NSF (sometimes called Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy or NFD) was first seen in patients in 1997, and it wasn’t mentioned in medical literature until 2000. NSF leads to excessive formation of connective tissue in the skin and internal organs. It is characterized by high blood pressure, burning, itching, swelling and hardening of the skin. Other symptoms include red or dark patches on the skin; pain deep in the hip bones or ribs and muscle weakness. NSF can progress to the point of causing severe stiffness in joints, and it can lead to death.

There is currently no cure for NSF and no one understands its specific cause. However, the evidence that Gadolinium MRI contrast agents play a role in its development is fast becoming irrefutable. Researchers at Yale University have reported that 95-percent of those with NSF had an MRI that involved a Gadolinium MRI contrast dye two to three months before their symptoms appeared. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital also have found that kidney patients who had undergone MRIs with Gadolinium MRI contrast dyes were 10 times more likely to develop NSF than patient who had not been exposed to such agents.

Gadolinium contrast dyes are used in MRI because they make it far easier for a diagnostician to differentiate between normal and abnormal tissue. While the tests can be done without the Gadolinium based contrast agent, they are nowhere near as effective. The FDA has warned that patients with kidney problems not be given Gadolinium based MRI contrast dyes unless it is absolutely necessary because of their association with NSF. Unfortunately, there are not yet any alternatives to gadolinium based MRI contrast agents.

The CDC study of the St. Louis NSF cases only reinforces the link between NSF and Gadolinium. According to the CDC, in May 2006, nephrologists at the St. Louis hospital reported a cluster of NFS among patients treated in their dialysis units. The CDC conducted an investigation to determine the number of affected patients and identify risk factors for NFS. Of the 19 patients eventually included in the study, only five had no identified gadolinium exposure within 1 year preceding NFS diagnosis. However, of these, four had gadolinium exposure from 16 to 68 months preceding diagnosis. Thirteen patients had multiple gadolinium-containing contrast exposures during the preceding year.

According to the CDC, the study indicated that exposure to Gadolinium-containing contrast agents during MRI studies was linked with the development of NFS. The CDC cautioned that clinicians should be aware of the potential for NFS, and when possible, should avoid use of Gadolinium-containing contrast agents in patients with advanced kidney disease.

January 31st, 2008 by Staff with NewsInferno.com

SOURCE: Gadolinium and NSF › NSF study finds link between Gadolinium used in MRI and debilitating disease

Only about 215 cases have been reported worldwide, all involving people with kidney disease. No cures have been reported but some patients have seen improvement after treatment to improve their kidney function, according to the International Center for Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy Research.

Gerber’s lawsuit claims that people with impaired kidney function can’t properly eliminate the gadolinium from their system.

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory that patients with moderate to “end-stage” kidney disease should avoid having medical scans that use gadolinium-based contrast dyes, such as magnetic resonance images and magnetic resonance angiographies. If the imaging is done, “prompt dialysis” following the procedure should be considered, the FDA said.

Gerber had such imaging before he underwent a kidney transplant.

His lawsuit, filed Friday in San Francisco Superior Court, names medical centers and companies involve in making, distributing and using the dyes, including Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc. and GE Healthcare Inc.

Both companies have added warning labels to their dyes.

“Mr. Gerber was never warned that there was any kind of risk associated with gadolinium, let alone NSF,” Gerber’s attorney, Lawrence J. Gornick, told the Los Angeles Daily Journal. “Because of that, he developed a life-threatening disease that will most likely take his life in a horrible way.”

“There is only one identified cause of NSF, and that’s gadolinium,” Gornick said. “And there is only one way gadolinium gets into the human body, and that’s through these contrasting agents.”

Gornick said he expected to seek millions of dollars in damages.

Bayer spokeswoman Marcy Funk said Tuesday that the company could not comment on pending litigation.

“There are warning labels on the product,” she said. “Patient safety is always the No. 1 priority of the company and we’re working with the health authorities … on this particular issue.”

GE Healthcare spokesman Brian McKaig said in a written statement that a “definitive causal relationship” between NSF and the use of gadolium-based dyes has not been established.

“GE Healthcare does not comment about ongoing lawsuits but the company is concerned for patients diagnosed with NSF “and continue to emphasize our commitment to patient care and safety,” he wrote..

Gerber’s is one of only a handful of lawsuits filed by people with the rare disease.

October 30th, 2007

SOURCE: Gadolinium and NSF › NorCal man blames MRI dyes for illness

Early reports noted that NSF closely resembled scleromyxedema, but had a number of differentiating features. The entity was initially termed nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy, and a case definition was established based on its characteristic clinical and histopathologic features. The name was later changed to NSF in view of the systemic nature of the disorder and recognition of the role circulating fibrocytes play in mediating NSF.

