Timing for Removal of Peritoneal Dialysis Catheters in Pediatric Renal Transplant Patients

PubMedID: 27805518OBJECTIVES: Peritoneal dialysis, the preferred long-term renal replacement modality in the pediatric population, can also be used during the post transplant period. Although it is well known that peritonitis or other complications may occur related to the peritoneal dialysis catheter, less is known about complications related to the peritoneal dialysis during the posttransplant period. Our objective was to evaluate the complications related to use of a peritoneal dialysis catheter during the posttransplant period and to determine the optimum time for removal of the peritoneal dialysis catheter.MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 33 chronic peritoneal dialysis patients. Pretransplant and posttransplant demographics and clinical and laboratory data for each patient were recorded, including incidence of peritonitis and incidence of peritoneal dialysis catheter requirement after transplant.RESULTS: Mean age of patients at transplant was 12.8 ± 4.0 years (range, 3.5-18.0 y). Mean catheter removal time was 81.1 ± 36.2 days (range, 22.0-152.0 d). The peritoneal dialysis catheter was used in 6 of 33 patients (18.2%); none of these patients developed peritonitis. In contrast, 2 of the 27 patients who did not use the peritoneal dialysis catheter developed peritonitis. Our data suggest that the need for catheter use occurs predominantly during the first month, and infectious complications usually happen later.CONCLUSIONS: Previously, the trend was to not remove the peritoneal dialysis catheter at the time of transplant. However, in light of recent literature and our present study, we recommend that the time of catheter removal should be modified and decided for each patient on an individual basis

Extra-Renal manifestations of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome in children

PubMedID: 29610995Background: Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a chronic disease characterized by thrombotic microangiopathy and a high risk of end-stage kidney disease. Dysregulation and/or excessive activation of the complement system results in thrombotic microangiopathy. Interest in extrarenal manifestations of aHUS is increasing. This study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics of patients with extrarenal manifestations of aHUS in childhood. Methods: This study included 70 children with extrarenal manifestations of HUS from the national Turkish aHUS Registry. The demographics, clinical characteristics, genetic test results, all treatments, and renal/hematologic status of aHUS patients with extrarenal involvement were recorded. Results: The most common extrarenal manifestation was neurological system involvement (n = 46 [27.2%]), followed by gastrointestinal (n = 20 [11.8%]), cardiovascular (n = 12 [7%]), and respiratory (n = 12 [7%]) involvement. The patients with neurological involvement had a higher mortality rate and a lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) than the other patients at last follow-up. Eculizumab (with or without plasma exchange/plasma infusion) treatment increased the renal and hematologic recovery rates. Conclusions: The most common and serious extrarenal manifestation of aHUS is neurological involvement and treatment outcome findings presented herein are important to all relevant clinicians. © 2018, IPNA

The predictive value of resistive index obtained by Doppler ultrasonography early after renal transplantation on long-term allograft function

PubMedID: 27900821DUSG is a useful diagnostic tool for the follow-up of renal transplant recipients. The measurement of intrarenal arterial RI by DUSG has been proven to predict short-term AF. The aim of the study was to evaluate the predictive value of DUSG performed during the early after RTx on long-term AF. Seventy patients were enrolled into study. DUSG was performed at third and seventh days after RTx. Patients were divided into two groups according to rate of recovery of graft function as patients with normal graft function and abnormal graft function. Although the RI values were correlated with the AF early after transplantation, they were not correlated with long-term AF. However, the rate of recovery of graft function at early period after RTx was correlated with creatinine level at first year and with glomerular filtration rate at first year and last visit. Although the RI has no predictive value for long-term AF, the rate of recovery of graft function at early post-transplantation period has predictive value for long-term AF; patients with higher RI values early after RTx should be followed carefully for the development of chronic allograft injury. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Lt

Transplantation in pediatric aHUS within the era of eculizumab therapy

aHUS is caused by the over-activation and dysregulation of the alternative complement pathway. Data regarding outcomes of pediatric aHUS patients after kidney transplantation are still very scarce. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to describe the clinical findings and outcomes of pediatric aHUS patients after renal transplantation. This is a retrospective, multicenter study including 12 patients from the national registry system. Among the 12 patients, eight had received prophylactic eculizumab and none of those patients (except one) had experienced aHUS recurrence during a median follow-up period of 58.5 (min-max, 4-94) months. Although eculizumab had been started on the day before transplantation in one of them, aHUS recurrence occurred during the transplantation procedure. Eculizumab had been stopped in only one patient who had no complement gene mutation after 35 months of therapy, and recurrence had not been observed during the 19 months of follow-up. In three patients, maintenance doses had been spaced out without any recurrence. One additional patient with anti-CFH antibody received only two doses of eculizumab for transplantation and had been followed for 46 months without aHUS recurrence. The remaining three patients had not received anti-C5 therapy and none of those patients experienced aHUS recurrence during a median follow-up period of 21 (min-max, 9-42) months. Prophylactic eculizumab is a safe and effective treatment for the prevention of aHUS recurrence. Eculizumab interval prolongation, discontinuation, and transplantation without eculizumab prophylaxis can be tried in selected patients with close follow-up. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LL