[Flow obstruction and infection associated with the two-lumen subclavian catheter]. / Opstrukcija protoka i infekcija privremenog dvoluminalnog subklavijskog katetera.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was estimate correlation between catheter clotting and catheter-related injection in haemodialysis (HD) patients with temporary double lumen catheters (TDLC). METHODS: We analysed 128 TDLC where we had exact microbiological result from catheter tip. There were 107 patients, mean age 54.70 +/- 15.02 years (15.80); 52 (48.60%) male ad 55 (51.40%) female, which were on haemodialysis 1162.62 +/- 183,424 (6-7200) days. RESULTS: Major reasons for application TDLC were acute HD in 56 (43.75%), a function of A-V fistula in 40 (31.25%) patients, and a function of previous TDLC in 32 (25%) patients. The primary causes of chronic renal disease were diabetes mellitus in 34 (27%), pyelonephritis in 31 (24%), glomerulonephritis in 24 (19%), polycistic kidney disease in 14 (11%), nephropathia endemic in 10 (8%) and others disease in 15 (12%) of patients. The analysed TDLC remained in place for an average of 51.34 +/- 64.03 (range 2-518) days. In case of 92 (71.88%) we got positive microbiological result (Staphylococcus coagulasa negative 33%, Staphylococcus aureus 16%, Bacillus species 9%). In 38 of these catheters (41.30%) we diagnosed problems with blood flow. Totally, we had 50 TDLC with obstruction, but in 12 of them we did not have microbiological confirmation of infection. CONCLUSION: Catheter clotting is one of the important factors that increase risk for developing catheter-related infection.

[Characteristics of the early posttransplantation period in kidney transplantation]. / Karakteristike ranog posttransplantacionog perioda u bubreznoj transplantaciji.

INTRODUCTION: Renal transplantation has become the procedure of choice and the most cost-effective strategy for the management of patients with end stage renal disease. Posttransplant period is very important because possible complications, which have to be detected and treated according to approve statements. The aim this paper with is to show all characteristics of early postransplant period in patients operated at the Clinical Center of Tuzla. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighteen patients with end stage renal diseases has been analyzed with average age 32 + 8.6 years. Glomerulonephritis as primary kidney diseases has been found in 16 patients, lupus nephritis and reflux nephropathy in one patient. We paid attention on: creatinine level, urine output and balance, level of cyclosporin, body weight, ultrasound fallow-up, number episodes of acute rejection and number of additional dialysis. Clinical and labs sign of acute rejection have been found in 6 patients. Two of them recidive pulse dose of corticosteroides and four ATG. Additional haemodialysis has been performed in 5 patients. One patient died because of the rupture aneurism of aorta. Other 17 patients have been discharged after average hospitalisation of 20.87 8.18 days. CONCLUSION: We can say it's very important to recognise the sings of acute rejection and to start with therapy. In patients with cardiovascular risk, postoperative period has to be guided careful.

Renal function, protein excretion and pathology of Balkan endemic nephropathy. I. Renal function.

Renal function studies were performed on 59 patients who had the clinical criteria for Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN). They were divided into three groups according to DTPA clearance (DTPA). Group 1, 11 individuals, had a mean age of 41.6 years and DTPA greater than 100 ml/min. Group 2, 20 persons, had a mean age of 49 years and DTPA of 60 to 100 ml/min. Group 3 was made up of 28 people with a DTPA less than 60 ml/min and an average age of 50.4 years. No distinguishing specific or characteristic symptoms of BEN were found in any of the three groups. Anemia was not found to be an early indicator when compared to other forms of progressive renal disease. Proteinuria was minimal and intermittent in all three groups. Maximum concentrating ability was significantly reduced only in the third group. These features do not allow the clinical differentiation of BEN from other chronic progress tubulointerstitial nephropathies. The geographic isolation and familial nature of the disease, associated with minimal proteinuria make BEN a unique entity. Kidney size by ultrasound was decreased in all three groups, suggesting that this may be another early and characteristic feature to BEN.

