Tehran University Medical Journal

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LP(a) level in uremic patients is high. It has recently considered that the effect of androgens on lipids vary widely. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of nandrolone decanoate on lipid profile in chronic hemodialysis patients.
Materials and Methods: thirty six stable male patients over 40 years who were under maintenance hemodialysis were randomized to receive nandrolone decanoate , 100 mg weekly for six month, by intramuscular injection on nondialysis day (Group A, N=18) or B complex (Group B, N=18). Between September 2001 and 2002, male hemodialysis patients more than 40 years old without history of high prostatic specific antigen (PAS) or sensitization to drug were started on treatment with androgen therapy. The evolution in the liquid profile was prospectively assessed immediately before the first dose of nandrolone decanoate (basal values) and at 2, 4 and 6 month of therapy. The evolution of lipids after withdrawal of androgens at 2 month after the last dose was also studied. The patients underwent hemodialysis 3 to 4 hours three times a week. The dialysis schedule was not modified during the period of study.
Results: Mean decrease of LP(a) level in group A was significantly lower then group B in second month (p<0.05). Surprisingly HP level decreased also in second month. Other lipid parameters did not show significant changes.
Conclusion: In this study we observed that nandrolone decanoate affects on LP(a) leveK but the changes of it did not correlate with those of hemoglobin or other lipid parameters< suggesting that the underlying mechanisms are unrelated. Our finding might be affected by low dose of the drug. Further studies with higher doses will be requied to clarify the beneficial or adverse effects of this type of therapy.

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Renal transplantation is ideal treatment of chronic renal failure. Pulmonary infection is a common and serious post transplant infection requiring hospitalization and is associated with high mortality. Increased susceptibility to infection is due to a decrease in the patients' immunological response caused by immunosuppression through drug administration, and by other influences.
Materials and Methods: This study was case series and prospective, from July 2001 to July 2002 in Imam Khomeini hospital of Tehran.
Results: 164 renal transplant recipients were studied, 14 patients (8.5%) had pulmonary infection, 11 of them (78.6%) were female and 3 (21.4%) were male. The mean age of them was 42.6 years. The patients were followed up for 9 to 12 months. All patients were on triple immunosuppressive regimens. The interval between transplantation and the appearance of pneumonia was 2 months to 10 years. The time of beginning infection in 3 cases (21.4%) was between 1 to 6 months post transplantation, 11 cases (78.6%) were occurred beyond 6 months after transplantation. In 7 cases (50%), pulmonary infection was occurred during first year after transplantation. None of the 14 patients developed pulmonary infection in first month after transplantation. BAL were used in 6 cases (42.8%) of pulmonary infection, and organism were detected in 5 of them (83.3%). The most common clinical feature was fever. Six cases were due to mycobacterium tuberculosis (42.9%), this organism was the most common ethiology of pneumonia. In this study tuberculosis was seen in 3.6% of renal transplant recipients. One patient had pulmonary mucormycosis. All patients with pulmonary TB were cured, and other cases with unknown case, were cured with empirical treatment.
Conclusion: Our finding indicate the invasive diagnostic procedures are required in order to earlier and reliable diagnosis and then better outcome of transplantation.