Inonotus obliquus(Chaga)against HFD/STZ-induced glucolipid metabolism disorders and abnormal renal functions by regulating NOS-cGMP-PDE5 signaling pathway

Our prior investigations have established that Inonotus obliquus(Chaga)possesses hypoglycemic effects.Persistent hyperglycemia is known to precipitate renal function abnormalities.The functionality of the kidneys is intricately linked to the levels of cyclic guanosine-3',5'-monophosphate(cGMP),which are influenced by the activities of nitric oxide synthase(NOS)and phosphodiesterase(PDE).Enhanced cGMP levels can be achieved either through the upregulation of NOS activity or the downregulation of PDE activity.The objective of the current study is to elucidate the effects of Chaga on disorders of glucolipid metabolism and renal abnormalities in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),while concurrently examining the NOS-cGMP-PDE5 signaling pathway.A model of T2DM was developed in rats using a high-fat diet(HFD)combined with streptozotocin(STZ)administration,followed by treatment with Chaga extracts at doses of 50 and 100 mg·kg^(−1)for eight weeks.The findings revealed that Chaga not only mitigated metabolic dysfunctions,evidenced by improvements in fasting blood glucose,total cholesterol,triglycerides,and insulin resistance,but also ameliorated renal function markers,including serum creatinine,urine creatinine(UCr),blood urea nitrogen,24-h urinary protein,and estimated creatinine clearance.Additionally,enhancements in glomerular volume,GBM thickness,podocyte foot process width(FPW),and the mRNA and protein expressions of podocyte markers,such as nephrin and wilms tumor-1,were observed.Chaga was found to elevate cGMP levels in both serum and kidney tissues by increasing mRNA and protein expressions of renal endothelial NOS and neural NOS,while simultaneously reducing the expressions of renal inducible NOS and PDE5.In summary,Chaga counteracts HFD/STZ-induced glucolipid metabolism and renal function disturbances by modulating the NOS-cGMP-PDE5 signaling pathway.This research supports the potential application of Chaga in the clinical prevention and treatment of T2DM and diabetic nephropathy(DN),with cGMP serving as a potential therapeutic target.

Prevalence and risk factors for impaired renal function among Asian patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Background:Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)is associated with impaired renal function,and both diseases often occur alongside other metabolic disorders.However,the prevalence and risk factors for impaired renal function in patients with NAFLD remain unclear.The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence and risk factors for renal impairment in NAFLD patients.Methods:All adults aged 18-70 years with ultrasound-diagnosed NAFLD and transient elastography examination from eight Asian centers were enrolled in this prospective study.Liver fibrosis and cirrhosis were assessed by FibroScan-aspartate aminotransferase(FAST),Agile 3+and Agile 4 scores.Impaired renal function and chronic kidney disease(CKD)were defined by an estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)with value of<90 mL/min/1.73 m^(2) and<60 mL/min/1.73 m^(2),respectively,as estimated by the CKD-Epidemiology Collaboration(CKD-EPI)equation.Results:Among 529 included NAFLD patients,the prevalence rates of impaired renal function and CKD were 37.4%and 4.9%,respectively.In multivariate analysis,a moderate-high risk of advanced liver fibrosis and cirrhosis according to Agile 3+and Agile 4 scores were independent risk factors for CKD(P<0.05).Furthermore,increased fasting plasma glucose(FPG)and blood pressure were significantly associated with impaired renal function after controlling for the other components of metabolic syndrome(P<0.05).Compared with patients with normoglycemia,those with prediabetes[FPG≥5.6 mmol/L or hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c)≥5.7%]were more likely to have impaired renal function(P<0.05).Conclusions:Agile 3+and Agile 4 are reliable for identifying NAFLD patients with high risk of CKD.Early glycemic control in the prediabetic stage might have a potential renoprotective role in these patients.

