Mechanisms Involved in Hypersensitivity Reactions to Polysulfone Hemodialysis Membranes.

Several cases of patients with anaphylactic or systemic hypersensitivity reactions to polysulfone (PS) hemodialysis (HD) membranes and tolerance to cellulose triacetate (CTA) membranes have recently been reported. To investigate the mechanisms involved in PS hypersensitivity, basophil, T cell, and complement activation were analyzed in acute-phase samples from two patients with systemic reactions to PS-based membranes. Basophil and T cell activation, as well as higher serum tryptase levels were detected in acute-phase samples compared with basal levels.

Clinical evolution of chronic renal patients with HIV infection in replacement therapy.

Patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT) infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are a special group with growing interest. In order to study the epidemiological data of HIV+ patients on RRT in Spain, we collected individual information from 2004-2011 (period of use of highly active antiretroviral therapy [HAART] in the Autonomous Communities of Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Catalonia, Valencia, Castilla la Mancha, Castilla León, Galicia, Madrid, La Rioja and the Basque Country, comprising 85% of the Spanish population. A total of 271 incident and 209 prevalent patients were analysed.

Renal replacement therapy in Europe: a summary of the 2011 ERA-EDTA Registry Annual Report.

Background: This article provides a summary of the 2011 ERA-EDTA Registry Annual Report (available at www.era-edta-reg.org).

Postimplantation syndrome in a kidney trasplant patient: fever is not always synonimous with infection.

Fever in an immunocompromised patient like the transplanted subject is usually due to an overt or occult infection. Clinicians must make important decisions to find the cause of fever, and also concerning the timing and adequacy of empiric antibiotic therapy. However, occasionally, fever is not due to an infectious cause.