The Role of HLA and KIR Immunogenetics in BK Virus Infection after Kidney Transplantation.

BK virus (BKV) is a polyomavirus with high seroprevalence in the general population with an unremarkable clinical presentation in healthy people, but a potential for causing serious complications in immunosuppressed transplanted patients. Reactivation or primary infection in kidney allograft recipients may lead to allograft dysfunction and subsequent loss. Currently, there is no widely accepted specific treatment for BKV infection and reduction of immunosuppressive therapy is the mainstay therapy. Given this and the sequential appearance of viruria-viremia-nephropathy, screening and early detection are of utmost importance. There are numerous risk factors associated with BKV infection including genetic factors, among them human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) alleles have been shown to be the strongest so far. Identification of patients at risk for BKV infection would be useful in prevention or early action to reduce morbidity and progression to frank nephropathy. Assessment of risk involving HLA ligands and KIR genotyping of recipients in the pre-transplant or early post-transplant period might be useful in clinical practice. This review summarizes current knowledge of the association between HLA, KIR and BKV infection and potential future directions of research, which might lead to optimal utilization of these genetic markers.

Combined association of recipient killer cell immunoglobulin-like haplotype AA and donor HLA-C*07 gene with BK virus associated nephropathy in kidney transplant patients.

Kidney transplant recipient killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) genotype and HLA-C status of their donors have been separately associated with BK virus-associated nephropathy (BKVAN) and BK virus infection. Our aim was to determine whether different combinations of recipients KIR genes and donor HLA-C ligands influence the risk of BKVAN. Retrospective case-control study included 23 recipients with BKVAN and 46 recipients with persistently negative BK virus. Donor HLA-C*07 positivity was associated with lower odds for BKVAN, recipients bearing KIR haplotype AA or lacking any activating KIR genes were more frequent in BKVAN while recipient/donor combination HLA-C*07 negative/KIR AA positive was significantly associated with BKVAN. Our study complements and confirms results from several previously published studies, suggesting potential clinical usefulness.

Anemia Is Correlated with Malnutrition and Inflammation in Croatian Peritoneal Dialysis Patients: A Multicenter Nationwide Study.

Malnutrition, inflammation, and anemia are common in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. In this study, correlations between Malnutrition Inflammation Score (MIS), laboratory and anthropometric parameters, and anemia indices in Croatian PD patients were analyzed. One hundred and one PD patients (males/females 54/47, age 58.71 ± 14.68 years, mean PD duration 21.82 ± 21.71 months) were included. Clinical, laboratory, and anthropometric parameters were measured. Statistically significant correlations between MIS and erythropoietin weekly dose per kg of body weight (ESA weekly dose), hemoglobin (Hb), and erythrocytes were found (r = 0.439, p < 0.001; r = -0.032, p < 0.001; r = -0.435, p < 0.001), respectively. Also, statistically significant correlations were found between MIS and mean corpuscular volume (r = 0.344, p < 0.001), iron (r = -0.229, p = 0.021), and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) (r = -0.362, p < 0.001), respectively. Furthermore, statistically significant correlations between ESA weekly dose and serum albumin level and body mass index (BMI) were found (r = -0.272, p = 0.006; r = -0.269, p = 0.006), respectively. When we divided PD patients into 2 groups according Hb level (Hb ≥ 110 [N = 60, 59.41 %]) and Hb < 110 [N = 41, 40.59%]), statistically significant differences were found in MIS score (3.02 ± 2.54 vs 4.54 ± 3.54, p = 0.014), C-reactive protein (CRP) (3.52 ± 6.36 vs 7.85 ± 7.96, p = 0.005), and serum albumin level (44.22 ± 8.54 vs 39.94 ± 8.56, p = 0.003), respectively. Our findings suggest that anemia is correlated with malnutrition and inflammation in Croatian PD patients. Further studies are needed to assess whether modulating inflammatory or nutritional processes can improve anemia management in PD patients.

[Effect of pretransplant dialysis modality on incidence of early posttransplant infections in kidney recipients]. / Utjecaj tipa dijalize na pojavnost ranih infekcija nakon transplantacije bubrega.

INTRODUCTION: Infection is one of the main causes of patient death and graft failure early after kidney transplantation. Effect of pretransplant dialysis modality on incidence of infections after kidney transplantation still remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of pre-transplant dialysis modality on incidence urinary tract infections (UTI) and sepsis in early posttransplant period in kidney transplant recipients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case-control retrospective study a cohort of 72 kidney, kidney- pancreas or kidney-liver transplant recipients was included. Infection was defined by either clinical presentation or microbiological finding. Infections were categorized by localization and cause of infection. In patients on peritoneal dialysis peritoneal catheter was removed intraoperatively during transplantation. Infection rate during first three months posttransplant was analyzed. Difference in frequencies was calculated using nonparametric tests. Proportions were calculated using chi2 test. Time to first infection was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, p value < 0.05 criterion was used to decide statistical significance. RESULTS: The total number of infections per patient per day was not significantly different in peritoneal vs. hemodialysis modality (0,029 +/- 0.019 to 0,029 +/- 0,031, p=ns). Also, there was no significant difference in peritoneal vs. hemodialysis modality in the number of UTI (0.0156 +/- 0.0144 to 0,0165 +/- 0,0125, p=ns) and sepsis (0.0018 +/- 0.0044 to 0.0026 +/- 0.0019, p=ns) during first three months posttransplant. Similarly, no difference was noted between the groups in the location or cause of infection. Peritonitis prior to transplantation was not an independent risk factor for infections (p=0.37). In Cox regression PD was not an independent risk factor for either total infections, UTI, or sepsis. CONCLUSION: This study showed that there was not statistically significant difference in the risk for infection in first three months after kidney transplantation with respect to pretransplant dialysis modality. PD should be the first choice for renal replacement therapy in patients with end stage renal disease.

[Diabetic nephropathy and primary glomarular diseases]. / Dijabeticka nefropatija i primarne bolesti glomerula.

The primary glomerular disease in patients with diabetes mellitus is rare. Several reports have shown that primary glomerular diseases can be superimposed on diabetic nephropathy. The recognition of nondiabetic glomerular diseases in diabetic patients is of utmost importance since they might be successfully treated. This would positively affect the otherwise poor prognosis of renal disease in diabetic patients. The suspicion on nondiabetic renal disease is raised by the appearance of urinary abnormalities such as hematuria, massive nephrotic proteinuria or deterioration in renal function in patients with diabetes mellitus but without coexisting diabetic retinopathy. We report on diabetic patients who underwent renal biopsy because of the massive nephrotic proteinuria and non-nephrotic proteinuria without diabetic retinopathy, hematuria, and because of the deterioration of renal function. On pathohistological examination different types of primary glomerular diseases were found. The diagnosis and the treatement of glomerular diseases improved the renal prognosis in some of these patients.

Unusual presentation of herpes zoster in an immunocompromised patient: case report.

We present a case of an immunocompromised patient with unusual presentation of herpes zoster infection. After having been treated with corticosteroids for several weeks, the patient developed the zoster infection with atypical clinical course and skin localization. Parenteral treatment with acyclovir for 10 days resulted in a complete clinical resolution of the skin lesions. Similar cases of unusual presentation of herpes zoster have been described in immunocompromised patients.