Changes in renal function and morphological variations of kidney diseases in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Objective:Rheumatoid nephropathy is one of the most severe extra-articular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis(RA)associated with a very unfavorable prognosis.This study aimed to identify changes in renal function and morphological variations of kidney diseases in RA patients.Methods:The study enrolled patients(126 patients)between 18 and 55 years of age with a confirmed active RA of more than 12 months.Each patient underwent the following range of laboratory and instrumental research methods:general clinical analysis of blood and urine,performing urinalysis according to Nechiporenko method;determining daily proteinuria;determining the blood content of glucose,urea,creatinine,uric acid,total bilirubin,liver transaminase level,ionogram,lipidogram,and coagulogram;determining the blood content of rheumatoid factor,anti-streptolysin O,and C-reactive protein;and X-ray of the joints of hands and feet.Renal function was examined by estimating glomerular filtration rate,tubular reabsorption index,and renal functional reserve.For studying the morphological changes in the kidneys under ultrasound examination,renal biopsy was performed in 31 patients with RA with urinary syndrome(proteinuria more than 0.3 g per day and hematuria).Results:Nephropathy in RA is characterized by impaired renal function and manifested by an increased blood creatinine and a decrease in glomerular filtration rate and renal functional reserve.Among morphological variations of nephropathy at RA,mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis prevails,accounting for 48.4%of patients.Other disorders include the secondary amyloidosis(29.0%of patients),tubulointerstitial nephritis(16.1%),membranous glomerulonephritis(3.2%),and focal-segmental glomerulosclerosis(3.2%).Conclusion:Kidney damage is a common systemic manifestation of RA with a long and active course,a major nephropathy trigger.

Therapeutic potential of urine-derived stem cells in renal regeneration following acute kidney injury:A comparative analysis with mesenchymal stem cells

BACKGROUND Acute kidney injury(AKI)is a common clinical syndrome with high morbidity and mortality rates.The use of pluripotent stem cells holds great promise for the treatment of AKI.Urine-derived stem cells(USCs)are a novel and versatile cell source in cell-based therapy and regenerative medicine that provide advantages of a noninvasive,simple,and low-cost approach and are induced with high multidifferentiation potential.Whether these cells could serve as a potential stem cell source for the treatment of AKI has not been determined.METHODS Stem cell markers with multidifferentiation potential were isolated from human amniotic fluid.AKI severe combined immune deficiency(SCID)mice models were induced by means of an intramuscular injection with glycerol.USCs isolated from human-voided urine were administered via tail veins.The functional changes in the kidney were assessed by the levels of blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine.The histologic changes were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining and transferase dUTP nick-end labeling staining.Meanwhile,we compared the regenerative potential of USCs with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs).RESULTS Treatment with USCs significantly alleviated histological destruction and functional decline.The renal function was rapidly restored after intravenous injection of 5×105 human USCs into SCID mice with glycerol-induced AKI compared with injection of saline.Results from secretion assays conducted in vitro demonstrated that both stem cell varieties released a wide array of cytokines and growth factors.This suggests that a mixture of various mediators closely interacts with their biochemical functions.Two types of stem cells showed enhanced tubular cell prolif-eration and decreased tubular cell apoptosis,although USC treatment was not more effective than MSC treatment.We found that USC therapy significantly improved renal function and histological damage,inhibited inflammation and apoptosis processes in the kidney,and promoted tubular epithelial proliferation.CONCLUSION Our study demonstrated the potential of USCs for the treatment of AKI,representing a new clinical therapeutic strategy.

