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Living donation in the field of renal transplantation has increased over time as well as the use of laparoscopic nephrectomy. We present a 15-year experience on 162 living donors (105 women, 57 men; mean age, 46.7 years; range, 31-74 years) who underwent nephrectomy using different surgical approaches as open lombotomic nephrectomy (OLN), open transperitoneal nephrectomy (OTN), and laparoscopic hand-assisted nephrectomy (LHAN). We collected data on residual donor and recipient renal function, as well as early versus late medical and surgical complications. With a mean follow-up of about 8 years, we observed normal residual renal function in all donors and similar results of early and late graft function independent of the surgical procedure. Long-term incidence of hypertension and noninsulin-dependent diabetes in living donors was similar to the general population. OLN and OTN donors showed higher incidences of early and late complications, readmissions, and reoperations than LHAN donors. Our results confirmed that living donor nephrectomy is a safe procedure without serious side effects in terms of renal function and long-term quality of life. LHAN should be the preferred technique because of a lower incidence of early and late complications.

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One hundred haemodialysed patients have been treated for 4 h thrice weekly by acetate haemodialysis with high-flux dialysers (HAHD) 1.4-1.8 m2 and automated ultrafiltration control for 18.9 +/- 8.3 months. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of treatment as regards urea and beta 2-microglobulin removal, cardiovascular stability, acid-base balance and plasma Il-1 variations. Moreover medium-term observation of both lipid profile and basal beta 2-microglobulin concentrations were performed. With our current adequacy criteria (urea clearance greater than or equal to 120 l/week; KT/V greater than or equal to 1.2; beta 2-microglobulin removal greater than or equal to 150 mg/treatment), the occurrence of hypotension was 6% during 24,500 treatments. Cardiovascular stability was preserved by the increase of total peripheral resistances in response to cardiac output decrease. No disturbances of acid-base parameters were observed in spite of plasma acetate concentrations greater than 6 mmol/l. No variations of plasma Il-1 occurred during the session or 2 h later.

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Serum ferritin (SF) and erythrocyte ferritin (EF) were evaluated in 35 patients on chronic hemodialysis treatment (CHD), in 45 healthy subjects and in 22 nonnephropathic females with iron deficiency anemia. Twenty-five CHD patients with basal SF less than 500 micrograms/l were treated orally with 200 mg of Fe2+ for 2 months and the positive (hemoglobin increase greater than 1 g/dl) or negative response to the therapy was correlated to the basal levels of SF and EF. Three groups of CHD patients could be defined on the basis of their basal SF levels (hypo-, normo- or hyperferritinemic). Nine patients with increased SF levels had also EF levels significantly higher than the other CHD patients and controls since they were probably iron-overloaded. In the other 2 groups of CHD patients, EF levels were significantly higher than in controls for each level of SF probably because of the reduced utilization of iron by uremic bone marrow. Among the 25 treated CHD patients, only 5 responded to the therapy: 3 were hypoferritinemic while the other 2 responders had basal SF within the normal range. Four hypoferritinemic patients did not respond to the therapy. Four out of five responders had the lowest EF levels among CHD patients. EF measurement could be an important and useful test in detecting the presence of an iron deficiency erythropoiesis in CHD patients.

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Cascade filtration (CF) can be performed in either the single-pass or dead-end configuration. The distinction, as predicted by experimental models, is that solute removal is lower but constant in the former, and higher but variable with the quantity of filtrate in the latter. Moreover, unpredictable plugging reduces permeability during operation. It is therefore unclear which configuration is preferable in clinical use. In four cryo- and three macroglobulinemic patients, the data of 10 dead-end CF (QP) and 11 modified single-pass CF with high flow rate recycling plasma (QD) were compared. Both groups had similar starting values. Centrifugal primary plasma separation was performed. No exogenous reinfusions were used. Either 0.8 and 1.2 sq.m. surface secondary filters were employed. The ratio of plasma processed to patients' plasma volume was 1.1 +/- 0.3 in QP, and 0.94 +/- 0.09 in QD. The mean percentage removals of albumin, IgG and IgM respectively were 25.8 +/- 9, 32 +/- 17 and 47.5 +/- 26% in QP, 30.5 +/- 12, 40.5 +/- 19 and 48 +/- 17.5% in QD: albumin vs IgM p less than 0.025 in QP and p less than 0.02 in QD. A/G ratio increased from 1.6 +/- 0.5 to 2.06 +/- 0.6 in QP, and from 1.5 +/- 0.3 to 1.7 +/- 0.3 in QD. Plugging occurred in both groups, requiring 2.3 +/- 1.8 washouts/run in QP vs 1.5 +/- 1.2 in QD. IgM removal was comparable. Removal of albumin and IgG was slightly higher in QD. Similar performances can be obtained with either technique in clinical use, provided an adequate fractionation surface is available.

