Gitelman syndrome, hypomagnesemia, and venous thrombosis: An intriguing association.

Among salt-wasting tubulopathies' complications, venous thrombosis is one of the rarest. We report a case of a young woman with Gitelman syndrome (GS). She presented a deep venous thrombosis in her leg and was treated with heparin with favorable outcomes. We retained hypomagnesemia as the cause of the thrombosis.

Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis after kidney Transplantation: Success of Medical Treatment.

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is an infrequent but serious complication of long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD). EPS may become clinically apparent when patients are on PD (classical EPS) or after undergoing kidney transplantation (post-transplantation EPS). This presentation of EPS seems to occur shortly after kidney transplantation in former PD patients. In this report, we present our experience in our first case of patient diagnosed with EPS after kidney transplantation.

[Emphysematous pyelonephritis and cystitis: An exceptional complication in a kidney transplant recipient]. / Pyélonéphrite et cystite emphysémateuses : une complication exceptionnelle chez un transplanté du rein.

Emphysematous pyelonephritis is a rare and severe infectious complication characterized by the presence of gas in the renal parenchyma, excretory cavities and surrounded tissues. It is due to the development of non-anaerobic gasifier bacteria. We report a new rare case of emphysematous pyelonephritis in a kidney transplant recipient, particular by its occurrence in a non-functional graft and its exceptional association with emphysematous cystitis.

[Successful treatment with paclitaxel of a visceral relapse of post-transplant Kaposi's sarcoma]. / Succès du traitement par paclitaxel d'une rechute viscérale d'un sarcome de Kaposi après transplantation rénale.

We report the observation of a patient who presented with post-transplant Kaposi's sarcoma after a delay of eight months with a dual cutaneous and palatal localisation. The reduction in immunosuppressive treatment and the introduction of Rapamune® allowed good clinical progress initially with regression of the skin lesions. He subsequently presented later a skin relapse with visceral localisation. Chemotherapy was conducted based on weekly paclitaxel infusions allowing partial remission and maintenance of renal graft function with good clinical tolerance.

End-stage renal disease at dialysis initiation: Epidemiology and mortality risks during the first year of hemodialysis.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) treated by hemodialysis (HD) is a worldwide major public health problem. Its incidence is getting higher and higher, leading to an alarming social and economic impact. The survival of these patients is significantly low, especially during the first year of treatment. The purpose of our study was to identify the epidemiological and clinico-biological characteristics of patients at the HD initiation and to reveal the predictive factors of mortality at three months and one year of HD. This is a prospective, analytical, and descriptive study dealing with 229 patients with an end-stage renal disease (ESRD), followed up in the Nephrology Department of Charles Nicolle Hospital and La Rabta Hospital in Tunisia, that was started HD between January and June 2017. A multivariate logistic regression analysis allowed us to identify the independent predictors of mortality at three months and one year. The average age was 60.2 ± 15.3 years, with a gender ratio of 1.41. Seventy-eight percent of patients had more than two comorbidities, 59% had diabetes, and 88% had hypertension. Diabetic nephropathy was the leading etiology of kidney disease (48.9%), while 11% of nephropathies were of unknown etiology. Only 58% were early referred to a nephrologist. The average glomerular filtration rate at HD initiation was 6.06 ± 2.33 mL/min/1.73 m2. Hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia were noted, respectively, in 60.8% and 84.9% of cases. Anemia was objectified in 98.6% of cases. HD was started in an emergency in 56.8% of cases. One of the most urgent indications was acute pulmonary edema (APE) for 43.8% of patients. Only 10.5% of patients had functional arteriovenous fistula at the dialysis initiation. Patients were hemodialyzed one, two, or three sessions per week, respectively, in 23.2%, 26.6%, and 50.2% of cases. The crude mortality rate was 25% and 13% in, respectively, one year and three months of HD. On multivariate analysis, we identified heart failure and insufficient dialysis dose per week as predictive factors of mortality at the 1st year of HD. C-reactive protein more than 21 mg/L, insufficient dialysis per week, modified Charlson Comorbidity Index less than 6, and APE at the dialysis initiation were identified as predictive factors of three-month mortality. Despite the short period of study, this work revealed the alarming conditions of patients at HD initiation. This critical situation is due to the delay in CKD diagnosis, the late nephrologist referral, and the lack of preparation before HD initiation.

