Relative Risk Factors of Prognosis in IgA Nephropathy Patients with Depressed Renal Functions / 대한신장학회지

PURPOSE: This study was aimed at finding clinical factors to be associated with a progressive course of IgA nephropathy. METHODS: We investigated the association between the prognosis of IgA nephropathy and clinical and laboratory findings including age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, 24-hour urine protein, macroscopic hematuria, hematuria duration, serum uric acid, serum creatinine, GFR, upper respiratory infection, pathological observation, and treatment protocols. One hundred seventy seven patients were followed up for more than 2 years at Kyung Hee university medical center from January 1997 through December 2006. Kidney size and echogenicity were measured by abdominal ultrasonography. Resistive index was calculated by doppler ultrasonography. RESULTS: Long hematuria duration, increased uric acid, elevated creatinine of chronic renal failure group were distinguished from those of normal and acute renal failure group statistically. Using multivariate analysis, three factors, elevated serum uric acid, decreased GFR, ACE inhibitor or ARB and steroid combination treatment proved to be independent prognostic indicators of acute renal failure of IgA nephropathy. Heavy proteinuria, long hematuria duration, and severe histopathologic findings by Haas' classification were associated with significant risk factors for developing chronic renal failure. CONCLUSION: At diagnosis of IgA nephropathy, hematuria continuation and histological damage in Haas' classification were related with the reduction of renal function.

Herpes Simplex Virus and Varicella Zoster Virus Infections in Adult Kidney Transplant Recipients: Incidence and Risk Factor Analysis / 대한신장학회지

PURPOSE:Enhanced immunosuppression for preventing acute rejection, But infection is an inevitable complication. This study was performed to evaluate the risk factors of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection which are frequent and serious complication of renal transplant recipients. METHOD:We evaluated the incidence and risk factors for post-transplant HSV and VZV infection in three hundred and twenty three adult renal transplant recipients. RESULTS:The averaged period of infection was 37.8 months and 42% of infection occurred within six month after transplantation. Prevalence of HSV and VZV infection in diabetes patients are higher than that of non-diabetes patients (p=0.01). The other factors such as age, sex, acute rejection and immunosuppressive regimens, antibody induction didnt affect HSV and VZV infections in renal transplant recipients. CONCLUSION:As diabetic condition suggested more susceptibility to HSV and VZV infections, it is necessary to evaluate the possible occurrence of HSV and VZV infections carefully in transplant recipients with diabetes.