Urinary GADD45gamma expression is associated with progression of lgA nephropathy.

Background: Growth arrest and DNA damage-45gamma (GADD-45gamma) is induced in response to environmental stresses and functions in the regulation of cell cycles. Previous findings by our group suggested that GADD45gamma contributed to renal tubular cell damage through induction of inflammatory and fibrogenic molecules. We examined the effects of urinary GADD45gamma expression on the decline in renal function with IgA nephropathy in the present study.

Nocardia niigatensis infection in a kidney transplant recipient.

This is the first reported case of Nocardia niigatensis infection in an adult kidney transplant recipient. A 57-year-old Asian woman presented with multiple cutaneous abscesses and rapidly growing fungating mass on the left pretibial area for 2 months. She received a cadaveric kidney transplant 4 years previously and was undergoing immunosuppression with prednisolone, cyclosporine and mycophenolate sodium.

[Association of interleukin-12 gene polymorphism with persistence of hepatitis B virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma].

Background/aims: Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) may result in various conditions. Natural course of HBV infection is influenced by various host immune factors and cytokines play a crucial role in host immune defense. This study was undertaken to investigate the association between HBV persistence and development of hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of interleukin (IL)-12A.