Nephro-Urology Monthly
Volume:6 Issue: 4, Jul 2014

We report a case of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) with IgMκ light chain deposits in a patient with chronic hepatitis C infection and simultaneous onset of monoclonal IgMκ gammopathy with concurrent small B-cell lymphoproliferative disease. The patient presented with hepatosplenomegaly and a uremic state that necessitated dialysis without any clinical signs of systemic disease apart from the chronic infection with hepatitis C virus. The diagnostic approach led to a renal biopsy that revealed MPGN with dominant IgMκ deposits and interstitium infiltration by the lymphoid cells. The bone marrow biopsy findings were consistent with splenic marginal zone lymphoma, a rare lymphoproliferative disorder with a rare association with MPGN. Our case indicates high diagnostic value of renal biopsy for rare lymphoplasmacytic neoplasms with renal dysfunction as their predominant clinical manifestation..

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common after cardiac surgery, the incidence varying between 7.7% and 28.1%. It significantly increases morbidity and mortality. Creatinine considerably delays the diagnosis with its own attended demerits. Novel urinary biomarkers are emerging which help in rapid diagnosis thus reducing the morbidity and mortality. Biomarkers of our study were neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and Interleukin-18 (IL-18).. To find out the incidence of AKI in post-cardiac surgery patients in our hospital, the ability of the two biomarkers in early diagnosis in predicting the severity of AKI based on RIFLE’s criteria and their ability to discriminate pre-renal from intrinsic AKI..Patients and One-hundred patients who underwent cardiac surgery were selected. Midstream urine samples were collected at 3 time intervals (baseline before surgery, 24 hours and 7 days after surgery). Biomarkers were measured by ELISA using BIORAD processors. Fractional excretion of sodium and urea were used to discriminate pre-renal from intrinsic AKI.. Out of 100 patients, 31 had AKI, 11 being pre-renal and 20 intrinsic AKI. Four patients required renal replacement therapy (12.9% among AKI cases and 4% in the overall study cohort). Four among 31 expired in intensive care unit. Identifiable risk factors for AKI included insulin requiring diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, increased cardio-pulmonary bypass time, combined valvular surgery and coronary artery bypass grafting, employment of intra-aortic balloon counter pulsation, left main coronary artery occlusion and an ejection fraction of < 40%. NGAL was extremely sensitive (area under curve-0.96) in detecting intrinsic AKI at 24 hours followed by IL-18 ratio with an area under curve of 0.89. Creatinine at 24 hours was able to detect only 31.6% of intrinsic AKI. None of the pre-renal cases showed rise in the urinary biomarker levels. Patients with higher stages of AKI had higher levels of both biomarkers than those at lower stages.. NGAL and IL-18 obviated the disadvantages of creatinine. They were efficient in early detection of AKI, in differentiating pre-renal from intrinsic AKI and in predicting the severity of AKI reliably in post-cardiac surgery patients..

