Anemia Is Correlated with Malnutrition and Inflammation in Croatian Peritoneal Dialysis Patients: A Multicenter Nationwide Study.

Malnutrition, inflammation, and anemia are common in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. In this study, correlations between Malnutrition Inflammation Score (MIS), laboratory and anthropometric parameters, and anemia indices in Croatian PD patients were analyzed. One hundred and one PD patients (males/females 54/47, age 58.

Bone fragility fractures in hemodialysis patients: Croatian surveys.

Disturbances of bone mineral metabolism are common complications of chronic kidney disease with bone fractures as one of the most important consequences. The aim of this study was to estimate prevalence of bone fractures among Croatian hemodialysis patients and to determine the possible fracture risk. The study was carried out in 767 hemodialysis patients from nine Croatian hemodialysis centers.

[Guidelines for diagnosis, therapy and follow up of Anderson-Fabry disease].

Fabry disease (Anderson-Fabry disease) is one of the most common lysosomal storage diseases (after Gaucher disease) caused by deficient activity of the α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A) enzyme, which leads to progressive accumulation of globotriaosylceramide in various cells, predominantly in endothelium and vascular smooth muscles, with multisystem clinical manifestations. Estimates of the incidence range from one per 40,000 to 60,000 in males, and 1:117,000 in the general population. Pain is usually the first symptom and is present in 60%-80% of affected children, as well as gastrointestinal disturbances, ophthalmologic abnormalities and hearing loss.

[Treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease--position statement of the Croatian Society for Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation and review of the KDIGO and ERPB guidelines].

Renal anemia is the result of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and deteriorates with disease progression. Anemia may be the first sign of kidney disease. In all patients with anemia and CKD, diagnostic evaluation is required.

[How to prevent protein-energy wasting in patients with chronic kidney disease--position statement of the Croatian Society of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation].

Protein-energy wasting (PEW) is a frequent problem in patients with end-stage renal disease, which is associated with adverse outcome. Risk factors for development of PEW in dialysis patients include anorexia, limitations in food intake due to problems with mineral metabolism (hyperphosphatemia, hyperkalemia). Prevention of PEW in dialysis population demands different therapeutic measures to correct abnormalities and to prevent loss of energy and proteins.

[Croatian guidelines for screening, prevention and treatment of protein-energy wasting in chronic kidney disease patients].

There is a high incidence of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and malnutrition is a powerful predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in this population of patients. A multitude of factors related to CKD and renal replacement therapy can affect the nutritional status of CKD patients and lead to the development of malnutrition. In patients with CKD, protein energy wasting (PEW) is a condition that is distinct from undernutrition and is associated with inflammation, increased resting energy expenditure, low serum levels of albumin and prealbumin, sarcopenia, weight loss and poor clinical outcomes.

Guidelines for diagnosis, therapy and follow up of Anderson-Fabry disease.

Fabry disease (Anderson-Fabry disease) is one of the most common lysosomal storage diseases (after Gaucher disease) caused by deficient activity of the alpha-galactosidase A (alpha-Gal A) enzyme, which leads to progressive accumulation of globotriaosylceramide in various cells, predominantly in endothelium and vascular smooth muscles, with multisystem clinical manifestations. Estimates of the incidence range from one per 40,000 to 60,000 in males, and 1:117,000 in the general population. Pain is usually the first symptom and is present in 60%-80% of affected children, as well as gastrointestinal disturbances, ophthalmologic abnormalities and hearing loss.

Clinical course and outcome predictors in pauci-immune ANCA-positive renal-limited vasculitis.

Our aim was to assess the clinical course and outcome of ANCA-positive, pauci-immune renal limited vasculitis, their correlation with laboratory and histopathologic parameters recorded at initial and follow up testing, and to identify the possible outcome predictors. The study included 17 patients with renal biopsy, clinical, serologic and histopathologic parameters meeting the criteria for pauci-immune ANCA-positive glomerulonephritis without extrarenal manifestations of the disease. Creatinine clearance, 24-hour proteinuria and ANCA titer by ELISA method were determined at disease onset, during treatment and at the end of follow up.

[Malignant disease in potential renal transplant recipients--diagnostic and therapeutic chalenge].

Renal transplantation is the treatment of choice for many patients with end-stage renal disease. There are a few generally accepted contraindications to transplantation: active infection, malignancy, substance abuse or non-adherence to therapy, chronic illness with life expectancy of less than one year, and poorly controlled psychosis. Potential renal transplant candidates must undergo thorough screening for exclusion of malignant diseases, with an individual approach to each patient.

Impaired kidney function in rats six months after unilateral nephrectomy - an old story, a new perspective.

Aim: Despite of routinely practised living kidney transplantation, data on consequences and impact of unilateral nephrectomy on the quality of life and health of donors are scarce. The aim of the present study was to examine long-term changes and function of the remnant kidney after unilateral nephrectomy in an animal model.

Methods: Thirty six female Sprague - Dawley rats at 4 months of age were randomized into the three groups: unilaterally nephrectomized, sham operated and naïve rats.

Are lipoprotein disturbances in chronic hemodialyzed patients only renal failure related?

Chronically hemodialyzed (HD) patients frequently suffer from quantitative and even more often qualitative serum lipids disorders. Mostly they have increased triglycerides and VLDL-cholesterol, slightly increased or normal total and LDL-cholesterol and decreased HDL-cholesterol concentrations. The study compared lipid profile between two groups of chronic HD patients coming from regionally distinct areas, the continental and the maritime one.

