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Tubulo-interstitial kidney disease is characterized by moderate proteinuria < 1 g/day of low molecular weight proteins in range of MW 10.000-50.000. Even in the physiological proteinuria of < 150 mg/day, tubulo-interstitial kidney disease may exist. Using optimized sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamid gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) according to the method of Melzer, even in proteinuria of less than 150 mg/day all relevant proteins for diagnosis of glomerular or tubulo-interstitial kidney disease can be detected. This study evaluates the tubulo-interstitial kidney disease due to polychemotherapy for different types of cancer in 115 children and in 16 children with pyelo-ureteral junction obstruction. Fifty-two and 63 children were followed up during and after chemotherapy, respectively. During therapy, renal damage was recorded in 43% of patients with leukemia, 56% with nephroblastoma, and 79% with other tumors. Tubular protein patterns were seen up to three years after termination of chemotherapy (25% in acute lymphoplastic leukemia, 35% in nephroblastoma and 62% in other tumors). Patients with persistent complete tubular proteinuria or mixed glomerular/tubular proteinuria were found to have a high risk for irreversible renal failure. Children with congenital pyelo-ureteral junction obstruction could also be classified according to SDS-PAGE protein patterns. Patients without parenchymal lesions did not need surgery. Most of those with pathologic findings in SDS-PAGE exhibited partial or complete remission after surgery. The highly discriminating SDS-PAGE permits a rapid, sensitive, reproducible, and reliable analysis of urine proteins for diagnosis and follow-up of all kinds of congenital or acquired renal parenchymal kidney diseases.

The genus Philornis (Diptera: Muscidae) comprises Neotropical parasitic flies that parasitize bird nestlings while in their larval stage. The ecology of most species of these parasitic flies is largely unknown. Here, we contribute with data that shed some light on the environmental factors that are associated with variations in parasitism intensity of Philornis torquans, and examine whether increased intensity is followed by greater probability of mortality or reduced nestling growth. Intensive examination of nestlings of the bird community present in a 30 ha area was carried out weekly along two breeding seasons in Santa Fe, Argentina. Some nestlings of the most frequently parasitized bird species were followed twice a week, from hatching to fledging, to assess the impact of the parasites. High average maximum temperature and increased rainfall were significantly positively correlated with mean Philornis intensity. In turn, heavily parasitized nestlings were more likely to die: 10 larvae doubled the chances of mortality, and growth was affected in those that survived. The greater precipitation and warmer weather predicted for some areas of South America pose a potential impact on nestlings via this parasitism, and consequently on the population dynamics of native birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We record a case of a 37-year-old female with acute viral encephalitis, frequency and urgency incontinence. Video urodynamics showed small bladder capacity, sensory urgency, high residual urine and a Christmas tree appearance of the bladder. MRI showed inflammation and edema in the area of the thalamus and internal capsule in the early stage, then cavitation and gliosis in the same regions in the late stage. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the case of a 73-year-old male who presented with a chronic subdural hematoma that compressed the frontal lobe, an area known to be active in detrusor control, and caused contralateral hemiparesis and urgency incontinence. Urodynamically, he had a small bladder capacity and high amplitude overactive detrusor contractions with an intact sphincteric response. We concluded that the effect of intracranial lesions on voiding depends upon the site rather than the type of the pathology. Further in-depth studies are needed to clarify the effect of intracranial lesions, and accordingly the function of different brain regions and their influence on voiding. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]