Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on body mass index in children and adolescents after kidney transplantation.

Background: The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 disease (COVID-19) pandemic affected lifestyles and resulted in significant weight gain in the general population. Its impact on children after kidney transplantation (KTx) is unknown.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated body mass index (BMI) z-scores during the COVID-19 pandemic in 132 pediatric KTx patients, followed-up at three German hospitals.

Urinary proteomics to diagnose chronic active antibody-mediated rejection in pediatric kidney transplantation - a pilot study.

Chronic antibody-mediated rejection (cABMR) is the main cause of long-term renal graft loss. Late-stage diagnosis is made by detecting donor-specific antibodies (DSA) in blood combined with typical histomorphological lesions in renal allografts. There is a need for noninvasive biomarkers for cABMR that might permit screening and earlier diagnosis.

L-arginine/NO pathway is altered in children with haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS).

The haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) is the most frequent cause of acute renal failure in childhood. We investigated L-arginine/NO pathway in 12 children with typical HUS and 12 age-matched healthy control subjects. Nitrite and nitrate, the major NO metabolites in plasma and urine, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in plasma and urine, and dimethylamine (DMA) in urine were determined by GC-MS and GC-MS/MS techniques.