Risk Factors of the Progression of Renal Function Deterioration Among Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy

Objective:To explore the risk factors for the progression of renal function deterioration in patients with diabetic nephropathy(DN).Methods:The clinical data and biochemical indexes of 100 diabetic patients admitted to our hospital from October 2021 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into a DN group,which consisted of 55 cases,and a nondiabetic nephropathy group(NDN),which consisted of 45 cases.The urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio,the clinical data(gender,age,duration of the disease,and BMI),and the biochemical indexes(triglycerides[TG],low-density lipoprotein cholesterol[LDL-C],high-density lipoprotein cholesterol[HDL-C],total cholesterol[TC],glycated hemoglobin A1c[HbA1c],systolic blood pressure[SBP],diastolic blood pressure[DBP])of the two groups were compared.Subsequently,the risk factors related to the progression of renal function deterioration in DN were analyzed through multifactorial logistic regression analysis.Results:No statistically significant difference was observed in the comparison of gender,age,BMI,LDL-C,and DBP between the two groups(P>0.05).The DN group demonstrated a longer disease duration and higher SBP,TC,HDL-C,HbA1c,and TG compared to the NDN group(P<0.05).Through multifactorial logistic regression analysis,it was found that the duration of the disease,the TC,the HDL-C,the HbA1c,the TG,and the SBP were independent risk factors of the deterioration of renal function in DN patients.Conclusion:Other than conventional indicators,TC,HDL-C,HbA1c,TG,and SBP are also crucial indicators in determining the progression of renal function deterioration in DN patients.

Effects of cilnidipine and L-type calcium channel blockers on renal functions in hypertensive patients: a meta-analysis of the randomized trials

In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of cilnidipine and L-type calcium channel blockers（L-type CCBs） on renal function in hypertensive patients. The randomized controlled trials（RCTs） of cilnidipine and L-type CCBs on hypertension treatment were selected from Pubmed, Embase, Google Scholar, CNKI, Science Direct, Ebsco, Springer, Ovid, Cochrane Library, Medline, VIP and Wanfang databases（from the date of databases＇ establishment to September 2014）. Data were independently evaluated following the Jadad standard. The percentage changes of serum creatinine（SCr） value, urinary protein excretion（UPE）, urinary protein/creatinine ratio（UPCR） and estimated glomerular filtration rate（e GFR） pre- and post-treatment were extracted for the subsequent meta-analysis. The mean difference（MD） and the 95% confidence interval（95% CI） were determined using RevM an 5.3 software. A total of 10 RCTs of high quality were included and analyzed by fixedor random-effect models. The results indicated that UPE（MD = –36.59, 95% CI： –70.85, –2.33） or UPCR（MD = –46.56, 95% CI： –88.50, –4.62） was significantly reduced by cilnidipine compared with L-type CCBs. However, such significant difference was not detected in reduction of SCr（MD = 0.01, 95% CI： –2.97, 2.98） or eG FR（MD = 1.56, 95% CI： –0.19, 3.31）. Compared with L-type CCBs, cilnidipine was more effective in reducing proteinuria or preventing the proteinuria progression. In addition, we did not find significant differences in SCr and eG FR between the two groups.

Efficacy of prednisone combined with mycophenolate mofetil for immunoglobulin A nephropathy with moderate-to-severe renal dysfunction