Underlying renal impairment is a prerequisite for the diagnosis of NSF, and 90% of patients with NSF have end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The age of the patients with NSF has ranged from 8-87 years with equal gender distribution. Cases of NSF have been reported in many countries and no race predilection has been observed. In a recent case-control study of 19 patients with NSF, 58% and 32% received hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis respectively in the six months preceding the diagnosis.

Clinical, histologic features

NSF is associated with cutaneous lesions that are typically distributed in a symmetrical fashion on the limbs and trunk; the face is usually spared. The primary lesions consist of skin-colored to erythematous papules coalescing into brawny patches with a peau d’orange surface appearance.

The patient’s involved skin typically becomes markedly thickened and develops a woody texture. Yellow scleral plaques have been observed in some patients with NSF. Intense pain and pruritis are commonly reported in affected areas.

As NSF progresses, patients may experience significant decrease in the function of their hands and feet, with the development of joint contractures. Some may require wheelchair use and assistance with activities of daily living. Severe disability and mortality have been reported in patients with NSF.

NSF is a clinical and histopathological diagnosis. Lesions show an increase in dermal spindle cells which are bland and have long dendritic processes. Most of these spindle cells are immunohistochemically positive for CD34 and procollagen I. This immunologic profile is identical to circulating fibrocyte, a bone-marrow derived leukocyte. Thick collagen bundles with surrounding clefts are also prominent findings with a variable amount of mucin and elastic fibers noted.

Etiology

No etiologic agent or intervention has been identified as causing or being associated with NSF until recently. The observations that vascular surgery and thrombotic episodes were common preceding events prompted speculation that NSF may be triggered by an imaging contrast agent. Five out of nine ESRD patients in an Austrian dialysis center who underwent MR angiography with gadodiamide had developed NSF two to four weeks later. Gadolinium was thought to be a trigger for NSF under certain conditions based on above observations. This theory was further supported by the findings of a study of 13 confirmed cases of NSF, all of whom had been exposed to gadodiamide before the onset of NSF. The odds ratio was calculated at 32.5 with these 13 NSF cases identified among 370 ESRD patients exposed to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) and none among 430 non-exposed ESRD patients. The time lag from gadodiamide exposure to the first sign or symptom of NSF was 2-75 days (median, 25 days). Of the 13 patients, seven (54%) became severely disabled and one died at 21 months after gadodiamide exposure. Subsequent case-control series found the odds ratio to range from 8.97 to 22.33 for prior exposure to gadodiamide or other GBCA in ESRD and acute kidney injury (AKI) patients.

Prevalence of NSF has ranged between 3.5% to 4% in ESRD patients exposed to GBCA. Yearly incidence was reported as 4.6% for a population of hospitalized patients whose (GFR) was less than 60 mL/min/1.73m2 and had a pro-inflammatory event. Incidence was calculated to be 4.3 cases per 1000 patient-years in a stable outpatient (ESRD) population. Each radiologic study using (GBCA) presented a 2.4% absolute risk for NSF in the same recent series.

Risk factors

NSF cases have been reported in patients with AKI or CKD and in renal or liver transplant recipients with compromised renal function. All patients with documented NSF had renal impairment with either ESRD, AKI, or CKD with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) below 30 mL/min per 1.73m2. Patients with ESRD appear to be at the highest risk for NSF, and those with CKD Stage 4 also appeared to be at elevated risk. Peritoneal dialysis appears to be associated with a greater risk for NSF compared to hemodialysis.

Risk for NSF appears to increase with repeated administration with an odds ratio of 2.618.10,11 Risk for NSF appears to increase with use of double-dose (0.2 mmol/kg) compared with single-dose (0.1 mmol/kg) gadodiamide administration with an odds ratio of 12.19. Acidosis was initially reported as a risk factor favoring NSF occurrence with mean bicarbonate level of 19.5 ± 1.7 mmol/L versus 22.95 ± 0.58 mmol/L in unaffected cases. Mean bicarbonate level was 22.5 mmol/L, 23.5 ± 1.1 mmol/L and 22.3 ± 2.74 in three subsequent reports with no association found with NSF. Higher rHuEpo doses have been reportedly in cases with NSF but this could be a result of inflammation and resistance to rHuEpo.4,6,12 ACE inhibitors were thought to be protective but this was not consistently observed. Pro-inflammatory state may be a predisposing factor.

