Ameboma: an unusual cause of gastrointestinal bleeding during severe leptospirosis.

BACKGROUND: Severe leptospirosis occurs mainly in a tropical environment and includes icterus, acute renal failure and hemorrhages. These bleedings, which are mainly a consequence of acute homeostatic disturbances, can also reveal simultaneous diseases. Coinfections with other tropical diseases have been previously reported during leptospirosis. To our knowledge, invasive amebiasis, which can induce gastrointestinal bleedings, has never been described in the course of severe leptospirosis. CASE PRESENTATION: In this report, we describe a case of a 60 year-old man living in Reunion Island (Indian Ocean, France) admitted to our intensive care unit for severe Leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae infection with neurological, renal, liver and hematological involvement. Two lower gastrointestinal bleedings occurred 7 and 15 days after admission. The first episode was promoted by hemostatic disturbances while the second bleeding occurred during low-dose heparin therapy. Colonoscopy revealed a pseudo-tumoral inflammatory mass of the recto-sigmoid junction. Histological examination found trophozoites inside mucinous exudate suggestive of Entamoeba histolytica. Amoebic serology was strongly positive whereas careful detection of cysts or trophozoites on saline-wet mount was negative in three consecutive samples of stools. Amoxicillin followed by metronidazole therapy, combined with supportive care, led to an improvement in the clinical and biological patient's condition and endoscopic appearances. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should be aware that gastrointestinal bleeding during severe leptospirosis could not solely be the consequences of hemostatic disturbances. Careful endoscopic evaluation that may reveal curable coinfections should also be considered.

Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder after kidney transplantation: report of a nationwide French registry and the development of a new prognostic score.

PURPOSE: Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is associated with significant mortality in kidney transplant recipients. We conducted a prospective survey of the occurrence of PTLD in a French nationwide population of adult kidney recipients over 10 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A French registry was established to cover a nationwide population of transplant recipients and prospectively enroll all adult kidney recipients who developed PTLD between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2007. Five hundred patient cases of PTLD were referred to the French registry. The prognostic factors for PTLD were investigated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox analyses. RESULTS: Patients with PTLD had a 5-year survival rate of 53% and 10-year survival rate of 45%. Multivariable analyses revealed that age > 55 years, serum creatinine level > 133 µmol/L, elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels, disseminated lymphoma, brain localization, invasion of serous membranes, monomorphic PTLD, and T-cell PTLD were independent prognostic indicators of poor survival. Considering five variables at diagnosis (age, serum creatinine, lactate dehydrogenase, PTLD localization, and histology), we constructed a prognostic score that classified patients with PTLD as being at low, moderate, high, or very high risk for death. The 10-year survival rate was 85% for low-, 80% for moderate-, 56% for high-, and 0% for very high-risk recipients. CONCLUSION: This nationwide study highlights the prognostic factors for PTLD and enables the development of a new prognostic score. After validation in an independent cohort, the use of this score should allow treatment strategies to be better tailored to individual patients in the future.

Efficacy and safety of de novo or early everolimus with low cyclosporine in deceased-donor kidney transplant recipients at specified risk of delayed graft function: 12-month results of a randomized, multicenter trial.

Immediate or early use of proliferation signal inhibitor (PSI)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor therapy can avoid high exposure to calcineurin inhibitors but concerns exist relating to the risk of delayed graft function (DGF) and impaired wound healing with the mTOR sirolimus. CALLISTO was a 12-month, prospective, multicenter, open-label study. Deceased-donor kidney transplant patients at protocol-specified risk of DGF were randomized to start everolimus on day 1 (immediate everolimus, IE; n = 65) or week 5 (delayed everolimus, DE; n = 74). Incidence of the primary endpoint (biopsy-proven acute rejection, BPAR; graft loss, death, DGF, wound healing complications related to transplant surgery or loss to follow-up) was 64.6% and 66.2% in the IE and DE groups, respectively, at month 12 (P = 0.860). The overall incidence of BPAR was 20.1%. Median estimated glomerular filtration rate was 48 ml/min/1.73 m(2) and 49 ml/min/1.73 m(2) in the IE and DE groups, respectively, at month 12. DGF and wound healing complications were similar between groups. Adverse events led to study drug discontinuation in 17 IE patients (26.2%) and 28 DE patients (37.8%) (NS). In conclusion, introduction of everolimus immediately or early posttransplant in DGF-risk patients is associated with good efficacy, renal function and safety profile. There seems no benefit in delaying initiation of everolimus.

Incidence of delayed graft function and wound healing complications after deceased-donor kidney transplantation is not affected by de novo everolimus.

