In 4 adults with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome an acute renal failure with prolonged anuria has b... more In 4 adults with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome an acute renal failure with prolonged anuria has been observed. At renal histology 1 patient showed minimal glomerular changes and 3 showed focal glomerulosclerosis. No vascular abnormalities were seen. In all cases severe tubular lesions with casts and cell debris in the lumina were observed. In 2 patients renal function improved after 3 and 6 months, respectively; the remaining 2 died after several months from the onset of acute renal failure being still anuric. Although the pathogenesis of this complication is unknown, tubular obstruction by proteinaceous casts and vasoconstriction may play an important role. The prognosis of this complication is severe, but the possibility of spontaneous recovery even after protracted anuria cannot be ruled out.
278 azathioprine and methylprednisolone (AZA)-treated and 406 ciclosporin (CS) treated patients w... more 278 azathioprine and methylprednisolone (AZA)-treated and 406 ciclosporin (CS) treated patients with a kidney graft functioning for more than 1 year were investigated for the presence of chronic liver disease (CLD), defined as an increase in transaminases of 1.5 times the upper normal limits for a period of at least 12 months. The prevalence of CLD was 36 and 27% in the two groups, respectively. The univariate analysis showed that male sex, alcohol abuse and HBsAg positivity correlated with CLD onset in the AZA group while blood transfusions, length of dialysis treatment, pretransplantation CLD, HBsAg positivity and ferritin levels over 800 ng/ml correlated with CLD onset in CS. The multivariate analysis identified male sex and HBsAg positivity in the AZA group and age over 18 years, high ferritin levels and HBsAg positivity in the CS group as risk factors predictive of CLD onset. Liver failure represented the 4th cause of death in the AZA group but 1 of the 2 most important causes of death in CS in the long term. However, these drawbacks were overcome by the overall low mortality rate in CS. Therefore, renal transplantation should not be refused to patients positive for HBsAg and/or with preexisting liver disease.
Whether the long-term patient and renal survival of those diagnosed with lupus nephritis (LN) has... more Whether the long-term patient and renal survival of those diagnosed with lupus nephritis (LN) has improved over the decades is still debated. Eighty-nine patients diagnosed between 1968 and 1990 entered this study and their outcome was evaluated after 20 years. At presentation 54% of patients had class IV LN, 39.3% had renal insufficiency and 59.5% had nephrotic syndrome. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 consisted of 30 patients diagnosed between 1968 and 1980; Group 2 consisted of 59 patients diagnosed between 1981 and 1990. In Group 1 patient survival at 20 years was 84% versus 95% in Group 2 (p=0.05). Survivals without end-stage renal failure were respectively 75% and 84% at 20 years (p=0.05). Survivals without severe infection at 20 years were 44% in Group 1 and 66.5% in Group 2 (p=0.02). Survivals without cardiovascular events at 20 years were: 53% in Group 1 and 90% in Group 2 (p=0.005). At presentation, patients in Group 1 had higher serum creatinine (1.96 vs 1.15 mg/dl, p=0.01), higher activity index (8 vs 5.5, p=0.01), lower hematocrit (31% v s6%, p=0.008) and lower serum C4 levels (p=0.04) than Group 2 patients. Patients in Group 1 also received less frequent methylprednisolone pulses (43% vs 81%, p=0.0006). In Italian patients with LN, long-term life expectancy and renal survival progressively improved over the decades, while morbidity progressively declined. An earlier referral and refinement of therapy achieved this goal.
Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2006
There is not agreement about the best maintenance treatment for patients with diffuse lupus nephr... more There is not agreement about the best maintenance treatment for patients with diffuse lupus nephritis. This multicenter, randomized trial compared the safety and efficacy of cyclosporine and azathioprine. Seventy-five patients with diffuse proliferative lupus were given three intravenous methylprednisolone pulses followed by prednisone and oral cyclophosphamide for a median of 90 d. Subsequently, patients were randomly assigned either to cyclosporine or to azathioprine for 2 yr (core study). Treatment continued for up to 4 yr (follow-up study). The primary outcome measure was the incidence of disease flares. Secondary end points were proteinuria per day, creatinine clearance, and adverse effects. Seven flares occurred in the cyclosporine group, and eight occurred in the azathioprine group. At the end of the core study, mean proteinuria decreased from 2.8 +/- 3.57 to 0.4 +/- 0.85 g/d (P < 0.0001) in the cyclosporine group and from 2.2 +/- 1.94 to 0.5 +/- 0.78 g/d (P < 0.0002) in the azathioprine group. After 4 yr, mean proteinuria was 0.2 +/- 0.24 and 0.3 +/- 0.33 g/d, respectively. At the core study end and at the follow-up completion, creatinine clearance and BP levels did not change significantly from baseline in either group. Five of 36 patients who were receiving cyclosporine and four of the 33 who were receiving azathioprine stopped the treatment because of adverse effects. For patients with diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis, azathioprine or cyclosporine combined with corticosteroids demonstrated equal efficacy in the prevention of flares.
