Publications by authors named "Karim Zouaghi"

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disorder of unknown etiology. Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most severe clinical manifestations observed in patients with SLE; it is more frequent and more severe in children than in adults. The aim of our study was to assess the predictive factors of poor outcomes in Tunisian children with LN.

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Anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease was usually described as a small vessel vasculitis presenting with acute kidney injury, haematuria and non-nephrotic proteinuria. We report a case of anti-GBM disease revealed by an intense nephrotic syndrome. The urinary protein level was 12g/day.

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Article Synopsis
  • Zinc deficiency is a common issue in hemodialysis (HD) patients and may lead to complications; a study was conducted to assess the impact of zinc supplementation on various health indicators in HD patients.
  • Seventy-seven HD patients participated in a randomized trial, with 37 completing the study; participants were divided into two groups receiving either zinc or a placebo for two months, and various serum levels were measured before and after supplementation.
  • Results showed that zinc supplementation led to increased serum zinc levels, decreased copper to zinc ratios, and improved albumin concentrations, indicating potential improvements in the nutritional and inflammatory status of HD patients.
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Objectives: Thrombophilia has been implicated in posttransplant thrombosis. Data concerning the impact of thrombophilia on thrombotic risk in renal graft recipients are inconclusive. We evaluated whether identification of thrombophilia in patients during pretransplant laboratory screening was a predictor of posttransplant outcomes.

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Introduction: Renal involvement is a common and serious manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and it is life-threatening.

Aim: To identify the predictive factors of the lupus nephritis (LN).

Methods: A descriptive, analytical, single-centre, retrospective study of 115 patients with SLE (ACR 1997) was carried out in an internal medicine department for a period of 20 years from 1997 until 2017.

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Aim: The aim of the present study was to characterize the molecular basis of complement factor I deficiency in Tunisian atypical haemolytic and uremic syndrome patients with low factor I levels.

Methods: Six adults and seven children were enrolled in this study. Complement factor I levels were assessed by a homemade sandwich ELISA and ranged between 12.

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Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a systemic disorder associated with various extrarenal complications. There is little information regarding the occurrence and distribution of cardiovascular abnormalities during the course of ADPKD. The major cardiovascular complications of ADPKD include valvulopathies and vascular ectasia.

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Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal infection affects predominately the central nervous system in HIV patients and patients with other immunocompromised states. It has rarely been described in immunocompetent patients. It is a serious infection with a high of mortality rate.

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Cocaine is one of the most commonly used illicit drugs with distribution and consumption throughout the world. Acute renal failure associated with rhabdomyolysis, direct vasoconstriction and hemodynamic alteration is well described in patients with cocaine intoxication. Cocaine use is associated with high blood pressure and may rarely induce malignant hypertension associated with thrombotic microangiopathy.

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Crow-Fukase syndrome, also known as POEMS syndrome, is a rare plasma dyscrasia characterized by monoclonal gammopathy and various combinations of polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy and dermatological changes, and their initials stand for the acronym POEMS. Substantial kidney involvement is rarely related to this disease. Our report is about five patients suffering from the POEMS syndrome with kidney involvement that rapidly progressed to end-stage renal disease.

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Anemia is a frequent complication in patients with chronic kidney disease. However, human recombinant erythropoietin (rHu-EPO) has revolutionized the management of anemia in chronically dialyzed patients. Epomax ® is a new rHu-EPO alfa manufactured in Tunisia (Medis Laboratories).

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Renal involvement in Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is not uncommon and may precede other complaints. Tubulointerstitial nephritis is the most common renal disease in SS and may lead to renal tubular acidosis (RTA), which in turn may cause osteomalacia. Nevertheless, osteomalacia rarely occurs as the first manifestation of a renal tubule disorder due to SS.

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Subcutis calcinosis, characterized by abnormal calcium deposits in the skin, is a rare complication of using calcium-containing heparin occurring in patients with advanced renal failure. We report the case of an 83-year-old female, a known case of chronic kidney disease (CKD) for four years with recent worsening of renal failure requiring hospitalization and hemodialysis. She developed subcutis calcinosis following injection of calcium-containing heparin.

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The association between Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and human herpes virus eight (HHV-8) infection is rarely reported in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We report here the rare association of KS, HHV-8 and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection as well as syphilis in a HD patient. We report the case of a 72-year-old woman who presented with microscopic polyangiitis with alveolar hemorrhage and pauci-immune necrosing and crescentic glomerulonephritis as well as renal failure requiring HD.

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Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis and Goodpasture's glomerular basement membrane disease are the most common causes of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, a life-threatening disease. Systemic lupus erythematosus and the antiphospholipid syndrome are also causes of alveolar hemorrhage. We retrospectively reviewed 15 cases of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) associated with renal diseases.

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Background: Uremic pruritus is frequent in patients undergoing hemodialysis. It's multifactorial secondary in most cases to metabolic complications related to uremia.

Aim: We report a rare cause of pruritus in an haemodialysed patient.

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Background: Calciphylaxis is a small vessel disease responsible for vascular calcification and skin necrosis. It occurs in association with chronic renal failure and has a poor prognosis. BUT: Report new cases.

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Pheochromocytoma is a rare tumor responsible for paroxysmal hypertension which is difficult to control. Diagnosis is important because it represents a curable form of hypertension. Few cases of pheochromocytoma patients with end-stage renal failure were reported in the literature.

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Background: The association between Kaposi's sarcoma, Human Herpes Virus 8 infection and multiple myeloma is still controversial especially in hemodialysed patient.

Aim: report a new case of this association.

Observation: We report the case of a 83 year old man in whom the diagnosis of multiple myeloma of IgA/kappa had been made in December 2003 with end stage renal failure requiring hemodialysis.

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Background: Acute renal failure may occur in varied circumstances. It is potentially reversible spontaneously or after specific treatment. It is rare after hunger strike and fewer cases were reported in the literature.

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In developing countries, multiple comorbidities such as malnutrition, parasitoses, and hemoglobinopathies contribute to the aggravation of anemia observed in patients with end-stage renal diseases. We analyze here the results of a retrospective evaluation of red-cells indices and iron parameters conducted at the end of December 2000 in 304 prevalent Tunisian patients (sex ratio, 1.05; mean age, 53.

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