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A 48-year-old woman underwent a renal transplantation from her sister. The graft functioned immediately. She received induction immunosuppressive therapy, including basiliximab, tacrolimus hydrate, mycophenolate mofetil and methylprednisolone. Her urinary output decreased on the first postoperative morning. Plasma exchange for 3 days and conversion from tacrolimus hydrate to cyclosporine partially improved graft function. Graft biopsies on the fifth postoperative day suggested an acute humoral rejection. On the seventh postoperative day, she experienced high fever, disorientation, hypertension and severe upper abdominal pain with a bulk of bloody stool. Graft function deteriorated again. Gastrointestinal fiberscopy showed severe duodenitis with bleeding. Following seven successive daily plasma exchanges with hemodialysis and reconversion to low dose tacrolimus hydrate, the systematic symptoms and graft function gradually improved. Two years after transplantation, graft function was good with a serum creatinine level of 1.0 mg/dL. The patient did not experience any further gastrointestinal symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 28-year-old woman with end-stage renal disease due to congenital hypoplasia and vesicoureteric reflux in the bilateral kidneys received a renal transplant from her 52-year-old mother. She became pregnant 3 years later. The serum creatinine level was 1.6 mg/dL with a creatinine clearance of 27.3 mL/min/1.48 m2 just prior to pregnancy. Her graft showed hydronephrosis at 12 weeks of pregnancy. At 25 weeks a double J-type stent catheter was placed, without exposure to radiation, because of progressive deterioration of the graft hydronephrosis. Hydronephrosis partially improved, but her serum creatinine level further increased to 2.3 mg/dL. She delivered a healthy boy by routine caesarean section at 34 weeks of pregnancy. Computed tomography demonstrated the ureter wedged between the gravid uterus and the graft. The catheter was removed 10 days postpartum. Six months later, ultrasonographic study did not show hydronephrosis and the serum creatinine level was 2.0 mg/dL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]