A protective effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors has been shown in patients ... more A protective effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors has been shown in patients with diabetic nephropathy but has not been clearly established in nondiabetic renal disease. A multicenter European study was designed to determine whether the ACE inhibitor benazepril was safe and effective in protecting residual renal function in patients with various renal diseases and mild to moderate renal failure. The trial involved 583 patients from 49 centers in Italy, France, and Germany. The patients were randomized to receive benazepril or placebo plus other antihypertensive agents, the target being a diastolic blood pressure of less than 90 mm Hg. Thirty-one patients in the benazepril group and 57 patients in the placebo group reached the end point [the time elapsed from entry to (a) doubling of serum creatinine (SCr) concentrations and (b) start of renal replacement therapy; p < 0.001 at 3 years]. The associated reduction in the relative risk of reaching the end point was 53% in benazepril-treated patients, with actuarial renal survival probability significantly better at 3 years. The best survival of renal function was observed in patients with chronic glomerular diseases and proteinuria greater than 1.0 g/24 h. Benazepril is effective in slowing the rate of progression and improving the survival of renal function in patients with renal diseases of various origins. This protective effect is associated with a clinically relevant decrease in both blood pressure and proteinuria.
ABSTRACT Recent studies have pointed out that the incidence of primary glomerular diseases is sim... more ABSTRACT Recent studies have pointed out that the incidence of primary glomerular diseases is similar in the elderly and in younger populations. However the clinical characteristics of the different subtypes may be different in the advanced age. Minimal change nephropathy responds favorably to corticosteroids and/or cyclophosphamide, but many untreated or non-responder patients progress to end-stage renal disease or die from nephrotic complications. Focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis also has a severe prognosis in older patients but some 50% of patients may attain remission of the nephrotic syndrome with a prolonged corticosteroid treatment. The responders tend to maintain normal renal function over time. Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and IgA nephritis have a severe prognosis and do not respond to treatment. The clinical presentation and the outcome of membranous nephropathy are similar in the elderly and in younger adults. Corticosteroids are of little benefit while a 6-month treatment with chlorambucil and methylprednisolone may obtain remission of the nephrotic syndrome in about 2/3 of older patients. Crescentic glomerulonephritis has an ominous prognosis in older patients but some patients may improve if treatment with methylprednisolone pulses is started early. Acute postinfectious glomerulonephritis is often associated with renal failure in older patients. The prognosis may be severe.
Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a life-threatening multi-systemic non-Langerhans histiocytosis w... more Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a life-threatening multi-systemic non-Langerhans histiocytosis with cardiovascular complications as the leading cause of death. ECD affects the kidneys in up to 30% of cases, with fibrotic tissue deposition in the perirenal fat and renal hilum. Diagnosis is usually based on histological analysis of the pathologic tissue, which typically shows xanthogranulomatous infiltrates of foamy CD68+/CD1a- histiocytes surrounded by fibrosis. A consistent percentage of patients affected by ECD develop renal failure and hypertension as a consequence of renal artery stenosis and hydronephrosis. These conditions have been generally treated with the placement of stents and nephrostomies that frequently led to disappointing outcomes. Before the introduction of interferon-alpha (IFNα) treatment, the mortality rate was as high as 57% in the long term. Recent studies have granted new insights into the pathogenesis of ECD, which seems to bear a dual component of clonal an...
