Hypertension is a major risk factor of atherosclerosis which results in cardiovascular disease, and remains a major health problem worldwide. While children are more likely to have secondary hypertension, recent studies support the theory that the prevalence of essential hypertension in children and adolescents is increasing with the global epidemic of childhood obesity, and close attention is needed. Evaluation of hypertension in the pediatric age group should be guided by the age at presentation, and renal diseases must be considered in every child with hypertension, because of the prevalence of renovascular and renal parenchymal disorders as the etiology in any age group. The majority of children with chronic kidney disease are hypertensive, and many have associated end organ damage. Thus, once hypertension has been confirmed, end organ care as well as pharmacologic therapy must be continued. In renovascular hypertension, as cure could be gained with surgical/endovascular intervention, accurate diagnosis is important and it is recommended that every suspected child should undergo angiography.
Adolescent ; Angiography ; Atherosclerosis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Child ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Renovascular ; Obesity ; Prevalence ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Risk Factors

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) account for more than 50% of abdominal masses found in neonates and involve about 0.5% of all pregnancies. CAKUT has a major role in renal failure, and increasing evidence suggests that certain abnormalities predispose to the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. To understand the pathogenesis of human renal anomalies, understanding the development of kidney is important. Diverse anomalies of the kidney corresponding to defects at a particular stage of development have been documented recently; however, more research is required to understand the molecular networks underlying kidney development, and such an investigation will provide a clue to the therapeutic intervention for CAKUT.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Infant, Newborn ; Kidney ; Pregnancy ; Renal Insufficiency ; Urinary Tract ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux

Acute renal failure is the generic term for an abrupt and sustained decrease in renal function resulting in retention of nitrogenous and non nitrogenous waste product. This may results in life threatening consequences including volume overload, hyperkalemia, and metabolic acidosis. Acute renal failure is both common and carries high mortality rate, but as it is often preventable, identification of patients at risk and and appropriate management are crucial. This review summarized the most recent information on definition, epidemiology, clinical causes and management of acute renal failure in pediatric patients.
Acidosis ; Acute Kidney Injury* ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Hyperkalemia ; Mortality ; Nitrogen ; Pediatrics* ; Waste Products

PURPOSE: Regional anticoagulation with trisodium citrate for continuous renal replacement therapy(CRRT) is an effective and safe method, with lower bleeding risk. However it is not widely used because of complex current protocols used to prevent anticipated metabolic derangements. We evaluated simplified regional anticoagulation protocols with ACD-A(R) solution and commercially available calcium-containing dialysis solution. METHODS: The medical records of twenty-eight patients who underwent CRRT were reviewed. Hemofilter life span according to the anticoagulation method used was compared, and laboratory findings at pre- and 48 hours post-CRRT initiation were compared in the citrate-based CRRT group. RESULTS: Of the twenty-eight patients, five patients underwent citrate-based CRRT. Hemofilter life span was 1.60+/-0.72 days, showing no significant differences with the hemofilter life span in the heparin based and LMWH based CRRT group. No patients experienced hemorrhagic complications. PT, aPTT, sodium, tCO2, iCa levels showed no difference in pre- and post-CRRT. Total calcium levels were increased. At the recommended postfilter iCa level, i.e., 0.25-0.39 mmol/L, all five patients needed increased amount of citrate infusion, and Ca infusion requirement was decreased. CONCLUSION: Simplified regional citrate anticoagulation with calcium-containing dialysate is an effective and safe method, and is not associated with increased hemofilter clotting. However, increased postfilter iCa level is recommended.
Calcium ; Child* ; Citric Acid* ; Dialysis ; Hemorrhage ; Heparin ; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Renal Replacement Therapy* ; Sodium

Continous renal replacement therapy(CRRT) is becoming increasingly popular for the support of critically ill patients with acute renal failure, and the development of pump-driven volumetric-control CRRT machines with small extracorporeal volumes has lead to the widespread use of venovenous form of CRRT in pediatric field. Basic principles are diffusion and convection. CRRT is indicated in the hemodynamically unstable pediatric patients for hypervolemic anuric acute renal failure, electrolyte abnormalities, multiorgan failure, catabolic patients with increased nutritional needs and hyperammonemia, etc. To date, experiences are limited for pediatric CRRT, but current reports support that CRRT is feasible and useful in children and even infants, and the survival rate of the patients on CRRT is as same as adults. We describe the basic principles, equipments, methods and complications of CRRT, with special considerations on small children to meet the current need for CRRT.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Adult ; Child ; Convection ; Critical Illness ; Diffusion ; Humans ; Hyperammonemia ; Infant ; Pediatrics* ; Renal Replacement Therapy* ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: Growing data on the relationship between cytokine expression and the progression of renal diseases make these cytokines potential targets for therapeutic interventions. Weexamined the helper T1-cell- and macrophage-associated cytokines in anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody-induced nephritis in mice and their temporal relationships with renal tissue fibrosis. METHODS: Kidneys were harvested on days 1, 3, 7, 11, and 16 after glomerulonephritis was induced with anti-GBM antibody. The progression of renal fibrosis was serially monitored to quantitate the accumulation of cortical extracellular matrix, and various cytokines were measured simultaneously. RESULTS: A single injection of anti-GBM antibody successfully produced severe crescentic glomerulonephritis. Proteinuria increased abruptly and both mesangial matrix expansion and interstitial fibrosis progressed rapidly. Cortical fibronectin and type III collagen increased continuously, reaching a peak on day 7, and the deposition of type III collagen followed the same pattern, in parallel with that of urinary transforming growth factor 1 (TGF-1) expression. Serial cytokine measurements revealed a sustained increase in interleukin (IL) 6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1) from day 3, but neither IL12, IL18, nor interferon changed significantly. Real-time polymerase chain reaction confirmed these features at the transcription level. CONCLUSION: MCP1 and IL6 correlated with the progression of renal fibrosis, with no increase in Th1- inducing cytokines. This confirms MCP1 and IL6 as attractive therapeutic targets for renal fibrosis in crescentic glomerulonephritis.
Animals ; Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease ; Autoantibodies ; Basement Membrane ; Chemokine CCL2 ; Collagen Type III ; Cytokines ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibronectins ; Fibrosis ; Glomerulonephritis ; Interferons ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-18 ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; Kidney ; Mice ; Nephritis ; Proteinuria ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transforming Growth Factors

