Response to diphtheria and tetanus booster vaccination in pediatric renal transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Although inactivated vaccines are recommended for immunocompromized patients, efficacy and safety of diphtheria and tetanus immunization in renal transplant recipients have received little attention so far. The aim of the study was to investigate the response to a standard diphtheria and tetanus booster vaccination in pediatric renal transplant recipients. METHODS: Forty-two children, median age 13.2 years (range, 7.8-18.9 years) with complete primary immunization 9.2 years (0.9-15.4 years) before transplantation were enrolled. Immunosuppression consisted of cyclosporine plus prednisolone in 15 (36%), cyclosporine, azathioprine, and prednisolone in 24 (57%), and tacrolimus plus prednisolone in 3 (7%). Antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before and 1, 6, and 12 months after vaccination. RESULTS: Before vaccination, protective antibody concentrations exceeding 0.1 IU/ml against diphtheria were found in 16 children (38%). Thirty-eight (90%) had protective antibody concentrations against tetanus. After booster immunization, the protection rate against diphtheria rose to 95% at 1 month with a decline to 93% at 6 and 76% at 12 months. Protection against tetanus was complete after vaccination and persisted over the observation. Antibody concentrations were comparable to those reported for healthy children. Statistical analysis showed no influence of allograft function, immunosuppressive regimen, previous cytotoxic therapy, or time between primary immunization and end-stage renal failure on antibody response. Immunization was well tolerated and kidney function remained unaffected in patients with stable allograft function. CONCLUSIONS: Diphtheria and tetanus vaccination can be performed effectively and safely in renal transplant recipients as generally recommended.

Effect of cyclosporine on the renal tubular amino acid handling after kidney transplantation.

The renal tubular handling of free amino acids was studied 5-6 weeks after successful renal transplantation (tx) in 20 children treated with CsA and in 10 children treated with azathioprine (Aza). The results were compared with those of 34 control children. The amino-acid clearance studies were performed in combination with short-term inulin clearance. The CsA group revealed a mean inulin clearance of 49 +/- 16.8 ml/min/1.73 m2, the Aza group of 76.9 +/- 18.2, and the controls of 114 +/- 15.6. The plasma amino-acid concentrations were not different between CsA- and Aza-treated groups; however, most of the essential amino acids were lower in transplanted children than in controls. The decrease was correlated with the GFR. The amino-acid-clearance rates were statistically not different between both transplanted groups, but lower values than in controls were found for alanine, glycine, histidine, lysine, and phenylalanine, and significantly higher values for methionine. The fractional clearance rates of most amino acids were significantly elevated in transplanted children compared to controls. In CsA-treated patients, the fractional clearance rates of arginine, glycine, and serine were higher than in Aza-treated patients. No influence of CsA blood levels or rejection episodes on the amino-acid handling were detectable. We conclude that CsA has no specific influence on the renal handling of amino acids. Most disturbances observed depend on the graft function or may be caused by injuries to the graft following the tx procedure.

Assessment of pretransplant prognosis in patients with cirrhosis.

The objective of this prospective study was to assess the prognostic value of dynamic liver function tests and traditional methods of evaluating liver function in potential candidates for hepatic transplantation. Patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation within the follow-up period of 120 days were excluded. The study included 107 adult and 57 pediatric patients with cirrhosis. Postnecrotic cirrhosis was present in 107 and biliary cirrhosis in 57 of 164 patients. During the follow-up period, 26 of 164 patients died of their liver disease. At the time of inclusion, we recorded monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) formation from lidocaine, indocyanine green (ICG) half-life, bilirubin and albumin serum concentration, activity of cholinesterase and alkaline phosphatase, prothrombin time, the clinical complication of ascites, and--in adults--the Pugh score also. These variables were subjected as covariates to a survival analysis (Cox proportional hazards regression model) using separately the data from adults, pediatric patients, all patients with postnecrotic cirrhosis, and all patients with biliary cirrhosis. In all of these four subgroups there was a significant relationship between MEGX and ICG test results and the 120-day survival. In the stepwise analysis, none of the remaining parameters contributed to a further relevant improvement of our predictive ability when added to the values of ICG and MEGX. Our results suggest that the ICG and the MEGX test are superior to conventional liver function tests and the Pugh score in assessing short-term prognosis in cirrhotics independently from the etiology of the underlying liver disease. These findings may have important implications for determining the optimum timing of transplantation.