Cold ischemia triggers a cascade of noxious effects, which are amplified by restoration of blood ... more Cold ischemia triggers a cascade of noxious effects, which are amplified by restoration of blood supply reperfusion. These injuries generate inflammatory and immune responses that may potentially result in delayed graft function, enhanced alloimmune reactivity, and development of progressive pathological changes. Debout et al. outline the clinical importance of cold ischemia time in renal transplantation by demonstrating that each additional hour of cold ischemia can increase the risk of allograft failure and death.
Vitamin D is a hormone with pleiotropic effects. It mainly regulates calcium and phosphate metabo... more Vitamin D is a hormone with pleiotropic effects. It mainly regulates calcium and phosphate metabolism through interactions with FGF23 and its receptor klotho. In addition, it has been shown that Vitamin D also regulates the immune response and has protective effects from cardiovascular disease, cancer and infections. Most renal transplant recipients have overt Vitamin D deficiency, a condition that may be associated with a decline in graft function and other complications. After kidney transplantation, elevated levels of FGF23 may predict increased risks of death and allograft loss. Theoretically, an optimal Vitamin D supplementation might favor operational tolerance and protect transplant recipients from the triad cardiovascular disease-cancer-infection. However, more solid data are needed to confirm this and to set the optimal level of serum Vitamin D supplementation in order to attain the best clinical outcome.
In renal allograft recipients, most cases of liver dysfunction are caused by hepatitis B virus an... more In renal allograft recipients, most cases of liver dysfunction are caused by hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The natural history of hepatitis C and B was studied in 286 renal allograft recipients who received a kidney allograft between 1972 and 1989 when tests for anti-HCV became available. In all patients, hepatitis B (HB) surface (s) antigen (Ag) was tested before and anti-HCV (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay II) after transplantation. At enrollment in 1989 (5.5+/-4 years after transplantation), 209 patients were anti-HCV positive (C+), 42 patients were HBsAg-positive (B+), and 35 patients were both B+ and C+ (C+B+). One hundred four patients were receiving azathioprine (AZA) and 182 were on cyclosporine A (CsA). Since transplantation, the median follow-up was 18 years in AZA-treated and 13 years in CsA-treated patients. Liver biopsy showed chronic hepatitis in 73 patients, cirrhosis in 20 patients, and fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis in 2 patients. In 34 patients, liver biopsy was repeated, and progression of fibrosis was observed in 24 patients. The 12-year patient survival rate was similar in B+, C+, and B+C+ patients (67%, 78%, and 71%, respectively; P=not significant). Liver-related death was the first cause of death in B+ and B+C+ infected patients (58% and 72%, respectively), whereas cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of death in C+ patients (40%). Multivariate analysis showed that older age (>40 years) (relative risk [RR], 2.8), B+ status (RR, 2.36), and C+ status (RR, 1.65) were independently associated with a worse patient survival. In the long term, B+ patients had a higher risk of death related to liver disease than C+ patients, and co-infection did not worsen patient survival.
Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody, has been successfully given in various diseases includ... more Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody, has been successfully given in various diseases including HCV-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia. However, only preliminary data exists on its efficacy and safety after renal transplantation. We report on a renal transplant recipient with chronic hepatitis C who received rituximab therapy for gastric cancer. Four rituximab infusions of 375 mg/m(2) were given. Rituximab therapy was complicated by cholestatic hepatitis C with very high HCV RNA levels; liver insufficiency occurred. The patient developed bacterial pneumoniae and respiratory insufficiency was the cause of death. Although other mechanisms cannot be excluded, we found that rituximab therapy was implicated in the pathogenesis of cholestatic hepatitis C in our patient. We suggest that rituximab therapy may be associated with significant side effects. More experience has to be accumulated before any conclusions on efficacy and safety of rituximab therapy after RT can be drawn.
94 uremic patients, 68 on regular hemodialysis treatment (RHT) and 26 on chronic ambulatory perit... more 94 uremic patients, 68 on regular hemodialysis treatment (RHT) and 26 on chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), were followed for up to 20 months in search of dermatological manifestations. 79% of RHT and 76% of CAPD patients had some kind of cutaneous lesion. The most characteristic features of cutaneous involvement in RHT and CAPD patients were: cutaneous xerosis, pruritus, infectious manifestations and disorders of pigmentation. In 4 RHT patients, precancerous and cancerous manifestations were also observed.