BACKGROUND Immunoglobulin A nephropathy(IgAN)is a common form of chronic glomer-ulonephritis.Currently,IgAN is one of the main causes of chronic renal failure in China;its prognosis varies greatly between patients,with renal function at the time of diagnosis and prognosis being strongly correlated.Mycophenolate mofetil(MMF)is a drug with a good immunomodulatory effect and is commonly used clinically.However,its effects in IgAN have not yet been clearly demonstrated.Therefore,herein,we retrospectively compared the effectiveness and safety of prednisone alone or combined with MMF for the treatment of primary IgAN with moderate-to-severe renal impairment.METHODS Between January 2011 and December 2020,200 patients with moderate-to-severe IgAN were included in this study,all of whom were admitted to Wuxi People's Hospital affiliated with Nanjing Medical University.All patients underwent a renal puncture biopsy,which revealed primary IgAN with a glomerular filtration rate(GFR)of 30–60 mL/min.The patients were divided into a glucocorticoid therapy group(GTG)and an immunosuppressive therapy group(ITG)according to the different treatment regimens,with 100 patients in each group.Based on general treatments,such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers,patients in the GTG were administered prednisone 0.5–0.8 mg/(kg·d^(-1))for 4–8 wk,which was reduced by 5 mg every two weeks until the maintenance(30 mg/d)dose was reached and maintained for 12 mo.In the ITG,MMF was administered at 1.0 g/d for 6–12 mo,followed by a maintenance dosage of 0.5 g/d for 12 mo.Age,sex,blood pressure,24-h urinary egg white measurement,serum creatinine(Scr),blood uric acid,blood albumin,blood potassium(K),hemoglobin,GFR,alanine aminotransferase,total cholesterol(T-CHO),fasting blood glucose,and body mass index were recorded.The 24-h urinary protein,Scr,and GFR levels were recorded 3,6,9,and 12 mo after treatment.Follow-up data were also collected.RESULTS No discernible differences existed between the two groups in terms of age,sex,blood pressure,creatinine,24-h urinary protein level,GFR,or other biochemical indicators at the time of enrollment.Both regimens significantly reduced the 24-h urinary protein quantitation and stabilized renal function.Nine months after treatment,the 24-h urinary protein and Scr of the ITG decreased more significantly than those of the GTG.By the 12th month of treatment,the 24-h urinary protein and Scr in both groups continued to decrease compared to those by the 9th month.In addition,the overall response rate in the ITG was significantly higher than that in the GTG.The occurrence of side effects did not vary significantly between the two regimens;however,endpoint events were significantly more common in the GTG than in the ITG.The follow-up time for the GTG was noticeably lower than that for the ITG.CONCLUSION Prednisone combined with MMF was effective for the treatment of IgAN with moderate-to-severe renal dysfunction.

The effect of prostaglandin E_1 on recovery of early renal graft functions after transplantation

Objective To investigate the effect of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on recovery of early renal graft functions after transplantation. Methods One hundred and seven patients after renal transplantation were allocated in the treated group, and treated by conventional treatment with injection of 10 μg prostaglandin E1 additionally twice a day for 14 days. And eighty-eight patients who received conventional treatment alone after renal transplantation at the corresponding period were allocated in the control group. Indexes of the two groups, including incidence of delayed graft function and acute rejection reaction, volume of urine, serum certaintie (SCr), endogenous certainties clearance rate (CCr), the blood flow resistance in graft as well as blood viscosity (BV), and platelet aggregation rate (PAR), were determined. Results The urinary volume and endogenous certainties clearance rate of the treated group were significantly higher, but the level of SCr, incidence of renal function recovery retardation, BV, PAR and blood flow resistance in graft were significantly lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). The difference of incidence of acute rejection reaction between the two groups was insignificant (P>0.05). Conclusion Prostaglandin E1 can improve blood microcirculation and decrease the incidence of renal function recovery retardation. These effects are helpful for recovery of renal function after renal transplantation.

Roles of biochemistry data, lifestyle, and inflammation in identifying abnormal renal function in old Chinese

BACKGROUND The incidence of chronic kidney disease(CKD)has dramatically increased in recent years,with significant impacts on patient mortality rates.Previous studies have identified multiple risk factors for CKD,but they mostly relied on the use of traditional statistical methods such as logistic regression and only focused on a few risk factors.AIM To determine factors that can be used to identify subjects with a low estimated glomerular filtration rate(L-eGFR<60 mL/min per 1.73 m^(2))in a cohort of 1236 Chinese people aged over 65.METHODS Twenty risk factors were divided into three models.Model 1 consisted of demographic and biochemistry data.Model 2 added lifestyle data to Model 1,and Model 3 added inflammatory markers to Model 2.Five machine learning methods were used:Multivariate adaptive regression splines,eXtreme Gradient Boosting,stochastic gradient boosting,Light Gradient Boosting Machine,and Categorical Features+Gradient Boosting.Evaluation criteria included accuracy,sensitivity,specificity,area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC),F-1 score,and balanced accuracy.RESULTS A trend of increasing AUC of each was observed from Model 1 to Model 3 and reached statistical significance.Model 3 selected uric acid as the most important risk factor,followed by age,hemoglobin(Hb),body mass index(BMI),sport hours,and systolic blood pressure(SBP).CONCLUSION Among all the risk factors including demographic,biochemistry,and lifestyle risk factors,along with inflammation markers,UA is the most important risk factor to identify L-eGFR,followed by age,Hb,BMI,sport hours,and SBP in a cohort of elderly Chinese people.

Status of Renal and Liver Function in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Patients of Chattogram, Bangladesh Treated with Methotrexate (MTX)

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that is usually manifested as inflammation in multiple joints and several extra-articular symptoms, involving the liver, kidney, eye, skin, blood, blood vessels, heart, lungs, nervous system, and other organs. Methotrexate (MTX) is the anchor drug that treats RA. As renal and liver abnormalities are more common during disease conditions as well as during the treatment period, we tried to find out if there is any impact of MTX in these organs during the treatment of RA patients. Once the disease complications are developed, it is quite difficult to reverse the disease, and treatment in this situation is not very effective. Consequently, patients suffer a lot. So, early evaluation of renal and liver function is essential for the treatment of RA patients and it might also help prevent different complications which are usually very frequently observed. This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 150 RA patients treated with MTX were evaluated for the study where female and male respondents were 115 and 35 respectively. In this study, we found that 82% of RA patients had creatinine levels ≤ 1.1 mg/dL although the normal range of serum creatinine is below 1.4 mg/dL. Usually, a 15% increase in Serum creatinine level from the baseline is considered renal impairment. We found 4% of such cases. Moreover, 2% of RA patients had creatinine levels above the normal range of 1.4 mg/dL and those patients were hypertensive as well. So, a total (4 + 2 = 6)% had renal impairments. Among them, 5% had diabetes mellitus. On the other hand, the ultrasonogram (USG) of RA patients with kidney disease showed signs of renal parenchymal disease and 3% of RA patients having renal problems whose serum creatinine level was within the normal range showed signs of chronic kidney disease (CKD). On the other hand, 2% of RA patients showed signs of hepatic parenchymal disease. In this study, 69% of RA patients had ALT levels ≤ 50 mg/dL, 23% had 50 - 100 mg/dL, and 5% had 101 - 150 mg/dL. The remaining 3% of RA patients had ALT levels above 150 mg/dL. All those patients with ALT levels above 100 mg/dL used Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) concomitantly. Different parameters of liver and renal function should be monitored strongly in RA patients treated with MTX and NSAIDs. MTX should not be given for a prolonged period without monitoring renal and liver function. As MTX, Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, etc., may cause renal complications, we could not concretely conclude which one is the actual causative agent.

Metabolic and Renal Protective Benefits of Magnesium Supplementation in the Long-Term Management of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Magnesium deficiency is common in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM). When adequate magnesium supplementation is chronically given, patients with type 2 DM appear to have improved glucose control and may have delayed chronic complications. In addition, magnesium supplementation may slow the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and decrease the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients with type 2 DM. Keeping serum magnesium at 2.0 mEq/L or greater appears to accomplish these benefits for patients with type 2 DM. Periodically measuring serum magnesium and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) allows a physician to adjust the supplemental magnesium dose to accomplish these therapeutic goals while avoiding hypermagnesemia.

