No abstract

Subcutaneous recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) treatment of renal anemia was performed in four boys and eight girls on CAPD, aged 0.8-12.5 (mean 7.4) years. In contrast to previous studies, our therapeutic goal was not set with a hematocrit of 30% but with full correction of anemia. Following a maximum weekly rHuEpo dosage of median 120 (range 100-240) IU/kg body weight, hematocrit increased in 10 children from 24 (14-29)% within 12 (4-17) weeks to 40.1 (33.5-48.4)%. The weekly increase in hematocrit was 1.27 (0.5-3.1)%. The corrected reticulocyte count increased from 1.3 (0.7-1.8)% to 2.3 (1.4-3.9)% within 4 (2-6) weeks. Eight children fulfilled the protocol; six with an uncomplicated course were able to maintain a hematocrit of 37.1 (35.1-42.7)% with only one sc medication per week of approximately two-thirds of their highest weekly rHuEpo dosage. No serious adverse effect of rHuEpo therapy was observed.

Escherichia coli was isolated from the urine of patients with pyelonephritis, with urinary tract infections other than pyelonephritis and with asymptomatic bacteriuria. Surface properties of the strains were analyzed by the salting-out aggregation test (SAT), hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC), Congo red binding (Crb), agglutination of erythrocytes (MRHA) and latex particles covered by digalactoside (PF) and by adherence to tissue culture cells. In addition, a DNA probe for the pap gene was used. The DNA probe detected the highest proportion of strains with pap gene in the group of patients with pyelonephritis, lower in the urinary tract infections other than pyelonephritis and the lowest in the group with asymptomatic bacteriuria. Tests for P-fimbriae (PF, MRHA) showed a similar distribution. Hydrophobicity measured by SAT and by HIC did not show differences among the tested groups of strains. The results suggest that factors other than the P-fimbriae and hydrophobicity may contribute to the persistence of E. coli in the urinary tract.