Renal function after kidney transplantation in children. A comparison of conventional immunosuppression with cyclosporine.

Clearance studies were performed in 32 transplanted children treated with CsA in combination with low-dose prednisolone (CsA group), and the results were compared with those of 29 children transplanted earlier and treated with azathioprine and prednisolone (CIS group). Serum creatinine and urea levels 6 weeks and 1 year after transplantation (Tx) were significantly higher in the CsA than in the CIS group. Clearance studies 6 weeks after Tx exhibited significantly lower rates in the CsA group: Cin = 47 +/- 16.5 versus 83 +/- 25 ml/min/1.73 sqm, CPAH = 271 +/- 110 versus 503 +/- 181 ml/min/1.73 sqm (P less than 0.001). The filtration fractions were not different (19.1 versus 17.1%). The tubular phosphate reabsorption per ml GFR (Tp/Cin) was only slightly lower in the CsA group (0.76 +/- 0.23 mumol/ml versus 0.93 +/- 0.29; P = 0.09). The endogenous glucose clearance rates were equally elevated in both groups and returned to normal after 1 year. The creatinine clearance (Ccr) had dropped in both groups by a mean for 13 ml/min/1.73 sqm between 6 weeks and 1 year after Tx. No correlation was found between the Ccr and the CsA blood levels, but Ccr was inversely correlated with the number of rejection episodes (r = -0.72, P = 0.001). In conclusion, renal allografts in CsA-treated children exhibited a significantly lower function than in CIS-treated children. The effect was related to the global kidney function without any signs of additional tubular toxicity and was apparent within the first weeks after Tx. Thereafter, the decline in graft function was comparable in both groups and could not be related to CsA treatment.

Liver transplantation in children with chronic end stage liver disease: factors influencing survival after transplantation.

To identify pretransplant factors that are influencing survival after orthotopic liver transplantation a Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to 118 children with chronic terminal liver failure transplanted at Medical School Hannover during the period of 1978 to 1994. The response variable was survival, as covariates a total of 19 pretransplant variables were entered--i.e. age, diagnosis (biliary cirrhosis, metabolic cirrhosis, postnecrotic cirrhosis, cryptogenetic cirrhosis) sex, laparotomy prior to OLT, height, weight, standard deviation scores for height and weight, date of first OLT, serum alanine aminotransferase, asparagine aminotransferase, albumin, total bilirubin, cholinesterase activity, glomerular filtration rate, and prothrombin time. Significant independent predictors of survival after OLT were bilirubin (P=0.0024), SDS for weight (P=0.034), and albumin (P=0.039). In a subsequent discriminant analysis cut off points for these variables could be identified--i.e., bilirubin >340 micromol/L, SDS for weight <-2.2 and albumin < 33 g/L. Patients with one or more of these risk factors were grouped as urgent indication group (n=76) and those with no risk factor as elective indication group (n=42). Comparing the posttransplantation survival in these groups there is a statistically significant difference at 1 year (57% vs. 90.5%) and 4 years (49% vs. 90.5%) after OLT (P=0.0001, log rank test). It is concluded that the risk of OLT is much higher if liver function is very poor. Optimal nutritional support prior to transplantation is mandatory to optimise the clinical status of the children and to improve the results of OLT.

Regulation of the mitochondrial ATP-synthase in human fibroblasts.

The F1F0-ATPase activity of mitochondrial complex V can be rapidly measured in sonicated preparations of monolayer skin fibroblast cultures from children. We show that direct regulation at the level of ATP-synthase occurs in these cell preparations. ATP-synthase capacity is decreased in response to blocking of the respiratory chain by cyanide (mimicking anoxia) or uncoupling of mitochondria. ATP-synthase capacity falls to 60% and 35% of control, respectively. Up-regulation of ATP-synthase can be demonstrated in fibroblasts exposed to 4 mmol/l calcium (127% of control). Mitochondrial recovery was unchanged under the different incubation conditions as judged by the activity of mitochondrial marker enzymes. We conclude that direct regulation at the level of ATP-synthase occurs in vivo in human fibroblasts. The naturally occurring inhibitor protein IF1 and the calcium binding inhibitor protein CaBI may be involved in this regulation of ATP-synthase.

Conventional therapy for idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in children.