Evolution of Proteinuria and Renal Function in Women with Pre-Eclampsia at the Gynecology Department of the Teaching Hospital of Cocody

Background: Pre-eclampsia has long been considered as a disease that disappears after the removal of the placenta. It has now been shown that its symptoms can persist for months after giving birth. Objectives: To study the evolution of proteinuria and renal function in women with pre-eclampsia. Patients and Methods: An analytical prospective study was carried out in the Hospitalization Unit of the Gynecology Department of the Teaching Hospital of Cocody (Abidjan) from May 3, 2021 to November 15, 2021. It focused on the follow-up of proteinuria and renal function in 50 women who had pre-eclampsia during their pregnancy, in the three months following their delivery. Results: The average age of the patients was 30.38 ± 6 years (range 18 and 40 years). Thirty-two percent were nulliparous and 62% had no risk factors for pre-eclampsia. The diagnosis of pre-eclampsia was made in 52% of cases before 37 weeks of amenorrhea. Sixty-two percent had Grade 3 arte-rial hypertension. The average proteinuria/creatininuria ratio was 3592.08 ± 7009.57 mg/g and 32% of women had glomerular grade proteinuria. The mean serum creatinine was 13.61 ± 12.62 mg/l. AKI (Acute Renal Failure) was present in 30% of women. All patients had received a central antihypertensive drug of which 88% were a calcium channel blocker. For the delivery mode, a Caesarean section was performed in 88% of cases. In the three months postpartum, 40% of women had persistent hypertension, 58% had persistent proteinuria and 6% had persistent impaired renal function. Prematurity (p = 0.0091), IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) (p = 0.0012) and IUFD (intrauterine fetal death) (p = 0.0012) were associated with the persistence of proteinuria at M3 postpartum. Conclusion: Symptoms of pre-eclampsia do not automatically disappear after the delivery. Proteinuria and renal failure can persist beyond three months after the delivery and require treatment by a nephrologist.

Exploring multifaceted factors in chronic kidney disease risk: A comprehensive analysis of biochemistry, lifestyle, and inflammation in elderly Chinese individuals

This letter praises a recent article in the World Journal of Clinical Cases(Roles of biochemistry data,lifestyle,and inflammation in identifying abnormal renal function in old Chinese),examining factors affecting abnormal renal function in elderly Chinese using advanced machine learning.It highlights the importance of uric acid,age,hemoglobin,body mass index,sport hours,and systolic blood pressure.The study's holistic approach,integrating lifestyle and inflammation,offers a nuanced understanding of chronic kidney disease risk factors.The letter suggests exploring mechanistic pathways of hyperuricemia,the link between anemia and renal function,and the connection between body mass index and estimated glomerular filtration rate.It advocates investigating physical activity's impact on renal health and the independent effects of blood pressure.The study significantly contributes to chronic kidney disease understanding,proposing avenues for further exploration and interventions.Commendations are extended to the authors and the journal.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Combination of Levamlodipine Besylate and Valsartan in the Treatment of Hypertension

Objective:To investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of combining levamlodipine besylate and valsartan in the treatment of hypertension.Methods:This study selected 28 patients with hypertension as observation subjects.The treatment duration ranged from January 2020 to June 2023.Using the random number table method,patients were divided into two groups.The control group received treatment with valsartan,while the observation group received a combination of valsartan and levamlodipine besylate.Therapeutic effects and safety were compared between the groups,and changes in the patient’s blood pressure and renal function index levels were assessed.Results:The total clinical effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.05).The observation group demonstrated better diastolic blood pressure,systolic blood pressure,and renal function indicators compared to the control group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion:The combined treatment of levamlodipine besylate and valsartan in patients with hypertension showed significant clinical efficacy and holds broad application value.

