Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A is an independent short-time predictor of mortality in patients on maintenance haemodialysis.

Aims: Mortality of maintenance haemodialysis (HD) patients is very high due to polymorbidity, mostly from metabolic and cardiovascular disease. In order to identify patients with high risk for life-threatening complications, reliable prognostic markers would be helpful. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) has been shown to predict cardiovascular events and death in patients with stable coronary artery disease as well as in acute coronary syndrome in patients with normal renal function.

20 years of peritoneal dialysis in a mid-sized Swiss hospital.

Principles: Few long term studies exist about peritoneal dialysis (PD). We collected the experiences over nearly 20 years in a single mid-sized centre in Switzerland.

Methods: In a retrospective survey we examined our PD-cohort with respect to mortality, technique survival, peritonitis rate and other complications.

[General AL-amyloidosis: a rare complication in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia].

Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (W.M.) is a paraproteinemic disorder similar to multiple myeloma expressing a monoclonal IgM paraprotein.

[Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Case report of a 20 kg polycystic kidney].

Polycystic kidneys can reach huge dimensions as a result of their continuous growth and thus lead to a "mechanical problem." We report on a 69-year-old patient with enormous polycystic kidneys having been treated for 4 years with standard hemodialysis. In the last 12 months, the patient was suffering from a deterioration of his condition and progressively developed cachexy.