In children, the most frequent type of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome is the minimal-change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS). Its treatment is aimed at inducing remission, preventing relapses and avoiding side-effects. Minimal-change disease is responsive to immunosuppressive therapy. The conventional treatment consists of glucocorticosteroids and the most widely used derivative is prednisone. Initial treatment should be intensive, for example, prednisone for 12 weeks, in order to reduce the risk of subsequent relapse. Treatment of relapses should be standardized in order to categorize the patient's disease for further treatment. If a frequent relapser develops signs of steroid toxicity, alkylating drugs should be prescribed: cyclophosphamide or chlorambucil for eight weeks for frequent relapsers who are not steroid-dependent; cyclophosphamide for 12 weeks for those who are. In steroid-resistant cases, a renal biopsy is indicated and treatment should be administered according to histological changes.

Complete absence of tubular glucose reabsorption: a new type of renal glucosuria (type 0).

Primary renal glucosuria is an inherited defect of tubular glucose reabsorption and usually classified in type A and type B. We now observed a new type in a 15-year-old boy who had a complete absence of tubular glucose reabsorption. His father had a daily glucosuria of 1.1 g/1.73 m2 and his mother of 2.7 g/1.73 m2. Two siblings excreted 0.4 g/1.73 m2 and 0.3 g/1.73 m2 glucose and one sister had no glucosuria. The proband excreted daily 136 to 160 g/1.73 m2 glucose accompanied by normal blood glucose levels between 75-105 mg/dl. The glomerular filtration rate (inulin clearance) was 148-153 ml/min/1.73 m2 and the endogenous glucose clearance was 112-160 ml/min/1.73 m2 when blood glucose levels were 72-82 mg/dl. Thus, glucose clearance was nearly identical to inulin-clearance. After intravenous glucose loading with a blood glucose concentration of 261-342 mg/dl, glucose clearance remained in the same range and tubular glucose reabsorption was virtually absent. There were no disturbances in tubular reabsorption of other substrates. This new type of primary renal glucosuria was not recognized thus far, and we propose to call it type O glucosuria. The family tree revealed consanguinity and most probably the proband is homozygous and both his parents are heterozygous for type O renal glucosuria.

Acute rejection episodes after renal transplantation in children.

46 renal transplants performed in children at the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover between 1975 and 1980 are evaluated for the occurrence of acute rejection episodes. 33 patients received cadaveric donor grafts (CAD) and 13 living donor grafts (LD). Immunosuppression was carried out with prednisone and azathioprine. 14 patients were treated additionally with antilymphocyte globulin (ALG). A total of 68 acute rejection episodes occurred, 38% of them within the first week of transplantation, and the latest 3 years after transplantation. The most important signs of acute rejection were a rise in serum creatinine concentration, a decrease in urine output and fever. Patients with living donor grafts and full-house matched kidneys had fewer reversible and irreversible rejection episodes than did patients with grafts from cadaveric donors and with grafts with 1-4 mismatches. The value of ALG treatment is doubtful: only 1 out of 14 patients who received ALG treatment experienced no rejection episodes compared to 12 out of 33 patients who did not have ALG treatment. 2.4 rejection episodes/patient occurred in patients who had cadaver grafts and had received ALG compared to 1.17 episodes/patient in similar patients who had not received ALG. Irreversible rejection episodes occurred in 4 out of 9 ALG-treated and in 3 out of 23 non-ALG-treated recipients of cadaver grafts.

Postnatal development of tubular phosphate reabsorption.

In 51 infants (0.5-12 months) and 143 children (1-15 years), the postnatal development of renal phosphate handling could be studied by short term clearance investigations. The infants demonstrated significantly higher values of plasma phosphate (Pp), urinary phosphate excretion and endogenous phosphate clearance than the children. Net tubular phosphate reabsorption (Tp) was low infancy due to low glomerular filtration rate (CIn). The fractional phosphate reabsorption (Tp/CIn), however, was significantly higher in infancy than in childhood. There was a close correlation between fractional phosphate reabsorption and plasma phosphate for both children and infants. When the regression lines of Pp to Tp/CIn were analyzed separately for children and infants, a parallel shift was recognized, which means that at each level of Tp/CIn infants had higher plasma phosphate concentrations than children. Evaluation of available data suggests that the shift was very probably related to low CIn in the young infants which may lead to further retention of phosphate.

Dosage of Cyclosporin A in children with renal transplants.

