OBJECTIVE: Various degrees of metabolic acidosis are accompanied by the decrease in the kidney function. It is known that dialysis patients' long-term convalescences and complications are related to metabolic acidosis. It is generally known that the extreme acidosis of the dialysis patients should be corrected but on the contrary, there are reports on hemodialysis patients with slight acidosis have better nutritional condition. However, the research results are rare compared to the ratio of diabetic patients among dialysis patients. Therefore, in this paper we tried to reach a conclusion by comparing and analyzing the total carbon dioxide of the serum and other nutrition parameters of the diabetic patients among long-term hemodialysis patients with the non-diabetic patients. METHODS: We divided 50 patients, who have been hemodialysis for longer than three months, into 21 patients with diabetes and 29 patients with non-diabetes. And we compared and analyzed the TCO2 in addition to measuring other parameters based on the blood tests carried out on the beginning of every month from January of 1999 to December of 2000. RESULTS: TCO2 showed a inverse correlation with nPCR, serum albumin, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine on the correlation analysis of the total target patients. And blood urea nitrogen and age were the independent factors in the independent factor analysis using multiple regression analysis. When we divided and compared the total target patients into diabetic patients and non-diabetic patients, there were no significant differences between various kinds of nutrition parameters and dialysis parameters. And TCO2 showed a inverse correlation with nPCR, nPCR being the independent factor in the diabetic patients. In addition, TCO2 showed a inverse correlation with serum creatinine, serum creatinine being the independent factor in the non-diabetic patients. CONCLUSION: Increase of ingestion of protein was one of the important factors in inducing metabolic acidosis, but the TCO2 and improved nutritional condition resulting from ingesting sufficient protein could be preserved in the diabetic patients. Therefore we think that the diabetic patients' nutritional condition and supervision of their ingestion of protein is more needed as sufficient ingestion of protein is a major factor in balancing acid-base for diabetic patients than non-diabetic patients.
Acidosis ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Carbon Dioxide ; Convalescence ; Creatinine ; Dialysis ; Eating ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Kidney ; Organization and Administration ; Renal Dialysis* ; Serum Albumin

BACKGROUND: IgA nephropathy is recognized as a disease affecting primarily young men under 30 years of age but it is relatively uncommon over 50 years of age. Findings on clinical and histological presentation and outcome of over 50 years of age have rarely published in Korea. METHODS: Between Febrary 1994 and July 2003, one hundred and thirty nine IgAN patients were recruited over 8 years. Nineteen patients over age 50 were compared to one hundred and twenty patients under age 50 clinical, histological findings, 5-Yr renal survival rate. Mean post-biopsy follow-up month was 23.8 +/- 23.5 months. RESULTS: Both group of patients were similar to baseline for gross hematuria, Male and female ratio. But older patients had a higher incidence of daily for 24 hour urine protein (p=0.010), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.010, p<0.01), serum C3 (p=0.001) and serum C4 (p=0.003). Albumin (p=0.011), creatinine clearance (p<0.01) were significantly lower in the older patients at the time of renal biopsy. Histologic grade IV was more common in the older patients (p=0.001). Moderate to severe mesangial proliferation (p=0.001) and crescent formation (p=0.043), arteriolosclerosis (p=0.006) were more common in older patients. Mesangial small deposition of IgA (p=0.007) and glomerular peripheral deposition of IgG, IgA, C1q (p=0.024, p=0.014, p=0.009) were more common in older patients than in under 50 years of age. Mesangial small electron dense deposits were more common in older patients than in younger patients (p=0.031). CRF (Ccr < 60 mL/min) was confirmed 55.6% over age 50 and 27.4% under age 50 (p=0.017). Renal replacement therapy was done 15.8% over age 50 and 4.3% under age 50 (p=0.048). 5-Year renal survival curves showed that kidney survival rate was 44.4% over age 50 and 72.6% under age 50 (p=0.0248). CONCLUSION: Poor prognostic factors were more common over age 50 than under age 50. CRF and renal replacement therapy were more common over age 50. Analysis of renal survival curves shows that the probability of developing ESRF increase after age 50. But, prolonged prospective follow-up is necessary to confirm this trend.
Arteriolosclerosis ; Biopsy ; Blood Pressure ; Creatinine ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA* ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A* ; Immunoglobulin G ; Incidence ; Kidney ; Korea ; Male ; Prognosis ; Renal Replacement Therapy ; Survival Rate

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is one of the important complication of childhood nephrotic syndrome which occurs not infrequently but this complication in adults with nephrotic syndrome is ,however, very rare. The fact that ascites formation is more frequently seen in childhood nephrotic syndrome and that minimal change disease, the commonest pathology found in childhood is associated with impairment in both cellular and humoral immunities may be an explanation for the discrepancy. We have experienced two cases of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis complicated in adults with nephrotic syndrome. The age of patients is 23 and 68 years respectively. The serum IgG level of younger patient is markedly decreased (375 mg/dL) and that of elderly patient is lower normal limit (765 mg/dL). Peritonitis was complicated during relapse in the younger patient. Both of the patients were receiving steroid therapy before complicated by peritonitis. Both patients recovered from peritonitis by antibiotic therapy but, elderly patient died from nosocomial pneumonia.
Adult* ; Aged ; Ascites ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Nephrosis, Lipoid ; Nephrotic Syndrome* ; Pathology ; Peritonitis* ; Pneumonia ; Recurrence

