[Relations of gingival hypertrophy and blood levels of cyclosporin A in patients with renal transplants]. / Relazione tra ipertrofia gengivale e livelli ematici di ciclosporina A nei pazienti con trapianto renale.

Gingival overgrowth is defined as hyperplasia of gingival tissue due to local, systemic or drug-related causes. To see if the incidence and severity of this side-effect are related to cyclosporine A (CyA) dosage and/or blood levels BCyA), we analysed data from 24 renal transplanted outpatients, grouped as follows: controls (C, n = 3): patients on immunosuppressive therapy other than CyA; group 1 (G1, n = 10): patients with BCyA steadily 300 ng/mL (RIA); group 2 (G2, n = 11): patients with BCyA steadily between 301 and 650 ng/mL. BCyA averaged 290 +/- 21 in G1 and 481 +/- 100 in G2 (p less than 0.001): mean cyclosporine A dosage (mg/kg/die) was not significantly different: 4.1 +/- 1.4 in G1 and 4.97 +/- 2.4 in G2. However, six patients in G2 also received calcium antagonists known to increase CyA blood levels (diltiazem and nicardipine) for clinical purposes or deliberately to increase CyA bioavailability. Mean time from transplant was (in months) 19 +/- 11 in G1, 16 +/- 15 in G2 and 62 +/- 24 in C (G1 vs G2: NS; C vs G1 and 2: p less than 0.001). Mean GFR (mL/min) was 75 +/- 22 in C, 65 +/- 18 in G1 and 53 +/- 19 in G2 (NS). Dental hygiene, as assessed by scoring (0-3: absent, mild, moderate and severe) the bacterial plaque, was similar in all groups. Gingival overgrowth, was similarly scored (0-3) and was absent in C and in 20% of G1, mild in 40% of G1 and 33% of G2, moderate in 40% of G1 and 33% of G2 and severe in 0% of G1 and 33% of G2 (G1 vs G2: p less than 0.05). Our data suggest that the severity of gingival overgrowth in transplanted patients with similar oral hygiene is mainly related to CyA blood levels.

Successful use of central venous catheter as permanent hemodialysis access: 84-month follow-Up in lucania.

Cuffed tunneled venous access catheters are commonly used for temporary and permanent access in hemodialysis (HD) patients. These catheters serve an essential role in providing permanent access in subjects in whom all other access options have been exhausted. The predominant complications are catheter thrombosis, catheter fibrin sheating and infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term survival and complications of permanent venous catheters (PVC) placed for the purpose of HD during the period from January 1992 to December 1998, at the Dialysis Units of Lucania (a southern Italian region). A total of 98 PVC were placed in 88 patients during this period. The catheters used were of three types: (a) 72 VasCath Soft Cell catheters (Bard Instrument Company, Toronto, Ont., Canada); (b) 22 PermCath catheters (Quinton Instrument Company, Seattle, Wash., USA), and (c) 4 Tesio catheters (Bellco SpA, Mirandola, Italy). Survival curves of catheters were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit estimator. The patient survival was 60% at the 78th month. Actually, 52 patients (27 males, 25 females) are still alive: 15 (26.9%) of these patients have diabetes mellitus and 1 has been transplanted. The actuarial survival rate of PVC was 89% in the whole population studied and 82% in subjects alive after 84 months. Twenty-five patients (28.4%) had PVC as the first reliable vascular access. Long-term complications occurred 27 times (1 episode every 44.81 month/patient) as: breakage (3.1%); thrombosis (10.2%); displacement (2.0%); subcutaneous tunnel bleeding (3.1%); inadequate blood flow (7.1%), and infection (10.2%). In conclusion, our data confirm that PVC might represent an effective long-term blood access route for HD. Again, PVC are getting the access of choice for selected patients (i.e., older subjects with cardiovascular diseases and cancer patients) and are enjoying a dramatic increase in use for subjects who are terrified of repetitive venopuncture.