Search PubMedSearch

Biomedical subjects

G Enia

Publications and source records attributed to G Enia.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

Diabetes mellitus and renal replacement therapy in Italy: prevalence, main characteristics and complications.

A number of reports on dialysis and transplantation for diabetic patients in the UK and USA are available. The aim of the present survey was to assess the prevalence, main characteristics and complications of diabetic patients treated by dialysis and transplantation in Italy. On 31 December 1987 in Italy, 1605 diabetic patients were being treated by dialysis or transplantation. The prevalence was 28 per million compared with the UK and the USA where the corresponding figures were 17 and 78 per million respectively. The annual incidence in 1987 was 9 per million (UK: 4 per million; USA: 33 per million). The mean age of the Italian diabetic patients was 59 years whereas that for British diabetic patients similarly evaluated was 48 years. Of the Italian diabetic patients 67% had NIDDM (UK: 22%; USA: 50%). Haemodialysis was used in 81% of the Italian patients, peritoneal dialysis in 14%, and only 5% were transplanted. This is in contrast to the UK where only 18% of the patients were treated by haemodialysis and 39% were transplanted. Amongst Italian patients who started RRT in 1987, 9% died within the year, and of the remainder 38% had severe bilateral visual impairment (UK 35%), 3% had had amputations (UK 6%), 7% had suffered from disabling strokes (UK 6%) and 7% had had a myocardial infarction (UK 17%). Before 31 December 1987 another 2.2% developed severe bilateral visual impairment, 0.6% underwent amputations, 1.0% had a disabling stroke and 0.6% suffered from a myocardial infarction. The proportion of diabetic patients treated by RRT in Italy is twice that of the UK but only half that of the USA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent

Complement activated leucopenia during hemodialysis: effect of pulse methyl-prednisolone.

We tested in vivo the effect of methyl-prednisolone (MP) on C5a release and granulocytopenia occurring early in the course of extracorporeal blood circulation through a Cuprophan dialyzer. MP boluses (30 mg/kg) were given to 10 consenting patients suffering from acute renal failure, immediately before blood started to circulate through a hollow-fiber Cuprophan dialyzer. To avoid drug loss through the dialyzer membrane, dialysate flow was withheld during the first hour of treatment and ultrafiltration was kept near zero (sham dialysis). Control procedures were carried out in a similar way, without MP. MP concentration, differential WBC count and anaphylotoxin C5a were serially measured during the procedures. MP pharmacokinetics was evaluated in six other uremic patients off dialysis. As shown by similar C5a levels in dialyzer effluent blood, complement cascade was activated by Cuprophan to a comparable degree whether or not patients received MP. Neutrophil count dropped 68% during the control procedure and 54% during sham dialysis preceded by MP (95% confidence interval of the difference, 1.97-27.2). Sham dialysis did not apparently influence serum MP levels, as shown by similar peak values in patients undergoing sham dialysis (203 micrograms/ml +/- SEM 33) and in patients off dialysis (177 micrograms/ml +/- 42). In vitro aggregometry showed that the uremic milieu does not interfere with the antiaggregating effect of MP. Our results show that MP at the dosage of 30 mg/kg does not affect complement-mediated granulocytopenia in any important way.

Acute Kidney Injury

Acute interstitial nephritis associated with uveitis and primary hypoparathyroidism.

In a study of a patient with acute renal failure and uveitis, renal biopsy showed acute interstitial nephritis. Serum calcium and parathyroid hormone concentrations were persistently low during the acute phase and after the resolution of renal failure. Clinical history was negative for intake of drugs capable of inducing acute interstitial nephritis.

Acute Disease

Effect of blood cooling on cuprophan-induced anaphylatoxin generation.