Prevalence and risk factors of hypogonadism in men with chronic renal failure.

AIM: To determine the prevalence and the risk factors of hypogonadism in men with chronic renal failure (CRF). METHODS: We conducted a cross sectional analysis in 48 men with CRF. Total testosterone, prolactin, and gonadotropins were measured in all patients. Hypogonadism was defined by a low level (<10 nmol/l) or a low normal level (10-14 nmol/l) of total testosterone. RESULTS: The mean age was 53.31±10.22 years. Renal impairment was mild, moderate, severe and at end stage in 9,14,4 and 21 patients, respectively. Nineteen patients had been undergoing extra-renal purification. The average of total testosterone was 13.44±6.17 nmol/L. It was lower in patients with diabetic nephropathy (p=0.004). Hypogonadism was diagnosed in 22 patients (46 %). In this group, gonadotropins were normal in 21 cases and elevated in only one case. Hyperprolactinemia was retained in six patients. Type 2 diabetes (OR: 3.96; p=0.02) and diabetic nephropathy (OR=4.26; p=0.01) were the only risk factors of hypogonadism in our patients. CONCLUSION: Our results had demonstrated a high prevalence of hypogonadism in males with chronic renal failure. This hormone disorder was associated with type 2 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy.

Mycophenolate Mofetil-induced Oral Ulcerations in a Kidney Transplant Recipient.

INTRODUCTION: Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) is an immunosuppressive drug usually used in kidney transplants to prevent rejection. It has various adverse effects such as leucopenia, anemia, diarrhea but Mouth ulcers are rarely reported. METHOD: We present a case report of MMF-induced mouth ulcers in an African patient. CASE REPORT: A 41-year-old African-male patient has painful oral ulcers which developed 5 months after kidney transplantation. The immunosuppressive maintenance regimen comprised Steroids, Tacrolimus and MMF. RESULT: These ulcers were firstly related to a fungic or viral infection so the patient was prescribed Fluconazole and Aciclovir without any improvement. Then, Tacrolimus blood level was checked and it was in a therapeutic range. Finally, we decide to stop MMF and the ulcers healed quickly. DISCUSSION: Oral ulcers are frequently seen complications in immunosuppressant patient but are rarely described with MMF. These ulcers can become large and very painful and degrade patient's life quality. So when infections causes are excluded, we have to keep in mind that these ulcers can be a drug adverse effect.

Monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance with light-chain deposition disease in kidney transplantation.

Light-chain deposition disease (LCDD) reoccurs almost invariably after renal transplantation, leading to early graft loss. We report a case of LCDD with monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance diagnosed in the post-transplant period in a 28-year-old male and we discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in the clinical course.

Peritoneal dialysis in diabetes patients.

INTRODUCTION: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a renal replacement therapy (RRT) in end stage kidney disease patients with several advantages and disadvantages. AIM: To evaluate the epidemiological, clinical, biological and outcome of diabetic patients in PD in our service and to determine the factors influencing overall survival and technique. METHODS: This was a retrospective study that included 90 diabetic patients supported on PD in our Department of Nephrology and Internal Medicine A in Charles Nicolle Hospital of Tunis from 1983 to 2016. RESULTS: There were 90 patients with mean age of 57 years. The sex ratio M/W was 1.3. Diabetes was type 2 in 84.44%. Complications were decreased ultrafiltration (26.66%), displacement of the catheter (20%), umbilical hernia (3.33%), malnutrition (2.22%) and peritonitis (45.55%). The number of peritonitis was 1 episode every 38.64 patient months. Transfer to hemodialysis was indicated in 37.78% of cases. Death occurred in 33 patients. Causes were cardiovascular (21.11%), septic shock (10%) and complicated peritonitis (5.55%). A statistically significant correlation was found between patient survival and death from cardiovascular events (p = 0.048), type 2 diabetes and high peritoneal permeability (p = 0.033) and technical survival and systolic arterial pressure> 139.5mmHg (p = 0.01). Overall survival at 5 years was 66% and technical survival was 28%. CONCLUSION: PD is an interesting way of RRT in diabetic patients. Good control of diabetes complications and those of PD technique is essential to increase survival.

Urinary mRNA analysis of biomarkers to epithelial mesenchymal transition of renal allograft.

Renal allograft loss is most often a chronic process, irrespective of the mechanism at stake. In this prospective study, we studied the expression of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers vimentin and ß-catenin by immunohistochemistry in the surveillance biopsy and measured the mRNA encoding vimentin (VIM), CD45, GAPDH and uroplakin 1a (UPK) by quantitative PCR in urinary cells in 75 renal transplant patients. The aim is to establish a simple screening test for chronic renal allograft dysfunction. We found that the value of the mRNA of vimentin and CD45 relative to the uroplakin 1a (UPK) mRNA is correlated with the score in vimentin immunostaining in routine biopsies. These biomarkers could be used as a noninvasive tool to monitor the renal graft fibrogenesis. This test could be used for early detection of fibrotic diseases of the kidney transplant.

Thirty Years of Experience at the First Tunisian Kidney Transplant Center.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to report the results of 30 years of experience at the first kidney transplant center in Tunisia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All kidney transplants performed at the center between June 1986 and June 2016 were included. The study period was divided into 3 decades. Recipient and donor data and follow-up information were obtained from a local database and patient medical records. Comparative analyses were performed using the t test for continuous variables and the Χ² test for qualitative variables. Patient and graft survival rates were calculated according to the actuarial method, and comparison of survival curves was performed according to the logrank test. RESULTS: The mean age of recipients was 32.7 ± 11.5 years (range, 6-65 y) with a gender ratio of 2.2. Duration of prekidney transplant dialysis varied from 2 months to 20 years (median, 27.5 mo); 1.7% of patients underwent transplant preemptively. Kidneys were recovered from deceased donors in 21.2% of cases and from living donors in 78.8%. The proportion of deceased donors dropped from 27.4% during the period 2006-2010 to 12.9% during the period 2011-2015 (P < .04). Patient survival rates at 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 years were 96%, 89.3%, 79.5%, 71.1%, and 65.4%. Graft survival rates were 95%, 86.5%, 76.2%, 66.3%, and 57.2%. The annual graft loss was 2.9%, with a mortality rate of 2.4% and without significant differences between patients receiving deceased-donor and living-donor organs. CONCLUSIONS: Kidney transplant activity remains suboptimal in our country. The reduction in deceased-donor organs could be related to the political transformations facing our country with their resulting social and economic consequences. Efforts should be made to increase governmental resources and to improve both public awareness of organ donation and the motivation of transplant teams.

Outcome of Kidney Transplant in Patients with Polycystic Kidney Disease: A Single-Center Study in Tunisia.

OBJECTIVES: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is a common cause of end-stage renal disease and a common indication for renal transplant. This study was undertaken to evaluate the demographics, outcomes, and complications of renal transplant in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease compared with other nephropathies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a retrospective case-control design, we reviewed the records of 7 patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease from a total of 701 renal transplant patients over a 30-year period (1986-2016). For each patient, a matched control was selected based on sex, age, year of transplant, and type of kidney donor. We excluded patients who underwent kidney transplant abroad and those with a follow-up period of less than 2 years. RESULTS: The number of patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease requiring transplant at our center was estimated at 0.23 per year, and the condition represented 1.57% of initial nephropathy causes. The mean patient age at transplant was 50.8 ± 8.05 years. There were 5 male and 2 female patients in the case group, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.5. The source of the graft was predominantly a living related donor (5/7). Four patients had extrarenal manifestations, the most common of which were liver cysts (3 patients). Rejection occurred in a single study patient (14.2%) and in 4 control patients (57.1%; P = .51). Two patients did not develop any complications. Complications noted after transplant included infection (3/7 cases vs 2/7 controls; P= .67) and cerebrovascular accidents (2/7 cases vs 0/7 controls). CONCLUSIONS: Further studies with longer follow-up and greater numbers of patients are needed to compare more precisely the complications and results of transplant between patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and other kidney transplant recipients.

Tuberculosis After Renal Transplant.

