Acute Cellular Rejection With Severe Interstitial Lymphoplasmacytic Infiltrate and Edema Associated With Minimal Change Disease.

We describe a case of a 24-year-old female renal transplant recipient who, 10 years after receiving a deceased-donor kidney, presented with acute and massive increases in serum creatinine and proteinuria levels of 13 g over 24 hours. At a previous outpatient clinic visit, her baseline serum creatinine was noted to be 87 µmol/L; on admission, serum creatinine was 1377 µmol/L. Renal biopsy results were consistent with acute cellular rejection with severe interstitial lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates and edema with no evidence of glomerular pathology, including transplant glomerulopathy. The immunofluorescence test results were negative, and the ultrastructural features were consistent with podocytopathy with no immune deposits present. We believe thatthis is the first case of acute cellular rejection typified by severe interstitial lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates and edema with severe proteinuria secondary to minimal change disease (or podocytopathy).

Predictability and Risk Factors for Development of New-Onset Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus After Transplant in the Saudi Population.

OBJECTIVES: The study objective was to investigate the predictability and risk factors for the development of new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus after transplant in the Saudi population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective observational cohort study in adult kidney transplant recipients who developed new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus after transplant. Patients with and without new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus after transplant were compared for demographic factors, blood glucose levels at 4-hour intervals for 24 hours after transplant, and serum creatinine levels at 6 and 12 months after transplant. RESULTS: Of 279 patients included in our study, 15.5% developed new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus after a mean follow-up of 4.6 ± 2.1 years after transplant. Patients with new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus after transplant were significant older (P = .001), had a higher body mass index (P = .001), and had higher fasting blood glucose levels 24 hours after transplant (P = .03). No significant differences were observed regarding sex, transplant type, or serum creatinine levels at 6 and 12 months. Risk factors for new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus after transplant are body mass index (P = .001; relative risk of 1.26), fasting blood glucose at 24 hours (P = .001; relative risk of 1.3), age (P = .001; relative risk of 1.44), and family history of diabetes mellitus (P = .001; relative risk of 31.3). CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors for developing new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus were age, heavier weight, body mass index, family history of diabetes mellitus, and having higher fasting blood glucose levels 24 hours after transplant, with family history of diabetes mellitus being an especially very high significant risk factor.

Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and the occurrence of delayed graft function after kidney transplant.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the predictive value of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in the occurrence of delayed graft function after kidney transplant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective cohort study of 67 consecutive patients who received a living-related (40 patients [61%]) or deceased-donor kidney transplant (27 patients [39%]), urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin was determined in the first 100 mL perfusate of the donor kidney and in urine at 6 hours after transplant. Patients were followed (11 ± 7 mo) for changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate and delayed graft function. RESULTS: The mean urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin level at 6 hours after transplant was significantly higher after deceased-donor (781 ± 452 ng/mL) than living-donor transplant (229 ± 223 ng/mL; P ≤ 0.001). The decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate from 6 to 12 months after transplant was positively correlated with the urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin levels in the perfusate in living-donor transplant. A significant correlation was noted between the occurrence of delayed graft function and the urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin level at 6 hours after living-donor transplant. In the deceased-donor group, the occurrence of delayed graft function was correlated with urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin levels in the perfusate. In deceased-donor kidney transplant, the mean urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin level in the perfusion fluid was significantly greater from donors who had terminal serum creatinine > 150 µmol/L, and urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin level at 6 hours after transplant was significantly greater in transplants with longer cold ischemia time and donors who had hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin levels in the donor kidney perfusate and 6 hours after transplant may be a useful predictor of delayed graft function and decreased graft function from 6 to 12 months after transplant.

Cystatin C-based formula is superior to MDRD, Cockcroft-Gault and Nankivell formulae in estimating the glomerular filtration rate in renal allografts.

OBJECTIVES: There are conflicting reports on the reliability of the various glomerular filtration rate formula in renal allografts, to assess the performance of various glomerular filtration rate formula in estimating renal function of renal allografts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Glomerular filtration rate was measured using an isotope Tc99m DTPA in 97 renal transplant patients and estimated using modification of diet in renal disease, Cockroft-Gault formula, Nankivell, and a cystatin C-based formula. The overall performance of these formula was evaluated by calculating bias, accuracy and precision. RESULTS: Mean age was 39.8 years (-/+ 12.7), body mass index was 26.9 (-/+ 6.3) and serum creatinine was 114.5 micromol/L (-/+ 39.3). The mean measured glomerular filtration rate was 58.1 mL/min (-/+ 25.6). The bias with modification of diet in renal disease was 7.7 (P = .03), with Cockroft-Gault formula it was 3.2 (P = .3), with Nankivell it was 10.3 (P = .0002), and with cystatin C it was 0.31 (P = .9) The precisions (r) for modification of diet in renal disease, Cockroft-Gault formula, Nankivell, and cystatin C were 0.26 (P = .01), 0.26 (P = .01), 0.42 (P = .0001), and 0.60 (P < .0001), respectively. We also investigated the impact of sex, age, body mass index, and glomerular filtration rate on the performance of these 4 formula. CONCLUSION: The best correlation, highest precision, accuracy, and least bias were seen when using cystatin C. The largest bias was seen when using Nankivell and modification of diet in renal disease formula.

Outcome of 234 pregnancies in 140 renal transplant recipients from five middle eastern countries.

OBJECTIVE: To study the pregnancy and offspring outcomes in postrenal transplant recipients. METHODS: This is a retrospective case-note review study investigating the outcome of 234 pregnancies in 140 renal transplant recipients from five different Middle Eastern countries. RESULTS: Of the overall pregnancies 74.4% were successful albeit with high prevalences of preterm and Caesarean deliveries (40.8% and 53%, respectively). The mean serum creatinine did not rise significantly during pregnancy in the group as a whole but did so in patients who had serum creatinine of or above 150 micromol/L at the beginning of their pregnancies. The mean birth weight was (2,458 g) with 41.3% of the newborns being of low birth weight (<2,500 g). The prevalences of stillbirths were 7.3% and of spontaneous abortion was 19.3%. Preeclampsia and gestational diabetes were observed in 26.1% and 2% of pregnancies, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In the presence of good allograft function, the majority of pregnancies in renal transplant recipients have a good outcome but with increased incidence of preeclampsia, reduced gestational age, and low birth weights. Patients with baseline serum creatinine of above 150 micromol/L have an increased risk of allograft dysfunction resulting from the pregnancy.

What is the most appropriate formula to use in estimating glomerular filtration rate in adult Arabs without kidney disease?

BACKGROUND: In clinical practice, the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is often estimated by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) or Cockcroft-Gault (CG) formulae. No data are available, however, on the performance of these formulae in Arab individuals. METHODS: Plasma creatinine samples were obtained from 90 consecutive normal Arab kidney donors for the estimation of GFR (eGFR) using the simplified MDRD and CG formulae. The GFR was measured in these donors with chromium labelled EDTA {[51Cr] EDTA). Bias was assessed by calculating the difference between the measured GFR and the calculated GFR using each of the two formulae; precision was calculated using the r value of the regression analysis. RESULTS: The group studied consisted of 90 donors, of whom 64 were males (71%). The mean age was 30.8 years (+/- 9.8) and mean BMI was 25.7 (+/- 5.7). The measured GFR (mean 112.4 +/- 17.5) correlated better with the calculated GFR by CG formula (mean 107.7 +/- 29.7) and showed poor correlation with the GFR estimated by the MDRD (mean 89.2 +/- 13.8); bias = 4.8 and 23.3, respectively (p = 0.1 and < 0.0001, respectively). The correlation with CG formula was better in males (bias = 2, p = 0.5) and those under 30 years of age (bias = 1.0, p = 0.9). Based on our data, we calculated a correction factor to the CG formula to improve the correlation with the measured GFR in Arab individuals. By multiplying the CG formula by 1.0446, the bias was reduced from 4.8 (p = 0.1) to 0.0 (p = 0.5) with an increase in precision from 0.2 (p = 0.05) to 0.43 (p = 0.0001). Using CG formula, the frequency for values within 30% of the mean of the measured value was 75%, which improved to 80% using the revised formula. CONCLUSIONS: CG formula was found to be the most appropriate for calculation of GFR in Arab individuals. It is possible to reduce the bias and improve precision in Arab individuals with normal renal function by multiplying the result obtained by CG formula by 1.0446.

Does repeated Ramadan fasting adversely affect kidney function in renal transplant patients?

This is a prospective cohort study in renal transplant patients who fasted or who did not fast for three consecutive Ramadans. The baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and urinary protein excretion before the first Ramadan were compared to those after the third Ramadan in 35 fasters and 33 nonfasters. The effect of age, time after transplantation, presence of diabetes mellitus (DM), and proteinuria on changes in the GFR were studied. The two groups were comparable in gender, age, donor source, time posttransplantation, presence of DM, hypertension, proteinuria, serum creatinine, and MAP. Among the fasters, there was no change in estimated GFR after fasting for three Ramadans (56.4 mL/min versus 55.4 mL/min, P=0.8) even after adjusting for age, DM, baseline GFR, proteinuria, or time after transplantation. There were no significant differences between the fasters and the nonfasters in the changes in GFR, MAP, and urinary protein excretion between baseline and the third Ramadan.

Level of health awareness of Saudi patients on renal replacement therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess health awareness in patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT) in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional survey using a 22-item questionnaire in 143 randomly selected adult RRT patients [40 on hemodialysis (HD), 61 on peritoneal dialysis (PD) and 42 with renal transplant (TX)]. The study was carried out at King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, Riyadh in April 2006. The questionnaire was designed to evaluate patients' knowledge in 5 areas: 1. causes of renal failure, 2. biology of the kidneys, 3. symptoms of kidney disease, 4. therapeutic options available, 5. national kidney patients support facilities. The association between the level of awareness (the percentage of correct answers) to different demographic factors was assessed. RESULTS: Three fifths of the patients had less than secondary education. The average mark for correct responses of all patients was 45.9% with a highest (58%) for the category on biology of the kidney and lowest (36.8%) for national kidney patients support facilities. The PD group had the highest score (54.4%) followed by HD (44.3%) and finally TX (35.1%). CONCLUSION: The level of our patients; health awareness is lower than satisfactory. Level of education seems to be a contributory factor.

