Influence of convection on small molecule clearances in online hemodiafiltration.

Background: Dialysis efficacy is mostly influenced by dialyzer clearance. Urea clearance may be estimated in vitro by total ion clearance, which can be obtained by conductivity measurements. We have previously used this approach to assess in vitro clearances in a system mimicking predilutional and postdilutional online hemodiafiltration with a wide range of QD, QB, and ultrafiltration rates.

Precise quantification of dialysis using continuous sampling of spent dialysate and total dialysate volume measurement.

The "gold standard" method to evaluate the mass balances achieved during dialysis for a given solute remains total dialysate collection (TDC). However, since handling over 100 liter volumes is unfeasible in our current dialysis units, alternative methods have been proposed, including urea kinetic modeling, partial dialysate collection (PDC) and more recently, monitoring of dialysate urea by on-line devices. Concerned by the complexity and costs generated by these devices, we aimed to adapt the simple "gold standard" TDC method to clinical practice by diminishing the total volumes to be handled.

[Detection of liver metastases from digestive cancer. Value of alkaline phosphatases, their macromolecular isoenzyme and of ceruloplasmin].

In order to improve the non aggressive diagnosis of hepatic metastasis from digestive neoplasm, the authors analyzed the following biological parameters: aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase and lacticodehydrogenase isoenzymes, gammaglutamyl-transpeptidase, conjugated and total bilirubin, C-reactive protein, type A, G, M immunoglobulins, C3 complement factor, alpha-1 acidic glycoprotein (orosomucoid), haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, transferrin, albumin, prealbumin, ferritin. This work included 54 patients with digestive tract cancer (esophageal, gastric, colic, rectal, anal localizations), divided in two groups: M- (n = 27), without hepatic metastasis), and M+ (n = 27, with histological confirmed hepatic metastasis). The Mann-Whitney test showed significant differences for 12 parameters between the 2 groups.

Treatment with vigabatrin may mimic alpha-aminoadipic aciduria.

Purpose: We describe a secondary effect of treatment with vigabatrin (VGB). A significant increase in alpha-aminoadipic acid (AAA) occurred in plasma and urine of VGB-treated children, thus mimicking a known rare metabolic disease, alpha-aminoadipic aciduria (AAAuria).

Methods: We studied eight children, aged from 3 months to 5 years, who were receiving VGB for drug-resistant partial epilepsies.