Search

Background: Higher blood pressure and albuminuria are found in offspring of mothers who smoke during pregnancy. Whether or not kidney development is affected by maternal smoking is unknown. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to twice-daily cigarette-smoke and nicotine condensate (1 mg/kg) or vehicle at day 10 of pregnancy until delivery. Results: Exposed offspring did not differ from control offspring with respect to body weight, kidney weight, albuminuria, and creatinine clearance. Both male and female offspring had higher tail-plethysmographic blood pressures and lower mean glomerular volume, podocyte, mesangial-cell, and endothelial-cell number, compared to control offspring. Conclusions: The data document that prenatal exposure to cigarette-smoke condensate containing nicotine influences normal kidney development and could predispose to higher blood pressures later in life. Copyright (c) 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel

Nail-patella syndrome (NPS) is rare genetic disorder with autosomal mode of inheritance resulting from mutations in the LMX1B gene mapped on the long arm of chromosome 9 (9q34), encoding transcription factor, also named LMX1B. This syndrome is characterized by a skeletal malformations, such as dysplasia of the knees (with typical patellar hypoplasia or aplasia), elbows and nails as well as characteristic protuberaces of ilium named ,,iliac homes". Chronic nephropathy and nails dysplasia are most common extraosseal signs of NPS. Familial, genetic proved (missense mutation -G599A (R200Q) case of NPS in the mother and her son was presented. Clinical features characteristic for this syndrome and observed in both our patients were compared to the data published previously.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with the reduction of haemoglobin concentration and a variety of biochemical abnormalities including changes in serum concentration of sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphate, bicarbonate, and hydrogen ions. However, data concerning epidemiology of these abnormalities are rare and incomplete, especially among subjects with mild to moderate CKD.Patients with a serum creatinine concentration110 micromol/l hospitalized in the Department of Nephrology, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases Medical University of Silesia from 1998 to 2002 were analyzed. Patients with acute renal failure or chronic renal failure treated with renal replacement therapy were excluded from this study. A total of 653 patients (262F and 391M) were divided into 9 subgroups differing from each other by progressive decline of glomerular filtration rate (GFR).A statistically significant decrease in haemoglobin concentration and increase in the prevalence of anaemia were found in patients with GFR50 ml/min. In a large number of patients with a GFR80 but50 ml/min, Hb concentration11 g/dl was observed. Mean MCV, MCH and serum iron concentration were similar in all studied subgroups. A progressive increase in serum phosphorus concentration and decrease of calcaemia was found in patients with GFR30 ml/min. The elevated Ca x P product (4.44 mmol2/12) was noticed almost exclusively in patients with GFR30 ml/min. A decompensated metabolic acidosis was observed in 29.8% of patients with GFR30 ml/min.Anaemia is an early symptom of chronic kidney disease preceding disturbances of calcium, phosphate and hydrogen ions metabolism. These abnormalities seem to be of therapeutic relevance.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the causes of chronic renal failure and clinical status of patients during the onset of hemodialysis therapy in Upper Silesian region. Medical documentation and questionnaires of 175 patients initiating hemodialysis therapy from November 1999 to October 2000 were analyzed. Concentrations of creatinine, calcium, phosphorus in serum, hemoglobin in blood, concomitance of hypertension, frequency of uremic symptoms, HBV and HCV infections, and occurrence of mature arterio-venous fistula before the first hemodialysis were assessed. The main causes of end stage kidney disease were: chronic glomerulonephritis (29%), diabetic nephropathy (27%), polycystic kidney disease (15%), interstitial (11%) and hypertensive (9%) nephropathy. The first contact with nephrologist for 30% of patients was the admission for the initiation of renal replacement therapy. 33% of patients were treated due to chronic renal failure shorter than 1 year. Only 53% of patients had matured arterio-venous fistula during the first hemodialysis session. Anemia, hyperphosphatemia (1.7 mmol/l) and arterial hypertension were found in 87%, 49.5% and 82% of patients starting hemodialysis therapy, respectively. The main symptoms of chronic uremia were weakness, pruritus, swelling, nausea and insomnia.Most of patients with chronic renal failure is referred to the nephrologists at the advanced stage of the disease. It is especially true for patients with diabetic nephropathy.