Aerobically trained older adults show impaired resting, but preserved exercise-induced circulating progenitor cell count, which was not improved by sprint interval training.

Older adults exhibit a reduced number and function of CD34 + circulating progenitor cells (CPC), a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Exercise promotes the mobilisation of CPCs from bone marrow, so whether ageing per se or physical inactivity in older age reduces CPCs is unknown. Thus, this study examined the effect of age on resting and exercise-induced changes in CPCs in aerobically trained adults and the effect of 8 weeks of sprint interval training (SIT) on resting and exercise-induced CPCs in older adults.

Sprint interval training (SIT) reduces serum epidermal growth factor (EGF), but not other inflammatory cytokines in trained older men.

Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of age on circulating pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors. A secondary aim was to investigate whether a novel sprint interval training (SIT) intervention (3 × 20 s 'all out' static sprints, twice a week for 8 weeks) would affect inflammatory markers in older men.

Methods: Nine older men [68 (1) years] and eleven younger men [28 (2) years] comprised the younger group.

Acute renal papillary necrosis with complete bilateral ureteral obstruction in a child.

A 9-year-old girl presented with apparent meningococcal septicemia and developed acute renal failure after 48 hours of treatment with antibiotics and analgesics. Early ultrasound scanning demonstrated mild bilateral hydronephrosis and hydroureter. Intravenous urography showed slow contrast uptake with delay nephrogram and no contrast entering the bladder.

Serum leptin and IGF-I during growth hormone treatment in chronic renal failure.

Serum leptin decreases during growth hormone (hGH) treatment and pre-treatment values have been suggested as a predictor of the response to hGH in GH deficiency (GHD) but not in non-GHD syndromes. To investigate whether this holds true in children with chronic renal failure (CRF), we evaluated changes in serum leptin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and height before(b) and during the 1st year (3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months) of hGH treatment (1 IU/kg per week) in 11 children (median age(b) 10.1 years, mean height(b) -2.

Immunisation against varicella in end stage and pre-end stage renal failure. Trans-Pennine Paediatric Nephrology Study Group.

Objectives: To investigate the seroconversion rate and duration of persistence of protective antibody titres after varicella immunisation in children with renal failure.

Design: 32 children (25 end stage and 7 pre-end stage renal failure) were immunised using 2 x 2,000 plaque forming unit doses of varicella vaccine 3 months apart. Varicella antibody titres were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

Seizures following renal transplantation in childhood.

Few studies have investigated the incidence of seizures following renal transplantation in childhood. The aim of this study was to determine this incidence and to identify risk factors. Retrospective casenote analysis was carried out on 119 transplants performed in 109 children over 10 years.

Circulating vascular endothelial growth factor is not increased during relapses of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome.

Background: An uncharacterized circulating factor that increases vascular permeability has previously been described in childhood steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS). The aim of this study was to determine whether this factor is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the recently described endothelial cell mitogen and enhancer of vascular permeability.

Methods: Plasma and urine VEGF levels were measured in children with SSNS in both relapse and remission and in normal age- and sex-matched controls.

Growth in renal failure: a longitudinal study of emotional and behavioural changes during trials of growth hormone treatment.

Growth and psychological functioning were studied in 30 patients with renal failure over a two year period following the offer of growth hormone treatment for significant short stature. Parents' concerns about growth decreased significantly during the study. Twenty eight parents (93%) accepted growth hormone treatment; most (74%) were satisfied with it and would opt for it again (89%).

A comparison of double-cuffed with single-cuffed Tenckhoff catheters in the prevention of infection in pediatric patients.

Double-cuffed peritoneal catheters (DCCs) may be more effective at preventing penetrating infection than single-cuffed catheters (SCCs). The aim of this study was to see whether DCCs conferred any benefit in the pediatric population. Twenty consecutive SCCs inserted for chronic dialysis were compared with 20 subsequent DCCs.

Unilateral multicystic dysplastic kidney: the case for nephrectomy.

Management of unilateral multicystic dysplastic kidneys (MCDK) presents physicians and surgeons with a significant dilemma. Recent studies have indicated that the incidence of short term complications of MCDK is low and many authors have recommended conservative non-operative treatment. Surgery has been proposed by some because of the potential complications of hypertension, infection, and malignant change.

Childhood steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome: does the histology matter?

Renal biopsy specimens from 51 children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome who were following a frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent course were reviewed by two histopathologists. In all cases the biopsy was performed prior to the commencement of an 8-week course of cyclophosphamide. The clinical courses of these patients both prebiopsy and for a minimum of 2 years after completion of cyclophosphamide therapy were analyzed using retrospective case note analyses.

Outcome of pediatric cadaveric renal transplantation: a 10 year study.

This report deals with 120 cadaveric renal transplants performed in 101 pediatric recipients in this Centre in two five-year periods, 1984 to 1988 (N = 65) and 1989 to 1993 (N = 55). In the first group transplants were allocated on the basis of best size (small donors for small recipients); in the second group priority was given to beneficial HLA matching. Initial immunosuppression was either cyclosporine (CsA) monotherapy (15 mg/kg/day), or triple therapy (CsA 5 mg/kg/day, prednisolone 1 mg/kg/day and azathioprine 1 mg/kg/day) if there was delayed graft function.