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Giuseppe P Segoloni

Publications and source records attributed to Giuseppe P Segoloni.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Preferential allocation of marginal kidney allografts to elderly recipients combined with modified immunosuppression gives good results.

BACKGROUND: There is an increasing tendency to allocate kidneys from marginal donors in older recipients. This combination optimizes the uses of an expanded donor pool but demands attention for the higher nephrotoxic sensitivity of the kidney and the increased immunosuppression vulnerability of the elderly recipients. We aimed to reduce these hazards by means of a calcineurin-free induction therapy followed by a maintenance regimen targeted to minimize/withdraw steroid. METHODS: Eighty-eight single (43%) or double (57%) transplant recipients (58.4+/-5.7 years) from 88 marginal donors (67+/-8.3 years) received monoclonal anti-IL-2 receptor antibodies, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and steroid. When serum creatinine was less than 2.6 mg/dL, tacrolimus was started and MMF was withdrawn when the tacrolimus trough level was above 15 ng/ml. Steroid was tapered to 5 mg at day 45 and then progressively reduced. RESULTS: Overall patient and graft survival at the first and fourth year were respectively 100 and 96%, and 98 and 79%. Acute rejection rate was 13.6% (12/88), creatinine clearance remained stable (48.2 ml/min at the sixth month, 50.9 ml/min at 48th month). At the first, second, third, and fourth years, 23, 69, 80, and 100% of recipients were off steroids. For those on steroids, mean dose was respectively 2.6 mg/day from month 12. No recipient re-assumed steroids CONCLUSIONS: In the "old-for-old" allocation, the calcineurin-inhibitor avoidance at induction and the steroid withdrawal/minimization during the tacrolimus-based maintenance regimen allow a low acute rejection rate, a stable renal function, and favorable recipient and graft outcomes.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Lost to follow-up: the bottleneck of early referral to renal units?

BACKGROUND: Early referral is a major goal in chronic kidney diseases; however, loss to follow-up, potentially limiting its advantages, has never been studied. MATERIAL/METHODS: In order to assess the prevalence and causes of loss to follow-up, a telephone inquiry was performed in a renal outpatient unit, mainly dedicated to early referral of diabetic patients. Patients were considered to be in follow-up if there was at least one check-up in the period February 2001-February 2002, and lost to follow-up if the last check-up had occurred in the previous year. The reasons for loss to follow-up were related to typical clinical-biochemical parameters to define a "drop-out profile". RESULTS: 195 patients were on follow-up: median creatinine 1.4 mg/dL, age 64, 76.9% diabetics. 81 patients were lost to follow-up: creatinine 1.4 mg/dL, age 70, 73.8% diabetics. A telephone number was available in 87.6% of the cases; 25 were not found, 7 had died, 24 were non-compliant, 1 was bed-ridden, 12 had changed care unit, 2 had started dialysis. Renal care was shorter in those lost to follow-up; among the latter, serum creatinine and age were significantly lower in non-compliant patients. A logistic regression model confirmed the significance of lower serum creatinine at last check-up in non-compliant patients (p=0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Loss to follow-up is a problem in nephrology; lack of awareness probably causes the higher drop-out rate at lower creatinine levels. The initial period of care may be crucial for long-term compliance. Further studies are needed to tailor organizational and educational interventions.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Acute digital gangrene in a long-term dialysis patient -- a diagnostic challenge.

BACKGROUND: Vascular complications are frequent in long-term dialysis patients. The differential diagnosis is complex and includes immunological derangement (underlying disease, uremia), vasculopathic-atheroembolic diseases, calciphylaxis, infections, neoplasm, coagulation disorders, and adverse drug effects. CASE REPORT: We report on a 50-year-old male patient with a long follow-up on renal replacement therapy (20 years), currently on daily hemodialysis. The patient's history of kidney transplantation was complicated by seven acute rejection episodes and by Kaposi sarcoma; comorbidity included HLA-B27 positive ankylosing spondylitis, diffuse vascular disease, recurrent atrial fibrillation, chronic hypotension, HCV positivity. Ten days after the start of warfarin for an atrial fibrillation episode, the patient developed digital necrotising ulcerations, rapidly evolving into partial symmetric digital gangrene at distal phalanxes. The timing and evolution of the lesions and the finding of protein S deficiency were the clues for diagnosing warfarin-induced skin necrosis (WISN); the drug was discontinued and therapy with low-molecular weight heparin, plasma and prostacyclin achieved slow resolution of lesions. CONCLUSIONS: According to a combined MEDLINE and EMBASE search, this is the first report of WISN in a hemodialysis patient: underlining the clinical relevance of this uncommon problem, this case exemplifies the difficult differential diagnosis of acute vascular skin lesions in dialysis

Anticoagulants↗
PubMed2001

Long-term results of a randomized study comparing three immunosuppressive schedules with cyclosporine in cadaveric kidney transplantation.

