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C Svalander

Publications and source records attributed to C Svalander.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Plasmapheresis as a rescue therapy to resolve cardiac rejection with vasculitis and severe heart failure. A report of five cases.

The predominant causes of late graft loss and death after cardiac transplantation are graft rejection and infection. The histopathological classification of acute rejection is based on cellular phenomena such as lymphocytic infiltration and myocyte damage. The adverse prognostic importance of vascular or humoral rejection has been reported, but there is no well-documented treatment available. In our experience, comprising 151 orthotopic transplants, five patients presented with graft rejection characterized by a lymphocytic vasculitis that did not respond to conventional therapy. Because of a deteriorating condition, in spite of vigorous antirejection treatment that included inotropic drugs and circulatory support. plasmapheresis was tried as a last, desperate means to stop the process from developing further. The clinical symptoms rapidly subsided in all five patients after the first couple of plasma exchanges. All of the patients are alive and well after 2-3.5 years of follow-up. Although the mechanism of action is unclear, plasmapheresis was beneficial in these critically ill patients.

Adolescent

Spectrum of hereditary renal disease in a kidney transplant population.

Re-evaluation of the underlying renal disease in 1000 consecutive kidney transplant patients revealed 129 cases of adult autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and 60 clear and seven suspected cases with other hereditary renal disorders. Twenty-four of 60 patients had cystic/dysplastic disease--10 of these classified as nephronophthisis, five as polycystic disease, and nine with the renal affection as part of a congenital malformation syndrome. Thirteen patients had Alport's syndrome, nine were diagnosed with tubulointerstitial nephritis, and six had an adult form of focal segmental glomerular sclerosis (FSGS). Two had changes classified as nephrosclerosis, but with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. Finnish type congenital nephrotic syndrome was present in two children and familial amyloidosis in two adults. Two patients had an unclassified disease. During follow-up, five patients with cystic/dysplastic disorders manifested liver disease. None of the patients with FSGS had recurrence and none of the Alport patients had anti-GBM disease. There were no other complications related to the renal condition. In conclusion, hereditary disorders are underestimated in regular registries of patients with end-stage renal failure. An adult form of FSGS and what seems to be a hereditary form of nephrosclerosis are among those that merit further study.

Adolescent

Glomerular volume in kidneys transplanted into diabetic and non-diabetic patients.

Biopsies taken at the time of renal transplantation in 12 non-diabetic and 23 diabetic patients were studied by quantitative light- and electron-microscopy. Repeat biopsies were taken at 6 months and/or after 2-3 years in patients who had acceptable graft function. All patients except two received cyclosporin as part of the immunosuppression. Glomerular volume was significantly increased, + 36(95% CI +6 to +65) % (p = 0.03), in the diabetic patients at 6 months which differed from the change of -20 (-50 to +10) % in the non-diabetic patients (p = 0.03). After 2-3 years glomerular volume was equal to the baseline value in the diabetic patients, while the change from baseline in the non-diabetic patients was -21 (-42 to -1) %. Substantial glomerular occlusion was seen in only three diabetic patients after 2-3 years. Total structural volumes per glomerulus in the 2-3-year biopsies showed an increase in basement membrane material of 0.09 x 10(6) microns 3 in the diabetic patients, significantly different from the change in non-diabetic patients (-0.10 x 10(6) microns 3, p = 0.003). No correlation was obtained between the 6-month increase in glomerular volume and the development of diabetic glomerulopathy at 2-3 years. The fact that glomerular hypertrophy was not present in the entire series may be due to the cyclosporin and to rejection. Nevertheless the diabetic group did show an early hypertrophy which did not seem to play a major role in the ensuing development of diabetic glomerulopathy.

Adult

Recurrence of SLE in transplanted kidneys: a follow-up transplant biopsy study.

Renal transplant biopsies were obtained from 16 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus 6 months to 11 years post-transplant. Eight biopsies were taken on clinical grounds while eight were elective. Histopathological findings suggesting recurrent lupus nephritis were found in seven biopsies, five of which were taken on clinical indication. By light-microscopy, five graft biopsies showed proliferative glomerulopathy and two glomerulosclerosis. Immunofluorescence was positive for IgM and C3 in a finely granular pattern in all biopsies, for C1q in three, but for IgG in only two. Electron-dense deposits were found in all seven biopsies with predominantly subendothelial location. All but one patient had clinical signs of renal involvement, but only three had extrarenal symptoms and three had serological signs of active SLE. Upon increased immunosuppressive therapy, renal and serological signs improved but one graft was later lost due to recurrent SLE nephritis.

Adolescent

Kidney transplantation in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients. Early glomerulopathy.

The development of diabetic glomerulopathy in kidneys transplanted to diabetic patients was estimated in transplant biopsies and evaluated in relation to suspected clinical risk factors for diabetic nephropathy. Surgical biopsies were taken at baseline and at 24-36 months post-transplantation in 16 Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients and 8 non-diabetic control subjects with a glomerular filtration rate more than 30 ml.min-1 at follow-up. Immunosuppressive therapy included cyclosporine in all but one case. Stereological methods were used to assess basement membrane thickness, volume fraction of mesangium per glomerulus, and volume fraction of matrix per mesangium. The volume fraction of interstitial tissue per cortex was estimated by light microscopy. After 2 years the basement membrane thickness had increased by 55 nm (SD 58 nm) in the diabetic group. This change was significantly different from that of 2 nm (SD 37 nm) in control subjects (p = 0.02). Mesangial volume fraction increased significantly by 0.04 (SD 0.03) in diabetic patients, and this change was significantly different from that of -0.01 (SD 0.04) in non-diabetic patients (p = 0.009). No change was detectable in the matrix expressed as fraction of mesangial volume. An increase in interstitial volume fraction from baseline to 2 years was observed, but was significant only in the diabetic group (p = 0.04). The changes in structural parameters did not correlate with mean values during follow-up of glycated haemoglobin or estimated protein intake, nor was any pattern discernible in the relationship to graft tissue types.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Cure of zygomycosis caused by a lipase-producing Rhizopus rhizopodiformis strain in a renal transplant patient.

A 40-year-old man with renal failure due to membranous glomerulonephritis received a cadaveric renal transplant and immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporine, azathioprine and steroids. Initially the transplantation was successful. 12 days after the transplantation, however, serous secretion appeared in the wound. Later, black necrosis was seen. Fungal culture showed growth of a zygomycete species. Rhizopus rhizopodiformis, with high in-vitro resistance to amphotericin B, flucytosine, fluconazole, ketoconazole and itraconazole. The MIC value for the allylamine derivative SF86-327 (Exoderil) was 1.6 micrograms/ml. Microscopic examination of sections from a surgical revision showed necrosis of the fat tissue and massive hyphal invasion of the perirenal fat, which contained semi-crystalline material anisotropic as seen in polarized light and characteristically staining with rubeanic acid. These histological data indicate a lipase-induced in-vivo splitting of lipids into fatty acids. In-vitro R. rhizopodiformis showed very high extracellular lipase production. 11 days after initiation of amphotericin B therapy cultures and sections remained positive for rhizopus. Amphotericin B was therefore supplemented with Exoderil orally, cyclosporine and steroids were maintained, and azathioprine was discontinued. The wound granulated, shrank, and healed completely in 10 weeks.

Adult

Renal transplantation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: increased risk of early graft loss.

The outcome of primary renal transplantation in 31 SLE patients was evaluated in relation to two contemporary controls per patient, matched for age, sex and immunosuppressive therapy. The proportion of living donors was one third in both groups. Patient survival did not differ, but graft survival at 6 and 12 months post transplantation was significantly reduced in SLE patients (p less than 0.001). When divided into groups using either azathioprine and steroids or combinations including cyclosporin A (14 and 17 SLE patients in each group), graft survival was significantly reduced for the azathioprine-treated SLE patients, 36% vs. 82% for their controls at one year. For cyclosporin-treated SLE patients, one-year graft survival was 59% vs. 85% for their controls, and 6 out of 17 grafts in the cyclosporin-treated group were lost within the first month vs. only 4 out of 34 controls. These differences were, however, not statistically different. Most failed grafts were lost from rejection, with a high proportion of acute vascular rejection, isolated or in combination with cellular rejection. There was no apparent association between rejection and HLA-matched or presence of HLA antibodies. Retransplantation was successful in 6 out of 7 cases. We conclude that SLE patients have an increased risk of early graft rejection, but that this may be overcome by more powerful immunosuppressive therapy.

Adolescent

Tubulointerstitial nephritis caused by the antiviral agent foscarnet.

