Sustained response following sorafenib therapy in an older adult patient with advanced renal cancer on hemodialysis: a case report.

The prognosis for patients with renal cell carcinoma is very poor, with a five-year survival rate of less than 10%. Sorafenib is an orally administered multikinase inhibitor that blocks intracellular kinases in the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway involved in tumor proliferation, and also kinases responsible for angiogenesis, including VEGFr-2, VEGFr-3, Flt-3, PDGFr-β and c-KIT. As a consequence of its limited renal clearance, sorafenib appears to be suitable for patients with advanced kidney cancer and terminal renal failure.

Intermittent haemodiafiltration in refractory congestive heart failure: BNP and balance of inflammatory cytokines.

Background: Elevated plasma levels of cytokines have been associated with an increased risk of congestive heart failure (CHF) even in people without history of myocardial infarction. Here we have tested the hypothesis that effective removal of pro-inflammatory cytokines in patients with advanced CHF unresponsive to diuretic treatment is associated with diuresis restoration and with a significant reduction of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) circulating levels.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 10 patients with decompensated CHF (NYHA classes III-IV).

Influence of methylprednisolone on plasma homocysteine levels in cadaveric renal transplant recipients.

The aim of the present study was to investigate plasma homocysteine levels in renal transplant recipients in the course of steroid-based or steroid-free immunosuppression. Data from 32 patients were retrospectively analyzed according to the steroid immunosuppressive regimen. The 20 recipients on methylprednisolone (MP) plus cyclosporine (CyA) or tacrolimus (TRL) (n = 20) showed similar creatinine levels when compared with those on calcineurin inhibitors plus mycophenolate mofetil (MMF; n = 12), (1.

[Changes is Th1/Th2 balance in hemodialysis patients: effect of different membranes].

Background: Hemodialysis (HD) patients present an immunodeficiency that is mainly related to the defect of cell-mediated immunity. We have previously shown the polarisation of T-helper cells toward the phenotype in HD treatment with cuprophan membrane. In the present study, we have examined the effect of a Vitamin E-coated dialyser (Excebrane, VE) on the activity of the two Th subsets.