For the estimation of renal function on the basis of serum creatinine, either the Cockcroft-Gault (CG) equation or the MDRD formula is commonly used. Compared to MDRD (using power functions), CG has the advantage of easy calculability at the bedside. MDRD, however, approaches glomerular filtration rate (GFR) more precisely than CG and gives values corrected for a body surface area (BSA) of 1.

40 projects in stem cell research, tissue engineering, tolerance induction and more (NRP46 "Implants and Transplants" 1999-2006).

Forty projects on stem cell research, tissue and matrix engineering, tolerance induction and other topics were supported by the Swiss National Research Program NRP46 (Implants, Transplants) from 1999-2006. The last project is devoted to developing stem cell lines from frozen surplus human embryos in Switzerland, which would otherwise have to be destroyed at the end of 2008. It is entitled JESP (Joint Embryonic Stem Cell Project) since it involves two Swiss universities, in vitro fertilisation centres and experts from the humanities (ethics and law) to handle this difficult problem.

Open and laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy in Switzerland: a retrospective assessment of clinical outcomes and the motivation to donate.

Background: Laparoscopic living kidney nephrectomy is thought to be associated with reduced morbidity, when compared to open nephrectomy. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of these techniques on donors' clinical outcomes, satisfaction and motivation to donate.

Methods: Clinical outcomes were retrospectively compared in 152 open (n = 71) or laparoscopic (n = 81) donor procedures.