Selective renal transplantation in primary hyperoxaluria type 1

Diagnosis and metaphylaxis of stone disease. Consensus concept of the National Working Committee on Stone Disease for the upcoming German Urolithiasis Guideline

This review draws the recent state of the art in metabolic diagnosis and metaphylaxis of stone disease. It is the basis for the consensus approval with the other medical societies and institutions in Germany involved in the guideline process of the new "Urolithiasis Guideline". The German Working Committee on Stone Disease reviewed critically the current literature in the field of urolithiasis-including the existing German and EAU-Guidelines as well as the Conference Book of the First International Consultation on Stone Disease. As far as possible the references were rated according to the EBM criteria. On this basis the expert group discussed all pathways and statements regarding the management of stone disease. The present review coincides with the consented guideline draft of the German Working Committee on Stone Disease. Occurrence of stone disease in the western world increases seriously. Modern lifestyle, dietary habits and overweight-problems of the affluent societies-emerge to be the important promoters of the "stone-boom" in the new millennium. This even affects children, whose stone prevalence is otherwise significantly less than that of adults. Criteria for the high risk group of stone formers were clearly defined. A diagnostic standard is formulated for the basic and the elaborate metabolic evaluation of a stone patient. Approximately 75% of all stone patients could anticipate stone recurrence with elementary reorientation of their lifestyle and dietary habits, summarized as general metaphylaxis. About 25% of the stone formers require additional pharmacological intervention to normalize their individual biochemical risk, precisely compiled for each stone type as specific metaphylaxis.

Severe course of primary hyperoxaluria and renal failure after domino hepatic transplantation

We report herein a domino orthotopic liver transplantation (LT), from a 38-year-old woman undergoing liver-kidney transplantation (LKT) for primary hyperoxaluria type I (PH1) to a recipient with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Delayed onset of PH1 and renal failure and 10% residual alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT) activity in domino liver justified its use for domino procedure. The clinical course after LKT was similar to that described in other series, including ours. Renal function started promptly and maintained despite sustained hyperoxaluria from dissolution of oxalotic deposits. Conversely, the domino recipient manifested severe hyperoxaluria and developed nephrolithiasis and renal insufficiency with rapid progression over 2 months. A new LT resulted in slow decrease of oxaluria and improvement of renal function. Therefore, PH1 behaved quite differently in these two patients, leading us to conclude that domino LT using livers from PH1 patients should be considered very carefully, only as a bridge to definitive LT in recipients with critical clinical conditions.

Long Daily Hemodialysis Sessions Correct Systemic Complications of Oxalosis Prior to Combined Liver-Kidney Transplantation: Case Report

An 18-year-old woman diagnosed with piridoxine-resistent primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH-1) and progressive renal insufficiency complicated with acute renal failure of obstructive origin who developed systemic oxalosis affecting the heart (cardiomyopathy), the skin (cutaneous ulcers) and vascular system (lower limb ischemia, as well as pulmonary and cerebral microcirculatory blockage resulting in pulmonary hemorrhage and tonic-clonic general seizures. As conventional hemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD) are unable to eliminate enough oxalate to avoid a continuous positive balance, long daily sessions (6-7 h) of high-flux hemodialysis (highly permeable polyamide membrane of 2.1 m2) for 67 consecutive days normalized blood oxalate levels and reversed the systemic complications secondary to the calcium oxalate crystals deposit. The patient underwent a combined liver-kidney transplantation and has progressed well to the present time. The most important factors in PH-1 treatment are analyzed. Even though combined liver-kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice and should be performed before the glomerular filtrate rate (GFR) falls below 25 mL/min/1.73 m2, intensive HD becomes necessary to prevent oxalosis in the face of acute renal failure. Also, as our case shows, intensive HD can achieve a negative oxalate balance and reverse both the systemic lesions and the oxalate deposits.