In 4 adults with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome an acute renal failure with prolonged anuria has b... more In 4 adults with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome an acute renal failure with prolonged anuria has been observed. At renal histology 1 patient showed minimal glomerular changes and 3 showed focal glomerulosclerosis. No vascular abnormalities were seen. In all cases severe tubular lesions with casts and cell debris in the lumina were observed. In 2 patients renal function improved after 3 and 6 months, respectively; the remaining 2 died after several months from the onset of acute renal failure being still anuric. Although the pathogenesis of this complication is unknown, tubular obstruction by proteinaceous casts and vasoconstriction may play an important role. The prognosis of this complication is severe, but the possibility of spontaneous recovery even after protracted anuria cannot be ruled out.
278 azathioprine and methylprednisolone (AZA)-treated and 406 ciclosporin (CS) treated patients w... more 278 azathioprine and methylprednisolone (AZA)-treated and 406 ciclosporin (CS) treated patients with a kidney graft functioning for more than 1 year were investigated for the presence of chronic liver disease (CLD), defined as an increase in transaminases of 1.5 times the upper normal limits for a period of at least 12 months. The prevalence of CLD was 36 and 27% in the two groups, respectively. The univariate analysis showed that male sex, alcohol abuse and HBsAg positivity correlated with CLD onset in the AZA group while blood transfusions, length of dialysis treatment, pretransplantation CLD, HBsAg positivity and ferritin levels over 800 ng/ml correlated with CLD onset in CS. The multivariate analysis identified male sex and HBsAg positivity in the AZA group and age over 18 years, high ferritin levels and HBsAg positivity in the CS group as risk factors predictive of CLD onset. Liver failure represented the 4th cause of death in the AZA group but 1 of the 2 most important causes of death in CS in the long term. However, these drawbacks were overcome by the overall low mortality rate in CS. Therefore, renal transplantation should not be refused to patients positive for HBsAg and/or with preexisting liver disease.
Whether the long-term patient and renal survival of those diagnosed with lupus nephritis (LN) has... more Whether the long-term patient and renal survival of those diagnosed with lupus nephritis (LN) has improved over the decades is still debated. Eighty-nine patients diagnosed between 1968 and 1990 entered this study and their outcome was evaluated after 20 years. At presentation 54% of patients had class IV LN, 39.3% had renal insufficiency and 59.5% had nephrotic syndrome. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 consisted of 30 patients diagnosed between 1968 and 1980; Group 2 consisted of 59 patients diagnosed between 1981 and 1990. In Group 1 patient survival at 20 years was 84% versus 95% in Group 2 (p=0.05). Survivals without end-stage renal failure were respectively 75% and 84% at 20 years (p=0.05). Survivals without severe infection at 20 years were 44% in Group 1 and 66.5% in Group 2 (p=0.02). Survivals without cardiovascular events at 20 years were: 53% in Group 1 and 90% in Group 2 (p=0.005). At presentation, patients in Group 1 had higher serum creatinine (1.96 vs 1.15 mg/dl, p=0.01), higher activity index (8 vs 5.5, p=0.01), lower hematocrit (31% v s6%, p=0.008) and lower serum C4 levels (p=0.04) than Group 2 patients. Patients in Group 1 also received less frequent methylprednisolone pulses (43% vs 81%, p=0.0006). In Italian patients with LN, long-term life expectancy and renal survival progressively improved over the decades, while morbidity progressively declined. An earlier referral and refinement of therapy achieved this goal.
Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2006
There is not agreement about the best maintenance treatment for patients with diffuse lupus nephr... more There is not agreement about the best maintenance treatment for patients with diffuse lupus nephritis. This multicenter, randomized trial compared the safety and efficacy of cyclosporine and azathioprine. Seventy-five patients with diffuse proliferative lupus were given three intravenous methylprednisolone pulses followed by prednisone and oral cyclophosphamide for a median of 90 d. Subsequently, patients were randomly assigned either to cyclosporine or to azathioprine for 2 yr (core study). Treatment continued for up to 4 yr (follow-up study). The primary outcome measure was the incidence of disease flares. Secondary end points were proteinuria per day, creatinine clearance, and adverse effects. Seven flares occurred in the cyclosporine group, and eight occurred in the azathioprine group. At the end of the core study, mean proteinuria decreased from 2.8 +/- 3.57 to 0.4 +/- 0.85 g/d (P < 0.0001) in the cyclosporine group and from 2.2 +/- 1.94 to 0.5 +/- 0.78 g/d (P < 0.0002) in the azathioprine group. After 4 yr, mean proteinuria was 0.2 +/- 0.24 and 0.3 +/- 0.33 g/d, respectively. At the core study end and at the follow-up completion, creatinine clearance and BP levels did not change significantly from baseline in either group. Five of 36 patients who were receiving cyclosporine and four of the 33 who were receiving azathioprine stopped the treatment because of adverse effects. For patients with diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis, azathioprine or cyclosporine combined with corticosteroids demonstrated equal efficacy in the prevention of flares.
