Publications by authors named "Vlatko Karanfilovski"

Introduction: Kidney replacement therapy (KRT) by dialysis or kidney transplantation represents the main treatment modalities for patients with kidney failure. Here we evaluate the trends in taking care of such patients in North Macedonia from 2015 through 2020.

Methods: The patients were analyzed according to age, sex, primary disease, and treatment modality.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Fabry disease is a rare X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A) deficiency. Reduced or absent enzyme activity causes progressive lysosomal accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (Lyso-Gb3) in various cells throughout the body to trigger inflammation and fibrosis.

Case Description: We present the first familial case of Fabry Disease in North Macedonia identified based on clinical manifestations and confirmed through enzyme, biomarker, and genetic tests.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is a rare glomerular disease characterized by mesangial hypercellularity and thickening of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM). MPGN can be idiopathic or associated with malignancy, systemic immune complex disorders and chronic infections. It has rarely been associated with solid organ tumors, such as lung, gastric, breast or prostate cancer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: Studies determined that age and associated comorbidities are associated with worse outcomes for COVID-19 patients. The aim of the present study is to examine previous electronic health records of SARS-CoV-2 patients to identify which chronic conditions are associated with in-hospital mortality in a nationally representative sample. : The actual study is a cross-sectional analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients who were treated in repurposed hospitals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The glomerulopathies associated with the deposition of extracellular fibrils in the glomeruli are subdivided into Congo red positive (amyloidosis) and Congo red negative (non-amyloidotic glomerulopathies) based on Congo red staining. The non-amyloidotic glomerulopathies are divided into immunoglobulin-derived and non-immunoglobulin-derived glomerulopathies. The immunoglobulin-derived glomerulopathies: fibrillary glomerulopathy (FGn) and immunotactoid glomerulopathy (ITG) are rare glomerulopathies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Immunotactoid glomerulopathy (ITG) is a rare glomerular disease with variable responsiveness to the immunosuppressive therapy and with uncertain prognosis. ITG was diagnosed in two patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with nephrotic syndrome and chronic kidney disease. The absence of diabetic retinopathy in the first case and the recent onset of diabetes in the second case accompanied with sudden increase in the 24-hour proteinuria and rapid decline in kidney function, prompted us to perform kidney biopsy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Percutaneous nephrostomy is a first-line minimal invasive treatment option for ureteral obstruction following kidney transplantation, with high effectiveness and a low complication rate. Percutaneous nephrostomy might be used as a temporary salvage therapy, providing acute decompression of the kidney collecting system and preventing graft loss. It can also function as a permanent and sometimes only possible option in transplant patients with frequent recurrences of ureteral stenosis who either fail an open surgical reconstruction or who are not good candidates for these procedures.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase II deficiency (CPT II) is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder of long-chain fatty acid oxidation in the mitochondrial matrix, resulting in an inability to utilize fat for energy in cells. The most frequent myopathic form occurs in young adults and is associated with recurrent episodes of exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis. The myopathic form is caused by the Ser113Leu mutation of the CPT II gene.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The determination of blood flow rate (BFR) is a useful tool for assessing the function of arteriovenous fistula (AVF).

Methods: Eighty patients with a newly created radio cephalic AVF were analyzed. Hemodynamics and morphological characteristics of the blood vessels were assessed by Doppler ultrasound.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) related peritonitis is usually caused by bacteria, but viruses and fungi could also affect the peritoneal membrane and cause cloudy effluent with negative bacterial cultures. We present a case of a PD patient who survived fungal peritonitis caused by (March 2015) and COVID-19 pneumonia (April 2021) with peritonitis probably caused by the virus. The fungal peritonitis followed one episode of exit-site infection and two episodes of bacterial peritonitis treated with a wide-spectrum antibiotic.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Metastasis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) to the pancreas is a rare entity accounting only 0.25-3% of all pancreatic tumors. We present a rare case of isolated three focal pancreatic metastases from RCC, occurring 15 years after the left nephrectomy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF