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Biomedical subjects

J H Ehrich

Publications and source records attributed to J H Ehrich.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Sonomorphologic evaluation of goiter in an iodine deficiency area in the Ivory Coast.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the extent of thyroid abnormalities in a remote iodine-deficient area of the Ivory Coast. METHODS: Ultrasonography was used in detecting the presence of goiter. RESULTS: The overall prevalence rates of goiter were 64.7% among females and 53.3% among males. In children aged 6 to 15 years (n = 314), the prevalence of goiter was 62% regardless of sex. Thyroid volume increased steadily with age, with significantly larger goiters in women 25 years and older. Frequency of cysts and calcifications did not correlate with sex. CONCLUSIONS: Especially in developing countries, prophylaxis of iodine deficiency disorders must be improved in iodine-deficient areas to prevent substantial morbidity, which is more severe in women and elderly persons.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Cystatin C and creatinine after successful kidney transplantation in children.

BACKGROUND: Serum creatinine is commonly used for the monitoring of allograft function following renal transplantation (RTX). Due to lower muscle mass, creatinine production rate is reduced in children, thus decreasing its sensitivity for the detection of allograft dysfunction. In children, the serum concentration of cystatin C, a low molecular weight protein of 13.3 kDa, reflects glomerular filtration rate independent of age, height and body composition. We, therefore, sought to assess the potential of cystatin C as a marker of allograft function in children. METHODS: Cystatin C and creatinine were measured in parallel at least daily in 24 children (14 boys, 10 girls; mean age 10.5+/-5.1 years) during hospitalization after successful RTX. Cystatin was determined immunoturbidimetrically, creatinine enzymatically. RESULTS: Within one hour after RTX, cystatin C (mean+/-SE) almost halved from 6.69+/-0.45 mg/l to 3.69+/-0.38 mg/l while creatinine declined from 862 +/-65.4 to 633+/-62.9 micromol/l. Following a nadir of 1.82+/-0.18 mg/l on day 2, there was a secondary increase in cystatin C concentrations to 2.69+/-0.35 mg/l on day 10. Creatinine concentrations continued to decline until day 9 reaching 80.5+/-13.1 micromol/l. Day-to-day variation at steady-state was comparable. In the course of 9 acute rejection episodes, both parameters rose in parallel, the increase in creatinine concentration being much greater. CONCLUSION: Cystatin C was an early indicator of allograft function following successful RTX in children. It did not prove superior to creatinine for the recognition of acute allograft dysfunction, however.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed1998

Dosing of MMF in combination with tacrolimus for steroid-resistant vascular rejection in pediatric renal allografts.

Steroid-resistant vascular rejection was treated in seven adolescent renal allograft recipients using the combination of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and tacrolimus (FK506). Since there are no published pediatric dose recommendations for MMF using this combination, trough concentrations and pharmacokinetic profiles were used for therapeutic drug monitoring. In order to keep the mycophenolic acid (MPA) concentrations between 2-5 micrograms/ml, mean MMF doses were reduced from 600 to 250 mg/m2 b.i.d. Apparent clearance of MPA decreased from 5 to 1 ml/min per kg within 2 weeks. Pharmacokinetic monitoring revealed substantial variability among patients of both MMF and FK506. The MPA dose ranged from 178 to 1008 mg/m2 per day to achieve an area under the curve (AUC) of 59.9 micrograms x h/ml +/- 10.5 SD (range 49-65 micrograms). FK506 dose ranged from 1.3 to 8.8 mg/m2 per day to achieve an AUC of 116 ng x h/ml +/- 27 SD (range 83-145). We recommend adjusting MMF doses using therapeutic drug monitoring.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Clinical features of unilateral multicystic renal dysplasia in children.

UNLABELLED: A clinical study of 204 patients with unilateral multicystic renal dysplasia referred to 30 nephrology departments was undertaken to assess the frequency of complications in children who underwent nephrectomy (n = 40) versus those who were treated conservatively (n = 164). Six patients required antihypertensive treatment, 30 (13% of girls, 17% of boys) had at least one episode of urinary tract infection. The number of clinical complications did not differ in patients who underwent nephrectomy in comparison to those who did not. The dysplastic kidney decreased in size in 65% of kidneys with repeated ultrasound values; no change occurred in 16%, while an increase in maximal diameter was observed in 19%. Contralateral kidney length of more than 2 standard deviation scores (SDS) was seen in 30% of patients. There is evidence for a slight impairment of renal function in the whole study group given by a median of serum creatinine level of 0.63 SDS in all patients available for analysis. Among those 35 patients with contralateral anomalies (mainly obstructive changes and vesico-ureteral reflux), all 3 patients with contralateral changes suggestive of hypoplasia and 22% with obstruction, but only 1/7 (14%) with reflux showed elevated serum creatinine level >2 SDS. CONCLUSION: Renal function seems to be slightly impaired in patients with unilateral multicystic renal dysplasia. The apparent tendency to regression of the dysplastic kidney and no difference in the number of complications justify a conservative management rather than operative intervention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Slowly deteriorating insulin secretion and C-peptide production characterizes diabetes mellitus in infantile cystinosis.

UNLABELLED: Infantile cystinosis, a rare lysosomal storage disease of cystine, leads to Fanconi syndrome and end-stage renal failure. After renal transplantation, no recurrence of the disease occurs in the graft, but other organ involvement becomes evident later in life. Diabetes mellitus has been associated with cystinosis, but the mechanisms of impaired glucose tolerance have not yet been characterized. Here, we studied glucose tolerance, glucose constant decay (k-values), insulin and C-peptide by intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) in eight patients with infantile cystinosis (three with impaired GFR (CRF) and five after kidney transplantation (KTX)). For comparison, 15 age-matched children with CRF and 15 age-matched KTX patients were analysed. Both early and second insulin secretion phases were diminished in patients with infantile cystinosis, whereas in CRF, k-values were no different from control patients. After renal transplantation, k-values were significantly lower in cystinotic patients with a markedly reduced early insulin secretion phase. There was a significant negative correlation between k-values and age in patients with cystinosis. Repetitive IVGTTs in these patients demonstrated progressive but rather slow loss of first phase insulin secretion and C-peptide production, suggesting a slowly reducing secretion potential of the beta cell due to cystine storage. CONCLUSION: Unlike type I diabetes mellitus, glucose intolerance in patients with infantile cystinosis is characterized by a slow, progressive loss of insulin secretion and C-peptide production. For these patients, the data indicate a 50% risk of developing glucose intolerance by the age of 18 years. We recommend to perform intravenous glucose tolerance tests at 5-year intervals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Prophylactic oral ganciclovir after renal transplantation-dosing and pharmacokinetics.

Ganciclovir alone or in combination with hyperimmunoglobulin is replacing other treatment modalities for the prophylactic treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. No dose recommendations are available for oral ganciclovir therapy in children with impaired renal function after renal transplantation of a kidney from a CMV IgG-positive donor. We undertook a pharmacokinetic study in 14 pediatric renal transplant recipients who were CMV IgG negative and had received a graft from a CMV IgG-positive donor. We estimated the daily dosage of oral ganciclovir in relation to the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Oral ganciclovir was administered at a starting dose of 3 x 1 g for children with a weight above 50 kg, 3 x 750 mg for children between 50 and 37.5 kg, and 3 x 500 mg for children between 37.5 and 24 kg. The starting dose was reduced by 50% for GFR values < or = 50 ml/min per 1.73 m2 and by 75% for GFR values < or = 25 ml/min per 1.73 m2. The daily dose was divided into three daily doses unless GFR was < 40 ml/ min per 1.73 m2, when only two daily doses were given. Doses were adjusted according to the measured plasma trough concentrations (c) using the simple formula: c(ganciclovir)(measured)/c(ganciclovir)(desired) = dosage rate(used)/dosage rate(adjusted). Mean stable plasma trough concentration was 0.91 +/- 0.68 microg/ml. The dosage rate, adjusted to a trough concentration of 1.0 microg/ml, correlated with the GFR. The dose per day could be calculated according to a simple equation for a GFR < 100 ml/min per 1.73 m2: dosage per day (mg/kg per day) = GFR. No CMV disease developed in any of the patients during oral ganciclovir, but 1 patient developed an acute rejection episode and a positive pp65 antigen 5 weeks after discontinuation of ganciclovir. The drug was well tolerated and without side effects.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1998

Reversible diabetes mellitus during growth hormone therapy in chronic renal failure.

A 12-year-old girl with short stature due to idiopathic Fanconi syndrome and chronic renal failure was treated with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH). There was no family history of diabetes mellitus and the glucose tolerance before treatment was normal. Intravenous glucose tolerance tests were performed before, during and after treatment. Two months after starting rhGH the early phase of insulin secretion (1-+3-min values) was diminished, and the patient developed manifest diabetes mellitus with hyperglycemia and an elevated hemoglobin A1c. Following discontinuation of rhGH, glucose tolerance slowly returned to normal.

Child↗
PubMed1998

Non-compliance following renal transplantation in children and adolescents.

Reported frequencies of non-compliance in children with end-stage renal disease range from 8% to 70% with a mean around 40%. Sequelae amount to momentous emotional and financial burdens, including the loss of 7% of transplanted organs. Reasons for non-compliance have too often been attributed selectively to the patients (e.g., emotional, mental, social, or communication problems). Compared with general compliance research, this selective attribution appears to be too simplistic. Selective attribution neglects the patients' experiences within the context of disease and treatment and prevents open communication about non-compliance. Research on personal reasons for non-compliance is scarce. In psychological interviews, a third of our 85 patients with end-stage renal disease (34 boys, 51 girls, mean age 12.7 years, range 7.4-19.3 years) communicated psychologically meaningful reasons for non-compliance, frequently related to interrelational and systemic treatment conditions. Patients indirectly asked for more communication about their subjective reasons for non-compliance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Effect of a silver device in preventing catheter-related infections in peritoneal dialysis patients: silver ring prophylaxis at the catheter exit study.

Catheter-related infections remain a significant cause of method failure in chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) therapy. Given the increasing antibiotic resistance, such nonpharmacological strategies as local silver devices attract more interest. To establish whether a silver ring device (designed by Grosse-Siestrup in 1992) mounted onto the PD catheter and placed at the exit site at skin level is effective in preventing exit-site and other catheter-related infections, a prospective 12-month, multicenter, controlled study stratified by diabetes status was conducted. The study subjects were assessed by an extensive structured inventory, including a broad spectrum of control variables, such as age, body mass index (BMI), Staphylococcus aureus carrier status, catheter features, mode and quality of PD therapy, comorbidity, and psychosocial rehabilitation. Ten experienced German outpatient dialysis centers (seven adult, three pediatric) participated in the trial. All eligible patients (n=195) from the study area without catheter-related infections during the ascertainment period were included (incidental subjects undergoing PD therapy for at least 3 months). The main outcome measures were the occurrence of first exit-site infections (primary study end point), sinus tract/tunnel infection, and peritonitis. Ninety-seven patients were assigned to the silver ring and 98 patients to the control group. Baseline characteristics of age, sex, proportion of pediatric and incidental patients, S aureus carrier status, and other variables were similar in both groups. The incidence of infections in the silver ring group versus the control group was as follows: 23 of 97 versus 16 of 98 patients had exit-site infections, 12 of 97 versus 12 of 98 patients had sinus tract/tunnel infections, 16 of 97 versus 18 of 98 patients had peritonitis, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis for the probability of an infection-free interval showed no statistical difference (log-rank test) between the two groups. Displacement of the silver ring contributed to study termination in 6% of the study group patients, including two patients with catheter loss. Univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression identified younger age (<50 years), low serum albumin level (<35 g/L), number of previously placed PD catheters, short cuff-exit distance (<2 cm), and S aureus nasal carriage as risk factors for the development of exit-site infections. In conclusion, our study does not show any benefit of the silver ring in preventing catheter-related infections in PD patients. Thus, prevention of infection-related method failure in PD still has to rely on conventional antibiotic treatment strategies and less so on alternative methods.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Sonographic measurements of the portal vein and its intrahepatic branches in children.

Dilatation of the portal vein is a leading sonographic sign in portal hypertension. Enlargement of its intrahepatic branches is found in various liver diseases such as cystic fibrosis and hepatic schistosomiasis. However, body height dependent values for pathological portal vein diameters on ultrasound have been published for adults only and reference values for intrahepatic portal vein branches have to be established. Diameters of the portal vein and of peripheral portal vein branches were investigated in 130 healthy European children and adolescents by ultrasound. The findings correlated significantly with age and body height. Thus, height related diameter values should be used to define pathological enlargement of the portal vein and its intrahepatic branches in children. Our reference data may contribute to improve sonographical investigation of portal hypertension and periportal fibrosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Does long-term treatment of renal anaemia with recombinant erythropoietin influence oxidative stress in haemodialysed patients?

