Biopsy of subcutaneus fatty tissue for diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis.

Background: The diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis is determined through histological material from biopsy of different parenchymal organs, which have high diagnostic and informative value, but hide a high risk of bleeding because of the accumulation of amyloid in the vessels' wall. The main methods are kidney, liver, gastro-intestinal tract biopsy and aspiration of subcutaneous fatty tissue. The sensitivity of trans-dermal core kidney biopsy (KB) is close to 100%.

Renal Doppler ultrasound in patients with hypertension and metabolic syndrom.

Evaluation of the renal changes by conventional and Doppler ultrasound (US) was performed in patients with hypertension and obesity. 67 persons were examined and divided in 3 groups. Group I includes 27 patients--15 M and 12 F, average age 52+/-4.

Homocystein and carotid atherosclerosis in chronic renal failure.

Background: Since total homocysteine (Hcy) is markedly elevated in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF), it has been presented as potential factor contributing to the high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in CRF. The aim of the study was to examine the significance of elevated Hcy and other cardiovascular risk factors for carotid atherosclerosis in patients with CRF.

Material And Methods: Fifty six patients 16-M, 40-F, average age 58+/-14.

Diagnostic value of the Conventional and Doppler ultrasound in pregnancy complicated with preeclampsia.

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy complication usually of the third trimester. The clinical manifestations are hypertension and proteinuria with or without edema. Its pathogenesis is characterized by generalized vasoconstriction and endothelial dysfunction.

[Diagnostic value of the Doppler ultrasound of kidney vessels in pregnancy complicated with preeclampsia].

Preeclampsia (PE) is a complication of the second half of the pregnancy whose clinical course is hypertension and proteinuria with or without edema. Its pathogenesis is characterized with generalized vasoconstriction and endothelial dysfunction. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of the Doppler ultrasound examination of the renal interlobar vessels in pregnancy complicated with preeclampsia in the context of the theory of the increased vessel resistance in this pregnancy disorder.

[Immunostimulation as a part of urologic infection therapy in pregnancy].

Twenty-six pregnant women (group I) with uroinfection were treated with Urostim and antibiotic. The effect of treatment was compared to that of 20 pregnant women (group II) treated with antibiotic only. In group I recurrence of infections was found out in 15.

The treatment of glomerular disease--a compromise between the standard and the individual approach.

Chronic glomerulonephritis (GN) is one of the leading causes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The possibilities for successful treatment in the earliest stages are still limited. Immunosuppressive treatment leads to complete or partial remission only in some patients.

Clinical significance of antinuclear antibodies, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and anticardiolipin antibodies in heroin abusers.

Background: Different autoantibodies and immunologic abnormalities have been described in heroin abusers positive for human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B surface antigen, or hepatitis C virus, as well as in addicts with negative viral markers.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of different autoantibodies in heroin addicts.

Methods: We studied 10 heroin addicts (8 males and 2 females aged 18-30 years) with a mean duration of heroin abuse of 46.

[Secondary systemic amyloidosis A combined with primary glomerulonephritis and systemic diseases].

Amyloidosis is characterized by organic dysfunction as a result of deposition of amyloid substance in the walls of the small blood vessels and extracellularly in different organs. The involvement of the kidneys in systemic amyloidoses AL and AA has irreversible evolution to renal failure. The object of the study was to determine the prevalence of the secondary (reactive) systemic amyloidosis AA in combination with primary glomerulonephritis (PGN) and lupus nephropathy (SLE) and to create diagnostic approach for its early detection.

Indications for renal biopsy in patients with renal failure based on ultrasound investigations.

Forty-seven patients including 18 with renal failure were studied. Kidney length, degree of cortical echogenicity, parenchymal thickness, visibility and dimensions of renal papillae, and existence of renal cysts were recorded during abdominal ultrasound investigations in all patients. Indications and contraindications for renal biopsy were determined.

[Role of hepatitis B virus infection in chronic glomerulonephritis].

This study included 60 patients suffering from chronic glomerulonephritis (GN), confirmed by punch biopsy of the kidney. HBs antigen (Ag) was found in the sera of 5 patients, whereas anti-HBs and/or anti-HBc antibodies were found in 3 others. Of the 139 subjects carrying HBsAg or anti-HBc antibodies 117 suffered from chronic liver disease and 3 from chronic GN.

[Immunochemical studies in glomerulonephritis with mesangial immunoglobulin A precipitation].

Serum IgA, C3 and circulating immune complexes were examined in 20 patients with morphologically proved chronic glomerulonephritis with mesangial IgA precipitates and in 39 clinically healthy controls. The immune complexes were analyzed. 10 patients were with Berger's disease, 8 patients--with secondary IgA glomerulonephritis accompanying chronic liver disease and 1 patient was with Henoch-Schönlein's purpura.

[Echographic diagnosis of diffuse kidney diseases].

In 24 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis the echographic findings were compared with some basic parameters established by histomorphologic examinations. In the echographic examinations 4 degrees of echogenicity were used (Rosenfield, Hrisak). The conclusion is that there is no typical echographic image for the different morphologically defined renal diseases.

[Immunoglobulins in the serum of chronic pyelonephritis patients].

The authors studied the serum levels of immunoglobulins G, A and M in 72 patients with chronic pyelonephritis and 77 clinically healthy subjects. In spite of the high biological variability of the indices studied, high serum levels of IgG and IgA were established in the patients with active urologic infection and with advanced renal insufficiency. Significantly higher values of IgG were established in active pyelonephritis, caused by E.

[Acute interstitial nephritis with iridocyclitis].

One case with acute interstitial nephritis with undistinguished etiology, accompanied by iridocyclitis is described. Recently, numerous communications about similar cases have been reported which justify the differentiation of the syndrome "interstitial nephritis-iridocyclitis" among the acute interstitial nephritis. The case is of certain interest because of some characteristics: involvement of liver in the morbid process, immunemorphological finding from that described by other authors.

[Possibilities of combined treatment of diffuse collagenous glomerulonephritis].

Combined corticosteroid, immunosuppressive and anticoagulant treatment was performed to 17 patients with various histological forms of collagenous glomerulonephritis, 14--with disseminated lupus erythematodes, 1--with periartheritis nodosa and 2--with Schönlein-Henoch disease. The immunosuppressive treatment was carried out for an average of 14.62 months, the corticosteroid treatment--an average of 17 months and the anticoagulant--18.

[Intravenous "pulsed" methylprednisolone treatment of severe collagenic and rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis].

The results are reported from the "pulse" methylprednisolone treatment of seven patients with severe collagenic and rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis. Good effect was obtained in six patients, manifested in increased and maintained relatively high diuresis, decreased proteinuria and erythocyturia, slowed down ESR, lower values of plasma creatinine, increased creatinine, normalization of the majority of immunologic deviations. The patients with good effect were in a good condition till the end of the follow up, with no complaints, afebrile, without edemas and no manifestations of hypercorticism.

[Renal biopsy following ultrasonic localization of the kidney].

Venous urography is the method most frequently applied in the localization of the kidney for percutaneous renal biopsy. It, however, cannot be applied to patients with acute or chronic renal insufficiency as well as to patients, hypersensitive to roentgen contrast media. The ultrasound localization of the kidney solves that problem.

[Prostaglandin F2 alpha and renal hypertension].

The values of PGf2 alpha were studied in 20 renal patients with renal hypertension, with and without chronic renal insufficiency via a radioimmunologic method. A control group of 10 healthy volunteers wer used without data from arterial hypertension. Values (672.