Search

Aim: This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and suicidal behavior by using a structured diagnostic interview in patients of chronic kidney disease currently on dialysis. An additional aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of psychiatric morbidity on quality of life (QOL). Methodology: One hundred and ten patients undergoing hemodialysis were evaluated, at least 24 h after the last dialysis on Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview PLUS (MINI PLUS), Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), and Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition. Results: On MINI-PLUS, about two-thirds (67.3%) of the study sample fulfilled at least one-lifetime psychiatric diagnosis and half of the study participants fulfilled a current psychiatric diagnosis. More than one-fourth (29.1%) of the study participants had more than one psychiatric diagnosis. Among various psychiatric disorders, depressive disorders were the most common (45.5%). About one-third of the participants had suicidality, as assessed on MINI-PLUS and C-SSRS. Compared to those without psychiatric morbidity, those with psychiatric morbidity had a poor QOL. Conclusions: In view of the high psychiatric morbidity and its negative impact on the QOL of patients undergoing hemodialysis, there is a need for close liaison between nephrologists, transplant surgeons and mental health professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Antibodies to M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) correlate with clinical activity of primary membranous nephropathy (PMN). Risk alleles in PLA2R1 and HLA-DQA1 genes are associated with PMN. Whether these alleles are associated with the development of anti-PLA2R is unknown. In this prospective study we evaluated anti-PLA2R, enhanced glomerular staining for PLA2R and variations in PLA2R1 and HLA-DQA1 genes in Indian patients with PMN and examined their association with response to treatment. Methods. A total of 114 adult PMN patients were studied. Anti-PLA2R was estimated before treatment and after 6 and 12 months of therapy. Enhanced glomerular staining for PLA2R was assessed on fresh frozen tissue. Genotype analysis was done on recruited patients and 95 healthy controls by Taq- Man assays for six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs4664308, rs3749119, rs3749117, rs4664308, rs3828323 and rs2187668). Patients were followed up monthly for a period of 12 months. Results. Of 114 patients, 66.7% showed elevated serum anti- PLA2R by ELISA and 64.9% by indirect immunofluorescence. About 75% had enhanced glomerular staining for PLA2R. A total of 82% of patients had PLA2R-related disease. Reduction in serum anti-PLA2R titer had a significant association with remission of nephrotic syndrome (P = 0.0003) at 6 and 12 months. More than 85% of patients showing >90% reduction in the anti- PLA2R titer achieved remission of the nephrotic state, whereas of those showing <50% reduction in titers, 87.5% had persistent nephrotic state. The SNPs rs3749119, rs3749117, rs4664308 in PLA2R1 and rs2187668 in HLA-DQA1 were significantly associated with PMN. The SNP rs2187668 was associated with anti-PLA2R positivity. Patients with a high-risk genotype had higher anti-PLA2R levels. Conclusion. To conclude, anti-PLA2R and enhanced glomerular PLA2R staining are found in more than two-thirds of Indian PMN cases. A reduction in the anti-PLA2R titer correlated with response to therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Cryptococcosis occurring ⩽30 days after transplantation is an unusual event, and its characteristics are not known. Methods. Patients included 175 solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients with cryptococcosis in a multicenter cohort. Very early-onset and late-onset cryptococcosis were defined as disease occurring ⩽30 days or >30 days after transplantation, respectively. Results. Very early-onset disease developed in 9 (5%) of the 175 patients at a mean of 5.7 days after transplantation. Overall, 55.6% (5 of 9) of the patients with very early-onset disease versus 25.9% (43 of 166) of the patients with late-onset disease were liver transplant recipients (P = .05). Very early cases were more likely to present with disease at unusual locations, including transplanted allograft and surgical fossa/site infections (55.6% vs 7.2%; P < .001). Two very early cases with onset on day 1 after transplantation (in a liver transplant recipient with Cryptococcus isolated from the lung and a heart transplant recipient with fungemia) likely were the result of undetected pretransplant disease. An additional 5 cases involving the allograft or surgical sites were likely the result of donor-acquired infection. Conclusions. A subset of SOT recipients with cryptococcosis present very early after transplantation with disease that appears to occur preferentially in liver transplant recipients and involves unusual sites, such as the transplanted organ or the surgical site. These patients may have unrecognized pretransplant or donor-derived cryptococcosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a 45-year-old man, heavy smoker, presenting with 6.5 × 5.3 cm painless solitary growth over right temporal region. Chest radiograph showed opacity over left lung abutting mediastinum. Computed tomogram revealed homogenous ill-defined opacity indicative of bronchogenic carcinoma with metastases to right lung, liver and adrenal glands. The carina was involved with tumor along with partial obliteration of the left main bronchus over bronchoscopy; the biopsy confirmed squamous cell carcinoma. The biopsy from scalp lesion and cervical lymph node also established metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. Although cutaneous metastasis with primary lung cancer has been reported, the scalp lesion as a sole presenting feature of underlying quiescent squamous cell lung cancer, which is described here, has not been reported frequently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. We describe an immune reconstitution syndrome (IRS)-like entity in the course of evolution of Cryptococcus neoformans infection in organ transplant recipients. Methods. The study population comprised a cohort of 83 consecutive organ transplant recipients with cryptococcosis who were observed for a median of 2 years in an international, multicenter study. Results. In 4 (4.8%) of the 83 patients, an IRS-like entity was observed a median of 5.5 weeks after the initiation of appropriate antifungal therapy. Worsening of clinical manifestations was documented, despite cultures being negative for C. neoformans. These patients were significantly more likely to have received tacrolimus, my- cophenolate mofetil, and prednisone as the regimen of immunosuppressive therapy than were all other patients (P = .007). The proposed basis of this phenomenon is reversal of a predominantly Th2 response at the onset of infection to a Thi proinflammatory response as a result of receipt of effective antifungal therapy and a reduction in or cessation of immunosuppressive therapy. Conclusions. This study demonstrated that an IRS-like entity occurs in organ transplant recipients with C. neoformans infection. Furthermore, this entity may be misconstrued as a failure of therapy. Immunomodulatory agents may have a role as adjunctive therapy in such cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]