Results of Cyclosporin A (CyA) treatment following kidney transplantation in 16 children are reported. CyA was used in combination with low-dose prednisolone. The dosage of CyA was related to body surface area, starting with 500 mg/m2 daily and was reduced weekly by 50 mg/m2 until the maintenance dose of 300 mg/m2 was reached at the end of the fifth week. The dosage was controlled and adjusted by monitoring the CyA blood concentrations. In comparison with adults, children required higher CyA doses related to body weight to maintain the desired trough blood level range (200-750 ng/ml). In 16 children treated with CyA the graft function rate at three months was 100% and at six months 90%, because one patient died of septicemia. 10 patients experienced 20 reversible rejection episodes. Infectious complications and side-effects were similar to those observed in adults. Almost half of the patients exhibited transient nephrotoxicity which reversed after dose reduction. It is concluded that CyA treatment in a body surface area related dosage and in combination with blood level monitoring offers a successful way for kidney transplantation in childhood.

Recurrence of renal disease after kidney transplantation in children: 24 years of experience in a single center.

The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and clinical implications of a recurrence of the original renal disease in children after kidney transplantation. Thus, the records of patients with immunological and metabolic diseases transplanted between 1970 and 1994 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 113 renal transplantations in 99 patients, who had the following original diseases: focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis type I and type II (MPGN I, II), Henoch-Schoenlein nephritis, IgA-nephropathy, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and hyperoxaluria type I (PH I) and other rare diseases. Recurrences were observed in FSGS, MPGN II, HUS and PH I but not in the other diseases. In FSGS, the recurrence rate was 20% with graft failure in 5 of 6 grafts. No specific risk factors for recurrent FSGS could be determined. In MPGN II, the recurrence was 60% but the loss of grafts occurred at the same rate as in the non-recurrence group. In HUS, recurrence was seen in 4 out of 24 renal grafts (16.6%) with subsequent graft loss in all cases. All cases had suffered from an atypical HUS. PH I recurred in 4 of 5 allografts with graft loss in all patients. The remaining graft was transplanted after a liver transplantation and graft function was well preserved for 4 years. We confirm that the risk of recurrence with loss of the graft is high in a certain group of renal diseases. In these the indication for transplantation, particularly with living related donor kidneys, needs special evaluation. A better understanding of the pathomechanism of the diseases should lead to prevention of recurrence, as in PH I in which a liver transplant is now the primary option.

Urinary protein analysis in the early detection of acute rejection episodes after renal transplantation in children.

The purpose of the present longitudinal investigation was to assess the predictive value of urinary protein analysis in the early detection of rejection crisis after renal transplantation. Forty-one children were studied consecutively over a period of 6 months applying the following methods: creatinine clearance (Ccr); urinary total protein (UTP); and electrophoretic differentiation of urinary proteins according to their molecular size by microgradient-gel electrophoresis (MGGE) with a continuous concentration gradient of 4-40% of polyacrylamide. Protein fractions analyzed were albumin (69,000 d), low molecular weight proteins (LMW-proteins, less than 69,000 d), and high molecular weight proteins (HMW-proteins, greater than 69,000 d). No rejection was observed in 30 children (group A), a total of 18 rejection episodes occurred in 11 children (group B). UTP was significantly lower in group A as compared to group B (107 vs 376 mg/m2/24 h), but no differences in urinary protein pattern were observed between group A and group B prior to rejection. One to two days after rejection UTP increased to 938 mg/m2/24 h, and 3-7 days after rejection LMW-protein fraction increased from 9% to 23% with a corresponding decrease of albumin fraction from 71% to 56% of UTP. No qualitative changes were noted in respect to HMW-protein excretion. It is concluded that changes of UTP and urinary protein pattern occur during rejection episodes but are of no predictive value in detecting rejection before clinical symptoms appear.

Steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome associated with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, transient ischemic attacks and lymphopenia.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, nephrotic syndrome and chronic renal failure were associated with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, growth failure, lymphopenia and transient ischemic attacks leading to severe neurological symptoms in three children. Two boys and one girl developed the full syndrome at the age of 5, 6 and 10 years. Positron emission tomography revealed perfusion defects of both cerebral and cerebellar arteries. A variant of the disease was found in two other children who had a nephrotic syndrome and terminal renal failure with only mild spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, impaired growth and a normal cerebral function. It is concluded that there may be a close association between focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and spondyloepiphyseal dysplasias.

Cystatin C and creatinine after successful kidney transplantation in children.