Renal function, protein excretion, and pathology of Balkan endemic nephropathy. II. Protein excretion.

The urinary proteins of 40 patients with Balkan endemic nephropathy from the Tuzla region were examined using ultrathin-layer SDS pore-gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in combination with silver staining. The typical urinary protein spectrum contained immunoglobulin G, Tamm-Horsfall protein, transferrin, albumin, beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m), immunoglobulin light chains, retinol-binding protein, and alpha 1-microglobulin (alpha 1m). Densitometric measurements were used to derive glomerular tubular protein ratios (GTPR) and to characterize protein excretion patterns in the 28 patients who excreted more than 150 mg/liter of protein. Results showed that proteinuria of Balkan nephropathy is predominantly tubular, consisting of low-molecular-weight species. The most commonly identified proteins were alpha 1m, light chains, retinol binding protein, and beta 2m. The pattern of proteinuria based on GTPR did not correlate with the underlying histology or the degree of renal failure. These findings, using the ultrathin-layer SDS pore-gradient method of protein separation, more accurately demonstrates the low-molecular-weight proteinuria characteristic for the early stages of BEN.

Renal function, protein excretion, and pathology of Balkan endemic nephropathy. IV. Immunohistology.

Few controversial observations on the deposition of immunoglobulins (Igs) and complement components in kidney biopsies of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) patients have been reported. In the present study, direct or indirect immunofluorescence testing of the deposition of IgA, IgG, IgM, C3, C1q, C4 fibrin/fibrinogen, albumin, B2-microglobulin (beta 2m) and Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THG) on frozen renal tissue sections was performed in 52 BEN patients. Glomerular findings were negative or mostly insignificant, with mild or moderate mesangial deposition of IgM in 16, IgA in 11, IgG in three, C3 in 15, C1q in two, C4 in one and fibrin/fibrinogen in two cases, respectively. The predominance of mesangial IgA deposits in five cases suggested IgA glomerulonephritis (GN) concomitant with BEN. Homogeneous lumpy or granular deposits in small extraglomerular vessels contained IgM in nine, C3 in 45, C1q in three, and C4 in one case. Focal linear or granular C3 was noted along the tubular basement membrane in eight cases. Resorptive droplets in tubular epithelial cells contained Igs and albumin, while complement, fibrin/fibrinogen and THG were found in tubular casts. There was no positive reaction with anti-beta 2m and anti-THG antibodies. According to these results, humoral immune mechanisms would not appear to play a pathogenetic role in BEN. However, immunohistologic examinations are important in recognition of possible concomitant immune complex-mediated GN.

Renal function, protein excretion, and pathology of Balkan endemic nephropathy. III. Light and electron microscopic studies.

This study was performed to evaluate histomorphological features of BEN in 50 kidney biopsies from patients who met the epidemiologic, clinical and laboratory criteria for BEN. This is the first such study reported in detail. The patients were divided into three groups based on the DTPA clearance values: group 1, greater than 99 ml/min, group 2, 51 to 99 ml/min, and group 3, 29 to 50 ml/min. All patients in all groups had an increase in proteinuria consisting of proteins less than 25,000 daltons. Multifocal interstitial sclerosis spreading from the superficial into the deep cortex was found in 49 (98%), tubular atrophy in 48 (96%), and global glomerular sclerosis with microvascular hyalinosis/sclerosis of sclerotic and atrophic changes were significantly increased when compared to age-related standards. An accelerated aging process may be assumed to occur in BEN. More peculiar additional findings with much lower incidence and extent included multifocal vascular and glomerular capillary changes resembling the chronic form of thrombotic microangiopathy group of diseases. These findings, together with the presence of arteriolar hyalinosis and tubulointerstitial sclerosis seen in patients with cyclosporine nephrotoxicity suggest that the mechanism of toxicity may be similar to BEN. We conclude that the histopathology is predominantly tubulointerstitial sclerosis without infiltrates. The combination of the histology, tubular proteinuria, geographic distribution, familial occurrence, and the remarkable association with papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureters, qualifies BEN as a unique disease.