Puberty in renal transplant girls

Evaluation of puberty parameters in renal transplant girls who receiving a combination of immunosuppressive treatment including cyclosporine A, prednisolone and azathiopnne 18 living related donor renal transplant girls were evaluated initially and followed for 2 years post transplant. All underwent measurement of Tanner stage, height, bone age,and endocrinologic evaluation. Our results showed that at initial evaluation retarded sexual maturation was observed in 22.2% of girls and height SDS in 38.9% of girls were greater than 2 SD below the mean for age. Serum estradiol level was significantly correlated with height,bone age, and Tanner stage. The height increment was significantly correlated inversely with the duration of immunosuppresion. Dialysis duration was significantly longer in girls with good physical growth followed transplantation. Our data indicate that diminished renal function and predinsolone treatment appear to be additive in delaying maturation in some girls after kidney transplantation. Moreover, renal transplant girls maintained on triple immunosupperssive treatment showed acceptable puberty parameters in the majority of patients

Study of some echocardiographic changes in patients before and after kidney transplantation

Some of the cardiac parameters of 50 patients undergoing regular hemodialysis were studied by M-mode, 2 dimensional and color flow echocardiography, just before then, after successful kidney transplantation. Most of the abnormal pretransplantation echocardiographic findings were improved after kidney transplantation including pericardial effusion, left ventricular dilatation, left ventricular hypertrophy, dilated cardiomyopathy and valvular regurgitation. The improvement also involved end diastolic [diameter/ and volume], end systolic [diameter/and volume], stroke volume, interventricular septal thickness, cardiac output and cardiac index. In some abnormalities e.g cardiac out put and index the improvement was marked in more than 6 months period after transplantation rather than in 3 months period after transplantation; while, in others like left ventricular mass and left ventricular mass index the improvement was marked in both periods

Does anticardiolipin antibodies predict therapeutic response of nephrotic syndrome patients?

Anticardiolipin antibodies [aCL] were measured in 29 patients with nephrotic syndrome [NS] showing different underlying kidney pathology. 8 healthy volunteer persons were taken as a control group. A significantly higher levels of both IgG and IgM aCL were detected in NS patients compared to control. However, no relation was found between aCL levels and age, renal histological pattern or renal function. Unlike serum creatinine level which appear to have predictive value for response to therapy, no association was detected between aCL level and therapeutic response of NS patients

effects of a hemodialysis session on left ventricular function in patients with chronic renal failure under maintainance hemodialysis

The effects of a haemodialysis session [D. S] on the left ventricular function [LVF] were studied in 31 patients [77% males and 23% females] with end stage renal failure. Their mean age was 30. 4 +/- 7 83 years [17- 42 years] and they have been on maintainance haemodialysis for 2 months to 5 years [mean duration 19. 9 +/- 13. 61 months]. Echocardiograhic study revealed that the D. S. resulted in significant decrease [P< 0.05] in the mean end systolic diameter and volume; mean end diastolic diameter, end diastolic volume and volume index. Similarly, there was a significant decrease in the mean stroke volume and mean left ventricular ejection time. In the mean time, there was a significant increase in the mean ejection fraction and the mean circumferential fiber shortening velocity. It was evident from our work that, the D. S resulted in partial correction of serum electrolytes imbalance and metabolic abnormalities. There was a consequent improvement in the echocardiographicaly determined L VF [as reflected by decrease in left ventricular dimensions and volumes] with better contractility. Accordingly, it can be assumed that, the disturbed left ventricular cardiac functions found prior to dialysis are mainly due to functional rather than structural changes