BACKGROUND Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is one of the severe complications of liver cirrhosis. Early detection of high-risk patients is essential for prognostic improvement. The aim of this study is to investigate the predictive factors related to in-hospital mortality in patients with SBP. METHODS This was a retrospective study of 233 SBP patients (181 males, 52 females) who were ...

OBJECTIVES To determine the incidence of multiple myeloma in the Eastern District of Hong Kong Island, the degree of renal impairment at presentation, and its relationship with haematological and biochemical parameters and survival. DESIGN Retrospective study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Patients with myeloma who were admitted to a regional hospital in Hong Kong from January 1994 to March 2000 wer...

BACKGROUND In general, no study has examined the relationship between vitamin D status and key parameters of bone mineral homeostasis in healthy men in Iran. The effects of age and renal function on vitamin D status were determined in a cross-sectional study on a healthy population of Iranian men. METHODS From January through February 2001, 520 men, aged 20 - 74 years were selected through a ...

BACKGROUND The presence of hyperuricemia and renal function impairment, especially in the absence of urate stone formation is strongly suggestive of lead nephropathy. The evaluation of this association is essential in areas where lead exposure is still prevalent and uncontrolled. OBJECTIVE To determine the relationship between serum uric acid and renal function indices in lead-exposed workers...

sociated with albuminuria in type 2 diabetic patients (4). To the best of our knowledge, however, it is not clear whether serum homocysteine is associated with TNF receptor in type 2 diabetic patients. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the relationships between serum homocysteine and TNF receptor in patients with type 2 diabetes. Fifty nonobese Japanese type 2 diabetic p...

Diazinon is an organophosphate which is extensively used in trade and agriculture. Due to its widespread application, its toxicity is common. Several studies have shown that organophosphates are able to induce oxidative stress by generating free radicals and depletion of endogenous antioxidants. Pomegranate seed oil (PSO) possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In this study, the e...

BACKGROUND Reducing the actions of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) slows nephropathy progression in patients with or without diabetes. Post hoc analyses of many ACEI-based clinical trials demonstrate the greatest slowing of renal disease progression in patients with the greatest degree of renal insufficiency at study initiation. How...

Creatinine is produced in muscle metabolism as the end-product of creatine phosphate and is subsequently excreted principally by way of the kidneys, predominantly by glomerular filtration. Blood creatinine assays constitute the most common clinically relevant measure of renal function. The use of individual patient-level real-time serum creatinine trajectories provides a very attractive and tan...

Reducing the actions of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) slows nephropathy progression in patients with or without diabetes. These drug classes have proven therapeutic benefits, particularly in patients with renal insufficiency (ie, serum creatinine level 133-265 micromol/L [1.5-3.0 m...