[Case of trimethoprim-induced hyperkalemia complicating ANCA-associated vasculitis].

A 76-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of severe anemia. Routine screening revealed a sigmoid adenocarcinoma, and he underwent sigmoidectomy. Post-operatively, he developed rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. He was positive for myeloperoxidase anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody. A renal biopsy revealed idiopathic crescentic glomerulonephritis of the pauci-immune type. He was treated with methylprednisolone semi-pulse therapy with clinical improvement. After the steroid pulse therapy, he was given oral prednisolone, 40 mg per day, and oral trimethoprim (TMP), 160 mg, and sulfamethoxazole (SMX), 800 mg twice weekly for chemoprophylaxis against pneumocystis pneumonia. One month after the initiation of TMP/SMX, he developed hyperkalemia and hyponatremia. His transtubular K gradient was low, and urinary potassium excretion was decreased. On the other hand, plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone concentrations were within normal limits. These results suggested that TMP acted similarly to a potassium-sparing diuretic amiloride and reduced renal potassium excretion. Administration of calcium polystyrene sulfonate resulted in correction of the hyperkalemia without discontinuation of TMP/SMX. We emphasize that patients with impaired renal function are at the significant risk of developing trimethoprim-induced hyperkalemia even with chemoprophylaxis.

Thyroid storm with multiple organ failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and stroke with a normal serum FT3 level.

Thyroid storm is a rare disorder with a sudden onset, rapid progression and high mortality. We experienced a case of thyroid storm which had a devastating course, including multiple organ failure (MOF), severe hypoglycemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and stroke. It was difficult to make a diagnosis of thyroid storm in the present patient, because she did not have a history of thyroid disease and her serum FT3 level was normal. Clinicians should be aware that thyroid storm can occur even when there is an almost normal level of thyroid hormones, and that intensive anticoagulation is required for patients with atrial fibrillation to prevent stroke after thyroid storm.

[A case of slowly progressive type 1 diabetes mellitus developing myeloperoxidase-specific anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis with hypertrophic pachymeningitis manifesting as multiple cranial nerve palsy].

We report a 63-year-old man with a 35-year history of slowly progressive type 1 diabetes mellitus (SPIDDM), complicated with myeloperoxidase-specific anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA)-associated vasculitis presenting alveolar hemorrhage and pachymeningitis. The patient was first diagnosed as having DM at age of 28 years old and deteriorated secretion of insulin and the typical clinical course led us to the diagnosis of SPIDDM. When he was 58 years old, he suffered from fever, headache, and alveolar hemorrhage. He was diagnosed as having MPO-ANCA associated vasculitis based on a high titer of MPO-ANCA and histological findings of lung biopsy. Treatment with steroid pulse therapy, followed by oral prednisolone and oral cyclophosohamide, resulted in clinical improvement. Five years later, he complained of double vision. A gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of the brain showed normal. Two months later, he developed right cranial nerve V~XII palsy. A second MRI study revealed thickening of the right temporal region and cerebellar dura mater, leading us to the diagnosis of hypertrophic pachymeningitis. He responded well to oral prednisolone (50 mg/day) and intravenous cyclophosohamide (500 mg). This is the first case report of SPIDDM complicated with MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis, manifesting as alveolar hemorrhage and hypertrophic pachymeningitis.

Fluvastatin prevents development of arterial stiffness in haemodialysis patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Arterial stiffness assessed by pulse wave velocity (PWV) predicts all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease. We studied the preventive effects of a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, fluvastatin, on arterial PWV values in this population. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with normal serum lipid levels received fluvastatin (20 mg/day p.o.) or a placebo for 6 months. Their serum lipid levels, serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), arterial PWV, and ankle brachial indexes (ABI) were determined before, and 3 and 6 months after taking the medication to evaluate arterial stiffness. RESULTS: At the beginning of the follow-up, there were no differences in age, blood pressure, body mass index, serum haemoglobin A1c level, serum CRP level, serum lipid levels, PWV or ABI between the placebo- (n=10) and the fluvastatin-treated patients (n=12). After 6 months, the PWV and the serum oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level increased significantly (from 1969+/-140 to 2326+/-190 cm/s and 70.4+/-13.8 to 91.8+/-15.5 U/l, respectively) in the placebo-treated patients. However, the fluvastatin group had a significantly reduced PWV (from 1991+/-162 to 1709+/-134 cm/s), oxidized LDL-C serum levels (from 89.0+/-9.6 to 73.0+/-5.8 U/l) and CRP serum levels (from 0.97+/-0.32 to 0.26+/-0.16 mg/dl) compared with those in the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term administration of fluvastatin prevents further worsening of arterial biomechanics in haemodialysis patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, even in the presence of serum lipid levels in the normal range.