Abhay N Vats

..Associations with various genes (NPHS1, ACTN4, NPHS2, WT-1) and linkage to several chromosomal regions (such as 19q13, 11q21, 11q24) have been reported in patients with familial NS/FSGS...

..Hence, preferential use of living donor and prevention of acute rejection episodes in the first year are key variables that can improve long-term renal graft survival in children...

..BK virus (BKV)-associated nephropathy (BKVAN) has been increasingly recognized as an important cause of renal transplant dysfunction. We report the role of quantitative viral load monitoring in the management of BKVAN...

..Thus atubular glomeruli may play an important role in disease progression in CNF, as it is associated with a progressive decrease in hypertrophied "normal" glomeruli and an increase in largely atubular microcystic glomeruli...

..We present the results of deletion mapping studies to identify the critical regions...

..Alemtuzumab has been used in off-label studies of solid organ transplantation...

..Herein is reported a new locus on chromosome 13q33q34 that can be associated with VUR with several genes showing mRNA expression patterns that suggest their potential for involvement in renal/urinary tract developmental anomalies...

..Two patients developed insulin-dependent diabetes. CONCLUSION: The strategy of lymphoid depletion and minimum post-transplant immunosuppression appears safe and effective for pediatric kidney recipients...

..T-antigen-specific T-cytotoxic cells circulate in healthy blood donors, implying that transient expression of T antigen presumably occurs at sites of viral latency and helps maintain a constant pool of circulating CD8+ T memory cells...

..We hypothesized that DNA sequence variations in this region play a role in the pathogenesis of BK virus allograft nephropathy (BKVAN)...

..The underlying reasons may include less toxic immunosuppressive protocols, earlier diagnosis and the use of antiviral therapy...

..BKV viremia was seen in kidney but not liver recipients. The mechanisms underlying these notable phenomena remain to be investigated...

..Proteomic analysis of urine may offer a noninvasive way to differentiate BKVAN from AR in clinical practice. The identification of individual proteomic peaks can improve further the clinical utility of this screening method...

..Describe the safety and efficacy of antithymocyte globulin or alemtuzumab preconditioning, steroid avoidance and reduced calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) immunosuppression in 34 children undergoing renal transplantation...

..Guidelines are presented to prevent hemorrhagic complications from inadvertent systemic anticoagulation...

..Lack of parallelism between viral load, tubulitis grade, and serum creatinine illustrates a complex interplay of viral and alloimmune factors leading to graft injury...

..As a consequence, such agents retard progressive renal dysfunction in adults with chronic proteinuria. Long-term efficacy and tolerability data in children are unavailable...

..We assessed the long term efficacy and safety of losartan in lowering blood pressure (BP) and in preserving renal function in hypertensive children with chronic renal disorders...

..BKV LAMP was also successful for urine and plasma specimens without the need for DNA extraction. Due to its simplicity and specificity, the LAMP assay can potentially be developed for "point of care" screening of BKV...

..3+/-11.7, and 2.3+/-0.8 microg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: The in vitro activity of Cidofovir and Leflunomide is modest, and the selectivity index is low. There is a need to develop more effective and less toxic anti-BK virus drugs for clinical use...

..Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for renal biopsy has not been evaluated as a diagnostic test. Determination of renal BKV load may identify patients at risk for disease before histologic nephropathy...

..BK virus is an increasingly recognized pathogen in transplanted patients. DNA sequencing of this virus shows considerable genomic variability...

..However, within the kidney transplant population, BKV strains derived from patients with asymptomatic viruria did not show complete separation from strains associated with allograft nephropathy...

..More recently several other agents have also been utilized to treat BKVAN, with variable success. This chapter summarizes the current diagnostic modalities and therapeutic options for BKVAN...

..Because virus in urine can be derived from the kidneys, ureter, or urinary bladder, we evaluated whether measurement of intrarenal concentrations of viral DNA might serve as a more reliable monitoring tool...

..In conclusion, serial measurement of viral loads by quantitative PCR is a useful tool in monitoring the course of BK virus infection. The results should be interpreted in conjunction with the clinical picture and biopsy findings...

..In conclusion, measurement of anti-BKV antibody titer and class response can be used to detect the onset of viral replication. ELISAs can be quite specific despite considerable sequence homology between BK virus and JC virus...

..Compared with PCR, urine cytology is a less sensitive technique, which requires morphologically intact cells, and cannot distinguish BKV from JC virus...

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..Finally, we present biochemical mechanisms that could potentially explain several key elements of tissue pathology characteristic of BKV mediated damage to human kidney...

..This study sought to determine whether analogous viral genetic changes occur in human BK virus (BKV) interstitial nephritis (ISN)...

..We wish to pursue further gene localization studies on chromosome 13 in this application in order to identify the causative genes. ..

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..We would then confirm these findings in a prospective cohort study that will be initiated at UPMC and affiliated hospitals as a part of this project. ..

..This will ultimately help in the public health goal of elimination of blinding trachoma. ..