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the single most common infection following kidney transplantation and despite prophylactic strategies and the development of new antiviral agents, it still remains a cause of considerable morbidity and mortality. Current literature suggests that CMV infection may trigger rejection. We report a case of late CMV disease in a preemptive seropositive recipient who did not receive CMV prophylaxis. Diarrhea and abdominal cramping persisted after the administration of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) six months after transplantation and resulted in ileal perforation at eight months after transplantation. The boy recovered after six weeks of treatment with ganciclovir. MMF has been mooted as a risk factor for CMV infection since its introduction, and further investigations are required to confirm its role. More attention to infectious complications is necessary and serial monitoring of viral load is recommended when MMF is administered.
Antiviral Agents ; Colic ; Cytomegalovirus ; Diarrhea ; Ganciclovir ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation ; Mycophenolic Acid ; Risk Factors ; Transplants ; Viral Load

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease(PTLD) has emerged as a potential life-threatening complication of immunosuppressive therapy after organ transplantation. The occurrence of PTLD is usually associated with an Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) infection in patients who are treated by aggressive immunosuppressive therapy. PTLD is represented by diverse manifestations ranging from reactive lymphoid hyperplasia to high grade malignant lymphoma. This is a case report of a late PTLD in a child. The patient is a 14-year-old girl, who presented as malignant lymphoma 44 months after successful renal transplantation. There was no evidence of EBV infection. On bone marrow study, many neoplastic lymphoid cells were detected. Aggressive chemotherapy for PTLD had resulted in clinical remission. However the patient expired from uncontrolled sepsis and septic shock after 77 days.
Adolescent ; Bone Marrow ; Child* ; Drug Therapy ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; Female ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Lymphocytes ; Lymphoma ; Organ Transplantation ; Pseudolymphoma ; Sepsis ; Shock, Septic ; Transplants

We report a 2-month-old boy who presented with severe hyponatremia and hyperkalemia secondary to ureteropelvic junction(UPJ) obstruction. By prenatal ultrasonography at 19 weeks of gestation, severe hydronephrosis was found which was confirmed postnatally. Pyeloplasty was done on the 45th day of life, and fifteen days after pyeloplasty, non-bilious vomiting, decreased activity and dehydration developed. Severe hyponatremia and hyperkalemia were observed, as a result of elevated serum aldosterone and plasma renin activity. The anterior posterior pelvic diameter(APPD) and Society for Fetal Urology(SFU) grade measured showed no interval change before and after pyeloplasty. Pseudohypoaldosteronism was diagnosed, and 2M NaCl was administrated orally for 7 days. The electrolyte imbalance was corrected, and 8 weeks later, the elevated levels of aldosterone and plasma renin activity were normalized. The left hydronephrosis was improved at 5 months of age. We hereby report a transient pseudohypoaldosteronism secondary to UPJ obstruction with a review of the literature.
Aldosterone ; Dehydration ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Hyperkalemia ; Hyponatremia ; Infant ; Male ; Plasma ; Pregnancy ; Pseudohypoaldosteronism* ; Renin ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal ; Vomiting

With the advent of hemodialysis, the success of renal transplants in the 1960s and the wide use of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis at the end of the 1970s, children with renal failure now enjoy an extended life span. As a result, several children experience renal osteodystrophy and growth retardation. Renal osteodystrophy is induced by phosphorus retention, hypocalcemia, low vitamin D levels and hyperparathyroidism. The pharmacologic interventions are used to prevent bone deformities and to normalize growth velocity. But surgical intervention is required sometimes when osteodystrophy is severe and poorly controlled. We report an eight-year-old boy with chronic renal failure who developed severe bone deformities and needed osteotomy.
Child ; Congenital Abnormalities* ; Humans ; Hyperparathyroidism ; Hypocalcemia ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Male ; Osteotomy ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory ; Phosphorus ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Renal Osteodystrophy* ; Vitamin D