Monoclonal antibodies block interleukin-2 receptors on alloantigen-reactive T-Lymphocytes and induce selective immunosuppression. It is postulated that induction therapy with these agents in pediatric transplantation may decrease acute rejection and improve graft survival with no significant side effect or increase in the incidence of viral infections.. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of interleukin 2 receptor blockers on patient and graft survival in renal-transplanted children..Patients and One hundred and eighty six children aged 7-13 years who received renal transplantation in university-affiliated hospital between 2003 and 2012 were enrolled in the study. All patients received prednisolone, cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine as basic immunosuppressive therapy. Patients were divided into two groups according to receiving induction therapy with IL2-receptor blockers. We investigated for acute rejection episodes, Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and BK virus infection and one and three year’s survival of the patients and the grafts. From 186 renal-transplanted children included in this study, 36 patients were in treated group (group 1) and 150 patients in control group (group 2). The mean age of the patients was 10.4 ± 2 years and 55.6% were males. In first six months of transplantation, eight patients in group one had one episode of acute rejection and no one had two episodes. Early acute rejection rate was 8.36 (22%). In the control group, 37 patients had one episode and three patients had two episodes of acute rejection (rejection rate 28.6%). Therefore, early acute rejection rates were lower in group one. Late acute rejection rates did not show any difference in group 1 and group 2 (27.7% vs. 27.3% respectively). There was lower prevalence of steroid-resistance rejection in group 1 patients (5.5%) compared with 6.6% in group 2, but it did not reach statistical significance. None of the patients in IL2-R blocker group died at one year follow-up (patient survival 100%). However, in control group, four (2.6%) patients died toward the end of first year (patient survival 97.4%). When patients in group 1 and group 2 were age and sex matched with equal number the difference was significant (P < 0.05).. Induction therapy with IL2-R blockers reduced the rate of early acute rejection, but had no effect on late acute rejections. Patient and graft survival were better in treated group, but did not reach statistical significance. A longer period of follow-up may be required to discern a clear advantage for induction therapy with these agents..

Μalakoplakia is a rare inflammatory condition of the urogenital tract. The most frequently affected organ is urinary bladder. This condition has features of a granulomatous inflammation, the pathogenesis of which is not well understood. In this study, we presented a case of urinary bladder malakoplakia associated with advanced obstructive uropathy and renal failure..

Prostate is an important male reproductive system gland and its disorders can affect men''s quality of life and health. Prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostate adenocarcinoma are major disorders that can be found in all men in different ages.. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of diet with serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level as well as prostate volume.. In this cross-sectional study, 950 men older than 40 years of age who had attended our clinic for a screening program for prostate cancer were enrolled. Data was extracted from the program database. The eligible cases included all noncancerous subjects with available data concerning serum PSA level and prostate volume; the patients had completed a 50-item self-administered food frequency questionnaire about their diet during the preceding two year.. No overall association was found between the consumption of foods and prostate volume as well as serum PSA level. There was a significant correlations between age and serum PSA level (r = 0.24) as well as with prostate volume (r = 0.22) (P < 0.001). In addition, there was a significant correlation between serum PSA level and prostate volume (r = 0.41 and P < 0.001).. The results of this study confirmed the previous reports regarding the serum PSA level correlation with prostate volume. There was no evidence that dietary patterns might have any important effect on prostate volume and serum PSA in this Iranian population..

Bladder diverticulum is a result of bladder mucosa and submucosa herniation through the muscularis propria of bladder wall. Bladder diverticula are mostly seen in the elderly men in association with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).. A 74-year-old man presented with complaints of vague epigastric discomfort, dyspepsia, and mild lower urinary tract symptoms. An ultrasonography of the abdomen showed bilateral hydroureteronephrosis, large cystic lesion with the size of 26.3 × 20.5 cm and in continuation of urinary bladder and prostate of 70 mL volume. Voiding cystourethrogram revealed a large diverticulum with its neck communicating with bladder on posterior aspect. Abdominopelvic contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed bilateral hydronephrosis with large bladder diverticulum of 27.3 × 21.5 cm in size with smooth diverticular wall. On cystoscopy, the neck of diverticulum was seen at the posterior wall of bladder. Open prostatectomy and diverticulectomy were done simultaneously (Figure 3). Postoperative course was uneventful. The histopathological assessment showed features of chronic inflammation without any evidence of malignancy. On the third postoperative day, the urethral catheter was removed and suprapubic catheter was clamped. Patient was voiding well and cystography done on day 12 revealed smooth bladder contour without any leakage; hence, suprapubic catheter was removed. Patient was discharged in satisfactory condition.. The elderly men are at high risk of developing bladder diverticulum, which may be due to high prevalence BPH in this group. Although presentation of bladder diverticulum is nonspecific, its effect on renal system is significant. Therefore, awareness of patients and physicians is necessary to prevent its consequences..

