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In this cross-sectional, controlled study, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, a probable factor in the development of gastrointestinal problems, was investigated in dialysis patients and renal transplant recipients. Forty-seven dialysis patients (22 male, 25 female, mean age of 36.6±15 yr (range 18–83 yr)), 57 renal transplant recipients (39 male, 18 female, mean age of 36.8±10 yr (range 19–60 yr)) and 55 healthy individuals (34 male, 21 female, mean age of 33.4±9.6 yr (range 21–58 yr)) were included and no significant difference was found in the study groups. The mean time spent on dialysis in the hemodialysis group was 32.5±27.7 months (range 1–100 months). H. pylori antibodies were detected in 22 of 57 (38.6%) patients in the transplantation group, 31 of 47 (65.9%) patients in the dialysis group and 39 of 55 (72.5%) in the control group. No correlation was found between H. pylori infection and age, sex, primary disease, frequency of dialysis, duration and type of transplantation and the immunosuppressive therapy. However, patients with H. pylori antibodies spent a shorter time on dialysis compared to patients without the antibodies (26.6±23.5 vs 44.1±32.1 months, p=0.038). The frequency of H. pylori infection in the transplantation group was significantly lower than the control and dialysis groups (p<0.01). This finding may be explained on the basis of decreased humoral antibody response to H. pylori infection, secondary to immunosuppressive therapy rather than decreased incidence of infection in the transplantation group. Finally, we concluded that the value of the serological test for diagnosis of H. pylori infection should be interpreted cautiously in these patient groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic allograft dysfunction (CAD), the major cause of the failure of kidney allografts, may be caused by immunological and non-immunological haemodynamic factors. Renin-angiotensin system has been implicated in the development of intraglomerular hypertension and has a central role on progression in chronic renal disease. Polymorphism in 16th intron of the ACE gene has been reported to predict the circulating angiotensin II levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the both recipient and donor angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) genotype on the development of CAD in renal allograft recipients., Patients and Methods: A total of 143 renal transplant recipients (95 male, 48 female, mean age 32 +/- 10 yr) were included. In order to exclude the effect of cold ischaemia, only patients transplanted from living donors were selected. Factors analysed in the development of CAD were donor and recipient age, past history of acute rejection, presence of hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia, serum uric acid level and ACE gene polymorphism., Results: Forty of the patients (28%) had CAD. Homozygous deletion type ACE gene polymorphism was detected in 59 renal transplant recipients (42%) and in 31 donors of the patients (37%). On comparing patients with and without CAD, donor age, rate of acute rejection and hypertension and serum uric acid levels were significantly higher in CAD (+) groups. Neither recipient nor donor ACE genotype was associated with time to CAD. Cox regression analysis revealed donor age (p < 0.001), presence of hypertension (p=0.002) and serum uric acid levels (p=0.009), but neither donor nor recipient ACE genotype as independent factors for predicting development of CAD., Conclusion: Donor age, presence of hypertension and serum uric acid levels was independent factors. Donor and recipient ACE genotype seemed to have no influence on the development of CAD in living donor transplanted patients.

In this cross-sectional, controlled study, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, a probable factor in the development of gastrointestinal problems, was investigated in dialysis patients and renal transplant recipients. Forty-seven dialysis patients (22 male, 25 female, mean age of 36.6 +/- 15 yr (range 18-83 yr)), 57 renal transplant recipients (39 male, 18 female, mean age of 36.8 +/- 10 yr (range 19-60 yr)) and 55 healthy individuals (34 male, 21 female, mean age of 33.4 +/- 9.6 yr (range 21-58 yr)) were included and no significant difference was found in the study groups. The mean time spent on dialysis in the hemodialysis group was 32.5 +/- 27.7 months (range 1-100 months). H. pylori antibodies were detected in 22 of 57 (38.6%) patients in the transplantation group, 31 of 47 (65.9%) patients in the dialysis group and 39 of 55 (72.5%) in the control group. No correlation was found between H. pylori infection and age, sex, primary disease, frequency of dialysis, duration and type of transplantation and the immunosuppressive therapy. However, patients with H. pylori antibodies spent a shorter time on dialysis compared to patients without the antibodies (26.6 +/- 23.5 vs 44.1 +/- 32.1 months, p = 0.038). The frequency of H. pylori infection in the transplantation group was significantly lower than the control and dialysis groups (p < 0.01). This finding may be explained on the basis of decreased humoral antibody response to H. pylori infection, secondary to immunosuppressive therapy rather than decreased incidence of infection in the transplantation group. Finally, we concluded that the value of the serological test for diagnosis of H. pylori infection should be interpreted cautiously in these patient groups.