Hemolytic uremic syndrome: Events of the past decade

This article describes the birth of the Canadian Pediatric Kidney Disease Research Centre (CPKDRC) in 1985 and the activities that have transpired as a result of collaborative research at paediatric centres across Canada. These include the National Retrospective Study of Childhood Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), National Prospective Study of Risk Factors for Developing Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infection, and Intervention Studies for the Prevention of HUS. A look to the future describes possible studies to determine potential factors (surrogate markers) to identify children who are at risk for developing HUS following verotoxin-producing E coli gastroenteritis, other intervention studies and a more accurate understanding of permanent renal insufficiency in children who have had HUS.