Sensorineural hearing loss in hemodialysis patients.

Chronic renal failure affects all organ systems. Senses are not exception and hearing impairment is common, particularly sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). The term SNOS of unknown origin or uremic deafness is related to only a smaller part of the cases with unclear etiology of the impairment.

[Cardio-renal syndrome and anaemia].

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) presents concomitant heart and kidney failure. Chronic heart failure (CHF) and chronic kidney failure (CKF) prevail in the majority of the cases, although by definition both the acute and the chronic dysfunction of either organ can be the cause. Anemia is thus the consequence of the both organ systems' failures.

[True body water volume in patients on peritoneal dialysis].

Body water volume (BWV) equals urea distribution volume (UDV), crucial for accurate calculation of dialysis dosage from urea clearance in patients treated with peritoneal dialysis. BWV is precisely determined only by monitoring tritium--or deuterium--labeled water concentration in patient plasma. These are not routine methods, thus a number of alternative methods and anthropometric formulas have been used instead trying to determine BWV from patient body weight and body height, age and sex.

[Diabetic nephropathy and prevention of diabetic nephropathy caused chronic renal insufficiency].

There is an ongoing trend of a rapid increment in the frequency of diabetes mellitus, expecially the non-insulin dependent form. By the end of the 2nd millenium 150 million cases were recorded worldwide, while the estimations predicted doubling the number by the year 2030. Numerous chronic complications accompany the disease, among them micro-, as well as macrovascular prevail, affecting small and large blood vessels.

Duplex sonography of arteriovenous fistula in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Duplex sonography was used to assess functional features of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) for hemodialysis (HD). Internal diameter (ID), resistance index (RI) and blood flow (BF) velocity in feeding artery and in vein ofAVF, and venous BF volume were analyzed with purpose to determine the normal values. Presumed normal BF velocities are those of clinically well functioning shunts, allowing BF through HD lines of minimally 250 ml/min.

[Secular growth trend in urban children enrolling primary school in the war time].

Unlabelled: During the last century children of the same age experienced a progressive rise in the mean body height and weight. The phenomenon is termed secular trend or acceleration of growth. It is ascribed to the improvement of environmental factors, which, together with genetic legacy, determine both height velocity and final height.

[Correlation between children's weight and height at medical examination on enrolling in 1st class of primary school and birth growth parameters with parental heights].

Physical growth is permanently influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Their impacts are overlapping, and therefore it is difficult to separate the contribution particularly ascribable to one or another kind of the factors. The study investigated the relation between body weight and height in 397 children (195 girls and 202 boys) enrolling primary school and their birth growth features on the one side, and their parents' heights on the other.

[Influence of the war events on body weight and height in children enrolling the first grade of elementary school].

Physical growth is usually estimated by body weight and height measurements. Both parameters are strongly influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The study investigated the effect of war related psychological stress and socioeconomic deterioration on growth of children who were born and grew during the war-years.

[The impact of glucose absorbed from dialysis solution on body weight gain in peritoneal dialysis treated patients].

A proportion of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients experience substantial body weight (BW) gain with time. It is caused by fat tissue accumulation or fluid retention. It is believed that fat tissue accumulates due to caloric contribution of glucose absorbed from dialysis solution or to the mitochondrial fat regulatory uncoupling protein (UCP) gene polymorphism.

Effects of rHuEPO treatment on red blood cell osmotic resistance.

Red blood cell osmotic resistance (RBCOR) is defined as resistance to osmotic changes in cell integrity after their exposure to hypotonic saline solution. The investigation examined the effect of rHuEPO on RBCOR in hemodialysed patients. The study included 58 patients aged 49 +/- 14 years, treated by hemodialysis for 59 +/- 43 months on average.

[The incidence of risk behaviours in high school students].

Health-risk behaviour in children, its kind and frequency, result from genetic and environmental factors. This survey examined health-risk behaviours (smoking, alcohol drinking and drug abuse, sexual experience) in high school students, the relation of their health-risk behaviours with certain health-risk behaviours in their parents (smoking, alcohol abuse), and interrelations among the examined types of risky behaviours. The study included 1009 of 1144 inquired students (426 girls, 583 boys) of high school (of 5 grammar schools and 4 trade schools) aged 15-19 years (17.

[Effect of the war and postwar events on risk behavior in middle-school students].

Risky behaviour of young people is related to their individual features as well as to the influence of parents, dominant friends and social circumstances. This paper presents results of a survey on highschool students risky behaviours (smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual activity) in respect with war events (loss of one or both parents, or of another close relative, moving) and post-war events (loss of job of one or both parents). Five years after the war had ended, 1009 students of the last class of 5 gymnasiums and 4 trade schools (girls 42.

[How much body water volume affects evaluation of urea clearance in patients treated with peritoneal dialysis?].

Aim Of The Study: Peritoneal dialysis adequacy is usually estimated using the ratio of total weekly urea clearance (Kt) and urea distribution volume (V), the later being identical to total body water volume. It is observed that even patients with acceptable Kt/V values sometimes show signs and symptoms of dialysis inadequacy. A question arose whether the discrepancy came from a falsely assessed urea distribution volume, because the less the urea distribution volume measured the higher the Kt/V gained.