Evaluation of efficacy and safety of generic tacrolimus (Suprotac®) compared to reference tacrolimus (Prograf) in kidney transplantation: a phase IV study.

Background: Transplant recipients are given an immunosuppressive regimen such as tacrolimus to prevent organ rejection. Suprotac® is a generic tacrolimus that is utilized in kidney transplantation regimen in Iran. This post-market study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Suprotac® in comparison with Prograf®.

Comparing Therapeutic Efficacy and Safety of Epoetin Beta and Epoetin Alfa in the Treatment of Anemia in End-Stage Renal Disease Hemodialysis Patients.

Background: Anemia is one of the most prevalent complications in patients with chronic kidney disease, which is believed to be caused by the insufficient synthesis of erythropoietin by the kidney. This phase III study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of CinnaPoietin® (epoetin beta, CinnaGen) with Eprex® (epoetin alfa, Janssen Cilag) in the treatment of anemia in ESRD hemodialysis patients.

Methods: In this randomized, active-controlled, double-blind, parallel, and non-inferiority trial, patients were randomized to receive either CinnaPoietin® or Eprex® for a 26-week period.

Infective endocarditis after renal transplantation.

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious complication in immunosuppressive patients that has adverse effects.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to define the characteristics, outcomes, and correlating factors of mortality in renal transplant recipients.

Patients And Methods: Infective endocarditis was diagnosed in 22 patients from three renal transplant centers in Iran between 2000 and 2010.

Incidence of malignancy after living kidney transplantation: a multicenter study from iran.

Malignancy is a common complication after renal transplantation. However, limited data are available on post-transplant malignancy in living kidney transplantation. Therefore, we made a plan to evaluate the incidence and types of malignancies, association with the main risk factors and patient survival in a large population of living kidney transplantation.

Melioidosis: It is not Far from here.

In the modern world, with developed traveling facilities, tourism is an important factor in emerging new infectious diseases in non-endemic areas. Therefore, the epidemiology of infections is a considerable issue for physicians and should be taken into account. We report a case of melioidosis in a 69-year-old Iranian man during his trip to Southeast Asia.

Skin cancer after renal transplantation: Results of a multicenter study in Iran.

Background: Incidence and risk factors for skin tumors following renal transplantation can vary geographically; therefore, a retrospective study was performed to determine the incidence of and potential risk factors for skin cancer at 14 Transplant Centers in Iran between 1984 and 2008.

Material/methods: We enrolled 11,255 kidney transplant recipients who were examined for all skin tumors. All skin cancers were established by histological examination.

Prophylactic fluid therapy in crushed victims of Bam earthquake.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a severe and preventable problem of crushed earthquake victims. Early hydration therapy started before fully removing earthquake rubbles has been claimed to play a decisive role in AKI prevention, which saves the necessity of later dialysis. However, the extent, quality, and appropriateness of its know-how are controversial.

Assessment of sleep disturbance in renal transplant recipients and associated risk factors.

Sleep disturbances are highly prevalent in ESRD patients. In this study we sought to evaluate the associations of poor sleep with several genetic, laboratory, treatment and demographic factors in renal allograft recipients using a validated sleep quality questionnaire. A cross-sectional study was conducted on renal transplant patients over 18 years of age with stable current stable graft function.

Mycophenolate sodium increases cyclosporine blood levels in renal transplant recipients.

Cyclosporine is an immunosuppressive agent that displays a broad intra- and inter-individual pharmacokinetic variability. To evaluate the factors, which significantly influence cyclosporine blood levels in our renal transplant recipients, we studied 611 consecutive patients transplanted from living donors in Baqiyatallah hospital, Tehran, Iran from 1984 to 2005. The patients were divided into two groups: Group I included patients treated with mycophenolate sodium (MS) as an adjunctive immunosuppressive agent and Group II treated with azathioprine (AZA) as an adjunctive agent.

Is pulmonary histoplasmosis a risk factor for acute renal failure in renal transplant recipients?

Prolonged use of immunosuppressive medication is associated with an increased susceptibility to viral, bacterial and fungal infections. This paper reports a 42 year old kidney transplant recipient with 10 years of stable allograft function who developed pulmonary histoplasmosis and consequently lost his kidney. This report corroborates the previously proposed threat of infection with H.

Practical strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality of natural catastrophes: a retrospective study based on Bam earthquake experience.

Background: Critical analysis of shortcomings of emergency medical management of earthquake casualties will provide an invaluable insight to improve outcomes for future events. Using a critical analysis methodology to evaluate the quality of emergency medical management after Bam earthquake, we suggest a practical strategic approach to decrease morbidity and mortality after such events.

Methods: We designed a questioner to register the basic demographic data and the key biologic parameters of all rescued victims arriving in hospitals.

Costs and length of hospitalizations following kidney transplantation.

Introduction: We assessed the costs of hospital admissions and length of hospital stay in kidney allograft recipients admitted to our center, in order to rank hospitalization causes in terms of costly and prolonged admissions, to bring to light the respective correlates of costly and prolonged admissions, and to investigate the relationship between costs and length of rehospitalizations.