The most important surgical complications of renal transplantation are stenosis and obstruction of anastomosis of the ureter to the bladder. Hence, routine use of ureteral stents to prevent such complications seems logical; however, the optimal time to remove the ureteral stent is still controversial.. The purpose of this study was to compare the benefits and complications of the early or delayed ureteral stent removal post-transplantation..Patients and All patients who underwent kidney transplantation in Modarres Hospital from May 2011 through March 2012 were recruited. The patients were allocated to three groups. Ureteral stent removed 10, 20, and 30 days after transplantation in groups one, two, and three, respectively.. A total of 91 patients had undergone renal transplantation in our center. Ureteral stent was removed at 10, 20, and 30 days after surgery. Urologic complications among the three groups included hydronephrosis, urinoma, and collection around the graft; there was no statistically significant difference among study groups with regard to frequency of complications.. We can remove the ureteral stent at shorter interval after renal transplantation with no increased risk of urologic complications..

There are growing numbers of patients with end-stage renal disease globally at an unexpected rate. Today, the most serious challenge in transplantation is organ shortage; hence, using deceased donor is increasingly encouraged.. The aim of the study was to investigate the differences in survival rates between kidney transplant recipients with deceased donor and living donor..Patients and In a retrospective cohort study, 218 patients who had undergone kidney transplantation in our institute from April 2008 to September 2010 were recruited. Demographics and post-transplantation follow-up data including immunosuppression regimens, rejection episodes, and survival rates were evaluated. The patients were assigned to two groups according to the donor kidney transplantation: group I, living donor kidney transplants; and group II, deceased donor kidney transplants.. Although there were no significant differences in one-year survival rates of patient and graft between study groups, three-years survival rates of patient and graft were significantly longer in living donor kidney transplants in comparison with the deceased donor kidney recipients (P = 0.006 and P = 0.004, respectively). In Cox-regression model after adjusting for other confounding factors such as age, sex, diabetes mellitus, and first- or second-time transplantation, overall patient and graft survivals were also significantly shorter in deceased kidney transplantation than those who received kidney from a living donor (HR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.2-10.4; and P = 0.02 for patient survival; and HR, 5.4; 95% CI, 1.5-19.5; and P = 0.009 for graft survival).. We found acceptable short-term survival in both groups; however, living donor recipients continue to have better long-term patient and graft survival rates..

Although chronic kidney disease-induced anemia is more prevalent in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), anemia is a common finding prior to manifestation of kidney disease. In presence of some risk factors at the time of diagnosing DM, microvascular complications must be considered. The effect of anemia as a risk factor on progression of DM complications is still unclear.. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and its association with microvascular complications in patients with type 2 DM..Patients and This cross-sectional study was performed in the outpatient endocrinology clinic at Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Study was done from February 2011 to February 2012. Patients with type 2 DM without any obvious symptom or sign of anemia were included in study.. A total of 93 patients (30.4%) had anemia including 46 (15.1%) with normochromic normocytic, 44 (14.4%) with hyperchromic microcytic, and 3 (1%) with hyperchromic macrocytic anemias. There was a positive correlation between duration of DM and anemia. Microvascular complications were more frequent with normocytic or microcytic anemias. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was higher in patients without anemia; moreover, nephropathy was less frequent among them. Among patients with anemia, 43% had GFR of more than 90 mL/min and 19.4% had normoalbuminuria. Neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy had strong association with anemia (odds ratio of 1.99, 1.7, and 1.5, respectively).. Anemia is a common complication of DM and is associated with duration of disease and microvascular complications..

Despite regular treatment by hemodialysis, patients on hemodialysis are affected by uremic syndrome, which is marked by fatigue. Fatigue is supposed as the most common and the most severe symptom ever reported by patients with chronic kidney disease.. This controlled study aimed to evaluate the effect of intradialytic physical and mental exercises on fatigue in patients on hemodialysis..Patients and A total of 66 patients on long-term hemodialysis were selected via purposive sampling and were assigned to two groups, namely, control and experimental groups. The experimental group participated in a intradialytic training program twice a week for two months. The program was designed by a senior expert in physical education. Their fatigue was measured via a fatigue severity scale questionnaire before as well as one and two months after the intervention in both groups.. The mean of the fatigue score within the research units was 42.37. Overall, 42.2% and 56.1% of the participants experienced medium and severe fatigue, respectively. The scores of fatigue decreased significantly from the beginning through two months after intervention in the experiment group.. With respect to the findings of the study, this method of treatment is recommended due to being cost efficient, easy, applicable, and flexible for alleviating the effect of fatigue on the personal, psychological, and social aspects of life quality in patients on hemodialysis..

Smoking is a risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, it is speculated that only a small subset of sensitive smokers develop CKD.. We aimed to reveal the characteristics of such smokers sensitive to the renal effects of smoking with respect to cardiovascular (CV) risk factors associated with smoking and/or CKD..Patients and Renal functions and CVD risk factors were assessed in middle-aged male workers. The patients were comprised of 336 nonsmokers, 332 smokers currently smoking up to one pack per day, and 38 who smoked more than one pack per day. CKD was determined by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from serum creatinine and urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR). The independent and interactive effects of smoking and CKD on the CVD risk factors adjusted for age, body mass index, alcohol consumption, and physical activity were statistically analyzed.. In comparison to nonsmokers, smokers had significantly higher waist circumference, white blood cells (WBC), serum triglycerides, γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) and lower serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and uric acid. On the other hand, blood pressure (BP) and WBC tended to be higher in those showing CKD than others. Serum GGT and fasting plasma glucose were significantly higher, and insulin resistance index of homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR) tended to be higher in those with CKD. Serum CRP was especially high in those with moderate to severe CKD. A significant interactive effect of smoking and CKD on BP and serum GGT levels was detected, i.e. BP and GGT were not different in the subjects among nonsmokers with and without CKD, but were conspicuously high among smokers with CKD. No significant interactive effect was found on either HOMA-IR or serum CRP.. Smokers with a higher BP and/or serum GGT may be at a higher risk of developing CKD. The associations of BP and serum GGT with CKD in smokers are not entirely mediated by increased insulin resistance or chronic inflammation caused by smoking..

Chronic kidney disease can lead to sarcopenia; however, no study has described sarcopenia in the patients undergoing renal transplantation..

The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of sarcopenia in renal transplant recipients (RTR) and to evaluate the demographic and metabolic risk factors associated with sarcopenia in these patients..Patients and

Sarcopenia was diagnosed by measuring handgrip strength in 166 RTR (68 females and 98 males; mean age, 37.9 ± 11.9 years). Basal metabolic rate, fat mass, free-fat mass, total body water, body mass index, and calf circumference were determined, along with blood biochemistry, vitamin D levels, and glomerular filtration rate..

Among 166 patients, sarcopenia was present in 34 (20.5%). Handgrip, basal metabolic rate, free fat mass, and total body water were significantly lower in patients with sarcopenia in comparison with those without sarcopenia. There were no differences between patients with and without sarcopenia in terms of mean time since transplantation, the presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease, hyperlipidemia, glomerular filtration rate, and body mass index. Univariate analysis revealed significant differences between patients with and without sarcopenia with respect to age (mean of 43.70 ± 13.97 and 36.37 ± 10.82 years, respectively; P = 0.007) and 25-OH vitamin D levels (median (IQR) of 12 (2-39) and 17.70 (3-68) μg/L, respectively; P = 0.024). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between vitamin D levels and handgrip strength (r = 0.334; P < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis determined that age was an independent predictive variable of sarcopenia in RTR (β = 1.060; 95% CI, 1.017-1.105; and P = 0.006)..

Chronic renal disease contributes to sarcopenia, which may develop at an earlier age in RTR..