A protective effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors has been shown in patients ... more A protective effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors has been shown in patients with diabetic nephropathy but has not been clearly established in nondiabetic renal disease. A multicenter European study was designed to determine whether the ACE inhibitor benazepril was safe and effective in protecting residual renal function in patients with various renal diseases and mild to moderate renal failure. The trial involved 583 patients from 49 centers in Italy, France, and Germany. The patients were randomized to receive benazepril or placebo plus other antihypertensive agents, the target being a diastolic blood pressure of less than 90 mm Hg. Thirty-one patients in the benazepril group and 57 patients in the placebo group reached the end point [the time elapsed from entry to (a) doubling of serum creatinine (SCr) concentrations and (b) start of renal replacement therapy; p < 0.001 at 3 years]. The associated reduction in the relative risk of reaching the end point was 53% in benazepril-treated patients, with actuarial renal survival probability significantly better at 3 years. The best survival of renal function was observed in patients with chronic glomerular diseases and proteinuria greater than 1.0 g/24 h. Benazepril is effective in slowing the rate of progression and improving the survival of renal function in patients with renal diseases of various origins. This protective effect is associated with a clinically relevant decrease in both blood pressure and proteinuria.
ABSTRACT Recent studies have pointed out that the incidence of primary glomerular diseases is sim... more ABSTRACT Recent studies have pointed out that the incidence of primary glomerular diseases is similar in the elderly and in younger populations. However the clinical characteristics of the different subtypes may be different in the advanced age. Minimal change nephropathy responds favorably to corticosteroids and/or cyclophosphamide, but many untreated or non-responder patients progress to end-stage renal disease or die from nephrotic complications. Focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis also has a severe prognosis in older patients but some 50% of patients may attain remission of the nephrotic syndrome with a prolonged corticosteroid treatment. The responders tend to maintain normal renal function over time. Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and IgA nephritis have a severe prognosis and do not respond to treatment. The clinical presentation and the outcome of membranous nephropathy are similar in the elderly and in younger adults. Corticosteroids are of little benefit while a 6-month treatment with chlorambucil and methylprednisolone may obtain remission of the nephrotic syndrome in about 2/3 of older patients. Crescentic glomerulonephritis has an ominous prognosis in older patients but some patients may improve if treatment with methylprednisolone pulses is started early. Acute postinfectious glomerulonephritis is often associated with renal failure in older patients. The prognosis may be severe.
Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a life-threatening multi-systemic non-Langerhans histiocytosis w... more Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a life-threatening multi-systemic non-Langerhans histiocytosis with cardiovascular complications as the leading cause of death. ECD affects the kidneys in up to 30% of cases, with fibrotic tissue deposition in the perirenal fat and renal hilum. Diagnosis is usually based on histological analysis of the pathologic tissue, which typically shows xanthogranulomatous infiltrates of foamy CD68+/CD1a- histiocytes surrounded by fibrosis. A consistent percentage of patients affected by ECD develop renal failure and hypertension as a consequence of renal artery stenosis and hydronephrosis. These conditions have been generally treated with the placement of stents and nephrostomies that frequently led to disappointing outcomes. Before the introduction of interferon-alpha (IFNα) treatment, the mortality rate was as high as 57% in the long term. Recent studies have granted new insights into the pathogenesis of ECD, which seems to bear a dual component of clonal an...
