scholarly journals Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Kidney Transplant Recipients: Our Single Center Experiences

Author(s):  
Serdar Karadağ ◽  
Ramazan Uğur ◽  
Emre Sam ◽  
Mithat Ekşi ◽  
Yunus Çolakoğlu ◽  
...  

Objective: To investigate whether tacrolimus (Tac), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), mycophenolic acid (MPA), prednisolone (Pred) and methylprednisolone (MP) are affect the COVID-19 pathogenesis and on its progression in kidney transplantation recipients diagnosed with COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: Among patients hospitalized due to COVID-19, patients who had kidney transplantation were retrospectively detected on the online database of our center. Referral complaints, laboratory and radiological data at referral, applied treatment protocols, and ultimate conditions of the patients were documented. Results: Among the total of 11 patients, 73% (8) were male and 27% (3) were female. The mean age was 49.63 (27-71). Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were the most common comorbid diseases. The most common symptoms were coughing, fever and exhaustion-fatigue. High serum reactive protein and lymphopenia were detected in almost all patients. Acute renal failure was observed in seven patients (73%). While all patients were using Tac and Pred, nine patients (82%) were using MMF and two patients (18%) were using MPA. Hydroxychloroquine, favipiravir, and azithromycin were treatments for COVID-19. RT-PCR results of 11 patients were positive in 7 and negative in 4 patients. The mean hospital stay of the discharged patients was 8.8 days. Eight patients recovered and were discharged, treatment of two intubated patients continues in intensive care unit and one patient died. Conclusion: Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in kidney transplanted patients are similar to the general population and it should be kept in mind that the disease occurs with moderate-severe pneumonia in this patient group. Disease progress can be stopped through early treatment.

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 192-196
Author(s):  
Aris Tsalouchos ◽  
Maurizio Salvadori

Immunosuppressive therapy in renal transplantation can be distinguished in induction therapy and maintenance therapy. Induction therapy is an intense immunosuppressive therapy administered at the time of kidney transplantation to reduce the risk of acute allograft rejection. In general, the induction immunosuppressive strategies used at kidney transplant centers fall into one of these two categories. One strategy relies upon high doses of conventional immunosuppressive agents, while the other utilizes antibodies directed against T-cell antigens in combination with lower doses of conventional agents. Maintenance immunosuppressive therapy is administered to almost all kidney transplant recipients to help prevent acute rejection and loss of the renal allograft. Although an adequate level of immunosuppression is required to dampen the immune response to the allograft, the level of chronic immunosuppression is decreased over time (as the risk of acute rejection decreases) to help lower the overall risk of infection and malignancy; these risks directly correlate with the degree of overall immunosuppression. The optimal maintenance immunosuppressive therapy in kidney transplantation is not established. The major immunosuppressive agents that are available in various combination regimens are glucocorticoids (primarily oral prednisone), azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS), cyclosporine (in non-modified or modified [microemulsion] form), Tacrolimus, everolimus, rapamycin (sirolimus), and Belatacept.


2019 ◽  
pp. 014556131987728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Rzepakowska ◽  
Adam Rytel ◽  
Przemysław Krawczyk ◽  
Ewa Osuch-Wójcikiewicz ◽  
Iga Widłak ◽  
...  

Deep neck infections (DNIs) are still emergency conditions in otorhinolaryngology. Due to rapid disease progression and life-threatening complications, the accurate surgical and medical treatment must be promptly applied. In the present study, we analyzed treatment protocols of 46 adults to assess efficacy of the treatment and search for prognostic factors of the outcomes. We performed retrospective analysis of medical data of 46 patients, who underwent surgical treatment in our department due to purulent DNI in the period from 2009 to 2017. Data investigated included age, sex, hospitalization time, duration of symptoms before drainage, comorbidities, selected laboratory tests results, location and the number of abscesses, results of microbiological cultures, and antibiotic treatment options. The study group consisted of 33 (71.7%) men and 13 (28.3%) women. Patients age ranged from 18 to 82 years. The mean duration of hospital stay was 13.2 ± 8.4 days. The most common site involved was submandibular space (43.5%), followed by parapharyngeal space (28.3%). The majority of patients had single abscess (81.2%), the multiple abscesses were revealed in 8 (18.8%) cases. The mean size of the abscesses was 42 mm. C-reactive protein level was increased in 96.7% patients (mean level 155.5  ±  146.7  mg/L), but the white blood cell count exceeded the normal in 60.9% cases (mean level 16.89  ±  5.59   ×  109/L). Staphylococcus aureus (20.7%) and Peptostreptococcus (20.7%) were the most common species cultured from swabs. The antibiotic treatment included most commonly a combined ceftriaxone and metronidazole (n = 23). Two patients died due to complications. The correlation between different variables and the duration of hospitalization revealed only the hemoglobin level below 12.5 g/dL, a significant predictor of longer hospitalization (16.23 days vs 12.09 days, P = .017). Patients with purulent DNIs and decreased hemoglobin level are predisposed to prolonged recovery following the surgical drainage.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
José Jesús Broseta ◽  
Diana Rodríguez-Espinosa ◽  
Elena Cuadrado ◽  
Elena Guillén-Olmos ◽  
Evelyn Hermida ◽  
...  

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease that has easily spread worldwide. Outpatient maintenance hemodialysis seems to entail an increased risk of contagion, and previous reports inform of increased mortality among this population. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We retrospectively analyzed clinical and laboratory parameters, outcomes, and management once discharged of CKD-5D patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 from our health area. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Out of the 429 CKD-5D population, 36 were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection (8%): 34 on in-center hemodialysis and 2 on peritoneal dialysis. Five were asymptomatic. The most common symptom was fever (70%), followed by dyspnea and cough. History of cardiovascular disease and elevation of LDH and C-reactive protein during admission were associated with higher mortality. Thirteen patients died (36%), 8 patients were admitted to an ICU, and survival was low (38%) among the latter. The mean time to death was 12 days. Most discharged patients got negative rRT-PCR in nasopharyngeal swabs within 26 days of diagnosis. However, there is a portion of cured patients that continue to have positive results even more than 2 months after the initial presentation. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Patients on dialysis have an increased mortality risk if infected with SARS-CoV-2. Preventive measures have proven useful. Thus, proper ones, such as universal screening of the population and isolation when required, need to be generalized. Better de-isolation criteria are necessary to ensure an appropriate use of public health resources.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mineaki Kitamura ◽  
Yasushi Mochizuki ◽  
Tsuyoshi Matsuda ◽  
Yuta Mukae ◽  
Hiromi Nakanishi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Higher serum uric acid (UA) levels are associated with poorer renal prognosis. In kidney transplantation, both donors and recipients are diagnosed as having chronic kidney diseases (CKD) based on renal function; however, their UA levels slightly vary. Elucidating the differences in UA would help improve kidney prognosis, especially for recipients. Therefore, we investigated UA levels in kidney transplant recipients by comparing them to those in their donors. Methods In this retrospective cross-sectional survey, background information and blood examination results were collected from the donors just before donation and after transplantation in the donors and recipients. Associations between UA and sex estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated. Data were assessed by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test for continuous variables and the chi-squared test for categorical variables; multiple linear regression analyses were performed to determine which factors were associated with renal function before and after transplantation. Results Participant characteristics were as follows. The mean donor age (n = 45, 16 men and 29 women) was 55 ± 11 years, and the mean recipient age (n = 45, 25 men and 20 women) was 46 ± 16 years. Sex-related differences (UA levels in men were predominant) existed in the UA of donors before (P < 0.001) and after donation (P < 0.001). Conversely, there were no significant sex-related differences in the UA of recipients (P = 0.51); the mean standardized eGFRs were similar in donors and recipients after transplantation. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed donor UA only correlated with donor sex before donation (P = 0.008). After donation, donor UA was associated with donor sex (P = 0.006), eGFR (P < 0.001), and BMI (P = 0.02). Notably, the UA of recipients after transplantation was only associated with eGFR (P = 0.003). Conclusions Sex has less impact on UA in recipients than in donors. UA has a greater impact on renal prognosis in women than men, even at the same UA level. Therefore, attention should be given to UA levels in female recipients. These findings can be useful for determining patient prognosis following kidney transplantation in both donors and recipients.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Zhao ◽  
Ji Li ◽  
Jia Yang ◽  
Sikuan Ye ◽  
Ying Xiang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Chest computed tomography (CT) provides insight into the progression and prognosis of COVID-19 pneumonia. Purpose To quantify the chest CT scans of patients with CODIV-19 pneumonia using the pulmonary inflammation index (PII)and associate it with the severity of pneumonia. Methods A total of thirty inpatients admitted between January 30 and February 29, 2020 with confirmed COVID-19 infection were enrolled in this retrospective review. Patients were classified as “severe”(those who met the severe pneumonia criteria) or “mild”. Chest CT scans and clinical statistics data were obtained at four milestones (the date of admission, 3 days after treatment, 1 week after treatment and the time the last CT scan was obtained before discharge orthe completionof our research). Results Thirty patients (18 males and 12 females, age 20–74 years) with confirmed COVID-19pneumonia were evaluated. Increased neutrophilswere noted in 11 (36.7%) patients and decreased in 3 (10%) patients. Elevation of C-reactive protein (CRP) in 22 (73.3%) patients and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in 27 (90%) patient were observed, but elevation of procalcitonin was not obvious. Seven (53.8%) patients had elevation of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).The presentation of CT opacities was mainly in the form of distribution in both the severe andmild groups. The mean PII score in the severe group was 58% and 13.7% in the mild group. The score in the severe group was more than 50%and less than 20%in the mild group at every milestone. The score in the severe group was always higher than the mild group, therefore, the severity of the disease may be positively correlated with PII score. Conclusion The pulmonary inflammation index (PII) score of chest CT scans correlated with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) progression and could be used to indicate severity in patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 2084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudarat Piyasiridej ◽  
Natavudh Townamchai ◽  
Suwasin Udomkarnjananun ◽  
Somratai Vadcharavivad ◽  
Krit Pongpirul ◽  
...  

