Kidney international
-
Kidney international · Mar 2013
Comparative StudyThe diagnosis and characteristics of renal heavy-chain and heavy/light-chain amyloidosis and their comparison with renal light-chain amyloidosis.
Little is known about the rare entities of heavy- and light-chain amyloidosis (AHL) and heavy-chain amyloidosis (AH). Here, we report the renal and hematological characteristics, pathology, and outcome of 16 patients with renal AH/AHL (5 with AH and 11 with AHL) and compare them with 202 patients with renal light-chain amyloidosis (AL) diagnosed during the same time period. All cases were diagnosed by kidney biopsy that showed Congo red-positive deposits. ⋯ In 42% of patients, AH/AHL could not have been diagnosed without LMD/MS. Thus, renal AH/AHL is an uncommon and underrecognized form of amyloidosis, and its diagnosis is greatly enhanced by the use of LMD/MS for amyloid typing. The accurate histological diagnosis of renal AH/AHL and distinction from AL may have important clinical and prognostic implications.
-
Kidney international · Mar 2013
CommentChoices in kidney transplantation in type 1 diabetes: are there skeletal benefits of the endocrine pancreas?
Previously, recipients of a simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant versus a kidney transplant alone were thought to have higher fracture risk. Using a large US registry, Nikkel et al. observed lower rates of fracture hospitalization among patients with type 1 diabetes after simultaneous pancreas-kidney compared with kidney transplantation alone, particularly among men. It is not known whether the apparent benefit of simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation is due to improved bone strength or fewer falls, but these findings may influence transplant decision making.