Swiss medical weekly
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Swiss medical weekly · Nov 1982
[Clinical relevance of N-acetylglucosaminidase determination in urine of kidney transplant recipients with and without cyclosporin A].
From January to September 1981 urinary gamma-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG) excretion was measured in 23 cadaver kidney recipients up to 90 days posttransplant. Conventional immunosuppression with azathioprine and prednisone was used in 12 patients, and cyclosporin A (CyA) in 11 patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical value of NAG determinations in the diagnosis of acute rejection episodes and CyA-induced nephrotoxicity. ⋯ Nine out of 11 patients treated with CyA showed one or more increases in NAG excretion, but the number of such episodes did not differ between patients with CyA serum concentrations below 500 ng/ml and those with levels above 500 ng/ml. Histological signs of CyA toxicity in graft biopsies correlated well with increased NAG excretion. It is concluded that increases in NAG excretion are not sensitive and specific enough to be of definite help in the diagnosis of acute rejection and/or CyA-induced nephrotoxicity.
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Swiss medical weekly · Nov 1982
[Harmful interactions of amiodarone and class I anti-arrhythmia agents].
Six patients treated with a combination of amiodarone and class I antiarrhythmic agents for a minor arrhythmia developed atypical ventricular tachycardia "en torsades de pointe". All patients had QT-interval prolongation in the ECG. Combined administration of quinidine and amiodarone in a normal volunteer resulted in an increase in plasma quinidine concentration and in QT prolongation, thus confirming the clinical observation of a clinically relevant interaction between the two drugs.