Neonatal lupus occurs when autoantibodies are transmitted from the mother to the fetus; it usually manifests as a transient and mild lupoid rash which lasts 3-6 months, but can also result in more serious manifestations such as congenital…
It is somewhat controversial whether or not pregnant women with lupus experience flares more frequently than their non-pregnant counterparts. Regardless, however, the issue of a lupus flare in a pregnant patient is not uncommon, especially considering that the…
It turns out that not only do gadolinium-based contrast agents result in nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), but certain ones can also interfere with some of the common assays for quantifying serum calcium, leading to sporadic hypocalcemia. The two…
As a 2nd year nephrology fellow I am now doing some work in a lab which studies zebrafish kidney development. Here is an example of a control (wild-type) zebrafish at 54 hours post-fertilization. If you use a morpholino…
Cyclosporin A (CsA) has been a mainstay of therapy for nephrologists: it (along with tacrolimus) has become the cornerstone of immunosuppressant therapy for kidney transplant patients; in addition, it has also seen use as an effective agent in…
Heavy metals & the kidney are an interesting topic all-around. Aberrant metabolism of heavy metals such as iron, copper, lead all contribute to significant renal pathology. And you can add the heavy metal cadmium to that list as…
Quick case summary as presented in Renal Grand Rounds today: A 54 year-old man presents with altered mental status, a sky-high ammonia level (>200) and anemia requiring blood transfusion. Other unusual lab values include hypophosphatemia and hypokalemia with…
Adynamic bone disease is being increasingly recognized as the most common form of renal osteodystrophy. It is characterized by the reduced synthesis of bone matrix due to decreased osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity. Adynamic bone disease is distinct from…
There are several clinical trials regarding the slowing of progression of polycystic kidney disease currently being conducted; amongst the drugs being studied are V2 receptor antagonists. The rationale for this is that cyclic AMP (cAMP) is known to…
Dialysis adequacy is traditionally measured as either Kt/V (most popular in outpatient dialysis units) or urea reduction ratio (URR, most popular with acute dialysis/inpatient dialysis units). Both methods use the degree to which urea is cleared–by comparing the…