Materials And Methods: In a retrospective study at Baqyiatallah Hospital, in Tehran, records of 358 posttransplant hospitalizations were reviewed for the costs and duration of hospital stay. The causes of rehospitalizations, relative frequency of prolonged stays in costly rehospitalizations, and also relative frequency of costly admissions in short and prolonged stays were evaluated.

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders in kidney transplant recipients: an Iranian multicenter experience.

Introduction: Limited data with adequate sample size exist on the development of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) in living donor kidney recipients. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on the data of 10 transplant centers to identify the incidence of PTLD in Iran.

Materials And Methods: Data of 9917 kidney transplant recipients who received their kidneys between 1984 and 2008 were reviewed.

Satisfactory outcome despite low 2-hour postdose cyclosporine level in Iranian kidney recipients.

Introduction: Cyclosporine has a narrow therapeutic serum level in kidney transplantation. Achieving the recommended therapeutic levels is necessary, but in different ethnic groups, the impact of the cyclosporine level on patient and graft survival has not been fully addressed yet. We investigated this issue by studying the 2-hour postdose serum concentration of cyclosporine (C2) and the long-term graft and patient survival in Iranian transplant recipients.

Does CMV infection increase the incidence of infective endocarditis following kidney transplantation?

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare but life threatening infection after renal transplantation. In addition, coinfection of CMV and IE has not been reported. Therefore, the current study was initiated to determine whether CMV infection is a risk factor for developing of IE after kidney transplantation.

Approach to a target value for 2-hours post dose cyclosporine (C2) during the first week post renal transplantation.

Background: There is not a wide consensus on whether recommended target ranges for 2-hours post dose cyclosporine (CsA) blood level (C2) are generalizeable to all kidney recipient populations worldwide. In this study we aimed to assess in which C2 level we can obtain the least acute rejection (AR) episodes in our kidney transplanted patients.

Material/method: In a retrospective cross-sectional study, we investigated all our renal recipients with at least a valid C2 blood level at the days between 5-9 post transplantation.

Hepatitis C virus infection among patients on hemodialysis: a report from a single center in Iran.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infec-tion among the hemodialysis (HD) patients at the Nephrology and Urology Research Center, Tehran, Iran, and identify the potential risk factors. A total of 112 patients on HD in our two dia-lysis units were studied. The mean duration of follow-up was 27 +/- 27 months (range, 6-132).

Burden among care-givers of kidney transplant recipients and its associated factors.

Burden among care-givers of chronically ill patients has been widely investigated. However, there is no study evaluating perceived pressure on care-givers of kidney transplant recipients. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of care-giving to renal transplant recipients in Iranian Muslim population and to analyze factors associated with it.

Invasive fungal infections following renal transplantation: a review of 2410 recipients.

Background: Organ transplant recipients, on long-term graft preserving immunosuppressive therapy, are at increased risk for life threatening opportunistic fungal infections.

Material/methods: In order to evaluate the incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) and to identify the most common fungal pathogens, we conducted a retrospective study on 2410 ESRD cases undergone living kidney transplantation in three transplant centers between 1998 and 2008.

Results: IFIs developed in 21 recipients (0.

Kaposi's sarcoma following living donor kidney transplantation: review of 7,939 recipients.

Introduction: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is one of the most common tumors to occur in kidney recipients, especially in the Middle East countries. Limited data with adequate sample size exist about the development of KS in living kidney recipients.

Methods: Therefore, we made a plan for a multicenter study, accounting for up to 36% (n = 7,939) of all kidney transplantation in Iran, to determine the incidence of KS after kidney transplantation between 1984 and 2007.

Ramadan fasting in kidney transplant recipients with normal renal function and with mild-to-moderate renal dysfunction.

Background: Fasting during Ramadan is prescribed for every healthy Muslim after the age of puberty. However, many patients ask their physicians whether it is safe for them to fast.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of voluntary Ramadan fasting on patients with transplanted kidneys.

Cytomegalovirus disease in renal transplant recipients: an Iranian experience.

Background: Cytomegalovirus is considered the most important infectious cause of mortality and morbidity in organ transplant recipients. In the current study, we evaluate the potential impact of cytomegalovirus infection and cytomegalovirus disease on the outcomes of renal allograft recipients under different conditions.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data from 48 renal transplant recipients who had undergone a transplant at the Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran, Iran, between 1984 and 2007.

Immunogenicity of pneumococcal vaccination in renal transplant recipients and hemodialysis patients: a comparative controlled trial.

Background: The objectives of this study were: to assess and compare the antibody responses of renal allograft recipients and dialysis patients to pneumococcal vaccination.

Material/methods: 14 stable dialysis patients as well as 37 kidney transplant recipients were eligible for inclusion in this trial. Participated patients receive a single 0.

Laboratory variables and treatment adequacy in hemodialysis patients in Iran.

This study aims to evaluate the laboratory variables in Iranian hemodialysis pa-tients. We studied 338 patients in 6 dialysis centers around the country. Sixty four percent of the patients were anemic, and the mean of hemoglobin levels in the patients was 9.