Tuberculosis is one of the leading infections after renal transplant, particularly in developing countries where the incidence and prevalence in the general population are high. Diagnosis requires bacteriologic and histologic confirmation. Interactions among the antitubercular drugs and the immunosuppressive agents have to be considered while prescribing, and surveillance for adverse effects is required. Although rare, case reports are available on extrapulmonary tuberculosis in allograft recipients. Here, we present a 25-year-old kidney transplant recipient who was diagnosed with lymph node tuberculosis under uncommon circumstances but who had a good outcome. This case report illustrates the difficulties in diagnosis of tuberculosis, changes in therapeutic protocols, and prognostic factors and highlights the effects of infectious complications with immunosuppressive therapy in this particular patient population.

Post kidney transplantation Kaposi's sarcoma: the experience of a Mediterranean North African center.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the overall and specific incidences of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in a cohort of 568 kidney transplant recipients (KTR) in a single North African Mediterranean center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The records of 568 patients, who underwent kidney transplantation (KT) between June 1986 and December 2013, were retrospectively reviewed. Incidence was calculated by dividing the number of the different events by the total duration of follow-up. Survival rates and cumulated frequencies of KS were calculated according to the actuarial method. RESULTS: Twelve patients developed KS corresponding to an overall prevalence of 2.1% and an annual incidence of 0.27% patient-years. Median time to diagnosis of KS was 23.3 months. Eleven patients presented with skin lesions; three had oral localizations and one had conjunctival involvement. Asymptomatic gastric localization was observed in one patient. Therapeutic management, consisting in reduction of immunosuppression in all cases and their conversion to sirolimus in four patients, resulted in complete regression of KS in seven patients. Graft loss was observed in three cases and four patients died of unrelated- KS causes. CONCLUSION: KS is the most post KT malignancy observed in our country and is characterized by a predominance of limited superficial forms.

Pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis in the Down's syndrome.

Kidney disease is a rare complication in patients with the Down's syndrome. However, with increased survival, it appears that a growing number of these patients present with glomerulonephritis. Most cases have been reported as case reports and include lesions such as mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis with hypo-complementemia, crescentic glomerulonephritis with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), amyloidosis and immunotactoid glomerulopathy. We report the observation of a 38-year-old man with the Down's syndrome who presented with severe renal failure, proteinuria and microscopic hematuria evolving over two months. There was no history of congenital heart disease or urinary symptoms. Percutaneous renal biopsy revealed fibrous crescents, rupture of Bowman's capsule and peri-glomerular granuloma; there were no deposits on immunofluorescence study. Thoracic computerized tomography scan showed alveolar congestion. The patient tested negative for ANCA. At the time of reporting, the patient is on regular chronic hemodialysis. Our case illustrates a distinct entity that further expands the spectrum of renal disease known to occur in the Down's syndrome. Early detection of the renal disorders may prevent or slow down the progression.

Acute renal failure by ingestion of Euphorbia paralias.

Euphorbia paralias is known in traditional medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent, a purgative and for its local anesthetic property. To the best our knowledge, renal toxicity of this substance has not been previously reported. In this paper, we report the case of a 29-year-old male who developed renal damage following ingestion of Euphorbia paralias. He had been on follow-up for nephrotic syndrome since 1986, although irregularly, with several relapses but each responding well to steroid therapy. A kidney biopsy had not been performed earlier due to refusal by the patient. He was off steroids since April 2008 because the patient developed osteoporosis. He was admitted with general malaise and oliguria to our department in May 2009, following repeated vomiting and watery diarrhea for three days. On examination, he was edematous but had normal vital signs except for a pulse rate of 120/min. Hemoglobin was only 5.5 g/dL but with normal white cell and platelet counts. Blood biochemistry showed evidence of advanced renal failure with a serum creatinine level of 1835 µmol/L and urea at 44.6 mmol/L, sodium of 132 µmol/L and potassium at 4.3 mmol/L. He had features of nephrotic syndrome with severe hypoproteinamia and 24-h urinary protein of 10.45 g. Ultrasonography revealed enlarged kidneys with a reduced echogenecity of the medulla and the papillae. Subsequently, after hemodialysis with blood transfusion, a kidney biopsy was performed that showed focal segmental glomerulosclerosis associated with an acute tubular injury. On intensive interrogation, the patient gave a history of ingesting boiled Euphorbia paralias as a native treatment for edema, ten days prior to the onset of the current illness. A diagnosis of acute renal failure (ARF) resulting from the possible nephrotoxic effect of Euphorbia paralias poisoning was made. He was treated with intermittent hemodialysis and corticosteroids. Serum creatinine values improved after 48 days. At six months following the intoxication, serum creatinine of the patient was 240 µmol/L. In cases of unexplained ARF, a toxic mechanism should always be considered and acute renal failure caused by Euphorbia paralias should be included as a cause if renal toxicity is suspected in those places where it is being used as a native medicine.