Kimura's disease is a granulomatous disease which develops in the skin, subcutaneous tissues and lymph nodes and which is characterized histologically by the presence of lymphoid follicles, vascular proliferation and infiltration with eosinophils. This disease is mostly confined to the Far East. The frequency of renal involvement in association with this disease is apparently high. But there wasn't any case report of IgA nephropathy associated with Kimura's disease. We report a case of IgA nephropathy associated with Kimura's disease with a review of the literature.
Eosinophils ; Far East ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA* ; Immunoglobulin A* ; Lymph Nodes ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue

Membranous glomerulonephropathy is the most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults and idiopathic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura is autoimmune disease caused by autoantibody to platelet membrane glycoprotein. Although there are some pathologic similarity between two diseases that 'membrane attack complex' play a role in pathologic process, but only 3 cases worldwide are reported about membranous glomerulonephropathy associated with idiopathic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura. So we report a case of sixty eight years of woman who had symptoms of generalized edema, foamy urine, anorexia and thrombocytopenia on admission and developed more severe symptomatic thrombocytopenia there after. She was diagnosed membranous glomeulonephropathy on renal biopsy and also diagnosed idiopathic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpra on bone marrow biopsy and on the basis of exclusion.
Adult ; Anorexia ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Biopsy ; Blood Platelets ; Bone Marrow ; Edema ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous* ; Humans ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic* ; Thrombocytopenia

OBJECTIVES: As one of the studies for the contribution of hyperlipidemia to the pathogenesis of glomerulosclerosis, this study was performed to evaluate the effects of low density lipoprotein(LDL) and oxidized LDL on mesangial cell proliferation and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression. METHODS: Oxidized-LDL and cell-treated LDL were prepared from LDL by incubation with copper sulfate and mesangial cells, respectively. They were each co-incubated with human mesangial cells. The effects of LDL, oxidized-LDL and cell-treated LDL on mesangial cell proliferation were estimated by measuring the uptake of [3H]-thymidine and counting the cell numbers under phase contrast microscopy. The expression of ICAM-1 on mesangial cells was examined by indirect immunofluorescence method. RESULTS: LDL increased the uptake of [3H]-thymidine by mesangial cells at 10 g/mL returning to control levels at 50 g/mL, and decreased [3H]-thymidine uptake at 100 g/mL of LDL concentration. Also, mesangial cell numbers decreased at 100 g/mL of LDL concentration. In contrast, oxidized LDL decreased [3H]-thymidine uptake starting at 1 g/mL, and decreased mesangial cell numbers starting at 10 g/mL of oxidized-LDL concentration, in a concentration-dependent manner. Cell-treated LDL above the concentration of 10 g/mL caused a concentration- dependent increase in [3H]-thymidine uptake. LDL at certain concentrations increased mesangial cell ICAM-1 expression. CONCLUSION: These results that low concentration of LDL stimulate and high concentration of LDL and oxidized LDL inhibit human mesangial cell proliferation may be the in vitro evidence of lipid mediated glomerulosclerotic injury.
Cell Count ; Copper Sulfate ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1* ; Mesangial Cells* ; Microscopy, Phase-Contrast

No abstract available.
Glomerulonephritis, IGA* ; Immunoglobulin A* ; Raynaud Disease ; Thromboangiitis Obliterans*

BACKGROUND: In many countries, nephrologists follow clinical practice guidelines for mineral bone disorders to control secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) associated with abnormal serum calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) levels in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). The Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) Guidelines have long been used in Korea, and this study was undertaken to investigate the current status of serum Ca and P control in MHD patients. METHODS: Data were collected from a total of 1,018 patients undergoing MHD without intercurrent illness, in 17 hemodialysis centers throughout the country. Serum levels of Ca, P, and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were measured over 1 year, and the average values were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Serum levels of Ca, P, and the CaxP product were 9.1+/-0.7mg/dL, 5.3+/-1.4mg/dL, and 48.0+/-13.6mg2/dL2, respectively. However, the percentages of patients with Ca, P, and Ca x P product levels within the KDOQI guideline ranges were 58.7%, 51.0%, and 70.7%, respectively. Of the 1,018 patients, 270 (26.5%) had iPTH >300pg/mL (uncontrolled SHPT), whereas 435 patients (42.7%) showed iPTH <150pg/mL. Patients with uncontrolled SHPT had significantly higher values of serum Ca, P, and CaxP product than those with iPTH < or =300pg/mL. CONCLUSION: Despite the current clinical practice guidelines, SHPT seems to be inadequately controlled in many MHD patients. Uncontrolled SHPT was associated with higher levels of serum Ca, P, and Ca x P product, suggestive of the importance of SHPT management.
Calcium* ; Humans ; Hyperparathyroidism, Secondary ; Kidney Diseases ; Korea ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Phosphorus* ; Renal Dialysis* ; Retrospective Studies