BACKGROUND: Patients with end-stage renal failure undergoing haemodialysis (HD) are exposed to oxidative stress. Increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) were demonstrated in plasma of uraemic patients, indicating accelerated lipid peroxidation (LPO) as a consequence of multiple pathogenetic factors. The aim of our investigation was to examine the role of renal anaemia in oxidative stress in HD patients. METHODS: MDA and 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) were measured in three groups of patients undergoing HD: group I comprised eight patients with a blood haemoglobin (Hb) < 10 g/dl (mean Hb = 8.1+/-1.3 g/dl), and group II were eight patients with a Hb > 10 g/dl (mean Hb=12.4+/-1.9g/dl); none of these 16 patients had been treated with human recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEpo). Group III comprised 27 patients with a mean Hb of 10.5+/-1.6 g/dl after long-term rHuEpo treatment. RESULTS: Mean plasma concentrations of both MDA and HNE were significantly higher (P<0.0001) in all 43 HD patients than in 20 healthy controls (MDA 2.85+/-0.25 vs 0.37+/-0.03 microM, HNE 0.32+/-0.03 vs 0.10+/-0.01 microM). Comparing the three groups, it was shown that HD patients with a Hb <10 g/dl had significantly higher plasma levels of LPO products (MDA 3.81+/-0.86 microM, HNE 0.45+/-0.07 microM) than HD patients with a Hb >10g/dl (MDA 2.77+/-0.58 UM, HNE 0.25+/-0.05 microM), and than HD patients treated with rHuEpo (MDA 2.50+/-0.12 microM, HNE 0.29+/-0.03 microM). Furthermore, an inverse correlation between plasma concentration of LPO products and haemoglobin levels was seen (r=0.62, P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Radical generation in HD patients might be caused in part by renal anemia itself. Treatment with rHuEpo may decrease radical generation effectively in HD patients due to the increase in the number of red blood cells and blood haemoglobin concentration.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Glucose tolerance and insulin secretion in children before and during recombinant growth hormone treatment.

This study evaluates glucose metabolism and insulin secretion in children with Ullrich-Turner syndrome (UTS), chronic renal failure (CRF) and kidney transplantation (KTx) with rh GH therapy using an intravenous glucose infusion test. Before treatment, glucose AUC was significantly increased in all patient groups when compared to normal controls. Both the early and second phases of insulin secretion were not altered. During treatment, elevated glucose AUC showed a further increase in patients with KTx but not in patients with CRF or UTS. Both the early and second insulin secretion phases rose significantly in UTS and were transiently elevated after 6 and 12 months of therapy in patients with CRF and KTx. We conclude that growth hormone therapy aggravates alteration of glucose metabolism in patients with KTx and not in children with CRF and UTS. Progressive hyperinsulinemia occurred only in patients with UTS.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in young children.

Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) has many advantages for the diagnosis and follow-up of hypertension at all ages. This technique has so far not been documented as applicable to the very young. We studied the feasibility of ABPM in 61 healthy children and in 40 patients with renal diseases and/or hypertension, aged less than 6 years. A satisfactory ABPM profile (recording time = 24 h and > 30 good recordings) was obtained in 77% of the healthy children. The mean number of good blood pressure (BP) measurements per 24 h increased with age from 46 (3-4 years) to 58 (6 years). The mean (+/- SD) systolic and diastolic BPs of healthy 3- to 6-year-old children (n = 47) were 110 +/- 5/67 +/- 5 mmHg during the day-time and 100 +/- 5/58 +/- 5 mmHg at night. In addition to the nocturnal decrease in BP, ABPM detected a second, day-time dip in BP during bed rest after lunch. Ninety percent of patients with renal disease and/or hypertension had successful ABPM recordings for 24 h, with an age-dependent increase in the mean number of reliable readings from 34 (< 2 years) to 48 (4 years). In 5 of 10 children with hypertensive results obtained by casual BP measurements, elevated BP was not confirmed by ABPM. We conclude that ABPM is a useful tool for the diagnosis and evaluation of hypertension in children under 6 years of age.

Aging↗