Correlation of the Renal Cortex Volume With the Glomerular Filtration Rate in Live Donors for Renal Transplantation

INTRODUCTION

As a pretransplantation evaluation, renal function is determined by the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) with the use of renal scintigraphy (RS) and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). To date, there are few studies that correlate renal cortex volume with eGFR determined with renal gammagram (GR) and eGFR by equations (Cockroft-Gault, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease, and Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation) in Latin American living donors.

AIM

This study sought to determine whether there is correlation of the volume of the renal cortex by Herts equation with the GFR determined with renal gammagram (GFR-GR).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was an analytical, observational, and cross-sectional study. A review of the donor charts from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2014, with a complete clinical file, kidney measurements, predonation tomography volume, and eGFR by different formulas and by renal scintigraphy.

RESULTS

Thirty-three donors were included, 51.5% male and 48.5% female. The mean age was 38.58 ± 10 years, with an average volume of 127.83 ± 28.30 mL, with diethylenetriamine-pentaacetate (DTPA) of 54.80 ± 7.13 mL/min/1.73 m² in the donated kidney. Spearman correlation showed the best association with the Herts equation (r = 0.346) reaching significance (P = .049) when comparing the different equations against the GFR with DTPA. Using the Bland-Altman method, the lowest variability and best significance was verified with the same equation compared to the other formulas (P = .0002).

CONCLUSIONS

There is no consensus regarding which is the best formula for calculating the GFR of both kidneys. Of the different formulas, the one that best correlated with the GFR was the Herts method, which uses the volume of the kidney.

Labscale anoxic stabilization ponds operated under high organic loads: long term effect of enrichment with activated sludge

The addition of acclimatized activated sludge has been suggested as an effective enrichment procedure to increase the biological activity of waste stabilization ponds. This enrichment results in higher degradation rates compared to non enriched stabilization ponds. However, the comparison between enriched and non enriched ponds has been observed during short term experiments and it is unknown if this enrichment has long-term effect. This paper compares enriched and non enriched experimental ponds over two years of continuous operation. The enriched pond showed a degradation activity constantly twice higher. The biological indicators such as the heterotrophic and facultative plate count numbers, the chlorophyll "a" concentration and the oxygen consumption rate were also constantly higher in the enriched pond. These results suggest that an initial enrichment has a long term enhancement effect on stabilization ponds treating complex wastewaters.

Treatment of wastewater containing high phenol concentrations using stabilisation ponds enriched with activated sludge

Treatment of wastewater containing high phenol concentrations (up to 4,000 mg/l, 1,600 kg/ha.d) in laboratory-scale stabilisation ponds enriched with activated sludge was studied. Phenol was biodegraded efficiently, even when fed as the sole carbon source. At influent concentrations of 1,000, 1,300, 1,600, 1,900, 2,500, 3,000 and 4,000 mg/l of phenol (loading rates of 400, 520, 640, 760, 1,000, 1,200 and 1,600 kg phenol/ha.d), the phenol removal efficiencies were 92, 89, 81, 81, 76, 65 and 22%, respectively. At 4,000 mg/l of phenol, the enriched ponds were significantly inhibited. The maximum phenol removal rate observed was 780 kg/ha.d, which is 7.7 times higher than the maximum value reported for attached-growth waste stabilisation ponds. All along the experiments, the enriched ponds showed removal rates 1.8-20.5 times higher than the values observed in control pond (not enriched). The results suggest that enrichment is an effective method to increase xenobiotic removal rates of stabilisation ponds.

Phenol removal in upgraded facultative waste stabilisation ponds

Treatment of wastewater containing phenol using laboratory scale waste stabilisation ponds enriched with activated sludge was studied. After enrichment, the efficiency of these ponds under high phenol loading rates (i.e. up to 408 kg phenol ha(-1) day(-1)) was studied. At phenol loading rates of 6, 52, 312, 636 and 972 COD ha(-1) day(-1), the phenol removal efficiencies were 77, 69, 76, 59 and 52%, respectively. The results suggest that enrichment is an effective potential method to increase the removal capability of facultative ponds, not only or easily biodegradable compounds but also for xenobiotics.