Treatment

Given the significant morbidity and mortality associated with NSF, the FDA has stated that the benefits and risks associated with using a GBCA upon recommending or performing an MRI or MRA should be carefully weighed in light of recent reports of NSF observed following administration of these agents. Alternative imaging methods and/or contrast agents should be used whenever possible. A total of five GBCA (Omniscan, OptiMARK, Magnevist, ProHance, and MultiHance) are currently approved for use in the United States.

There is no consistently successful treatment for NSF. It is not known if hemodialysis post-exposure prevents it. A current recommendation is to initiate hemodialysis within two to three hours of a GBCA administration, followed by a second session within 24 hours. Treatments that have been used with some success and continue to be investigated include oral steroids, plasmapher-esis, extracorporeal photopheresis and sodium thiosulfate. Additional information on NSF is available on the InternationalCenter for Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy Research Web site (www.icnfdr.org).

October 29th, 2007

SOURCE: Gadolinium and NSF › A new concern for end-stage renal disease patients

Reporting in the October issue of the American Journal of Dermatopathology, the authors suggest a possible explanation for why some patients on kidney dialysis who are injected with a “contrast agent” during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) develop nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration now requires a warning about the potential risk on the products’ labels. NSF leads to thickened, rough or hard skin usually on the arms, legs or trunk. In some cases, the limbs can become difficult or even impossible to move.

“The cause of this syndrome has been unclear,” said David C. Sane, M.D., senior researcher on the project. “Our research suggests both a potential cause and the possibility of preventing or treating NSF.”

Sane said the finding — that an enzyme known as transglutaminase-2 (TG2) may be involved — is the first to suggest how exposure to contrast agents may lead to NSF.

It has not been known what causes NSF, but a risk factor is exposure to gadolinium, an agent injected into patient’s veins during some MRI procedures to help improve the visibility of internal organs during the test. The condition is relatively rare — it occurs in about 2 percent to 4 percent of kidney patients on dialysis who are exposed to gadolinium.

The researchers tested the hypothesis that TG2 may be involved in the response. The enzyme is found throughout the body and is involved in blood clotting and wound healing. They hypothesized that gadolinium may activate the enzyme and cause NSF.

The group obtained skin biopsies from five people with NSF and three healthy people. All NSF patients had renal failure and had previously had imaging procedures using gadolinium. The researchers tested for the presence of TG2 in the skin samples.

“Compared to the healthy subjects, there was a marked increase in TG2 in the subjects with NSF,” said Sane. “This suggests that activation of TG2 can produce the syndrome. TG2 is expressed in virtually all tissues and may explain why the fibrosis can occur in the heart and lungs, as well as the skin.”

Sane said the results also suggest a strategy for preventing or treating NSF — drugs such as cysteamine that inhibit the activation of TG-2.

“Our research is a pilot study, but we believe the results warrant further research into the use of TG-2 inhibitors in the treatment and prevention of NSF,” said Gil Yosipovitch, M.D., co-senior researcher, and a dermatologist. “Solving this puzzle might allow dialysis patients to take full advantage of the diagnostic capabilities of MRI.”

“This could be a general mechanism for a broad range of disorders that involve fibrosis, or tissue thickening,” said Sane.

Other researchers were lead investigator Amy Parsons, M.D., Daniel Sheehan, M.D., and Omar P. Sangueza, M.D., all from Wake Forest’s Department of Pathology, and Charles S. Greenberg, M.D., with Duke University.

October 17th, 2007

SOURCE: Gadolinium and NSF › Cause of debilitating skin condition suggested

The study, led by Jonathan Kay of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, conducted skin examination of 186 kidney dialysis patients.
They found that 25 had skin changes consistent with NSF.

Within two years, 25 of the 186 patients (24 percent) had died. The death rate for those with NSF was 48 percent, compared to 20 percent for patients without the illness.

The researchers also found that 30 percent of patients exposed to gadolinium developed NSF compared to one percent of those who had not been exposed to the contrast agent.

The findings are published in the October issue of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.

This is the first study to examine the prevalence of NSF in dialysis patients and the first to quantify the association between NSF and gadolinium exposure. Contrast agents containing gadolinium should only be used with extreme caution in patients with chronic kidney disease, the researchers concluded. If they are exposed to gadolinium, these patients should subsequently receive regular skin examinations.

In an accompanying editorial, experts at Yale University School of Medicine noted that a U.S. federal Public Health Advisory urges caution in the use of MRI scans for kidney disease patients and prompt dialysis for those who’ve had scans involving gadolinium.

October 5th, 2007

SOURCE: Gadolinium and NSF › New kidney disease can be fatal