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Seven patients with familial hypercholesterolemia were treated fortnightly for 3 months by selective low-density lipoprotein apheresis with dextran-sulfate cellulose column (DSC). Subsequently, 4 of them were treated with semiselective double filtration. No cholesterol-lowering drugs were given. Plasma processed ranged from 39 to 58 ml/kg body weight/procedure. Fractional removals from plasma filtrate at the secondary treatment (adsorption or fractionation) for total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and albumin, respectively, were 0.84, 0.06, and 0.03 with DSC and 0.74, 0.47 and 0.35 with double filtration. Postapheresis reductions of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were 57, 15, and 59% with DSC and 47,35, and 48% with double filtration. Both methods are suitable for clinical use, but with a 15-day treatment schedule, lowering circulating lipid fraction levels are maintained with DSC.

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Cascade filtration (CF) has been performed in 67 on-line procedures in 9 normolipidemic patients with paraproteinemic disorders. A modified dead-end technique has been employed, with high flow rate recirculating plasma on the plasma fractionation filter (QD recycled CF), and an albumin-rich, globulin-poor filtrate was reinfused into the patient. Postprocedure recoveries were 81 +/- 15% for albumin, 55 +/- 23% for IgM and 48% for cryocrit, with an increase in A/G ratio from 1.8 to 2.1. An improvement was observed also in antiatherogenic/atherogenic lipoproteins ratio, suggesting a possible use of this technique in the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia. Plasma primary separation was obtained by centrifugation or by filtration, and no significant differences were observed on subsequent protein fractionation process. An albumin priming of the plasmafractionation circuit accounted for an additional 13% saving in postprocedure level. Different surface area secondary filters have been employed: with larger surfaces, larger volumes were processed without any increase in the waste volume and with reduced need for washouts, but with an additional loss of small molecules possibly due to entrapping onto the membrane.

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Monthly plasma exchange (PE) sessions have been carried out in 3 patients with advanced Waldenström macroglobulinemia, in order to reduce electrophoretic M band under 2g/100 ml. When PE was combined to low doses of cytostatics (n = 18), 3 procedures per session were required to obtain a mean 57.4 +/- 12.3% IgM reduction, from 4.2 +/- 1.2 to 1.7 +/- 0.5 g/100 ml. A mean 61.5 +/- 13.1% IgM reduction, from 5.5 +/- 1.3 to 2.1 +/- 1 g/100 ml, was obtained in 64 procedures carried out as the only therapy in 12 sessions, with 5.3 procedures requirement per monthly session. IgM percent reduction 24 hours after PE was greater with combined treatment (45 +/- 9.7 vs. 28.9 +/- 15.4%; p = 0.001). The advantage of a combined treatment is therefore either a lowered PE requirement or a tapered maintenance cytostatic dosage.

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Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is usually accompanied by renal disfunction presumable due to diffuse thrombotic occlusions in the microcirculation. Two patients with TTP and slight renal failure with proteinuria and microscopic hematuria, were treated by repeated plasma exchanges with fresh frozen plasma, associated with prednisone and cyclophosphamide in one case, and prednisone alone in the other one. Platelet count, hematocrit and lactic dehydrogenase reverted to normal values within the fourth exchange; circulating immune complexes were never detected. Plasma factor stimulating prostacyclin activity lacked in only one patient and returned to normal levels after plasma exchange without being affected during a hematologic relapse. Renal function and urinary abnormalities reverted to normal by the end of plasma exchange and nine and six months renal and hematologic follow-up is still negative. Renal abnormalities in TTP seem to take advantage of early treatment by plasma exchange, which further to replacement of missing plasma factors, can account for the removal of toxic substances to be further investigated on.

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Mushroom poisoning by Cortinarius speciosissimus (C. spec.) leading to irreversible renal failure has been described; in a recent report, an expected bad prognosis has probably been overcome as a result of the very early use of hemoperfusion. In Sep. '81, a healthy couple of wife and husband, both aged 38, had gastrointestinal symptoms 2 days after ingestion of C. spec. On day 8 an acute renal failure developed and the same day, before dialysis, plasma exchange (PE) was undertaken. Renal biopsies disclosed a common pattern of tubular necrosis, scattered infiltrates and interstitial edema. Diuresis and partial recovery started in the man on day 10, while failure persisted over six months in the woman. Further to individual sensitivity to C. spec. toxins, renal damage, once established, may be irreversible, irrespectively of early treatment. Limited usefulness of PE in C. spec. poisoning is probably related to the long latency between ingestion and occurrence of the first renal symptoms.

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