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A diabetic renal transplant recipient with cellulitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans, serotype A, is described. The diagnosis was based on the demonstration of capsulated, budding yeast cells in the aspirated material and tissue from the cellulitic lesion and isolation of the aetiological agent in culture. The isolate formed well-developed capsules in the brain tissue of experimentally infected mice and produced cherry-brown colonies on niger seed medium. The patient's serum was positive for cryptococcal antigen (titre 1 : 4) with no other evidence of systemic infection. He was successfully treated with AmBisome, followed by fluconazole, resulting in the complete resolution of cellulitis and disappearance of the cryptococcal antigen. This report underscores the fact that patients with cutaneous cryptococcosis should be thoroughly evaluated, as it may be the first manifestation of a systemic disease. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are important to improve survival.

Data on end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients in Kuwait were collected retrospectively and prospectively starting in mid-1988. The study period covered 4 1/2 years from 1 January 1986 to 30 June 1990. Epidemiological characteristics of ESRD patients and their disposal by dialysis and transplantation were analysed and compared with previous reports from Kuwait, neighbouring countries, Europe, and USA. A total of 647 patients received renal replacement therapy (RRT) in Kuwait during the study period. This gave an incidence rate of 72 patients per year per million of population. The prevalence rate for patients on maintenance dialysis was 80.6 per million population in mid-1988. Nearly one-fifth of total patients (19.6%) were older than 60 years of age and one-third (30.8%) were identified as 'high risk' category. As for Kuwaiti nationals alone on RRT 29.7% were above 60 years of age and 44.2% were high-risk patients. We have noticed a steady decline in the number of patients who accepted continuous ambulatory peritonial dialysis (CAPD) for dialytic support. Chronic tubulointerstitial disease resulting from atrophic pyelonephritis was the leading cause of ESRD amongst both Kuwaiti nationals and expatriates. Though diabetic nephropathy was only the third leading cause of ESRD (14.7%) in the total population, it was more frequent (21.2%) among Kuwaitis. The gross mortality rate on dialysis was 14.7%. The major causes of death were related to cardiovascular diseases (60%) and sepsis (24.2%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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There are important variations in the endogenous Epo production in renal transplant patients with normal renal function, the cause of which is not clear. Epo deficiency and relative Epo resistance play a causative role for anaemia in some post-renal transplant recipients with stable normal renal function. They respond adequately to rHuEpo administration.

The possible correlation between cytomegalovirus, human herpesvirus types 6, 7 and cytomegalovirus-related clinical symptoms was studied in kidney transplant patients in Kuwait. Cytomegalovirus infection was diagnosed using the pp65 antigenemia assay. DNA of cytomegalovirus was detected by nested polymerase chain reaction (nested-PCR). PCR was also used to amplify the genes coding for structural proteins of human herpesvirus-6 (240 bp) and human herpesvirus-7 (186 bp). Glycoprotein B genotypes of cytomegalovirus were determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism. The average number of cells positive for cytomegalovirus pp65 antigen showed a steady increase with the severity of the cytomegalovirus-related symptoms. Furthermore, cytomegalovirus pp65 antigen positivity was significantly more frequent among recipients of cadaver kidney (45.5%) than among those who received live related kidneys (22.6%). Cytomegalovirus gB genotype 1 was detected more frequently (P<0.036) in recipients with live related donor kidney (38%) than in patients of cadaver kidney (13%). The genome of human herpesvirus-6 was detected at the same rate in patients with or without cytomegalovirus-related symptoms. However, the genome of human herpesvirus-7 was detected significantly more frequently (P<0.0001) in asymptomatic patients (41.7%) than in recipients with symptomatic cytomegalovirus infection (17%). We conclude that cytomegalovirus gB genotypes are not associated with the outcome of a cytomegalovirus infection in kidney transplant patients, that human herpesvirus-6 does not play a role in cytomegalovirus pathogenesis and that the role of human herpesvirus-7 in cytomegalovirus-related morbidity in kidney recipients remains unclear.

There are important variations in the endogenous Epo production in renal transplant patients with normal renal function, the cause of which is not clear. Epo deficiency and relative Epo resistance play a causative role for anaemia in some post-renal transplant recipients with stable normal renal function. They respond adequately to rHuEpo administration.