Hyperoxaluria after ethylene glycol poisoning.

Treatment of otherwise lethal ethylene glycol poisoning depends on rapid diagnosis, aggressive supportive care, appropriate use of alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitors and, in selected patients, hemodialysis. Next to that, specific measures to prevent renal or systemic calcium-oxalate deposition are important. We report the case of a 12-year-old girl who ingested more than five times the lethal dosis of ethylene glycol in a suicide attempt. At admission her serum ethylene glycol concentration was 88 mg/dl. Under treatment by ethanol infusions to block the alcohol dehydrogenase and by hemodialysis to eliminate ethylene glycol and its toxic metabolites, this level decreased to below 15 mg/dl within 36 h. The plasma oxalate level, however, rose to a maximum of 89 micromol/l (normal <6.3 +/- 1.1) on day 3 and only normalized on day 7 after ingestion. In addition, urinary oxalate excretion was elevated (maximum 1.16 mmol/1.73 m(2)/24 h). Both lead to calcium-oxalate oversaturation and hence to the risk of local (renal) or systemic crystal deposition. Therefore, alkaline citrate was given as a preventive measure to increase urinary oxalate solubility, but nephrocalcinosis still developed. Metabolic acidosis, hypocalcaemia, and neurological symptoms had not occurred. Four weeks after discharge, both plasma and urinary oxalate levels were normal.

Detection of polyomavirus BK and JC in children with kidney diseases and renal transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Reactivation of polyomavirus is a known reason for severe renal dysfunction in adult renal transplant recipients. Testing for polyomavirus DNA in plasma has been described as a sensitive and specific method to discover viral nephropathy in adult patients. We were now interested in polyomavirus status in a pediatric patient setting. METHODS: Plasma and urine samples were obtained from 80 children including 38 children after renal transplantation (group 1), 7 children with different kidney diseases receiving immunosuppressive treatment (group 2) and 35 children with different kidney diseases not receiving immunosuppressive treatment (group 3). A nested polymerase chain reaction method was used for amplification of polyomavirus DNA fragments. Differentiation between JC and BK virus was done by digestion with restriction endonucleases. RESULTS: Polyomavirus DNA was detected in the urine sample of 19 of 38 (50%) renal transplant recipients (group 1), of 1 of 7 (14%) patients from group 2 and in none of the 35 patients of group 3. Plasma samples from 3 (8%) of group 1 patients and from 1 child each of group 2 (14%) and group 3 (3%) were tested positive for polyomavirus DNA. CONCLUSION: Urinary polyomavirus excretion seems to be more frequent in pediatric patients with kidney diseases receiving immunosuppressive treatment and after renal transplantation than in children with various kidney diseases without immunosuppressive treatment.

Hypocitraturia as a risk factor for nephrocalcinosis after kidney transplantation.

Calcium-oxalate crystal deposition in kidney transplant biopsy specimen led us to investigate the impact of calcineurin inhibitor treatment on urinary excretion of lithogenic and stone inhibitory substances in 53 children after successful kidney transplantation (KTx) receiving cyclosporine A (CsA) or tacrolimus. We compared the values obtained with those of 12 patients with recurrent nephrotic syndrome under CsA and of 6 patients with Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) under tacrolimus therapy. Renal ultrasound examinations were repeatedly performed. Hypocitraturia was found in 69% of patients, with KTx patients having a significantly lower urinary citrate excretion than those receiving calcineurin inhibitors for other reasons. Secondly, we found hyperoxaluria in 35% of patients, again especially in those after KTx. No significant difference in urinary substances was seen comparing CsA with tacrolimus treatment. Urolithiasis was found in one and calcium-oxalate crystal deposition in biopsy specimen of three KTx patients. Calcineurin inhibitor treatment can lead to significant hypocitraturia, especially in patients after KTx receiving the highest dose of medication. Hyperoxaluria is primarily the result of a removal of significant body oxalate stores, deposited during dialysis, but may not be suspected as a specific side effect of calcineurin inhibitor therapy. Both findings can increase the risk for urolithiasis or nephrocalcinosis.

Successful plasma therapy for atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome caused by factor H deficiency owing to a novel mutation in the complement cofactor protein domain 15.

