Alpha-interferon with ribavirin in the treatment of hemodialysis patients with hepatitis C.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis C Viral (HCV) infection is the leading cause of chronic liver disease in end-stage renal disease patients (ESRD). The impact of HCV on patient and graft survival posttransplantation is controversial. The most successful approach is to eliminate the virus while the patient is on dialysis prior to transplantation. The main aim of this pilot study was to assess the efficacy of combined alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN) and ribavirin treatment of HCV hemodialysis (HDx) patients, by comparing the sustained virological response to that obtained by local historical data on treatment with alpha-IFN alone. A secondary aim was to establish the optimal therapeutic dose of ribavirin in this regimen. METHODS: Twenty HCV-HDx patients who were histologically (liver biopsy) and virologically (HCV-PCR)-positive were selected randomly. They received combination therapy with 3 million units (MU) of alpha-IFN and 200 mg of ribavirin three times a week. Initially nine patients were treated for 24 weeks. Later, another 11 patients were randomly selected to give the combination for 48 weeks. RESULTS: Six of the nine patients who were treated for 24 weeks (66%) became HCV-PCR-negative by the end of the treatment period. They continued to have a sustain virologic response at 6 months after the cessation of therapy. Six of the 11 patients (55%) who were treated for 48 weeks became HCV-PCR-negative at the end, and at 6 months after cessation of treatment. Of the first six responders, 4 (66%) maintained a sustained virologic response at 1 year postcessation of therapy. Nine of the 11 patients had genotype 4 and 1. No side effects were reported for a ribavirin dose of 200 mg three times a week. CONCLUSION: This pilot study suggests that combination treatment for 24 weeks and 48 weeks with 3 MU alpha-IFN and 200 mg ribavirin three times a week, elicited a sustained virologic response in HDx patients with HCV infection better than IFN alone with minimal side effects. A prospective, double-blind, controlled study using pegylated INF plus ribavirin is currently underway.

Effect of Ramadan fasting on Moslem kidney transplant recipients.

This study was carried out to find out whether Ramadan fasting would affect the renal function in kidney transplant recipients with normal or impaired graft function. Twenty-three transplant recipients, 17 with a normal function and 6 with an impaired but stable function with plasma creatinine levels not exceeding 300 mmol/l, were included in this study. The mean posttransplant period was 2.0 (range 0.6-6.3) years. Urinary and serum biochemical parameters, ciclosporin A level, and hematocrit were checked weekly, during Ramadan as well as 1 week before and after. Statistical analysis showed no significant changes in all parameters before, during, and after Ramadan. In conclusion, our findings indicate that fasting during the month of Ramadan does not seem to be associated with any significant adverse effects in kidney transplant recipients with normal or impaired graft function and suggest that it is safe for those patients to fast during Ramadan after 1 year of renal transplantation.

Reversible acute renal failure due to oral acyclovar.

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Development of systemic lupus erythematosus in a male patient after 14 years on hemodialysis.

We report a 38-year-old man who developed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) 14 years after commencing regular hemodialysis. When he was initially diagnosed as having end-stage renal disease (ESRD) secondary to chronic glomerulonephritis, he did not have any clinical or serological criteria to suspect SLE. He did not receive, at any stage, any of the drugs known to cause SLE. He showed remarkable improvement after treatment with steroids and cyclophosphamide.

Hepatitis C associated chronic liver disease in renal transplant recipients.

Infection with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is emerging as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients. We studied three hundred and forty stable renal transplant recipients on follow-up in our transplant clinic. Anti-HCV, tested by second generation ELISA, was positive in 185 patients (54%) of whom 52 (28%) had evidence of chronic liver disease. Six of the study patients were positive for anti-HCV and hepatitis B surface antigen. Twenty-three patients consented to undergo liver biopsy of whom eight had normal histology or fatty changes. Five patients had chronic non-specific hepatitis; four each had chronic lobular and chronic active hepatitis (CAH) and two had CAH with cirrhosis. All 15 patients with significant abnormalities on liver histology had elevated serum transaminase levels. Repeat liver biopsies were performed in seven patients after a mean period of 23.8 months following the first biopsy which showed worsening of the disease in four while three retained the same pattern. These results suggest that the prevalence of anti-HCV in our renal transplant recipients is high and that these patients have a high prevalence of chronic liver disease associated with major changes on liver histology. It is therefore recommended that caution is exercised while considering transplantation in patients who are anti-HCV positive.

Progression of hepatitis C infection in a renal transplant recipient: a case report.

We present a patient with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who developed chronic active hepatitis (CAH) after renal transplantation. Alpha-interferon (a-IF) therapy was administered in view of deteriorating liver biochemistry. Liver histology at this stage showed features suggestive of chronic active hepatitis (CAH). The patient had stable graft function. Therapy with a-IF resulted in noticeable biochemical response within two weeks of commencement. An episode of steroid resistant renal allograft rejection occurred after 10 weeks of a-IF therapy which responded well to anti-lymphocyte globulin. Since then, the CAH has gradually progressed on to the development of cirrhotic changes and hepato-cellular carcinoma after 10 years following transplantation. Our case indicates that liver disease in anti-HCV positive patients can follow a serious course following renal transplantation.

Serum parathyroid hormone suppression by intravenous 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in patients on maintenance haemodialysis.

Secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with end-stage renal disease is characterised by elevated circulating levels of parathyroid hormone, due to inadequate synthesis of calcitriol, the active metabolite of vitamin D. Recent studies suggest that administration of calcitriol may directly suppress parathyroid (PTH) secretion independent of changes in serum calcium. We have studied the effect of intravenous calcitriol administration on the PTH level in 14 patients on maintenance haemodialysis with serum PTH levels above 2,000 pmol/l over a 16-week period. There was a significant reduction in the PTH level (65%) and a rise of serum calcium to the normal range. There was a significant reduction in serum PTH levels before the serum calcium concentrations increased, suggesting that calcitriol directly inhibits PTH release. In conclusion, intravenous treatment with calcitriol is of clinical importance, because it suppresses hypersecretion of PTH in uraemic patients, with minimal side effects.

FK 506 as an alternative in cyclosporin-induced hemolytic uremic syndrome in a kidney transplant recipient.

We describe a patient who received a living related kidney transplant that worked very well initially but developed oliguria and renal failure within 1 week and required dialysis. Clinical and hemological changes, as well as renal biopsy, confirmed the diagnosis of cyclosporin-induced hemolytic uremic syndrome. The patient did not respond to antirejection therapy or plasma exchange but did respond to the withdrawal of cyclosporin A and the commencement of FK 506.