Angiogenic Activity in the Sera of Patients with Post-Kidney Transplant Erythrocytosis

International audiencePost-kidney transplant erythrocytosis (PTE) is one of the hematological complications in the renal transplant patients. While its pathogenesis still remains to be elucidated completely, a number of therapies are available for the management of PTE. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether angiogenesis may be involved in the pathogenesis of post-transplant erythrocytosis by comparing its level with those of different classes of erythrocytosis [polycythemia vera (PV), idiopathic erythrocytosis and secondary erythrocytosis]. The angiogenic activity was evaluated by the assessment of the serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels, as one of circulating angiogenic factor, using a standardized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay commercial kit in 13 PTE (2 F/11 M), in 75 untreated erythrocytosis non-transplant patients and in 21 healthy subjects controls. The results indicated that VEGF was overproduced in advanced and untreated PV patients and to a lesser degree in idiopathic erythrocytosis thus confirming an increased angiogenic activity. However, there is no evidence of increased angiogenesis in PTE and in secondary erythrocytosis. The absence of angiogenesis in PTE and its presence in PV is another argument that the pathogenesis of these two entities is different

Fibrome cémento-ossifiant périphérique maxillaire postérieur

Le fibrome cémento-ossifiant périphérique est une lésion gingivale réactionnelle, non néoplasique, caractérisée par la présence de tissu minéralisé au sein d’un stroma fibreux. Il affecte préférentiellement les femmes lors de la 2e et la 3e décades et touche surtout la région antérieure. Il est caractérisé par un taux de récidive relativement élevé. Un cas de fibrome cémento-ossifiant périphérique maxillaire postérieur chez une femme de 60 ans est rapporté. Les aspects clinique, histologique, thérapeutique ainsi que les différentes controverses dans la littérature concernant la nomenclature et l’étiopathogénie sont discutés

Acute hemodialysis effects on doppler echocardiographic indices

Conventional echocardiographic (ECHO) parameters of systolic and diastolic func-tion of the left ventricular (LV) have been shown to be load dependent. However, the impact of pre-load reduction on tissue Doppler (TD) parameters of LV function is incompletely understood. To evaluate the effect of a single hemodialysis (HD) session on LV systolic and diastolic function using pulsed Doppler echocardiography and pulsed tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), we studied 81chronic HD patients (40 males; mean age 52.4 ± 16.4 years) with these tools. ECHO parameters were obtained 30 min before and 30 min after HD. Fluid volume removed by HD was 1640 ± 730 cm [3] . HD led to reduction in LV end-diastolic volume (P <0.001), end-systolic volume (P <0.001), left atrium area (P <0.001), peak early (E-wave) trans-mitral flow velocity (P <0.001), the ratio of early to late Doppler velocities of diastolic mitral inflow (P <0.001) and aortic time velocity integral (P <0.001). No significant change in peak S velocity of pulmonary vein flow after HD was noted. Early and late diastolic (E′) TDI velocities and the ratio of early to late TDI diastolic velocities (E′/A′) on the lateral side of the mitral annulus decreased signi-ficantly after HD (P = 0.013; P = 0.007 and P = 0.008, respectively). Velocity of flow progres-sion (Vp) during diastole was not affected by pre-load reduction. Pulmonary artery systolic pressure and the diameter of the inferior vena cava decreased significantly (P <0.001 and P <0.001, respectively) after HD. We conclude that most of the Doppler-derived indices of diastolic function are pre-load-dependent and velocity of flow progression was minimally affected by pre-load reduction in HD patients

Identification of compound heterozygous patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1: clinical evaluations and in silico investigations

Abstract Background Primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1) is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder of glyoxylate metabolism in which excessive oxalates are formed by the liver and excreted by the kidneys. Calcium oxalate crystallizes in the urine, leading to urolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis, and consequent renal failure if treatment is not initiated promptly. Mutations in the AGXT gene which encodes the hepatic peroxisomal enzyme alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase are responsible of PH1. In the present work, we aimed to analyze AGXT gene and in silico investigations performed in four patients with PH1 among two non consanguineous families. Methods Exhaustive gene sequencing was performed after PCR amplification of coding exons and introns boundaries. Bioinformatic tools were used to predict the impact of AGXT variants on gene expression as well as on the protein structure and function. Results Direct sequencing of all exons of AGXT gene revealed the emergence of multiple mutations in compound heterozygous state in the two studied families. Two patients were compound heterozygous for the c.731 T > C, c.32C > T, c.1020A > G and c.33_34insC and presented clinically with recurrent urinary tract infection, multiple urolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis under the age of 1 year and a persistent hyperoxaluria at the age of diagnosis. The two other patients presenting a less severe phenotypes were heterozygous for c.731 T > C and homozygous for the c.32C > T and c.1020A > G or compound heterozygous for c.26C > A and c.65A > G variants. Conclusion In Summary, we provided relevance regarding the compound heterozygous mutations in non consanguineous PH1 families with variable severity

Tumoral calcinosis, calciphylaxis, hyperparathyroidism and tuberculosis in a dialysis patient

Tumoral calcinosis and calciphylaxis are uncommon but severe complications in ure-mic patients. They occur generally after long-term hemodialysis (HD) treatment explained by ad-vanced secondary hyperparathyroidism and longstanding high calcium phosphorus product (Ca × P). Other factors such granulomatous diseases may worsen the calcium phosphate homeostasis alterations. We report a young male patient treated by HD for 6 years who developed tuberculosis in addition to tumoral calcinosis and calciphylaxis