Quantitative or functional deficiency of complement factor H results in uncontrolled complement activation. This leads to thrombotic microangiopathy and finally causes renal failure (atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome [aHUS]). By regular analysis of factor H in patients with aHUS, the authors found a complete factor H deficiency in an infant in whom aHUS developed at 8 months of age. Factor H was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and further analyzed by Western blot using a factor H-specific antibody. Complement activation was determined by measuring total hemolytic activity of the classical (CH50) and alternative (APH50) pathways, C3 and C3d. The sequence of factor H gene was determined. Serial factor H measurements after fresh frozen plasma infusion allowed calculation of a factor H half-life. Factor H was absent in plasma (<1 mug/mL), and the complement system was highly activated (CH50, APH50, C3 decreased; C3d increased). Genetic analysis identified a novel homozygous factor H mutation (T2770A; Y899Stop) in CCP domain 15, most likely causing defective protein secretion. Time course measurements of factor H after plasma infusion established a factor H half-life of about 6 days. By repetitive plasma infusions (20 mL/kg over about 2 to 3 hours) the authors were able to interrupt the vicious circle of thrombotic microangiopathy in a factor H-deficient patient with aHUS. Based on the measured factor H half-life of about 6 days, regular plasma infusions in 2-week intervals were given, which prevented further aHUS episodes and stopped the decline of kidney function.

Two novel ADAMTS13 gene mutations in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/hemolytic-uremic syndrome (TTP/HUS).

BACKGROUND: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) are now considered to be variants of one single syndrome called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/hemolytic-uremic syndrome (TTP/HUS). Key features are thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, and subsequently impaired function of different organs, especially the kidneys and the central nervous system (CNS). One possible reason is the deficiency of von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease (vWF-CP) resulting in persistence of uncleaved, ultralarge von Willebrand factor multimers (ULvWFM). METHODS: We report a patient who was initially diagnosed with Evans syndrome (hemolytic anemia and autoimmune thrombocytopenia) as infant. At 10 years of age he developed HUS-like disease with gastrointestinal tract infection, hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia,and acute renal failure. However, enteropathogenic Escherichia coli-like or Shiga-like toxins were not detected. RESULTS: Further investigations revealed severe deficiency (<3%; normal >40%) of vWF-CP activity caused by compound heterozygosity of two novel ADAMTS13 gene mutations (1170 G>C [W390C] and 3735 G>A [W1245X]. vWF-CP autoantibodies were not detected. Periodic (every 2 weeks) treatment with fresh frozen plasma (FFP) maintained both platelet level and kidney function within normal range and prevented new episodes of TTP/HUS. CONCLUSION: Enteropathogenic E. coli- and Shiga-like toxin-negative patients who present with hemolytic or thrombocytopenic episodes and HUS like symptoms should be tested for vWF-CP deficiency and other noninfectious reasons for TTP/HUS since plasma substitution possibly provides an efficient therapeutic option for this subgroup of patients.

Urinary NAG in children with urolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis, or risk of urolithiasis.

A crucial role for cell-crystal interactions in the development of urolithiasis (UL) and nephrocalcinosis (NC) was previously observed in experiments with different cell lines mimicking renal epithelial cells. It was found that such cell-crystal interactions lead to tubular damage and/or or dysfunction. To find further proof for these observations, we measured the urinary N-acetyl-beta- d-glucosaminidase (NAG) excretion, a marker of proximal tubular damage, in children with UL or NC and in children with an increased risk of UL. We enrolled 142 children aged 4-16 years (mean 9.67+/-3.40 years), with 50 children having UL, 30 children with a history of UL (ULH), 20 patients with NC, 34 children with secondary hyperoxaluria (HyOx), and 8 children with idiopathic hypercalciuria (HC). Normal urinary NAG/Cr values were determined in a group of 70 healthy children aged 4-16 years (mean 10.06+/-3.97 years). The urinary NAG activity was measured using a colorimetric method and the results were expressed as molar creatinine (Cr) ratios. The highest median NAG/Cr ratios were found in children with UL plus hematuria (0.72 U/mM) and in children with UL (0.67 U/mM) or NC (0.48 U/mM), which were all significantly higher than those in controls (0.28 U/mmol, P<0.001 and P<0.05). The NAG/Cr ratios were increased above the upper normal reference interval of 0.63 U/mM (95th percentile) in 28 of 50 (56%) children with UL and in 9 of 20 (45%) children with NC. Although the ULH group also had significantly higher median NAG/Cr ratios (0.36 U/mM) compared with controls, the NAG/Cr ratio was only elevated in 4 of 30 (13%) patients. NAG values in children with secondary HyOx or HC were not different from controls. No correlation was found between the NAG/Cr ratios and the urinary excretion of oxalate or calcium. In conclusion, UL or NC may result in proximal tubular injury, which is rather the consequence of disease activity and of the mechanical influence of calculi, than of the metabolic background. The mechanism of cell damage in these conditions however, seems to be complex. Neither HyOx nor HC alone were sufficient to induce severe tubular damage expressed as an increase in NAG excretion in our patients.