[Pregnancy outcome in five women after autologous bone marrow transplantation for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia]. / Przebieg ciaz i porodów u kobiet po przebytym zabiegu autotransplantacji szpiku z powodu ostrej bialaczki limfoblastycznej.

There are reports of successful pregnancies in women with haematological malignancies after either autologous or allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). We report six cases of uncomplicated pregnancies in five women treated with high-dose chemotherapy, radiotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. One patient was diagnosed as having leukaemia during pregnancy. The pregnancy ended with medical termination. Each woman received conditioning regimens without total body irradiation (TBI). Of five women, who received AMBT, all resumed spontaneous cyclical menstruation post transplantation. All of them conceived naturally between 15-52 months following ABMT. We noted one miscarriage in our 29-year-old patient. Six pregnancies went to term and each resulted in the successful delivery of a full-term baby. We did not notice any case of relapse of leukaemia in pregnancy.

[Causes of chronic renal failure and clinical status of patients during initiation of hemodialysis therapy in upper Silesian region]. / Przyczyny przewleklej niewydolnosci nerek i stan kliniczny chorych w chwili rozpoczecia hemodializoterapii na obszarze Górnego Slaska.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to evaluate the causes of chronic renal failure and clinical status of patients during the onset of hemodialysis therapy in Upper Silesian region. Medical documentation and questionnaires of 175 patients initiating hemodialysis therapy from November 1999 to October 2000 were analyzed. Concentrations of creatinine, calcium, phosphorus in serum, hemoglobin in blood, concomitance of hypertension, frequency of uremic symptoms, HBV and HCV infections, and occurrence of mature arterio-venous fistula before the first hemodialysis were assessed. The main causes of end stage kidney disease were: chronic glomerulonephritis (29%), diabetic nephropathy (27%), polycystic kidney disease (15%), interstitial (11%) and hypertensive (9%) nephropathy. The first contact with nephrologist for 30% of patients was the admission for the initiation of renal replacement therapy. 33% of patients were treated due to chronic renal failure shorter than 1 year. Only 53% of patients had matured arterio-venous fistula during the first hemodialysis session. Anemia, hyperphosphatemia (>1.7 mmol/l) and arterial hypertension were found in 87%, 49.5% and 82% of patients starting hemodialysis therapy, respectively. The main symptoms of chronic uremia were weakness, pruritus, swelling, nausea and insomnia. CONCLUSIONS: Most of patients with chronic renal failure is referred to the nephrologists at the advanced stage of the disease. It is especially true for patients with diabetic nephropathy.

Does plasma leptin concentration predict the nutritional status of hemodialyzed patients with chronic renal failure?

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic renal failure are characterized by hyperleptinemia, and leptin is presumed to be an anorectogenic hormone. The aim of this prospective study was to analyze changes in body composition and parameters of nutritional status in relation to changes in plasma leptin concentration in uremic patients during the first year of hemodialysis therapy. MATERIAL/METHODS: 21 patients (10 F, 11 M, mean age 51+/- 3 years, BMI 24.3+/-1.1 kg/m2) were enrolled in this study. Nutritional status was evaluated by anthropometric parameters, estimation of body composition (DEXA method), and biochemical markers (plasma concentrations of albumin, cholesterol, triglycerides, transferrin) and plasma leptin concentration. Tests were performed twice: immediately after initiation of hemodialysis therapy and again 12 months later. RESULTS: After 12 months of hemodialysis therapy, the changes in body mass (-2.6+/-0.8 kg; p=0.23), total fat mass (TFM) (-0.3+/-0.8 kg; p=0.68) and total lean mass (TLM) (+0.5+/-0.8 kg; p=0.26) were insignificant. Plasma leptin concentration and estimated biochemical nutritional parameters did not change markedly. A significant positive correlation was noticed between TFM and plasma leptin concentration (R=0.521; p=0.02) at the beginning of hemodialysis therapy and between changes in TFM and plasma leptin concentration (R=0.466; p=0.04) after one year. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma leptin concentration does not predict forthcoming changes in body composition and changes of nutritional status in uremic patients after the first year of hemodialysis.