Transplant physicians face the challenge to detect allograft rejection using non-sensitive biomarkers and clinical signs/symptoms. For kidney transplant, serum creatinine, urinalysis for proteinuria or hematuria, are so far used for screening for rejection and/or assessment of graft function….
In the USA in June 2013 the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors approved amendments to the OPTN policy for deceased donor kidney allocation. These ideas have been discussed for the last 9 years and Nate wrote about some of…
It’s time for a quick nephro-centric summary of immune globulin use. Immune globulin, usually administered intravenously (IVIg), is made from pooled human plasma and used for a wide variety of human disease. It contains mostly IgG with various…
In my attempt to highlight nephrology content in non-renal journals, I will this month focus on a series of articles in Hepatology concerning eGFR in cirrhotic patients. We are all aware of the concerns using creatinine-based tools for…
As ESRD prevalence continues to increase, the kidney transplant list continues to grow meaning longer waiting times for deceased donor transplantation. Living donation (LD) provides the best outcomes for patients with ESRD and is considered safe for the…
Prior HBV infection is not a contraindication to kidney transplantation. It is critical to evaluate patients with serologies and HBV DNA viral load prior to transplant. Most patients should also undergo liver transplant biopsy to exclude significant fibrosis/cirrhosis. Patients with…
I thought I would throw in my two cents on the Dream RCT in Nephrology poll being co-ordinated at UKidney. My choice focuses on transplant immunosuppression and you can see the entry by Joel Topf on PB Fluids…
The lack of transplantable kidneys is an unavoidable problem for those of us who practice Nephrology. Whilst government policies and extended criteria for donor organs have a role to play in solving this problem, it has always seemed…
Tacrolimus extended-release capsules were approved in the US by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July 2013. The development of this new formulation garnered interest due to a possible improvement in immunosuppressive medication compliance. This formulation has…
The JC virus is a member of the Polyomavirus family, which includes the BK virus. It infects about 80% of healthy adults and establishes latency in renal tissue. It was first isolated in 1971 from the brain of…
