1,721,001 research outputs found
Tolvaptan use in severe neonatal autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD): the pharmaceutical challenge
Unlicensed medications are used all the time in the management of diseases in childhood. Tolvaptan (Jinarc®) is a vasopressin V2-receptor antagonist licensed for use to slow the progression of cyst development and renal insufficiency of ADPKD in adults with CKD stage 1 to 3 with evidence of rapidly progressing disease. Studies of animal models implicate the antidiuretic hormone arginine vasopressin and its messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) as promoters of kidney-cyst cell proliferation and luminal fluid secretion
Patient with an EYA1 mutation with features of branchio-oto-renal and oto-facio-cervical syndrome
Bilineal inheritance of PKD1 abnormalities mimicking autosomal recessive polycystic disease
BACKGROUND: Dominant polycystic kidney disease is common and usually presents clinically in adulthood. Recessive polycystic kidney disease is much less common and frequently presents antenatally or in the neonatal period with severe renal involvement. These are usually thought of as clinically distinct entities but diagnostic confusion is not infrequent.CASE-DIAGNOSIS/TREATMENT: We describe an infant with antenatally diagnosed massive renal enlargement and oligohydramnios with no resolvable cysts on ultrasound scanning. He underwent bilateral nephrectomy because of respiratory compromise and poor renal function but died subsequently of overwhelming sepsis. Genetic analysis revealed that he had bilineal inheritance of abnormalities of PKD1 and no demonstrable abnormalities of PKD2 or PKHD1.CONCLUSIONS: Biallelic inheritance of abnormalities of PKD1 may cause extremely severe disease resembling autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) which can result in diagnostic confusion. Accurate diagnosis is essential for genetic counseling
Vitamin B6 in pediatric renal transplant recipients
Objectives: Our aim was to assess the vitamin B6 intake and biochemical status in a sample of children who have undergone renal transplantation. Methods: A prospective observational study was performed in 10 pediatric renal transplant recipients to determine their vitamin B6 status through dietary assessment and serum Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) measurement. Results: Ten children (mean age of 11.9 years) had median serum PLP concentrations of 62.45 nmol/L (interquartile range ±83.40). Two children (20%) had values above the reference range, and none below. Mean vitamin B6 intake was 138.7% of reference nutrient intake (standard deviation ±35.2%). No children were in receipt of vitamin B6 supplementation. Conclusion: There is no previous literature on vitamin B6 status in children who have undergone renal transplantation. In adult transplant recipients, elevated serum PLP concentrations have been described and ascribed to possible excessive intakes. In this sample, no children appeared biochemically deficient, but 20% had elevated concentrations. Dietary intakes were not excessive, and no children reported oral Vitamin B6 supplementation. Exploration of vitamin B6 metabolism in this population is required.</p
Association of nutritional status and health-related quality of life in children with chronic kidney disease
Purpose: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important, patient-centred measure. Although nutritional status is altered in children with CKD, the impact of nutritional status on HRQoL in this population has not been explored. The aims of this study are to report the HRQoL scores as assessed by the validated PedsQL™ questionnaire and to explore the relationship of HRQoL scores to markers of nutritional status. It will also examine the concordance between the scores of the child and their parent/carer. Methods: A single-centre, cross-sectional, observational study was performed exploring the markers of nutritional status (anthropometry—including presence of obesity, micronutrient status and appetite) and HRQoL and assessed by the PedsQL™ questionnaire in children aged 3–18 years with pre-dialysis, conservatively managed CKD. Results: A total of 46 children were recruited, with a mean age of 10.5 years. HRQoL scores were lower than in healthy controls throughout all domains. Lower scores were associated with short stature and poor appetite. Markers of obesity or micronutrient status were not associated with HRQoL scores. Discussion: Nutritional status impacts upon HRQoL. Further study is needed to evaluate how changing nutritional status may affect HRQoL in children with CKD, and this may be used to facilitate the development of patient-centred treatment goals and plans.</p
Hemizygous loss of function mutations in CLCN5 causing end-stage kidney disease without Dent disease phenotype
Dent disease type 1 is suspected in the presence of a complete phenotype of low molecular weight (LMW) proteinuria, hypercalciuria and at least one of the following: nephrocalcinosis, nephrolithiasis, haematuria, hypophosphatemia or chronic kidney disease (CKD). We present two brothers who presented with CKD alone. In the absence of typical clinical features, further assessment of LMW proteinuria and hypercalciuria was not undertaken. Whole-genome sequencing revealed hemizygous loss of function mutations in chloride voltage-gated channel 5 (CLCN5) consistent with Dent disease. Dent disease should, therefore, be considered in patients with an incomplete phenotype, including unexplained CKD alone
Thrombotic microangiopathy following haematopoietic stem cell transplant
Thrombotic microangiopathy is a potentially lethal complication of haematopoietic stem cell (bone marrow) transplantation. The pathophysiology is incompletely understood, although endothelial damage appears to be central. Platelet activation, neutrophil extracellular traps and complement activation appear to play key roles. Diagnosis may be difficult and universally accepted diagnostic criteria are not available. Treatment remains controversial. In some cases, withdrawal of calcineurin inhibitors is adequate. Rituximab and defibrotide also appear to have been used successfully. In severe cases, complement inhibitors such as eculizumab may play a valuable role. Further research is required to define the pathophysiology and determine both robust diagnostic criteria and the optimal treatment.</p
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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