The antiviral agent foscarnet has long been used in our unit to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in renal transplant patients. The clinical effect has been convincing and, apart from changes in serum calcium levels, very few side effects have been noted. We have, however, observed a nephrotoxic reaction in a series of patients with initially good renal function who therefore received high doses of foscarnet. Transplant biopsies performed in five of those patients revealed degenerative changes in the tubular epithelial cells as well as tubular calcium deposits and an infiltration of the interstitium by mixed mononuclear and polymorphonuclear leucocytes. Renal insufficiency was accompanied by high fever. After withdrawal of the drug, the temperature rapidly normalized, whereas serum creatinine continued to rise for about 3 days and then fell back towards previous levels. We conclude that transplant biopsies are of great value in distinguishing between a foscarnet nephrotoxic effect and CMV nephritis, various forms of rejection, and other causes of impaired renal function.

Adult

Serum immunoglobulins and IgG subclasses in patients with glomerulonephritis.

The serum concentrations of IgG, IgA, IgM and of the four subclasses of IgG were determined by radial immunodiffusion in 103 patients, mean age 42 (range 16-72), with various types of glomerulonephritis. Forty-nine healthy blood donors, mean age 41 years (range 19-65), served as controls. Kidney biopsies were obtained from all the patients for examination by histopathology and by immunofluorescence. The glomerulopathies were classified according to WHO criteria. The serum immunoglobulin patterns were different for the various clinical groups of patients. Patients with Wegener's granulomatosis, rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and SLE had a significant increase in total IgG and of IgG4 (P less than 0.05-0.001). Patients with minimal change disease had low concentrations of IgG (P less than 0.001) with a significant decrease in IgG1 and IgG2 (P less than 0.001 and 0.01, respectively). Highly significant increases in IgA were noted for patients with IgA nephritis (P less than 0.001) but high levels were also seen in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis. The findings might have diagnostic implications.

Adolescent

Effect of eicosapentaenoic acid rich menhaden oil and MaxEPA on the autoimmune disease of Mrl/l mice.

The Mrl lpr/lpr (Mrl/l) mouse is a model for systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis in humans. The diet of Mrl/l mice was supplemented with EPA (see Introduction) in menhaden oil or in the commerical fish oil MaxEPA. The survival of mice was not affected by the dietary manipulations. The addition of menhaden oil decreased the severity of the renal pathology. However, MaxEPA containing the same amount of eicosapentaenoic acid was considerably less effective. A diet deficient in polyunsaturated fatty acids did not ameliorate any manifestations of the disease. Anti-DNA antibody levels in serum were not influenced by the therapy. Myocardial abscesses and/or ulcerating valvular lesions were observed in about one third of the mice, irrespective of the diet given.

Animals

A strong correlation between glomerular filtration rate and filtration surface in diabetic nephropathy.

Quantitative structural studies were performed in kidney biopsy specimens from 24 long-term Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients with persistent albuminuria due to diabetic glomerulopathy. Ten patients were receiving antihypertensive treatment, and among the remaining patients the mean blood pressure was 142/91 mm Hg (SD = 11/9). The urinary albumin excretion rate showed a range from 100 to 5494 micrograms/min (geometric mean 688 micrograms/min.) Glomerular filtration rate also showed a wide range, from supranormal to markedly decreased values (128 to 28 ml.min-1. (1.73 m2)-1, mean 75). The filtration surface (interface between capillary and urinary space) per total number of nephrons (open + occluded) was estimated by combined light-and electron microscopy. The percentage occluded glomeruli as well as structural quantities in the open glomeruli were taken into account in this estimate. A highly significant correlation was seen between glomerular filtration rate and filtration surface per nephron (r = 0.77, p less than 10(-4). The percentage occluded glomeruli contributed significantly to the variation in glomerular filtration rate (for this relationship tested separately r = -0.78, p less than 10(-5). The volume of open glomeruli was even larger than that seen in early diabetic glomerular hypertrophy and tended to increase with the percentage of glomerular closure, indicating that a compensatory hypertrophy might have taken place. In the open glomeruli the filtration surface constituted a smaller percent of total capillary surface (the remaining part facing the mesangial regions) than in early diabetic patients and control subjects. Our study has demonstrated that reduced glomerular filtration surface is closely associated with reduced glomerular filtration rate in Type 1 diabetic patients with diabetic nephropathy.

Adult