Survival of patients older than 60 years with kidneys transplanted from Spanish expanded criteria donors versus patients continued on hemodialysis.

A retrospective study was performed in patients >60 years of age who had initiated hemodialysis (HD) at our hospital between 2000 and 2005 (n = 211). Of these, 47 were placed on the kidney transplantation waiting list and 164 were excluded and continued on HD. Cadaveric transplantation was performed in 31 patients using an expanded criteria donor organ (TR), while 16 remained on the waiting list (WL). We compared the 12-month survivals of patients in the 3 groups (TR/WL/HD), namely, 97%/78%/75% (P < .045). Survival at 24, 36, 48, and 60 months for TR/HD were 89%/57%; 86%/43%; 79%/32%; and 70%/16% (P < .001). HD patients showed greater comorbidity than TR patients: Charlson index >8 was 67.9% vs 19.4%. A total of 23.7% of patients were excluded solely due to advanced age. We compared survivals among the TR patients vs those excluded only because of age using paired comorbidity (Charlson index <8): 97%/95%, 89%/58%, and 86%/44% at 12, 24, and 36 months (P < .023). We concluded that kidney transplantation with an expanded criteria donor organ in elderly patients was a procedure that provided greater survival than HD for patients excluded from transplantation, for patients on the WL who did not receive a transplant, and for patients excluded solely due to advanced age who showed comorbidity comparable to the transplant recipients. According to our data, elderly patients with low comorbidity should be considered for inclusion on the WL for transplantation.

[Major histocompatibility complex class II deficiency]. / Déficit de expresión de moléculas de clase II del complejo mayor de histocompatibilidad.

Major histocompatibility complex class II deficiency is an autosomal recessive primary combined immunodeficiency. The prevalence of this deficiency is highest in Mediterranean areas, especially north Africa. Early diagnosis is essential due to high mortality in the first 2 years of life and the possibility of bone marrow transplantation. We report four cases of major histocompatibility complex class II deficiency and describe their epidemiologic and clinical characteristics, diagnostic tests, treatment and outcome.

[Minimal changes nephrotic syndrome associated to penicillamine treatment]. / Síndrome nefrótico por cambios mínimos asociado a tratamiento con penicilamina.

We describe three patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome associated with penicillamine treatment. Two patients had systemic sclerosis and one had rheumatoid arthritis. Cumulative dose of D-penicillamine was similar in all cases, and nephrotic syndrome appeared after 15-33 months of treatment. The drug was stopped and nephrotic syndrome disappeared in 2-4 months, suggesting a possible causal relationship between penicillamine and minimal change disease.

Differences in the immunological responses in drug- and virus-induced cutaneous reactions in children.

The cutaneous symptoms in non-immediate reactions to drugs are not always clinically distinguishable from those induced by viruses, especially during the early phase of the reaction. Moreover, viral infections and drug reactions often coexist and identification of the etiological agent is necessary. Discerning the differences in the immunological response between both may help in the diagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine possible differences in the immunological response in non-immediate cutaneous reactions to drugs versus cutaneous viral-induced diseases in children. Two groups of children were evaluated: one with non-immediate drug-induced cutaneous reactions (DICR) and another with virus-induced cutaneous reactions (VICR). A third group of children taking the same drugs as the DICR group and with no cutaneous disease or viral infections was included as controls. The lymphocyte markers CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16, CD19, CLA, CD25, CD69, CD45RO, CD45RA were determined by flow cytometry. IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and IL-10 mRNA were measured by RT-PCR. Data were compared by non-parametric and chi(2) statistical analysis. In DICR group (n=8) the diagnosis was established by temporal association, improvement after drug withdrawal, patch testing, and in some cases by controlled administration. All patients in the VICR group (n=10) were diagnosed based on a positive viral serology: the presence of IgM antibodies or seroconversion of IgG antibodies. There were significant differences between the three groups in peripheral lymphocytes expressing the skin homing receptor CLA (P < 0.01), the early activation marker CD69 (P < 0.001), and the memory (CD3+CD45RO+) (P < 0.02) and naive (CD3+CD45RA+) (P < 0.03) T cell subsets. Children with DICR showed a TH1 mRNA cytokine pattern whereas those with VICR showed a TH0 pattern. In lymphocyte subpopulations from children, differences in the immunological response between DICR and VICR can be detected in the expressions of the activation marker CD69 and the cutaneous homing receptor CLA, and in cytokine mRNA profiles.

