Iron deficiency anemia and iron losses after renal transplantation.

Iron deficiency contributes to anemia after transplantation. The magnitude of iron loss from blood loss in the peri-transplantation period has not been quantified. We prospectively estimated phlebotomy and surgical losses over the first 12-weeks following transplantation in 39 consecutive renal transplant recipients on hemodialysis (HD), peritoneal dialysis (PD), or chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Anemia in the kidney-transplant patient.

Anemia, a potentially correctable cardiovascular risk factor, continues to be a major problem in kidney-transplant patients. Erythropoietin levels increase rapidly after successful kidney transplantation, and by 3 months, most patients achieve hemoglobin levels greater than 12 g/dL. Anemia may be caused by problems commonly seen in the general population such as iron deficiency or gastrointestinal blood loss, by immunosuppressive medications, or by more rare abnormalities such as hemolytic uremic syndrome or parvovirus B19-induced aplastic anemia.

Calcineurin is required in urinary tract mesenchyme for the development of the pyeloureteral peristaltic machinery.

Congenital obstructive nephropathy is the principal cause of renal failure in infants and children. The underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of this disease, however, remain largely undetermined. We generated a mouse model of congenital obstructive nephropathy that resembles ureteropelvic junction obstruction in humans.