This is the report of 98 cases in renal allograft, which were treated at Yeungnam University Hospital from January 1994 to July 1996 and compared the significance of changes of TNF alpha, IL-2R, IL-6 in blood and urine as an early diagnostic tool of acute rejection in renal allograft. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of plasma and urinary TNF alpha, IL-2R, IL-6 in patients with renal allografts. Renal allografts patients were divided into four groups (control, acute rejection, acute tubular necrosis, systemic infection) according to their postoperative diagnostic methods. Blood and urine samples in four groups were obtained: control group (2 days before transplantation, at the day of transplantation and every other day after transplantation), acute rejection group (everyday sampling from 2 days before therapy to the end of therapy), acute tubular necrosis and systemic infection group (everyday sampling from the day of diagnosis to the end of therapy). In acute rejection group, there were significant elevation of cytokines; plasma TNF alpha (68.4%, p<0.01), IL-2R (73.6%, p<0.01), and IL-6 (89.5%, p<0.01), urinary TNF-alpha (42.1%, p<0.01), IL-2R (89.5%, p<0.01) and IL-6 (94.7%, p<0.01). In systemic infection group, all cytokines except urinary TNF-alpha were significantly elevated. The results suggested that plasma and urinary TNF-alpha, IL-2R, and IL-6 may play a complementary early diagnostic tool of acute rejection in renal allograft patients although the differential diagnosis is difficult with systemic infection. Urinary TNF-alpha was not elevated in systemic infection group, so it may be used in differential diagnosis between acute rejection and systemic infection.
Allografts* ; Cytokines ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Interleukin-6* ; Necrosis ; Plasma* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

This is the report of 98 cases in renal allograft, which were treated at Yeungnam University Hospital from January 1994 to July 1996 and compared the significance of changes of TNF alpha, IL-2R, IL-6 in blood and urine as an early diagnostic tool of acute rejection in renal allograft. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of plasma and urinary TNF alpha, IL-2R, IL-6 in patients with renal allografts. Renal allografts patients were divided into four groups (control, acute rejection, acute tubular necrosis, systemic infection) according to their postoperative diagnostic methods. Blood and urine samples in four groups were obtained: control group (2 days before transplantation, at the day of transplantation and every other day after transplantation), acute rejection group (everyday sampling from 2 days before therapy to the end of therapy), acute tubular necrosis and systemic infection group (everyday sampling from the day of diagnosis to the end of therapy). In acute rejection group, there were significant elevation of cytokines; plasma TNF alpha (68.4%, p<0.01), IL-2R (73.6%, p<0.01), and IL-6 (89.5%, p<0.01), urinary TNF-alpha (42.1%, p<0.01), IL-2R (89.5%, p<0.01) and IL-6 (94.7%, p<0.01). In systemic infection group, all cytokines except urinary TNF-alpha were significantly elevated. The results suggested that plasma and urinary TNF-alpha, IL-2R, and IL-6 may play a complementary early diagnostic tool of acute rejection in renal allograft patients although the differential diagnosis is difficult with systemic infection. Urinary TNF-alpha was not elevated in systemic infection group, so it may be used in differential diagnosis between acute rejection and systemic infection.
Allografts* ; Cytokines ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Interleukin-6* ; Necrosis ; Plasma* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

PURPOSE: The 99mTc-Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scan is used primarily for the diagnosis of renal scarring and acute pyelonephritis in children with urinary tract infections (UTI). This study aimed to evaluate clinical differences based on the positive or negative results of DMSA scans and kidney ultrasonography (US) in pediatric UTI. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 142 pediatric patients with UTI who were admitted to Myongji Hospital from January 2004 to December 2012. We performed a comparative analysis of clinical parameters such as age, sex, white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil count, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level, creatinine (Cr) level, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and durations of hospitalization and fever, grouped by the results of the DMSA scans and kidney US. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 33.8+/-48.3 months, and 78 (55%) were male. Fifty-two patients had abnormal DMSA findings, and 71 patients had abormal kidney US findings (test positive groups). In the DMSA scan positive group, there were significant differences in age, WBC counts, neutrophil counts, CRP level, BUN level, Cr level, hospitalization duration, number of abnormal findings on kidney US, and incidence of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) compared with the scan negative group. The kidney US positive group had significant differences in age, neutrophil count, CRP level, BUN level, Cr level, hospitalization duration, number of abnormal findings on the DMSA scans, and more frequent VUR compared with the US negative group. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that there were no major differences in clinical parameters based on the results of the DMSA scans compared with kidney US in pediatric UTI. However, as kidney US and DMSA scan were performed to predict VUR, the sensitivity and negative predictive value was increased.
Blood Urea Nitrogen ; C-Reactive Protein ; Child* ; Cicatrix ; Creatinine ; Diagnosis ; Fever ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Leukocytes ; Male ; Neutrophils ; Pyelonephritis ; Retrospective Studies ; Succimer ; Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid* ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract* ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux