[Atypical form of Goodpasture's disease].

Goodpasture's disease and anti-glomerular basement membrane nephritis (anti-GBM nephritis) are rare autoimmune small vessel vasculitis predominantly affecting young men. Goodpasture's disease plays an important part in differential diagnosis of pulmonary - renal syndrome. The evidence of circulating autoantibodies, a typical histological appearance of the kidney biopsy with finding of the crescent glomerulonephritis and clinical presentation of nephritic syndrome play an important role in diagnosis.

Viral genome changes and the impact of viral genome persistence in myocardium of patients with inflammatory cardiomyopathy.

Introduction: Viral infections are considered the most frequent cause of myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Material And Methods: We investigated the changes in viral presence and the impact of viral genome persistence in the myocardium on echocardiographic parameters, functional status and some laboratory parameters in a 6-month follow-up. Fifty-four patients with recent onset DCM, left ventricular ejection fraction < 40% and biopsy-proven myocarditis (> 14 mononuclear leukocytes/mm and/or > 7 T-lymphocytes/mm) were enrolled.

Improvement of left ventricular systolic function in inflammatory cardiomyopathy: What plays a role?

Aims: To compare the differences between patients with inflammatory cardiomyopathy (ICM) with and without improvement in left ventricular (LV) systolic function and to identify the relevant predictors of LV improvement.

Patients And Methods: The study included 63 patients with biopsy-proven ICM and heart failure symptoms of at least NYHA II, symptom duration ≤ 6 months, LV ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 40% assessed by echocardiography and presence of >14 mononuclear leukocytes (LCA+ cells)/mm in biopsy samples. Patients were evaluated at baseline and after 6 months.

[Infections after kidney transplantation].

Immunosuppressed kidney transplant recipients are at risk for a variety of infectious complications and more than half of them suffered from this complication in the early post-transplant period. Despite the fact that the long term risk of serious infectious complications in the early postoperative period decreased, remain the infection the most frequent cause of morbidity in the first 6 months after transplant. It is important to realize that the clinical manifestations of infection in the compromised host are variable and often atypical.