Cold ischemia triggers a cascade of noxious effects, which are amplified by restoration of blood ... more Cold ischemia triggers a cascade of noxious effects, which are amplified by restoration of blood supply reperfusion. These injuries generate inflammatory and immune responses that may potentially result in delayed graft function, enhanced alloimmune reactivity, and development of progressive pathological changes. Debout et al. outline the clinical importance of cold ischemia time in renal transplantation by demonstrating that each additional hour of cold ischemia can increase the risk of allograft failure and death.
Vitamin D is a hormone with pleiotropic effects. It mainly regulates calcium and phosphate metabo... more Vitamin D is a hormone with pleiotropic effects. It mainly regulates calcium and phosphate metabolism through interactions with FGF23 and its receptor klotho. In addition, it has been shown that Vitamin D also regulates the immune response and has protective effects from cardiovascular disease, cancer and infections. Most renal transplant recipients have overt Vitamin D deficiency, a condition that may be associated with a decline in graft function and other complications. After kidney transplantation, elevated levels of FGF23 may predict increased risks of death and allograft loss. Theoretically, an optimal Vitamin D supplementation might favor operational tolerance and protect transplant recipients from the triad cardiovascular disease-cancer-infection. However, more solid data are needed to confirm this and to set the optimal level of serum Vitamin D supplementation in order to attain the best clinical outcome.
In renal allograft recipients, most cases of liver dysfunction are caused by hepatitis B virus an... more In renal allograft recipients, most cases of liver dysfunction are caused by hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The natural history of hepatitis C and B was studied in 286 renal allograft recipients who received a kidney allograft between 1972 and 1989 when tests for anti-HCV became available. In all patients, hepatitis B (HB) surface (s) antigen (Ag) was tested before and anti-HCV (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay II) after transplantation. At enrollment in 1989 (5.5+/-4 years after transplantation), 209 patients were anti-HCV positive (C+), 42 patients were HBsAg-positive (B+), and 35 patients were both B+ and C+ (C+B+). One hundred four patients were receiving azathioprine (AZA) and 182 were on cyclosporine A (CsA). Since transplantation, the median follow-up was 18 years in AZA-treated and 13 years in CsA-treated patients. Liver biopsy showed chronic hepatitis in 73 patients, cirrhosis in 20 patients, and fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis in 2 patients. In 34 patients, liver biopsy was repeated, and progression of fibrosis was observed in 24 patients. The 12-year patient survival rate was similar in B+, C+, and B+C+ patients (67%, 78%, and 71%, respectively; P=not significant). Liver-related death was the first cause of death in B+ and B+C+ infected patients (58% and 72%, respectively), whereas cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of death in C+ patients (40%). Multivariate analysis showed that older age (>40 years) (relative risk [RR], 2.8), B+ status (RR, 2.36), and C+ status (RR, 1.65) were independently associated with a worse patient survival. In the long term, B+ patients had a higher risk of death related to liver disease than C+ patients, and co-infection did not worsen patient survival.
Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody, has been successfully given in various diseases includ... more Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody, has been successfully given in various diseases including HCV-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia. However, only preliminary data exists on its efficacy and safety after renal transplantation. We report on a renal transplant recipient with chronic hepatitis C who received rituximab therapy for gastric cancer. Four rituximab infusions of 375 mg/m(2) were given. Rituximab therapy was complicated by cholestatic hepatitis C with very high HCV RNA levels; liver insufficiency occurred. The patient developed bacterial pneumoniae and respiratory insufficiency was the cause of death. Although other mechanisms cannot be excluded, we found that rituximab therapy was implicated in the pathogenesis of cholestatic hepatitis C in our patient. We suggest that rituximab therapy may be associated with significant side effects. More experience has to be accumulated before any conclusions on efficacy and safety of rituximab therapy after RT can be drawn.
94 uremic patients, 68 on regular hemodialysis treatment (RHT) and 26 on chronic ambulatory perit... more 94 uremic patients, 68 on regular hemodialysis treatment (RHT) and 26 on chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), were followed for up to 20 months in search of dermatological manifestations. 79% of RHT and 76% of CAPD patients had some kind of cutaneous lesion. The most characteristic features of cutaneous involvement in RHT and CAPD patients were: cutaneous xerosis, pruritus, infectious manifestations and disorders of pigmentation. In 4 RHT patients, precancerous and cancerous manifestations were also observed.
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Papers by Claudio Ponticelli