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The Renal Pathology Society (RPS) held a business meeting on Sunday evening, March 4, 2001 during the annual meeting of the US-CAP at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia. The meeting was called to order by Dr. Melvin Schwartz, RPS President. Thirty-one members were in attendance. |
Dr. Schwartz briefly commented on the highlights of his administration. He indicated that the RPS-sponsored symposium at the American Society of Nephrology/International Society of Nephrology World Congress of Nephrology, 2001 in San Francisco, California, organized by Tito Cavallo and his program committee, will be titled Renal AL-amyloidosis: New insights into mechanisms and therapy. It will be held October 14 at 4-6 p.m. The program will be as follows:
Co-Moderators: Tito Cavallo
Mark Haas
Protein structural risk factors that identify amyloidogenic light chains: Fred J. Stevens
Understanding the pathogenesis of renal AL-amyloidosis: Guillermo A. Herrera
New diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in primary amyloidosis: Alan Solomon
He also mentioned that the program for the 2002 US-CAP meeting is being prepared. He announced that the 2000-2001 Young Investigator Award was given to Dr. Michael Eikmans working in the laboratory of Dr. Jan Bruijn. The award will be presented at the next ASN meeting.
Dr. Schwartz then called on the Secretary-Treasurer and Committee Chairmen to give their reports.
Dr. Herrera, Secretary-Treasurer, indicated that the Society was financially stable with a balance of $33,157.12. Major expenses included the receptions at ASN/US-CAP meetings and monetary supplement to fully finance the Churg Award and dinner at the US-CAP meeting.
He also announced that the diplomas documenting RPS membership will be sent to the members in the next few weeks.
Dr. Weiss, Chair, Membership Committee, indicated that 4 new members: Dr. Ping L. Zhang, Dr. Randolph A. Hennigar, Dr. Michael Barry Stokes, and Dr. Neeraja Kambham were approved and 3 members changed to Emeritus status: Dr. John T. Crosson, Dr. Raghunatha N. Rao, and Dr. Benjamin C. Sturgill.
Dr. Pullman reported on the Research Committee. A draft regarding criteria for renal biopsy adequacy
indicators will be sent to members for comments before the next ASN meeting so that it can be discussed in detail at the next ASN meeting. This document could help in standardizing the format for renal biopsies, defining clinical settings in which renal biopsies can be useful, creating a registry of renal biopsies by diagnostic category, and provide a mechanism to facilitate exchange of material for research purposes.
Dr. Racusen, Head Training Committee, indicated that she has continued pursuing the idea of Nephropathology Certification Board with the American board of Pathology. She has gathered information from the Molecular Pathology Group that recently obtained approval from the ABP to create a separate Board. One of the requirements will include creating guidelines indicating requirements for the training programs in Nephropathology.
Dr. Seshan indicated that the committee of nephrologists and renal pathologists to work on the new WHO classification of lupus nephritis has not been finalized.