Assessment of the willingness of potential live related kidney donors.

Even in the case of live related kidney donation, coercion within families is applied on the most vulnerable amongst them. This vulnerability could be financial, social or psychological In this paper we discuss how to assess the willingness or unwillingness of a kidney donor and discover if any coercion has been applied on him/her be it direct or indirect.

Is there a need for establishing a formal nephrologist-directed primary care program in dialysis units?

We have introduced an annual timetable format for addressing the "primary care" needs of the hemodialysis population. For 102 patients enrolled, fourteen interventions adapted for the dialysis population from the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations were implemented successfully in 65% areas in our pilot year, which include important features like annual history and physical examination, breast examination, mammography, pap smear, lipid profile, adult specific immunization and stool occult blood. Flexible sigmoidoscopy program was unsuccessful in our pilot year.

Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) Efficacy in Glomerulonephritis (GN), a Retrospective Analysis.

Mycophenolate Mofetil MMF has been widely used in post-transplant immunosuppression. Its role is emerging in GN. MMF demonstrated promising results compared with cyclosphosphamide in stage IV lupus nephritis, in a recently published trial. It has been found to have a wide safety profile, with mostly gastroinetestinal side effects, which can be avoided through titration. Its action is through inhibition of the enzyme IMDPH (ionosine monophosphate dehydrogenase), leading to purine antagonism and inhibition of lymphocytes. We were aiming to demonstrate the efficacy of MMF in our GN population. In this study, we reviewed 17 patients who received MMF (dose - 1 gm po bid) for the past year. They were only included if it was given for the management of resistant primary glomerulonephritis. Complete remission has been defined as proteinuria of less than 0.5 g/day and partial remission as a reduction of proteinuria 50% of starting MMF therapy; all 17 MMF therapy patients uniformly achieved good BP ((29%) achieved complete remission and this group consisted of 1 membranous GN, 2 lupus GN (type IV and membranous), one FSGS and one with MPGN. Four of 17 (23%) were non-responders to therapy. This group articles.aspx? id=41 to side effects. We conclude that the MMF appears to be an effective alternate treatment modality in resistant membranous GN, lupus nephritis (type IV and V) and possibly MPGN, and to a lesser extent in resistant FSGS. Further prospective data may demonstrate the efficacy of MMF in GN.

The effect of active nutritional counseling in improving biochemical nutritional parameters and fluid overload problems in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Management of nutritional status is an integral part of the management of patients with renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis (HD). We investigated whether active nutritional counseling can improve biochemical nutritional parameters and fluid overload problems in patients on HD. A total of 110 patients, on three times per week HD, were enrolled in the study. Information regarding patient characteristics was collected with the help of a questionnaire. Patients with hypoalbuminemia, hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia, and more than three kilograms inter-dialytic weight gains were identified and were given active nutritional counseling. The above parameters were followed over a seven-month period. Active nutritional counseling resulted in significant decrease in the prevalence of hyperkalemia as well as high inter-dialytic weight gains (p < 0.001). However, the prevalence of hypoalbuminemia and hyperphosphatemia remained unchanged over the study period. Our study suggests that active nutritional counseling can improve certain important biochemical parameters and fluid overload problems in patients on maintenance HD.

Renal artery aneurysm: a case report and review of literature.

Renal artery aneurysm is an uncommon clinical occurrence. We report a 32-year-old lady with refractory hypertension who was found to have renal artery aneurysm. After a long clinical course, the aneurysm was successfully treated with coil embolization.

Causes of acute thrombotic microangiopathy in patients receiving kidney transplantation.

OBJECTIVES: Thrombotic microangiopathy is a well-known problem in patients following renal transplantation. In postrenal transplantation, thrombotic microangiopathy is often a reflection of hemolytic uremic syndrome. We aimed to determine the causes of thrombotic microangiopathy in a population of renal transplantation recipients and discuss the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated the causes of thrombotic microangiopathy during a 1-year period, from June 2003 to June 2004, at the King Fahad National Guard Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by reviewing the slides of all transplant biopsies (n=25) performed during this interval. Pre- and posttransplant crossmatching was done when possible. RESULTS: Five cases of thrombotic microangiopathy were found. Three of these cases were from the 25 transplantations performed at King Fahad National Guard Hospital, while the other 2 transplantations had been performed abroad and were referred to us for follow-up. Three cases were related to cyclosporine, and 1 case was secondary to both cyclosporine and tacrolimus. The fifth case had features of thrombotic microangiopathy related to an antiphospholipid syndrome in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus. CONCLUSIONS: In the literature, the most-frequent cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome in patients following renal transplantation is recurrence of the hemolytic uremic syndrome. Other causes include drug-related (cyclosporine, tacrolimus) toxicity, procoagulant status, and antibody-mediated rejection. We found that the most-frequent cause of thrombotic microangiopathy was drug related, secondary mainly to cyclosporine. In the current study, the frequency of thrombotic microangiopathy was similar to the percentage reported in the literature (20%).