Study of serum aluminum level in hemodialysed patients and its relation to bone desity.

In this study, 70 patients with chronic liver failure [CRF] maintained on regular hemodialysis were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of bony pains. The results showed that serum AL level was significantly higher in the group with bony pains [25.9 + 20.9 g/l and 13.88 + 5.6 g/l, respectively]; also, intact parathyroid hormone [iPTH] was significantly higher in the group with bony pains [432.77 + 244.20 pg/ml and 269.77 + 0.81 pg/l, respectively]. Bone densitometry was significantly lower in patients with bony aches [group A] than those with no bony aches [group B] in the neck of the femur and the mid radius. Hemoglobin level was significantly lower in the group with bony pains [7.4 + 1.2 g% and 11.3- 1.5 g%, respectively]; also, serum ferritin level was significantly higher in the group with bony pains [249.126.1 mg% and 714.38.7 mg%, respectively]

Estimation of serum and urinary profibrotic cytokines in renal allograft recipients

In this study, serum and urinary transforming growth factor beta 1 [TGF- beta 1] and platelet derived growth factor [PDGF] levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] in ten renal allograft recipients for more than one year with normal renal function [group I], ten renal allograft recipients for more than one year with impaired renal function [group II] and ten patients with chronic renal failure [CRF] under conservative therapy [group III] and the measurements were compared with the levels of ten healthy controls [group IV]. The data confirmed the crucial contribution of the profibrotic cytokines TGF-beta 1 and PDGF in the development of chronic graft dysfunction that could be further augmented by cyclosporine A therapy. Further studies are needed to examine the effect of manipulation of immunosuppressive regimen on the extent of profibrotic gene expression as well as the long-term graft survival