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Biomedical subjects

O N Fernando

Publications and source records attributed to O N Fernando.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Rejection encephalopathy. An acute neurological syndrome complicating renal transplantation.

Fifteen episodes of encephalopathy have been studied in 13 renal transplant recipients. All episodes of encephalopathy occurred during an acute rejection crisis. Clinical and biochemical features were recorded during rejection crises associated with encephalopathy and in an equal number of uncomplicated rejection episodes in the same patients. Encephalopathy was related to the severity of the rejection crisis and not to other features such as blood pressure, fever, steroid therapy or plasma electrolytes. The definition of the syndrome of rejection encephalopathy and its relation to the severity of the rejection has important therapeutic implications. Steroid therapy should not be withdrawn or reduced because of acute neurological features. Control of hypertension, fluid overload and electrolyte imbalance, in addition to treatment of the rejection episode, are necessary to reverse the encephalopathy. The prognosis of this syndrome is excellent with no long-term sequelae.

Acute Disease↗

Fat clearances and hyperlipidaemia in renal allograft recipients--the role of insulin resistance.

The mechanism of hyperlipidaemia in renal allograft recipients was investigated in 19 patients randomly selected from a cohort of 54 patients with functioning renal allografts. Serum cholesterol, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations as well as plasma immunoreactive insulin levels were measured in fasting blood samples. Intravenous fat tolerance tests were performed before and 15 min after heparin administration. Renal allograft recipients had reduced fractional clearance rates of Intralipid and a positive correlation was demonstrated between plasma immunoreactive insulin levels and serum triglyceride concentrations. Plasma immunoreactive insulins also correlated inversely with fractional clearance rates of Intralipid. It was concluded that both increased production and decreased removal of lipoproteins contribute to the hyperlipidaemia and that insulin resistance due to corticosteroids was the centre of the problem.

Adult↗

The role of multiple pharmaco-therapy in the pathogenesis of hyperlipidemia after renal transplantation.

A study was undertaken in 54 renal allograft recipients to evaluate the multiple factors contributing to the pathogenesis of hyperlipidemia after renal transplantation. Serum triglyceride concentrations were found to correlate positively with the cummulative prednisolone dose, and with abdominal skin fold thickness. Serum cholesterol concentrations correlated significantly with serum creatinine concentrations. Patients on beta adrenergic blocking agents had lower plasma free fatty acid concentrations and patients on diuretics had higher serum triglyceride concentrations. The implication of these findings are discussed.

Adolescent↗

Sixteen months experience with cyclosporin-A in human kidney transplantation.

CY-A is a potent immunosuppressive agent and can prevent graft rejection. In our experience hirsutism and viral infections are marked. Lymphomas may be more common in CY-A-treated patients than in those treated conventionally. Smaller doses of CY-A given for shorter periods before conversion to conventional treatment may be a better way to use this new agent.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

Rejection encephalopathy.

Thirteen patients are described who had 15 encephalopathic episodes complicating severe rejection crises following renal transplantation. Comparison was made with control rejection episodes in the same patients in which encephalopathy did not occur. The severity of the rejection episodes as measured by the rise in serum creatinine was significantly greater (p less than 0.05) in those episodes with encephalopathy than in control episodes. There was no difference from controls when comparison was made of mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) or rate of rise of MABP at the time of the encephalopathy. There was no significant difference in serum potassium, sodium and calcium, weight gain/fluid retention and immunosuppressive therapy in the two groups. Effective treatment of rejection and control of fits, hypertension and fluid retention produced rapid recovery without late sequelae.

Acute Disease↗

Nocturnal polyuria and saluresis in renal allograft recipients.

The evolution of nocturnal polyuria and saluresis in renal allograft recipients was studied by comparing the day to night (D:N) ratios of urine volume and sodium excretion in 15 patients who had undergone transplantation less than one year previously (recent-transplant group) with those in 11 patients who had undergone transplantation at least one year previously. Eleven patients with chronic renal failure and 12 normal subjects served as controls. Patients in the recent-transplant group had significantly lower D:N ratios of urine volume and sodium excretion than the patients who had undergone transplantation at least a year before, while the ratios in this last group did not differ significantly from those in the normal subjects. Nocturnal polyuria and saluresis gradually subsided in five patients studied for three months. Chronic renal failure and uraemic autonomic neuropathy were unlikely causes of the nocturia. The patients in the recent-transplant group had significantly lower D:N ratios of urine volume than the controls with chronic renal failure, and the mean Valsalva ratio in eight of them was not significantly different from that in the normal subjects. An undue sensitivity of renal allografts to postural influences was proposed.

Creatinine↗

Dissociation of absorptions of calcium and phosphate after successful cadaveric renal transplantation.

Calcium and phosphate absorptions were studied by radiotracer techniques in 30 patients after successful cadaveric renal transplantation, and results were compared with those in a group of normal subjects and in groups of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). Both calcium and phosphate absorptions were impared in patients with CRF, including those receiving haemodialysis. Abnormalities of calcium absorption, however, seemed to occur earlier in the course of advanced renal failure than abnormalities in phosphate absorption. Calcium absorption improved dramatically after successful renal transplantation, while phosphate absorption remained the same. A dissociation between calcium and phosphate absorptions is not often seen clinically, and the mechanisms for it are unknown. Phosphate malabsorption may be a further contributing factor in the development of persistent hypophosphataemia after transplantation.

Calcium↗