Risk factors and consequences of delayed graft function.

The impact of delayed graft function (DGF) on the outcome of renal transplantation remains controversial. We analyzed the risk factors for DGF and its impact on graft and patient survival. A total of 354 renal transplants performed between June 1986 and April 2000 were analyzed. Variables analyzed included donor and recipient age, method and duration of renal replacement therapy, HLA mismatch, cold and warm ischemia times, biopsy-confirmed acute rejection, length of stay in the hospital, serum creatinine at the end of first hospitalization as well as graft and patient survival at one, three, five and ten years. The study patients were divided into two groups: patients with DGF (G1) and those without DGF (G2). DGF occurred in 50 patients (14.1%), and it was seen more frequently in patients transplanted from deceased donors (60% vs. 40%, P <0.0001). The cause of DGF was acute tubular necrosis, seen in 98% of the cases. Univariate analysis showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups G1 and G2 in the following parameters: average duration on dialysis (52.3 vs. 36.4 months, P = 0.006), HLA mismatch (44.9% vs. 32.11% P = 0.015), donor age (35.9 vs. 40.2 years, P = 0.026), cold ischemia time (23 vs. 18.2 h, P = 0.0016), warm ischemia time (41.9 vs. 38.6 mn, P = 0.046), length of stay in the hospital during first hospitalization (54.7 vs. 33.2 days, P <0.0001), serum creatinine at the end of first hospitalization (140 vs. 112 µmol/L, P <0.0001) and at three months following transplantation (159 vs. 119 µmol/L, P = 0.0002). Multivariate analysis revealed the following independent risk factors for DGF: deceased donor (RR = 13.2, P <0.0001) and cold ischemia time (RR = 1.17, P = 0.008). The graft survival at one, three, five and ten years was 100%, 93%, 88.3% and 78.3% in G1 versus 100%, 95.9% 92.8% and 82.3% in G2; there was no statistically significant difference. The patient survival at one, three, five and ten years was 100%, 91.3%, 83.6% and 74.4% in G1 versus 100%, 95.9%, 94% and 82.6% in G2 with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.04). Prolonged cold ischemia time and transplantation of kidneys from deceased donors were the main risk factors for DGF in our study. Also, DGF significantly affected patient survival but had no influence on graft survival.

Urinary tract infections following renal transplantation: a single-center experience.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most frequent infectious complication among renal transplant recipients and a frequent cause of bacteremia, sepsis and acute graft failure. To evaluate the incidence, risk factors, type of pathogens and long-term effect of UTIs on graft and patient survivals in our center, we performed a retrospective cohort study reviewing the medical records of patients who received a renal transplant at our center from June 1986 to December 2009, excluding patients who lost their grafts in the first month due to arterial or veins thrombosis and acute antibody-mediated rejection. We studied 393 kidney-transplanted recipients; at least one UTI occurred in 221 (53.69%) patients during the follow-up period. The most frequent pathogens isolated in urine culture were Escherichia coli (n = 39, 18.4%) and Klebsiella pneumonia (n = 31, 14.6%). When patients with UTIs were compared with those without UTIs, female gender and use of mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine seemed to be risk factors for UTIs on univariate analysis. However, female gender was the only independent risk factor on multivariate analysis RR = 1.964 (1.202-3.207), P = 0.007. This study confirmed that UTIs remain a major problem in renal transplant recipients, and female gender was the only independent risk factor.