Background: Mycophenolic acid (MPA), a crucial immunosuppressive drug, and plasmapheresis, an effective immunoreduction method, are simultaneously used for the management of various immune-related diseases, including kidney transplantation. While plasmapheresis has been proven efficient in removing many substances from the blood, its effect on MPA plasma levels remains unestablished. Objectives: To evaluate the full pharmacokinetics of MPA by measuring the area under the time–concentration curve (AUC0–12), which is the best indicator for MPA treatment monitoring after each plasmapheresis session, and to compare the AUC0–12 measurements on the day with and on the day without plasmapheresis. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in kidney transplantation recipients who were taking a twice-daily oral dose of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF, Cellcept®) and undergoing plasmapheresis at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, during January 2018 and January 2019. The MPA levels were measured by an enzymatic method (Roche diagnostic®) 0, 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12 h after MMF administration, for AUC0–12 calculation on the day with and on the day without plasmapheresis sessions. Plasmapheresis was started within 4 h after administering the oral morning dose of MMF. Our primary outcome was the difference of AUC0–12 between the day with and the day without plasmapheresis. Results: Forty complete AUC measurements included 20 measurements on the plasmapheresis day and other 20 measurements on the day without plasmapheresis in six kidney transplant patients. The mean age of the patients was 56.2 ± 20.7 years. All patients had received 1000 mg/day of MMF for at least 72 h before undergoing 3.5 ± 1.2 plasmapheresis sessions. The mean AUC on the day with plasmapheresis was lower than that on the day without plasmapheresis (28.22 ± 8.21 vs. 36.79 ± 10.29 mg × h/L, p = 0.001), and the percentage of AUC reduction was 19.49 ± 24.83%. This was mainly the result of a decrease in AUC0–4 of MPA (23.96 ± 28.12% reduction). Conclusions: Plasmapheresis significantly reduces the level of full AUC0–12 of MPA. The present study is the first to measure the full AUC0–12 in MPA-treated patients undergoing plasmapheresis. Our study suggests that a supplementary dose of MPA is necessary for patients undergoing plasmapheresis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Izabela Zakrocka ◽  
Iwona Baranowicz-Gąszczyk ◽  
Wojciech Załuska

Abstract Background Iron overload is inevitably related to chronic kidney disease (CKD) treatment. Haemochromatosis leads to multiorgan damage and is associated with increased mortality. Primary haemochromatosis is the most common autosomal recessive disease in white populations. In most cases, the classic form of hereditary haemochromatosis is caused by mutations, mainly C282Y and H63D, in the haemochromatosis gene (HFE). Secondary haemochromatosis can be triggered by iron administration and blood transfusions. Haemochromatosis is rarely reported in kidney transplant recipients. Atypical factors may evoke haemochromatosis in patients without HFE mutations or other standard risk factors. Case presentation In the current study, we present a patient who started to have haemochromatosis symptoms after kidney transplantation. A 37-year-old man after kidney transplantation from a deceased donor was admitted to the hospital due to high serum ferritin levels and impaired graft function. The patient’s past medical history included arterial hypertension, embolization of both renal arteries and necrosis of the left femoral head. Glomerulonephritis was suspected as a cause of CKD; however, severe kidney failure was diagnosed, kidney biopsy was not performed, and the patient started intermittent haemodialysis. While on dialysis to treat anaemia, the patient had received erythropoietin and iron intravenously, and the maximal serum ferritin level was 2115 ng/ml. After kidney transplantation, ferritin levels started to increase rapidly, with a maximum level of 9468 ng/ml one and a half years after surgery. His genetic study showed HFE C282Y heterozygosity. Symptoms of haemochromatosis, such as skin hyperpigmentation, elevated activity of aminotransferases, impaired glucose tolerance and heart failure, were observed. Therapeutic phlebotomy was started, and 36 procedures were performed. After treatment, graft function significantly improved, most haemochromatosis symptoms resolved, and the serum ferritin level significantly decreased. Conclusions Haemochromatosis can occur in heterozygotic HFE patients after kidney transplantation. Iron administration, infections, type of immunosuppression and liver dysfunction should be considered potential triggers of haemochromatosis in this group of patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e24-e24
Author(s):  
Vahideh Ebrahimzadeh Attari ◽  
Zahra Shahvegharasl ◽  
Pouya Fathalizadeh ◽  
Sajjad Pourasghary ◽  
Mohammadali Mohajel Shoja ◽  
...  

