Long term renal toxicity of ifosfamide in adult patients--5 year data.

Ifosfamide is indicated as first line treatment in a variety of solid tumours in adults. It is known to be nephrotoxic and is often used following therapy with, or as concomitant therapy with other potent nephrotoxins. To date, there are sparse case reports on the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) or chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adults exposed to ifosfamide. The available data on the long term renal complications for patients exposed to ifosfamide are thus based entirely on the paediatric population. The aim of this study was to assess the long term effects of ifosfamide exposure on renal function in an adult population and to determine if there are any treatment or patient specific factors that contribute to long term nephrotoxicity. The mean decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) following the first cycle of ifosfamide was 15 ml/min/1.73 m(2). Thereafter, there was a slower but steady decline in eGFR. No patient progressed to end stage renal disease (ESRD). Patient age and concomitant exposure to carboplatin were the only two factors which significantly affected eGFR. This represents the only long term study on the nephrotoxicity of ifosfamide in adults.

CSF-ACE activity in probable CNS neurosarcoidosis.

OBJECTIVE: To redefine the utility of CSF-ACE as a selective indicator of probable CNS neurosarcoidosis. METHODS: The diagnosis of probable CNS neurosarcoidosis required: (a) biopsy evidence of systemic sarcoidosis, (b) cortical, brainstem, and/or spinal cord deficits, (c) enhancing lesions on brain and/or spinal cord MRI, and (d) exclusion of other etiologies which could account for the neurological deficits. Radioassay measurement of CSF-ACE activity was performed in 11 patients who met our criteria for probable CNS neurosarcoidosis and 207 control patients. RESULTS: The M +/- SD for CSF-ACE activity was significantly higher (p < 0.05) for the 11 probable CNS neurosarcoidosis patients (9.5 +/- 6.9 nmol/mL/min) than for the control patients (2.9 +/- 2.7 nmol/mL/min). The optimal CSF-ACE activity discriminator value was 8 nmol/mL/min. At this value, the sensitivity and specificity of CSF-ACE activity was 55% and 94%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: CSF-ACE activity is a useful biochemical marker of probable CNS neurosarcoidosis when brain and/or spinal cord MRI show diffuse enhancing lesions.