Oxalate Nephropathy: A Case Report of Acute Kidney Injury Due to Juice Diet.

Oxalate nephropathy occurs due to the deposition of calcium oxalate crystals in kidney tubules and/or the interstitium as a part of primary or secondary hyperoxaluria. Secondary oxalate nephropathy can occur even with moderately high doses of ascorbic acid intake under yet unidentified clinical circumstances. Vitamin C, although traditionally considered an antioxidant, leads to the formation of superoxide and subsequent generation of reactive oxidant species at pharmacologic concentrations. Ascorbic acid is partly converted to oxalic acid, which is responsible for deposition and renal tubular injury. We report a case of a diabetic patient with normal kidney function who was put on a juice diet for a week due to upper gastrointestinal bleeding. He developed acute kidney injury due to biopsy-proven oxalate nephropathy requiring dialysis. Though he was lost to follow-up after two weeks on dialysis, he was expected to have only a slow recovery or become dependent on dialysis given his age, comorbidities, and extent of tubular involvement. Hence, caution should be exercised before supplementing vitamin C either in its natural form or as a drug. Risk factors for secondary oxalate nephropathy due to excessive intake of oxalate or its precursor are likely to be age, diabetes, dehydration, and underlying chronic kidney disease. Most of the patients do not have a complete recovery of kidney function, and many become dependent on dialysis.

Trace Elements in Chronic Haemodialysis Patients and Healthy Individuals-A Comparative Study.

INTRODUCTION: End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients despite receiving adequate Haemodialysis (HD) develop significant risk of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). Abnormality in levels of trace elements may potentiate vascular injury by producing sustained inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Hence, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the levels of trace elements in patients receiving HD. AIM: To study the blood levels of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, barium, cobalt, caesium and selenium among ESRD patients undergoing HD and compare it with healthy individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a cross-sectional, comparative study done in a tertiary care center. About 40 established ESRD patients aged above 18 years, belonging to both sexes, undergoing chronic HD for more than six months were enrolled as Group A (Cases). Patients who had history of smoking and occupational exposure to heavy metals were excluded from the study. About 40 age and sex matched apparently healthy individuals attending health check-up were enrolled as Group B (Controls). Participants of this group had normal e-GFR by Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation. About 5ml of fasting venous blood sample was obtained from both groups and analyzed for trace elements. Chi-square/Fisher's-exact test was used for comparing ratios. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In the present study, the mean blood levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium and cobalt was found to be significantly higher in Group A as compared to Group B with all these parameters attaining a p-value of <0.001. Similarly, the mean blood levels of lead and caesium was high in Group A with a p-value of 0.001 each. The blood levels of mercury and barium did not vary significantly between both the groups with p=0.656 and 0.096 respectively. The blood levels of anti-oxidant selenium was lower in Group A, but did not attain statistical significance (p=0.217). CONCLUSION: The mean blood levels of toxic trace elements were significantly elevated with a simultaneous reduction in essential trace elements in patients receiving HD, which probably may contribute to an increase in CVD.

Baclofen-induced neurotoxicity in a patient with end-stage renal disease.

Baclofen, predominantly excreted by the kidneys is accumulated in patients with renal insufficiency leading to the central nervous system toxicity. Here the author reports a patient with end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) who developed drowsiness and became unresponsive within a day after taking single 10 mg dose of baclofen. Patient improved completely after two sessions of HD.

A case of primary renal allograft dysfunction due to myeloma cast nephropathy.

We report a rare case of primary renal allograft dysfunction due to myeloma cast nephropathy in a patient with no overt clinical features of multiple myeloma preceding his transplantation. A 45-year-old man on hemodialysis for six months for end-stage kidney disease due to presumed chronic glomerulonephritis developed immediate graft dysfunction post-transplantation. The graft biopsy was diagnostic of myeloma cast nephropathy. Other criteria for lambda light chain multiple myeloma were fulfilled with immunofixation electrophoresis and bone marrow biopsy. He was treated with plasmapheresis, bortezomib and high-dose dexamethasone. However, the patient succumbed to septicemia on the 37 th post-operative day. This is probably the first report of primary renal allograft dysfunction due to myeloma cast nephropathy diagnosed within the first week post-transplanation in a patient with unrecognized multiple myeloma.

Acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis due to multiple wasp stings.

In most patients, wasp stings cause local reactions and rarely anaphylaxis. Acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis are unusual complications of wasp stings. We report a case of acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis secondary to multiple wasp stings. A 55-year-old farmer developed multi organ dysfunction with acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis 3 days after he had sustained multiple wasp stings. The etiology of acute kidney injury is probably both rhabdomyolysis and acute tubular necrosis. He improved completely after hemodialysis and intensive care.