Serum uric acid as an index of impaired renal function in congestive heart failure

Background Hyperuricemia is frequently present in patients with heart failure. Many pathological conditions, such as tissue ischemia, renal function impairment, cardiac function impairment, metabolic syndrome, and inflammatory status, may impact uric acid （UA） metabolism. This study was to assess their potential relations to UA metabolism in heart failure. Methods We retrospectively assessed clinical charac- teristics, echocardiological, renal, metabolic and inflammatory variables selected on the basis of previous evidence of their involvement in cardiovascular diseases and UA metabolism in a large cohort of randomly selected adults with congestive heart failure （n = 553）. By clustering of indices, those variables were explored using factor analysis. Results In factor analysis, serum uric acid （SUA） formed part of a principal cluster of renal functional variables which included serum creatinine （SCr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）. Univariate correlation coefficients between variables of patients with congestive heart failure showed that the strongest correlations for SUA were with BUN （r = 0.48, P 〈 0.001） and SCr （r = 0.47, P 〈 0.001）. Conclusions There was an inverse relationship between SUA levels and measures of renal function in patients with congestive heart failure. The strong correlation between SUA and SCr and BUN levels suggests that elevated SUA concentrations reflect an impairment of renal function in heart failure.

Relationship between Renalase Expression and Kidney Disease： an Observational Study in 72 Patients Undergoing Renal Biopsy

The relationship between the levels of renalase and changes in proteinuria, hypertension, renal function, renal tubular epithelial cell apoptosis and B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2） expression was investigated in patients （chronic nephritis, primary nephrotic syndrome or other kidney disease） that underwent renal biopsy. The study group comprised 72 patients undergoing renal biopsy. Patient profiles and renal function were collected. Concentrations of renalase and Bcl-2 were measured by immunohistochemistry. Tubular injury was detected by periodic acid Schiff staining （PAS） and renal tubular epithelial cell apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL assay. The expression of renalase was significantly lower in renal biopsy specimens than in normal kidney tissues. There was a positive linear relationship between renalase and some serum and cardiac indices; a negative correlation was found between age, eGFR, Ccr and 24-h urinary protein. Renal tubule injury index and tubular epithelial cell apoptosis index showed a negative linear correlation with renalase. The results showed that renalase probably increased the expression of Bel-2. By two independent samples t-test, renalase levels were significantly increased in the non-hypertension group than in the hypertension group. One-way ANOVA showed that renalase expression was higher in samples with Lee＇s grade Ⅲ than in those with Lee＇s grade V. The expression of renalase was significantly decreased in patients who underwent renal biopsy, and was also associated with blood and renal function. The research proved that renalase may reduce renal tubular injury and apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells through the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, finally achieving the purpose of delaying the progress of renal failure.

Chronic renal dysfunction in cirrhosis:A new frontier in hepatology

Chronic kidney disease(CKD)in patients with liver cirrhosis has become a new frontier in hepatology.In recent years,a sharp increase in the diagnosis of CKD has been observed among patients with cirrhosis.The rising prevalence of risk factors,such as diabetes,hypertension and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease,appears to have contributed significantly to the high prevalence of CKD.Moreover,the diagnosis of CKD in cirrhosis is now based on a reduction in the estimated glomerular filtration rate of<60 mL/min over more than 3 mo.This definition has resulted in a better differentiation of CKD from acute kidney injury(AKI),leading to its greater recognition.It has also been noted that a significant proportion of AKI transforms into CKD in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.CKD in cirrhosis can be structural CKD due to kidney injury or functional CKD secondary to circulatory and neurohormonal imbalances.The available literature on combined cirrhosis-CKD is extremely limited,as most attempts to assess renal dysfunction in cirrhosis have so far concentrated on AKI.Due to problems related to glomerular filtration rate estimation in cirrhosis,the absence of reliable biomarkers of CKD and technical difficulties in performing renal biopsy in advanced cirrhosis,CKD in cirrhosis can present many challenges for clinicians.With combined hepatorenal dysfunctions,fluid mobilization becomes problematic,and there may be difficulties with drug tolerance,hemodialysis and decision-making regarding the need for liver vs simultaneous liver and kidney transplantation.This paper offers a thorough overview of the increasingly known CKD in patients with cirrhosis,with clinical consequences and difficulties occurring in the diagnosis and treatment of such patients.

