Kidney

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and their clinical outcomes, including trajectory of hsCRP changes during hospitalization. METHOD AND RESULTS: Patients with positive COVID-19 tests between 2021 and 2023 were admitted to two hospitals. Among 184 adult patients, approximately half (47.3%) had elevated hsCRP levels upon admission, which defined as exceeding the laboratory-specific upper limit of test (> 5...

Pregnancy in women living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) was often discouraged due to the risk of adverse maternal-fetal outcomes and the progression of kidney disease. This negative attitude has changed in recent years, with greater emphasis on patient empowerment than on the imperative 'non nocere'. Although risks persist, pregnancy outcomes even in advanced CKD have significantly improved, for both the mother and the newborn. Adequate counselling can help to minimize risks and support a more conscious and informed approach to those risks that are unavoidable...

Background In this study, researchers investigated non-invasive methods for analyzing creatinine levels by using saliva to address the need for frequent phlebotomy in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, which can damage their veins due to repeated blood withdrawals for creatinine level assessments. Methods This is a cross-sectional study in a tertiary healthcare setting conducted on 50 patients diagnosed with CKD. After collecting serum and salivary creatinine, we used Pearson correlation to assess the correlation between the two factors...

Transplant ureteral stenosis (US) is a complication of kidney transplantation (KT) that sometimes adversely affects kidney function. Endoscopic treatment may be selected as the initial treatment; however, the recurrence rate is high. Ureteral reconstruction is necessary as a secondary treatment, but it is often difficult to identify the transplanted ureter due to reoperation; therefore, transplanted ureter and renal arteriovenous injury are intraoperative complications that should be noted. The Near-Infrared Ray Catheter (NIRC™) fluorescent ureteral catheter (NIRFUC) fluoresces by illuminating near-infrared rays, facilitating the identification of intraoperative ureteral locations...

BACKGROUND: Marathon running poses unique cardiovascular challenges, sometimes leading to syncopal episodes. We present a case series of athletes who experienced pre-/syncope during the Zurich Marathon 2023, accompanied by elevated cardiac biomarkers. CASE SUMMARY: Eight athletes (2 females, 6 males) aged 21-35 years, with pre-/syncope and various additional diverse symptoms such as dizziness and palpitations during the (half-)marathon, were admitted to two emergency departments in Zurich, Switzerland...

PURPOSE: In mixed aortic valve disease (MAVD), the results of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are conflicting. There is limited data on the outcomes of TAVR in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and MAVD. The objective of this study is to compare outcomes after TAVR in BAV patients with MAVD and predominant aortic stenosis (PAS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with BAV who underwent TAVR between January 2016 and April 2023 were included. The primary outcome was device success...

Comparative proteomic analysis of kidney tissue from normotensive (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats revealed quantitative and qualitative changes in renal proteins. The number of renal proteins specific for WKY rats (blood pressure 110-120 mm Hg) was 13-16. There were 20-24 renal proteins specific for SHR (blood pressure 180 mm Hg and more). The total number of identified renal proteins common for both rat strains included 972-975 proteins. A pairwise comparison of all possible (SHR-WKY) variants identified 8 proteins specific only for normotensive (WKY) animals, and 7 proteins specific only for hypertensive ones (SHR)...

OBJECTIVES: To quantify the rate of cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED)-related infections and to identify risk factors for such infections. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study; analysis of linked hospital admissions and mortality data. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: All adults who underwent CIED procedures in New South Wales between 1 January 2016 and 30 June 2021 (public hospitals) or 30 June 2020 (private hospitals). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportions of patients hospitalised with CIED-related infections (identified by hospital record diagnosis codes); risk of CIED-related infection by patient, device, and procedural factors...

In unfractionated heparin (UFH) monitoring during extracorporeal circulation, the traditional measures of activated clotting time (ACT) or activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) may diverge, confounding anticoagulant adjustments. We aimed to explore the factors explaining this discrepancy in children and young adults. This retrospective observational study, conducted at an urban regional tertiary hospital, included consecutive pediatric patients who received UFH during extracorporeal circulation (continuous kidney replacement therapy or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) between April 2017 and March 2021...

