Histological and clinical predictors of early and late renal outcome in ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Background: Renal involvement remains a major determinant in antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated small vessel vasculitis (AASV). While some patients may develop persistent renal damage, others have a favourable outcome.

Methods: To identify patients at risk for poor renal outcome, we evaluated 95 renal biopsies (67 initial biopsies and 28 repeat biopsies) of 67 patients with AASV for the presence and extent of active (AI) and chronic (CI) lesions, retrospectively.

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous ethanol ablation of parathyroid hyperplasia: preliminary experience in patients on chronic dialysis.

Objective: We report on a 3-year experience using single-shot, ultrasonography-guided, percutaneous ethanol ablation (PEA) of hyperplastic parathyroid glands in chronic dialysis patients suffering from secondary or tertiary hyperparathyroidism.

Materials And Methods: Seventeen uraemic patients (mean age 52 +/- 14 years) with hypercalcaemia and elevated serum levels of parathyroid hormone were assessed for ethanol ablation. Ten patients did not fulfil the inclusion criteria and underwent surgical parathyroidectomy.

Expression of somatostatin receptors in inflammatory lesions and diagnostic value of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in patients with ANCA-associated small vessel vasculitis.

Objective: To assess the usefulness of somatostatin receptor (SSTR) scintigraphy for the evaluation of disease activity in the upper and lower respiratory tract in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AASV).

Methods: Thirty-two consecutive patients with AASV were subjected to SSTR scintigraphy as part of their initial diagnostic evaluation and follow-up. The presence of SSTRs in inflammatory lesions was evaluated with immunohistochemistry in selected cases.

Pharmacokinetics of mycophenolate mofetil in patients with autoimmune diseases compared renal transplant recipients.

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), being effectively used as immunosuppressant in transplant medicine, has recently attracted interest as therapeutic agent for autoimmune diseases (AID). For these patients, no pharmacokinetic (PK) data are available. This study is an investigation of single-dose concentration-time profiles of 1 g off MMF in 16 patients with AID, including 10 patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis and 6 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, and compares them with profiles of 16 renal transplant recipients (RTX).

Glomerular immune deposits are associated with increased proteinuria in patients with ANCA-associated crescentic nephritis.

Background: In small vessel vasculitis and its renal-limited form, idiopathic crescentic glomerulonephritis, renal damage is characterized by pauci-immune necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN) without histological evidence of immunoglobulin (Ig) deposition. In some patients, however, significant amounts of immune deposits may be detected. Therefore, we evaluated the clinical significance of these immune deposits in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated pauci-immune CGN.

Derivation of nephrogenic adenomas from renal tubular cells in kidney-transplant recipients.

Background: Nephrogenic adenomas are benign, tumor-like lesions within the urothelial mucosa of the urinary tract that are not uncommon in renal-transplant recipients. We investigated the origin of nephrogenic adenomas in renal-transplant recipients.

Methods: Tissue sections were analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization with the use of probes for the X and Y chromosomes, by immunohistochemical methods with the use of antibodies to renal tubular antigens, and by lectin histochemical methods.

Positive imaging of an inflammatory process at an arteriovenous access site with 111 Indium-labeled platelets.

Complications associated with the vascular access for hemodialysis represent one of the most important causes of morbidity among patients with renal replacement therapy. Early detection of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) dysfunction is of great interest. We present the case of a 70 year old woman who underwent 111In-oxine-labeled-platelet scintigraphy to evaluate thrombogenicity at 3 weeks and 3 months after surgery of a new AVF.

Continuous adaptation of the dialysis prescription maintains adequate Kprt/V in CAPD patients.

Objective: To analyze the effect of individual adaptation of the dialysis prescription in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), as compensation for the decline of residual renal function (RRF), on peritoneal (Kpt/V) and total (Kprt/V) urea clearance as well as on peritoneal (Kpcr) and total weekly creatinine clearances (CCr).

Design: Retrospective analysis of a 2-year period.

Patients: We analyzed 18 patients [15 male, 3 female; mean age 58.

111In-labelled platelets for assessment of thrombogenicity of new haemodialysis vascular access.

Using platelet scintigraphy to evaluate early thrombogenicity, we examined 39 new vascular accesses 4 weeks and 3 months after surgery. We found a significant association between platelet deposition and Doppler flow (P < 0.01) and blood pressure (P < 0.

[Plasma membrane separation. A therapeutic possibility in thyrotoxic crisis].

A case of thyroid storm is presented, successfully treated with a combination of antithyroidal drugs and plasma exchange. A 280% separation removed 447 micrograms T4 and 12 micrograms T3. During separation, the elevated T4 and T3 values returned to normal.

[Angina pectoris anamnesis in patients with their first myocardial infarct].

In 650 consecutive patients with first acute myocardial infarction the time interval between the first anginal attack and the acute infarction as well as the time interval between onset of symptoms suggestive for acute myocardial infarction and hospitalization were evaluated. Our results demonstrate that in 25% of patients the history of angina was less than 24 hours, in 50% of all patients less than three days; furthermore, the time interval from onset of symptoms of acute myocardial infarction to hospitalization correlated with the history of angina; the depression of left ventricular function after myocardial infarction was independent of a previous history of angina; in patients with a very short history of angina there was a significantly higher incidence of single vessel disease. Thus, prevention of acute myocardial infarction would have been possible only in about half of the patients with impending myocardial infarction due to the short duration of preceding angina.

[Early carcinoma of the stomach. Observations of the course over 23 months. A case report].

A case of an early cancer of the stomach is reported, in which the development of the lesion could be followed by repeated biopsies. Because of a high cardial risk of the patient, the tumor was resected as late as 23 months after the first diagnosis. During this time the lesion changed from a borderline lesion into an early cancer with penetration into the submucosa.