Open Partial Nephrectomy in Solitary Kidney with Multiple Renal Cell Carcinoma: a Case Report

ENAL cell carcinoma （RCC） in a solitary kidney presents a unique clinical challenge to urological surgeons. Partial nephrectomy （PN） or nephron-sparing surgery in this condition provides good oncological and renal fuctional outcomes with an acceptable complication rate.1＇ 2 Long-term renal function remains stable in most patients with solitary kidneys after a reduction of more than 50% in renal mass.

Comparison of the oncological,perioperative and functional outcomes of partial nephrectomy versus radical nephrectomy for clinical T1b renal cell carcinoma:A systematic review and metaanalysis of retrospective studies

Objective:To conduct a meta-analysis assessing the perioperative,functional and oncological outcomes of partial nephrectomy(PN)and radical nephrectomy(RN)for T1b tumours.The primary endpoints were the oncological outcomes.The secondary endpoints were the perioperative and functional outcomes.Methods:A systematic literature review was performed by searching multiple databases through February 2019 to identify eligible comparative studies according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis statement.Identified reports were assessed according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for nonrandomized controlled trials.Results:Overall,13 retrospective cohort studies were included in the analysis.Patients undergoing PN were younger(weighted mean difference[WMD]3.49 years,95%confidence interval[CI]5.16 to1.82;p<0.0001)and had smaller masses(WMD0.45 cm,95%CI0.59 to0.31;p<0.0001).There were no differences in the oncological outcome,which was demonstrated by progression-free survival(hazard ratio[HR]0.70;pZ0.22),cancerspecific mortality(HR 0.91;pZ0.57)and all-cause mortality(HR 1.01;pZ0.96).The two procedures were similar in estimated blood loss(WMD16.47 mL;pZ0.53)and postoperative complications(risk ratio[RR]1.32;pZ0.10),and PN provided better renal function preservation and was related to a lower likelihood of chronic kidney disease onset(RR 0.38;pZ0.006).Conclusion:PN is an effective treatment for T1b tumours because it offers similar surgical morbidity,equivalent cancer control,and better renal preservation compared to RN.

Impact of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in patients with renal function impairment

AIMTo investigate the role of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in evaluating patients with renal function impairment (RFI) showing: (1) acute renal failure (ARF) of suspicious vascular origin; or (2) suspicious renal lesions.METHODSWe retrospectively evaluated patients addressed to CEUS over an eight years period to rule-out vascular causes of ARF (first group of 50 subjects) or assess previously found suspicious renal lesions (second group of 41 subjects with acute or chronic RFI). After preliminary grey-scale and color Doppler investigation, each kidney was investigated individually with CEUS, using 1.2-2.4 mL of a sulfur hexafluoride-filled microbubble contrast agent. Image analysis was performed in consensus by two readers who reviewed digital clips of CEUS. We calculated the detection rate of vascular abnormalities in the first group and performed descriptive statistics of imaging findings for the second group.RESULTSIn the first group, CEUS detected renal infarction or cortical ischemia in 18/50 patients (36%; 95%CI: 23.3-50.9) and 1/50 patients (2%; 95%CI: 0.1-12), respectively. The detection rate of infarction was significantly higher (P = 0.0002; McNemar test) compared to color Doppler ultrasonography (10%). No vascular causes of ARF were identified in the remaining 31/50 patients (62%). In the second group, CEUS detected 41 lesions on 39 patients, allowing differentiation between solid lesions (21/41; 51.2%) vs complex cysts (20/41; 48.8%), and properly addressing 15/39 patients to intervention when feasible based on clinical conditions (surgery and cryoablation in 13 and 2 cases, respectively). Cysts were categorized Bosniak II, IIF, III and IV in 8, 5, 4 and 3 cases, respectively. In the remaining two patients, CEUS found 1 pseudolesion and 1 subcapsular hematoma.CONCLUSIONCEUS showed high detection rate of renal perfusion abnormalities in patients with ARF, influencing the management of patients with acute or chronic RFI and renal masses throughout their proper characterization.