BACKGROUND: Serum creatinine is commonly used for the monitoring of allograft function following renal transplantation (RTX). Due to lower muscle mass, creatinine production rate is reduced in children, thus decreasing its sensitivity for the detection of allograft dysfunction. In children, the serum concentration of cystatin C, a low molecular weight protein of 13.3 kDa, reflects glomerular filtration rate independent of age, height and body composition. We, therefore, sought to assess the potential of cystatin C as a marker of allograft function in children. METHODS: Cystatin C and creatinine were measured in parallel at least daily in 24 children (14 boys, 10 girls; mean age 10.5+/-5.1 years) during hospitalization after successful RTX. Cystatin was determined immunoturbidimetrically, creatinine enzymatically. RESULTS: Within one hour after RTX, cystatin C (mean+/-SE) almost halved from 6.69+/-0.45 mg/l to 3.69+/-0.38 mg/l while creatinine declined from 862 +/-65.4 to 633+/-62.9 micromol/l. Following a nadir of 1.82+/-0.18 mg/l on day 2, there was a secondary increase in cystatin C concentrations to 2.69+/-0.35 mg/l on day 10. Creatinine concentrations continued to decline until day 9 reaching 80.5+/-13.1 micromol/l. Day-to-day variation at steady-state was comparable. In the course of 9 acute rejection episodes, both parameters rose in parallel, the increase in creatinine concentration being much greater. CONCLUSION: Cystatin C was an early indicator of allograft function following successful RTX in children. It did not prove superior to creatinine for the recognition of acute allograft dysfunction, however.

Clinical course of hypophosphatemic rickets in 23 adults.

Twenty-three adult patients (19 females, 4 males) with x-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (HPR) underwent a retrospective evaluation of the clinical course and a clinical examination by a nephrologist, orthopedic surgeon and dentist. Blood and urine analysis, bone density measurements with QCT and DEXA, ultrasonic examination of the kidneys were performed and the patients were asked to fill in a standardized questionnaire on pain and psychosocial rehabilitation. Mean final height was 152.4 cm +/- 8.5 SD in females and 157.3 cm +/- 8.9 SD in males. Decreased joint mobility was seen in all patients, deviations of the normal leg axis in 18/23 patients in spite of 69 correcting osteotomies in the past. Dental (n = 14) and psychosocial problems were associated with inability to work (n = 8). There was a trend that patients with a very low Tp/GFR had a more severe course of the disease. Early therapy with vitamin D metabolites and phosphate had a beneficial effect on growth, bone density and deformations. Eight patients had nephrocalcinosis due to vitamin D and phosphate therapy and had normal kidney function. Four patients had urinary tract abnormalities. We conclude that patients with HPR should receive continuous interdisciplinary care given by nephrologists, orthopedic surgeons, physiotherapists and dentists not only during childhood but also as adults.

Continuous peritoneal dialysis in children.

During the period from June 1985 to December 1991, 48 children were treated with continuous peritoneal dialysis (CPD) in our centre because of acute renal failure. The median age was 1.8 years (range 0.01-17.1). The most common diagnoses were: hemolytic uremic syndrome (n = 22), anuria after cardiac surgery (n = 7), and septicemia with multiorgan failure (n = 7). Kidney function recovered in 35 (73%); 13 (27%) died of their original disease. One further patient with HUS recovered from dialysis but died of cerebral complications shortly afterwards. One patient remained anuric and requires renal replacement therapy. Hyperkalemia, when present initially, and uremia could be controlled adequately in all cases. However, ultrafiltration posed problems when cardiac output was low. Peritonitis occurred in 11 patients; in 8 children the Tenckhoff catheter had to be revised because of leakage (5), flow problems (2), or bowel perforation (1). CPD proved to be an excellent method to treat acute renal failure in children of all age groups. The rate of complications was acceptable.

[Liver transplantation in childhood]. / Lebertransplantation im Kindesalter.

From 1977 to 1985 altogether 143 children were referred to our hospital for liver transplantation. These children were aged 6 months to 15 years. According to the results of a defined examination protocol liver transplantation was indicated in 102 of these children. Contraindications were observed in 17 patients. In 14 children liver transplantation was not yet indicated. Parents of 8 children refused transplantation. Only 30 children have been transplanted so far. Out of these, 21 actually survive. The cumulative 5-year survival rate after transplantation is calculated to be 60.5%.