Assessment of PowerPlex® Fusion 5C's ability to type degraded DNA.

DNA samples collected at crime scenes are often degraded so this research focused on the ability of the Promega PowerPlex® Fusion 5C amplification kit to type both naturally and artificially degraded DNA. DNA was degraded naturally by placing equal volumes of blood on white fabric that was stored either inside, outside in a shaded area, or outside in direct sunlight. Samples were then collected every 10 days for 60 days and the DNA extracted (QIAamp® DNA Investigator).

Liver transplantation in oxalosis prior to advanced chronic kidney disease.

While curative of the disease, combined kidney and liver transplantation (K/LTx) for primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1) continues to carry with it a risk for patient death of 15-25%, which over time may not differ from that of kidney transplantation alone (KTx). In this editorial, survival data are reviewed as well as the limited data available for kidney graft function, which may favor K/LTx in the short term but is more uncertain in the longer term. The window of opportunity that favors preemptive K/LTx is relatively narrow and is likely even narrower for preemptive isolated LTx.

Sickle cell disease and the kidney.

The renal features of sickle cell disease (SCD) include some of the most common reasons for referral to nephrologists, such as hematuria, proteinuria, tubular disturbances and chronic kidney disease. Therapy of these conditions requires specialized knowledge of their distinct pathogenic mechanisms. Painless hematuria is usually benign--unless massive--and can be treated with hydration alone if renal medullary carcinoma has been ruled out.

Pediatric obstructive uropathy: clinical trials.

As the powerful tools of molecular biology continue to delineate new concepts of pathogenesis of diseases, new molecular-level therapeutic modalities are certain to emerge. In order to design and execute clinical trials to evaluate outcomes of these new treatment modalities, we will soon need a new supply of investigators with training and experience in clinical research. The slowly-progressive nature of chronic pediatric kidney disease often results in diagnosis being made at a time remote from initial insult, and the inherently slow rate of progression makes changes difficult to measure.