Results of combined and sequential liver-kidney transplantation

Experience with combined liver-kidney transplantation (L-KTx) has increased, but controversy regarding this procedure continues because the indications are not clearly defined yet. Between 1984 and 2000, 38 patients underwent simultaneous L-KTx and 9 patients underwent sequential transplantation, receiving either a liver before a kidney or a kidney before a liver. Main indications for a simultaneous procedure were polycystic liver-kidney disease with cirrhosis and coincidental renal failure. The main indications for sequential procedure were cirrhosis caused by viral infection for the liver and glomerulonephritis for the kidneys. Outcomes in these patients were evaluated retrospectively. Regarding simultaneous transplantation, 28 (73.7%) long-term survivors were followed up for 0.7 to 12.5 years. Currently, 24 (63.2%) patients are alive with good liver function. Fourteen patients died; 10 patients died in the early postoperative phase because of septic complications, and most of them were cirrhotic with a poor preoperative clinical status. Currently, 2 of the surviving patients (8%) have returned to dialysis, 4 (17%) have reduced renal function, and 18 (75%) have good renal function. Five liver and 2 kidney retransplantations were performed during the follow-up. In cases of sequential grafting, patients undergoing kidney transplantation in the presence of a previously transplanted stable liver did better than those who underwent liver transplantation after kidney transplantation. When liver transplantation was performed early and electively before substantial worsening, combined L-KTx is a safe procedure offering excellent long-term palliation.

Hyperoxaluric calcium nephrolithiasis

Hyperoxaluria leads to increased calcium oxalate supersaturation and calcium oxalate stone formation. Excess oxalate can arise from endogenous overproduction as in primary hyperoxaluria or from dietary sources. In the last 15 years great strides have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of primary hyperoxaluria. However options still seem limited in treating the mild hyperoxaluria found in many stone formers. Inadequate knowledge of food oxalate content, the effect of dietary oxalate precursors on oxalate excretion, and the factors affecting handling of oxalate by the intestine prevent development of rational therapies for treatment of hyperoxaluria. Recent studies of oxalate degrading bacteria and renewed interest in the role of diet calcium in oxalate absorption may lead to better therapeutic strategies for hyperoxaluric calcium nephrolithiasis.

Primary hyperoxaluria type 1: improved outcome with timely liver transplantation: a single-center report of 36 children

BACKGROUND

The appropriate use of liver transplantation in children with type-1 primary hyperoxaluria (PH-1) is not well established. We reviewed our experience with 36 children with PH-1, including 12 who underwent liver transplantation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From 1989-1998, 36 children from 10 families in northern Israel were diagnosed with PH-1. Eight children presented with renal failure; seven of these eight had the severe infantile form of the disease. One child was treated with kidney transplantation alone. Combined liver-kidney transplantation has been performed in nine children and preemptive liver transplantation in three children. A review of the patients' charts for the following parameters was performed: age, clinical signs, and renal sonographic findings at diagnosis, age at onset of dialysis, and current status. Type of transplant, pre- and posttransplant urine oxalate excretion, current renal function, survival, and complications were recorded in liver recipients.

RESULTS

Of the 23 nontransplanted children, 9 died of complications related to severe systemic oxalosis and 14 are alive (mean follow-up, 7.4 years), including 2 who are candidates for transplantation. The child who underwent only kidney transplantation died of unrelated causes. Of the 12 liver recipients, 2 died within the first 3 months posttransplant and another child underwent retransplantation due to hepatic arterial thrombosis. At intervals after transplant ranging from 6-54 months, 10 recipients are alive (7 of the 9 recipients of combined liver-kidney transplants and all 3 recipients of preemptive liver transplants). Mean GFR in the 10 survivors is 77 ml/min/m2. In 9 of these 10, daily urinary oxalate excretion normalized. Renal function has improved (mean GFR 86 vs. 58 ml/min/m2) but renal oxalate deposits remain in the three recipients of isolated liver grafts.

CONCLUSIONS

Our decade-long experience with children with PH-1 supports strategies for early diagnosis and timely liver transplantation. Preemptive isolated liver transplantation should be considered in children who develop the disease during infancy or in those with slowly progressive disease when significant symptoms develop. Combined liver-kidney transplantation is suggested for children with end-stage renal disease.