BACKGROUND: Concerns about delayed graft function (DGF) and wound healing complications with sirolimus has led to suggestions that everolimus introduction could be delayed after transplantation. METHODS: In a prospective, multicenter, open-label study, deceased-donor kidney transplant recipients at protocol-specified risk of DGF (defined as > or =1 dialysis session during the first week posttransplant excluding day 1) were randomized to start everolimus therapy on day 1 posttransplant (immediate everolimus [IE]), or from week 5 (delayed everolimus [DE]) with mycophenolic acid until everolimus was initiated. All patients received anti-interleukin-2 receptor antibodies, cyclosporine A, and corticosteroids. A planned 3-month analysis from this 12-month study is presented here. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-nine patients were randomized (IE 65, DE 74). The primary composite endpoint: biopsy-proven acute rejection, graft loss, death, DGF, wound healing events, or lost to follow-up at month 3, occurred in 36 IE patients (55.4%) and 47 DE patients (63.5%, P=0.387). The incidence of DGF was similar between groups (IE 24.6%, DE 24.3%; n.s.). Wound healing events of any type occurred in 40.0% and 41.9% of IE and DE patients (n.s.); events relating to initial transplant surgery occurred in 36.9% IE patients and 37.8% DE patients (n.s.), most of which were fluid collections. Study drug was discontinued due to adverse events or graft loss in 13 IE (20.0%) and 17 DE patients (23.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this randomized, multicenter trial indicate that kidney function recovery, wound healing, efficacy, and tolerance are similar at 3 months posttransplant with immediate or DE in patients at protocol-specified risk of DGF.

Leptospirosis in Reunion Island (Indian Ocean): analysis of factors associated with severity in 147 confirmed cases.

OBJECTIVE: Analysis of risk factors associated with severity in patients with confirmed leptospirosis. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective study in 147 leptospirosis-confirmed patients at two tertiary nonteaching hospital in Reunion Island. PATIENTS: 138 men and 9 women, aged 36+/-14 years, 80 in the ICU and 67 in medical wards. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: We collected demographic, clinical, biological, and radiographic data and performed univariate and multivariate analysis to examine risk factors associated with admission in ICU and mortality. Pulmonary forms were more frequent (85%) than in previous reports, with 85 cases (65.3%) on abnormal chest radiography. Among the 38 patients who underwent bronchoalveolar lavage at admission 31 (81.5%) had alveolar hemorrhage. Independent factors related to ICU admission were: age over 46[Symbol: see text]years (OR 3.02), creatinine higher than 200[Symbol: see text]mumol/l (6.69), shock (13.87), and acute respiratory failure (20.69). Mortality was 12.9%. The only factor independently related to mortality was need for mechanical ventilation (OR 20.94). Icterohemorrhagiae serogroup was found in 62 cases (42.8%) but was not related to death. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary involvement is a major feature in leptospirosis disease but is not associated with poor outcome. Identification of clinical and laboratory findings on admission may help to better characterize severe cases.

Venous thromboembolism in passengers following a 12-h flight: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: There has recently been great interest in the possible relationship between air travel and venous thromboembolism (VTE). Based on a case-control survey, we measured the frequency of VTE, associated risk factors (RFs), and factors influencing the onset of pulmonary embolism (PE) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). METHODS: The study was conducted over 1 yr. A questionnaire was sent to physicians. Patients with a diagnosis of VTE were included, provided they had traveled from France to Reunion Island. RESULTS: Over 46 cases, 33 patients showed DVT and 13 PE. RFs for VTE were present in 38 patients (82%). On comparing RFs between study and control groups, we found no differences in age, gender, alcohol, sleep-inducing drug consumption, seat allocation, or estroprogestative treatment. RFs were significantly higher in the VTE group at p < 0.005: history of previous VTE (OR 63.3), recent trauma (OR 13.6), presence of varicose veins (OR 10), obesity (OR 9.6), immobility during flight (9.3), and cardiac disease (OR 8.9). For patients with DVT or PE, no differences were observed in comparing RFs. The PE group was older and mortality occurred only in this group. The number of displacements during flight (p < 0.009) and complete immobility (p < 0.001) were strongly related with onset of PE. Delay of symptoms was less than 24 h in 69% of PE cases compared with 21% of DVT cases (p < 0.004). CONCLUSION: Long-duration air travel VTE is associated with other underlying thromboembolic RFs. Low mobility during flight is a striking modifiable RF of developing PE. Travelers with RFs for VTE should be advised to increase their mobility.