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.

Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis patterns of proteinuria in various renal diseases of childhood.

This study examined the potential of an automated electrophoretic system (PHASTSYSTEM, Pharmacia. Uppsala, Sweden) to distinguish patterns of proteinuria in children with various renal diseases. It proved possible to produce ready-to-read sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS PAGE) separation of 1 microliter of unconcentrated urine in 2 h.

A randomised placebo-controlled trial of topical cysteamine therapy in patients with nephropathic cystinosis.

Five patients with nephropathic cystinosis were evaluated to assess the ability of topical cysteamine to clear corneal cystine crystals. All patients were randomised to receive topical cysteamine 0.2% six times a day in one eye with normal saline in the other eye as a control.