[Nijmegen breakage syndrome associated with pulmonary lymphoma]. / Linfoma pulmonar asociado a síndrome de Nijmegen.

Nijmegen breakage syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a peculiar dysmorphic syndrome (microcephaly, "bird-like" facies, short stature), combined immunodeficiency with recurrent infections, X-ray hypersensitivity and predisposition to malignancy, mainly lymphomas, as a consequence of chromosome instability due to anomalies in the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks.We present a 6-year-old boy with Nijmegen breakage syndrome, who developed a large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, localized in the lung without nodal involvement.

[Pneumococcal disease and its prevention. The heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine]. / La enfermedad neumocócica y su prevención. Vacuna neumocócica conjugada heptavalente.

Pneumococcal disease is a major cause of morbidity, hospitalization and mortality. Two age groups show a greater incidence and severity of the disease: children under the age of 5 years (mainly during the first 2 years of life) and adults aged more than 65 years. The heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, which was commercialized in Spain in June 2001, is efficacious in children aged less than 2 years and, unlike the non-conjugate 23-valent vaccine, it induces immunological memory. In Spain the heptavalent vaccine covers 80 % of serotypes causing pneumococcal invasive disease and acute otitis media in children aged 2-59 months. The heptavalent vaccine has been shown to be immunogenic, efficacious and safe. It has proven efficacy in the prevention of invasive disease caused by the seven vaccine serotypes. In addition, it significantly decreases pneumonia and also prevent acute otitis media. The vaccine is preferably indicated in children aged less than 2 years; children aged 2-5 years may also benefit from the vaccine but those in risk groups should be prioritized. Greater knowledge of the epidemiology of pneumococcal disease and the efficiency of this vaccine in Spain will determine whether it should be included in the immunization schedule.

Role of Nijmegen breakage syndrome protein in specific T-lymphocyte activation pathways.

Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) is a genetic disorder characterized by immunodeficiency, microcephaly, and "bird-like" facies. NBS shares some clinical features with ataxia telangiectasia (AT), including increased sensitivity to ionizing radiation, increased spontaneous and induced chromosome fragility, and strong predisposition to lymphoid cancers. The mutated gene that results in NBS codes for a novel double-stranded DNA break repair protein, named nibrin. In the present work, a Spanish NBS patient was extensively characterized at the immunological and the molecular DNA levels. He showed low CD3(+)-cell numbers and an abnormal low CD4(+) naive cell/CD4(+) memory cell ratio, previously described in AT patients and also described in the present report in the NBS patient. The proliferative response of peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro to mitogens is deficient in NBS patients, but the possible link among NBS mutations and the abnormal immune response is still unknown.

[Meningitis due to haemophilus influenzae type f]. / Meningitis por Haemophilus influenzae tipo f.

We report an immunocompetent 5-month-old boy with Haemophilus influenzae type f (Hif) meningitis. The patient had previously been immunized with two doses of Hib conjugate vaccine (PRP-T). Vaccination failure was initially suspected based on Gram stain report. The results of culture identified a non-b Haemophilus influenzae capsular serotype (Hif).Non-Hib serotypes should be considered as potential pathogenic agents in children under the age of 5 years with invasive diseases. An adequate epidemiological surveillance system would be helpful in detecting the role of these non-b Hif serotypes as significant pathogens, which appear to be on the increase.

[Admissions of patients with AIDS to pediatric intensive care units]. / Ingresos por sida en cuidados intensivos pediátricos.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the most significant clinical features of children with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome who required admission to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). METHODS: Retrospective study of 12 patients with AIDS who required 13 admissions, between January 1988 and December 1997. RESULTS: Mean age at admission was 15 months (1 month-6 years). Seven patients were under 1 year of age; four were diagnosed during their stay in the unit. The most common reason for admission was respiratory failure (six patients), followed by cardiac failure. Six patients needed mechanical ventilation (5 for respiratory failure). Two patients died during their stay, one of pneumonia due to Pneumocystis carinii infection and one of septic shock. CONCLUSIONS: One-third of patients was diagnosed with HIV Infection during their stay at the PICU. Opportunistic infection was the initial manifestation of the disease. Consequently, with this type of infection, clinical suspicion should be high. The survival rate of up to 84.6% of the admissions to our unit as well as the new, highly active antiretroviral therapy, generally make HIV-infected children suitable for treatment in intensive care units.