In this randomized controlled trial started in October 1990, 354 cadaveric kidney transplant recipients were assigned to receive either cyclosporine (CsA) monotherapy (115 patients), CsA + steroids (117 patients), or CsA + steroids + azathioprine (122 patients). The median follow-up was 85.1 mo. Thirty-one deaths occurred (infection, 12; cardiovascular disease, 11; neoplasia, 4; and others, 4), and 65 grafts were lost, mostly due to acute (15) or chronic rejection (50). The cumulative graft half-life was 18.1 yr. According to the "intention-to-treat," the 9-yr actuarial patient and graft survival were 94.0% and 73.3%, respectively, in monotherapy, 87.3% and 65.9% in dual therapy, and 87% and 72.2% in triple therapy (P = 0.647). At the last follow-up, the percentage of patients who remained with the original treatment was 51.2% in monotherapy, 81.7% in dual therapy, and 63.3% in triple therapy. At the seventh year, the mean creatinine clearances were 54.9 +/- 17.6 ml/min in monotherapy, 57.9 +/- 23.4 in dual therapy, and 60.6 +/- 20.7 in triple therapy (P = 0.375). Cataracts (P = 0.000), osteoporosis (P = 0.000), and cardiovascular complications (P = 0.000) were more frequent in dual or triple therapy than in monotherapy. Actuarial graft survival at 9 yr in patients on monotherapy who had to have steroids added was similar to that of the other two groups (62.2% versus 69.3%, P = 0.134). In conclusion, actuarial patient and graft survivals did not differ among the three schemes. The long-term renal function and survival were not affected in the patients on monotherapy who needed the addition of steroids. Monotherapy was associated with a lower incidence of extrarenal complications than the other two regimens.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ankylosing spondylitis: a difficult diagnosis in patients on long-term renal replacement therapy.

We report the case of a 48-year-old male, whose musculoskeletal manifestations, previously related to long-term renal replacement therapy (RRT), were diagnosed as ankylosing spondylitis when symptoms changed their pattern on daily hemodialysis (DHD). The patient started RRT in 1981; in 1985 he received a cadaver graft, which failed in 1987. Secondary hyperparathyroidism, amyloid geoids, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and high aluminium levels were present. Musculoskeletal pain, reported since 1986, involved feet, heels, hips, shoulders, hands, spine. Symptoms impairing daily life did not improve after parathyroidectomy. He developed chronic hypotension and recurrent atrial fibrillation. In 1994 and 1998, because of thoracic pain, coronarography was performed (normal on both occasions). In June 2000, DHD was started. Equivalent renal clearance increased from 9-12 to 15-17 mL/min. Well-being remarkably improved. In September 2000, musculoskeletal pain worsened and bilateral Achilles tendinitis occurred. The worsening of musculoskeletal symptoms despite the improvements in well-being and other dialysis related symptoms prompted a re-evaluation of the case. The diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis was based on: history of plantar fasciitis, bilateral Achilles tendinitis, inflammatory spinal pain with limitation of lumbar spine mobility (positive Schober test), radiological evidence of grade 2 bilateral sacroiliitis, presence of HLA-B27. This diagnosis cast light on the episodes of chest pain, explained by enthesopathy at the costosternal and manubriosternal joints and atrial fibrillation, due to HLA-B27 associated impairment in heart conduction. This case exemplifies the difficulty of differential diagnosis of multisystem illness in patients with long RRT follow-up.

Atrial Fibrillation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Referral of type 1 diabetic patients to a nephrology unit: will pre-emptive transplantation change our life?

BACKGROUND: Type 1 diabetic patients are a small but challenging subset of chronic kidney disease. The new frontiers of pancreas-kidney transplantation may enhance the need for early referral. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the referral pattern of type 1 diabetics to a specialized Nephrology Unit, and to quantify the indications for pancreas or pre-emptive pancreas-kidney transplantation at referral in this population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Setting of study was a Nephrology Outpatient Unit, dedicated to diabetics, active since 1986; period of study 1991--2002. The main biochemical and clinical parameters were analyzed at referral. Indications for transplantation were put at: serum creatinine (sCr)> or =2 mg/dL or > or =3 mg/dL and/or nephrotic syndrome. Pancreas: lesser degrees of functional impairment without worsening after FK-506 challenge. RESULTS: 90 type 1 diabetics were referred: 48 males, 42 females; median age: 38 (18-65) years; median diabetological follow-up 20 (3-37) years; sCr 1.2 (0.6-7) mg/dL, proteinuria 0.9 (0-12.3) g/day; creatinine clearance: 58 (6-234) ml/min; Hbalc: 8.8% (5.9-14), diastolic blood pressure: 80 (55-100) mmHg, systolic blood pressure: 137.5 (70-180) mmHg. 85.6% had signs of end-organ damage due to diabetes. 67% of the patients had diabetic nephropathy, 20.7% hypertensive with or without diabetic nephropathy. According to the chosen criteria, 30.6% had indications for pancreas-kidney graft (sCr > or = 2 mg/dL), 25.9% considering sCr > or = 3 mg/dL; 28.2% further patients could be considered for isolated pancreas graft. CONCLUSIONS: At referral to the nephrologist, over 50% of type 1 diabetics may have indications for pancreas-kidney or pancreas graft; an earlier multidisciplinary work-up is needed to optimize an early pre-emptive transplant approach.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

New immunosuppressive drugs for prevention and treatment of rejection in renal transplant.

Rejection prevention and control have been pivotal aims of medical research since the time that renal transplant was first developed. While acute rejection rates have generally fallen to 10%-15% at 1 year, chronic rejection and chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) still erode long-term transplant potential. Furthermore, drug tolerability and their 'secondary' effects other than immunosuppression have become as important as their effectiveness in a recipient population that is increasingly old and burdened by cardiovascular morbidity. We review the state of the art of new immunosuppressive drugs: some of them have already entered clinical practice (e.g., mycophenolate mofetil, anti-CD25 monoclonal antibodies and sirolimus [SRL]); others are at different stages of the pre-registration phase (everolimus, mycophenolic acid, FTY 720, leflunomide-FK 778 and Campath-1H), and many others show promising potential for the future (rituximab, monoclonal antibodies against costimulatory molecules). Especially, new drugs with antiproliferative and antifibrogenic effects (SRL, everolimus, leflunomide and mycophenolic acid) could to be decisive in still challenging areas such as CAN and cardiovascular and neoplastic transplant complications. The key to solving these open issues probably lies in the possibility of relying on a wide repertoire of drugs with different profiles, to be exploited in several associations, and in our capacity to integrate new and old immunosuppressive drugs.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