Prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and plasma procoagulant activities were studied in 38 children with nephrotic syndrome in the presence or absence of prednisolone therapy. PT was normal but APTT was prolonged during relapse in untreated patients. Increased factors V, VII, VIII, XI and XIII in both treated and untreated and factor IX in treated patients, as well as decreased factors X and XII in untreated patients, were observed during relapse. These coagulation factor changes were unrelated either to the dose of prednisolone or underlying renal histology and normalized with clinical remission. However, plasma levels of factors II, V, VIII, IX, X and XI were still increased in treated patients. The data suggest that corticosteroids shorten APTT, raise both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and therefore have favorable and unfavorable effects on the coagulation system in children with nephrotic syndrome.
Two children, one with renal manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus and the other with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, were treated with methylprednisolone pulses. Neither had previous evidence of underlying cardiac disease. Within 24 h of pulse therapy, they complained of palpitations and developed atrial fibrillation which reversed spontaneously or after anti-arrhythmic therapy. Subsequent serial electro- and echocardiograms were normal. We propose that the arrhythmias were a complication of steroid pulse therapy.
The effect of dipyridamole on proteinuria was studied in 60 children with various renal diseases. A significant decrease in 24-hour urine protein excretion was observed within a few months after treatment in 32 (53%) of the patients with minimal or moderate mesangial proliferation. The effect was reproducible and parallelled by a reduction in plasma levels of β-thromboglobulin. Renal function in patients significantly improved with the therapeutical effect. The appropriate dosage was 4–10 mg/kg daily and no serious toxicity was seen despite large dosage and even in long-term application. The data suggest that dipyridamole treatment appears safe and has a beneficial effect on proteinuria dependent on its effect on platelets in renal disease.
Five patients suffering from exanthem subitum with thrombocytopenia were confirmed as primary human herpesvirus 6 (HHV‐6) infection by serological test. All cases had thrombocytopenia during the acute phase of exanthem subitum. The clinical features of these cases were benign, and all recovered without any specific treatment. Moreover. 4 of the 5 cases showed a mild elevation of hepatic transaminase during the same period, and other viral infections including cytomegalovirus, Epstein‐Barr virus, and human herpesvirus 7 were ruled out in these patients. It was speculated that direct inhibition of platelet production by the virus or cytokine induced by the virus‐infected cells was the mechanism of the thrombocytopenia induced by primary HHV‐6 infection.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.