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The calcium channel blocker amlodipine may lower blood pressure in children who have received a bone marrow transplant. Organ transplant recipients must take immunosuppressive drugs to prevent graft rejection, but these drugs can often raise blood pressure. Amlodipine successfully lowered blood pressure in 15 children who had received a bone marrow transplant. Two children developed swollen ankles and had to stop taking the drug. Amlodipine is water-soluble and can be administered in a liquid form just once a day.

To determine the important factors involved in the etiology of renal scarring we studied 37 children with renal scars seen at our hospital since 1965. This is the second largest series reported to date. Children who had neurogenic bladders or any structural abnormalities of the urinary tract other than vesicoureteral reflux were excluded. The study group included 36 girls and 1 boy. The average age at first detection of renal scars was 5.7 years.

We reviewed the results of 300 cadaveric pediatric renal transplantations performed at our institution. The procedures provided significant survival and improvement of the quality of life in the majority of children. Recipient and graft survival was better in patients more than 5 years old than in younger children. Early nontechnical thrombosis was a major specific problem in young recipients. The original disease did affect graft survival. Uncorrected congenital bladder storage and micturition inefficiency adversely affected graft survival. (J. Urol, part 2, 140:1129-1133, 1988)

Amantadine hydrochloride, a dopamine agonist with antiviral and antiparkinsonism properties, is used for the prevention and treatment of influenza A respiratory infections in high-risk populations. The occurrence of amantadine-induced hallucinations and tremors is described in a young, renal transplant patient with declining renal function. Following discontinuation of amantadine, plasma amantadine concentrations were correlated with central nervous system toxicity. In view of the usage of amantadine in renal transplant recipients and the elderly, clinicians must be alert to the possibility of amantadine-induced neurotoxicity in patients with changing renal function.

• The renal status of 60 children (15 male and 45 female) with systemic lupus erythematosus seen over a 21-year period was evaluated clinically and by renal biopsy. The occurrence of serious clinical renal disease at initial observation, more severe renal impairment at outcome, and diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis were more common in male than in female patients. Although lupus is relatively uncommon in male subjects, our epidemiologic study shows that there is a sex difference in the severity of lupus nephritis, with male subjects being more severely affected than female subjects.(AJDC 1984;138:586-588)

• We were able to separate Bartter's syndrome patients into two groups: Group 1 patients are seen at a young age, with hyponatremia and episodes of extracellular volume contraction. Group 2 patients are older and most have tetany; plasma sodium values and renal sodium balances are normal. Plasma potassium values are lower and plasma renin activity and plasma magnesium levels are higher in group 1 than in group 2. It may be that all patients with Bartter's syndrome manifest the features of both groups, group 1 patients with time developing into group 2 patients. These observations have important implications in the treatment of patients with Bartter's syndrome(Am J Dis Child 133:636-638, 1979)