BACKGROUND Transplant nephrectomy (TN) has historically been associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Our objective is to share our own experience and compare indications and surgical outcomes between early and late TN and intracapsular (ICAN) and extracapsular allograft nephrectomy (ECAN) techniques. MATERIAL AND METHODS Our study included all 69 TN procedures performed between January 2010 and February 2021. Of these, 17 TN procedures were performed within the first 60 days after transplantation (referred to as 'early'), while the remaining 52 procedures were performed later ('late')...

Cross-species differences in drug transport and metabolism are linked to poor translation of preclinical pharmacokinetic and toxicology data to humans, often resulting in the failure of new chemical entities (NCEs) during clinical drug development. Specifically, inaccurate prediction of renal clearance and renal accumulation of NCEs due to differential abundance of enzymes and transporters in kidneys can lead to differences in pharmacokinetics and toxicity between experimental animals and humans. We carried out liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based protein quantification of 78 membrane drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters (DMETs) in the kidney membrane fractions of humans, rats, and mice for characterization of cross-species and sex-dependent differences...

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) that utilizes deep learning (DL) has potential for systemic disease prediction using retinal imaging. The retina's unique features enable non-invasive visualization of the central nervous system and microvascular circulation, aiding early detection and personalized treatment plans for personalized care. This review explores the value of retinal assessment, AI-based retinal biomarkers, and the importance of longitudinal prediction models in personalized care...

BACKGROUND: The incidence of Talaromyces marneffei (T. marneffei) infection has increased in recent years with the development of organ transplantation and the widespread use of immunosuppressive agents. However, the lack of clinical suspicion leading to delay or misdiagnosis is an important reason for the high mortality rate in non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and non-endemic population. Herein, we report a case of disseminated T. marneffei infection in a non-HIV and non-endemic recipient after renal transplant, who initially presented with skin rashes and subcutaneous nodules and developed gastrointestinal bleeding...

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic developed its full destructive capacity in 2020. This retrospective study aimed to examine the effects of COVID-19 on the mortality and the clinical characteristics in PAD patients with COVID-19 compared to PAD patients without COVID-19. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data derived from a German nationwide register of the year 2020 which encompassed all hospitalized patients with PAD ( n = 173.075); N = 2553 also suffered from a COVID-19 infection and had significantly higher mortality rates of 11...

Win statistics offer a new approach to the analysis of outcomes in clinical trials, allowing the combination of time-to-event and longitudinal measurements and taking into account the clinical importance of the components of composite outcomes, as well as their relative timing. We examined this approach in a post hoc analysis of two trials that compared dapagliflozin to placebo in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (DAPA-HF) and mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction (DELIVER)...

The kidney cancer (KC) burden measures have changed dramatically in recent years due to changes in exposure to the determinants over time. We aimed to decompose the difference in the KC burden measures between 1990 and 2019. This ecological study included data on the KC burden measures as well as socio-demographic index (SDI), behavioral, dietary, and metabolic risk factors from the global burden of disease study. Non-linear multivariate decomposition analysis was applied to decompose the difference in the burden of KC...

Periampullary cancers have a short overall survival (OS), and many prognostic factors have been studied for this purpose. They usually present with biliary obstruction, which negatively affects the liver, kidney, immune system, and cardiovascular system. This study aimed to investigate the effect of MELD-Na scores on OS in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy due to periampullary cancer. Patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy due to periampullary cancer between January 2010 and January 2021 were included in the study...

BACKGROUND: Hyperuricemia is frequently observed in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and is associated with increased risk of gout and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Empagliflozin lowers serum urate levels by enhancing its urinary excretion. OBJECTIVE: To compare initiators of empagliflozin vs dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP4i) and initiators of empagliflozin vs glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) with respect to the risk of incident gout events...

In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between handgrip strength (HGS) and cognitive performance in stage 3-5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients aged ≥ 60 years. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database 2011-2014. Three tests were used to assess the cognitive performance, including consortium to establish a registry for Alzheimer's disease (CERAD), animal fluency test (AFT), and digit symbol substitution test (DSST)...

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