We investigated whether cooling of the extracorporeal blood during hemodialysis could prevent anaphylatoxin generation and leukopenia caused by blood-cuprophan contact. After preliminary in vitro studies confirming the temperature dependence of C5a generation, we carried out hypothermic dialysis on nine patients by manipulating blood and dialysate temperature in such a way that blood temperature within the dialyzer averaged 25 degrees C. In comparison with the control procedure (blood temperature within the dialyzer 35 degrees C) hypothermic dialysis reduced peak C5a generation from 41.7 +/- 17 ng/ml to 9.7 +/- 3.4 ng/ml (P less than 0.01), and white blood cell fall from 72 +/- 15 to 25 +/- 20% (P less than 0.01). Arterial PO2 decreased less in hypothermic dialysis (-19 +/- 9% of pre-HD value) than in the control procedure (-30 +/- 11%) (P less than 0.05). We conclude that blood cooling attenuates cuprophan-induced anaphylatoxin generation and leukopenia.

Adult

Severe hypothyroidism induced by amiodarone in a dialysis patient.

A 54-year-old man on regular haemodialysis developed severe amiodarone-induced hypothyroidism after an unusually short latency period. The iodide accumulation and/or the derangement in thyroid function associated with chronic renal failure may predispose uraemic patients to this serious side effect of amiodarone. Although the pharmacokinetics of amiodarone are not altered by renal failure, caution is advised in prescribing this drug to uraemic patients.

Amiodarone

Hyperchloraemia: a non-specific finding in chronic renal failure.

To determine the prevalence of hyperchloraemia (plasma chloride concentration of 107 mmol/l or above) in chronic renal failure (CRF), we retrospectively analysed the acid-base and electrolyte status of 102 Italian and 53 English patients with impaired renal function. Hyperchloraemia was a frequent finding at all stages of CRF with a prevalence ranging from 30 to 50%. It was common both in tubulointerstitial nephropathies (45%) and chronic glomerulonephritis (39%). Hyperchloraemic patients were more acidotic than the normochloraemic.

Acid-Base Equilibrium

The effect of dialysate temperature on haemodialysis leucopenia.

We assessed the influence of dialysate temperature on intra-dialytic leucopenia. Lowering dialysate temperature from 38 degrees C to 20.5 degrees C caused a decrease in the dialysis associated white blood cell reduction from 82 +/- 6 per cent to 32 +/- 19 per cent. The degree of leucopenia bore a highly significant relationship with dialyser blood temperature suggesting that a further lowering of blood temperature (to about 20 degrees C) would almost entirely prevent intra-dialytic leucopenia.

Adult

Diabetes and renal failure: a southern Italian perspective.

The authors carried out a retrospective survey assessing the total proportion of diabetic patients and relative proportion of patients with Type I and Type II diabetes among patients receiving renal replacement therapy and those evaluated for chronic renal failure in a southern Italian renal unit during the period 1972-1986. The proportion of diabetics among patients accepted for renal replacement therapy was 10% (34/336); of the 34 diabetic patients, only one was clearly affected by Type I diabetes, 26 had Type II diabetes, and the classification was uncertain in four patients. Similar relative proportions of Types I and II diabetes were observed among patients referred during the same period for evaluation of chronic renal failure.

Age Factors

[Prevalence of insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes among Italian patients on replacement therapy. Preliminary survey at 3 dialysis centers].

We carried out a retrospective survey to assess prevalence and type of diabetes in three Italian Renal Units located respectively in the North (Tradate, Varese), in the Middle (Latina) and in the South (Reggio Calabria) of Italy. The prevalence of diabetes among patients accepted for RRT was 10.5% (60/659). 40 patients (66.7%) were non-insulin dependent and only 6 patients were insulin-dependent. A similar pattern was observed among the 289 patients referred to the Renal Unit of Reggio Calabria during 1972-1987 for evaluation of Chronic Renal Failure. Our data suggest that among the Italian diabetic patients treated by dialysis and transplantation insulin-dependent diabetes is uncommon. This finding could be explained by the low incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes in Italy.

Adult