Introduction: Kidney transplantation has considerably increased the survival and life quality of patients with end-stage renal disease. Objectives: The current study was designed to investigate the circulating level of dephosphorylateduncarboxylated matrix gamma carboxyglutamate protein (dp-ucMGP) as a marker of vitamin K status and vascular calcification in kidney transplant recipients as well as its association with the allograft function. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 90 eligible kidney transplant recipients were evaluated in the post-transplant phase (about 6-12 months after kidney transplantation). The serum levels of dp-ucMGP, urea, creatinine and other biochemical indices were determined. Results: The mean serum level of dp-ucMGP was 3.78±3.79 µg/L. Most of the participants (80%) had a normal range of serum dp-ucMGP (<4 µg/L). However, 10 % had high serum dp-ucMGP (>12 µg/L). Serum dp-ucMGP did not have any statistical significant association with serum urea, creatinine and kidney function (P>0.05). Conclusion: Further epidemiologic studies are needed to assess the time trends of dp-ucMGP after renal transplant and its relation to kidney function, since high serum level of dp-ucMGP may make kidney transplant recipients prone to various cardiovascular disease (CVD) and transplant rejection.


Author(s):  
Ab Rahman A F ◽  
Md Sahak N. ◽  
Ali A. M.

Objective: Once daily dosing (ODD) aminoglycoside is gaining wide acceptance as an alternative way of dosing. In our setting it is the regimen of choice whenever gentamicin is indicated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the practice of gentamicin ODD in a public hospital in Malaysia. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of medical records of patients on gentamicin ODD who were admitted to Hospital Melaka during January 2002 until March 2010. All adult patients who were on ODD gentamicin with various level of renal function were included in the study. Patients on gentamicin less than 72 hours and pregnant women were excluded. Results: From 110 patients, 75 (68.2%) were male and 35 (31.8%) were female. Indications for ODD gentamicin included pneumonia, 34 (31.0%) neutropenic sepsis, 27 (24.5%) and sepsis, 11 (10.0%). The mean dose and duration of gentamicin was 3.2 mg/kg/day and 7 days, respectively. Almost all patients were on gentamicin combined with other antibiotics. Clinical cure based on fever resolution was found in 89.1% of patients treated with ODD. Resolution of fever took an average of 48 hours after initiation of therapy. The evaluation for bacteriologic cure could not be performed because of insufficient data on culture and sensitivity. Out of 38 patients with analyzable serum creatinine data, four patients might have developed nephrotoxicity. Conclusion: In our setting, lower dosages of ODD gentamicin when used in combination with other antibiotics seemed to be effective and safe in treating most gram negative infections.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danilo Carmona ◽  
Pablo Jaque ◽  
Esteban Vöhringer-Martinez

<div><div><div><p>Peroxides play a central role in many chemical and biological pro- cesses such as the Fenton reaction. The relevance of these compounds lies in the low stability of the O–O bond which upon dissociation results in radical species able to initiate various chemical or biological processes. In this work, a set of 64 DFT functional-basis set combinations has been validated in terms of their capability to describe bond dissociation energies (BDE) for the O–O bond in a database of 14 ROOH peroxides for which experimental values ofBDE are available. Moreover, the electronic contributions to the BDE were obtained for four of the peroxides and the anion H2O2− at the CBS limit at CCSD(T) level with Dunning’s basis sets up to triple–ζ quality provid- ing a reference value for the hydrogen peroxide anion as a model. Almost all the functionals considered here yielded mean absolute deviations around 5.0 kcal mol−1. The smallest values were observed for the ωB97 family and the Minnesota M11 functional with a marked basis set dependence. Despite the mean deviation, order relations among BDE experimental values of peroxides were also considered. The ωB97 family was able to reproduce the relations correctly whereas other functionals presented a marked dependence on the chemical nature of the R group. Interestingly, M11 functional did not show a very good agreement with the established order despite its good performance in the mean error. The obtained results support the use of similar validation strategies for proper prediction of BDE or other molecular properties by DF Tmethods in subsequent related studies.</p></div></div></div>


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