Abstract. Cardiovascular disease is a prevalent and serious complication after solid organ transplantation. Treatment with glucocorticoids is associated with increased risk for diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, weight gain, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension, all shown to be independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. We sought to test the hypothesis that tapering of prednisolone (TAP) the first year after renal transplantation improves insulin sensitivity (IS), and to assess the effect of complete steroid withdrawal (SW) on IS in patients on a cyclosporine-based immunosuppressive regimen. All patients (n ϭ 57) completed two consecutive hyperinsulinemic euglycemic glucose clamp procedures, a TAP group (n ϭ 34) and a control group (n ϭ 12) at 3 and 12 mo after transplantation, and a SW group (n ϭ 11) before and 5 mo after SW. The IS index (ISI) was calculated as the glucose disposal rate divided by mean serum insulin the last 60 min of the clamp. In the TAP group, the mean (range) daily prednisolone was reduced from 16 (10 to 30) to 9 (5 to 12.5) mg accompanied by an average increased ISI of 24% (P ϭ 0.008). In contrast, no significant change in ISI was observed in the control group (0%, P ϭ 0.988). In the SW group, withdrawal of 5 mg prednisolone did not influence mean ISI significantly (Ϫ8%, P ϭ 0.206). Lowering daily prednisolone toward 5 mg/d has beneficial effects on insulin action after renal transplantation, but withdrawal of 5 mg prednisolone may not influence IS significantly.

The use of central venous catheters as permanent vascular access in chronic hemodialysis is complicated by clotting. We have tried a nonallergenic thrombolytic agent, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), to dissolve catheter luminal thrombosis. Eight patients, 7 in chronic hemodialysis and 1 treated by immune adsorption had 18 treatments with locally applied t-PA (2 mg/2 cm³). Fifteen out of 16 treatments with longer bolus dwell than 60 min were successful. No side effects occurred. t-PA dissolves clot formation efficiently and safely, the drug is nonallergenic and can therefore be given repeatedly.

Background: Peritonitis is more common in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients nonadherent to the PD exchange protocol procedures than in compliant patients. We therefore investigated whether regular testing of PD knowledge with focus on infection prophylaxis could increase the time to first peritonitis (primary outcome) and reduce the peritonitis rate in new PD patients. Methods: This physician-initiated, open-label, parallel group trial took place at 57 centers in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2015. New peritonitis-free PD patients were randomized using computer-generated numbers 1 month after the start of PD either to a control group ( n = 331) treated according to center routines or to a retraining group ( n = 340), which underwent testing of PD knowledge and skills at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months after PD start, followed by retraining if the goals were not achieved. Results: In all, 74% of the controls and 80% of the retraining patients discontinued the study. The groups did not differ significantly regarding cumulative incidence of first peritonitis adjusted for competing risks (kidney transplantation, transfer to hemodialysis and death; hazard ratio 0.84; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.65–1.09) nor regarding peritonitis rate per patient year (relative risk 0.93; 95% CI 0.75–1.16). Conclusions: In this randomized controlled trial, we were unable to demonstrate that regular, targeted testing and retraining of new PD patients increased the time to first peritonitis or reduced the rate of peritonitis, as the study comprised patients with a low risk of peritonitis, was underpowered, open to type 1 statistical error, and contamination between groups.

Our study shows that PTRA improved or preserved the renal function in most patients with normal to moderately impaired renal function. Close follow-up and possibly re-intervention are necessary to obtain satisfactory clinical and angiographical result.

Twenty-five patients with transplant artery stenosis were identified among 1141 renal graft recipients. Impaired graft function (9 patients), hypertension (4 patients) or both (12 patients) were the indications for arteriography. All were treated by percutaneous angioplasty (PTA). The immediate technical success rate was 88% and actuarial graft survival was 88% and 80% at 2 and 5 years respectively. The long-term success rate on graft function was 67% (median observation time 24 months) and on hypertension 63% (median observation time 23 months). Six patients needed rePTA (8 procedures) and in only one patient was surgical repair performed. No case of graft loss due to PTA was recorded and in only one case did occlusion of a segmental artery lead to impairment of graft function. Minor complications were recorded in four other cases and in no case was surgical intervention necessary. Based on these results we favour PTA as a first-line interventional procedure in transplant renal artery stenosis, and the need for surgical repair has been low.