Establishing the presence or absence of chronic kidney disease:Uses and limitations of formulas estimating the glomerular filtration rate

The development of formulas estimating glomerular filtration rate(eG FR) from serum creatinine and cystatin C and accounting for certain variables affecting the production rate of these biomarkers, including ethnicity, gender and age, has led to the current scheme of diagnosing and staging chronic kidney disease(CKD),which is based on e GFR values and albuminuria.This scheme has been applied extensively in various populations and has led to the current estimates of prevalence of CKD. In addition, this scheme is applied in clinical studies evaluating the risks of CKD and the efficacy of various interventions directed towards improving its course. Disagreements between creatinine-based and cystatin-based e GFR values and between e GFR values and measured GFR have been reported in various cohorts. These disagreements are the consequence of variations in the rate of production and in factors, other than GFR, affecting the rate of removal of creatinine and cystatin C. The disagreements create limitations for all e GFR formulas developed so far. The main limitations are low sensitivity in detecting early CKD in several subjects, e.g., those with hyperfiltration, and poor prediction of the course of CKD. Research efforts in CKD are currently directed towards identification of biomarkers that are better indices of GFR than the current biomarkers and,particularly, biomarkers of early renal tissue injury.

A very high frequency index of heart rate variability for evaluation of left ventricular systolic function and prognosis in chronic heart failure patients using five-minute electrocardiogram

Objective A novel index based on fi-equency-domain analysis of heart rate variability （HRV） was tested on patients with reduced left ventricular systolic function. This index, namely VHFI, was defined as the very high frequency （VHF） component of the power spectrum normalized to represent its relative value in proportion to the total power minus the very low frequency component. Methods Patients （n = 130） were divided into a study group, consisting 66 patients with decreased left ventricular systolic function, and a control group, consisting 64 patients with normal heart structure and function and without severe coronary artery stenosis （〈 50%）. Results VHFI in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group （19.17 ± 13.35 vs 11.37 ± 10.77, P 〈 0.001）. Cardiac events occurred in 18 patients during follow-up （33.34 i 3.26 months）. Defining the positive test as VHFI =15 and negative test as VHFI 〈15, achieved a sensitivity of 57.58% and a specificity of78.13% for predicting decreased left ventricular systolic function, and achieved a sensitivity of 66.67% and a specificity of 64.29% for predicting cardiac events. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that positive VHFI test was an independent variable in predictive cardiac events. Conclusions The results suggest that VHFI is a useful tool for quick evaluation of left ventricular systolic function and prediction of prognosis

Is heart rate reduction more important than target dose in chronic heart failure therapy with a beta-blocker?

1 Introduction Beta-adrenoceptor blocking agents(beta-blockers)are now well established as cornerstone therapy in patients with systolic chronic heart failure(CHF).[1]Clinical data have overwhelmingly proven the beneficial effects of beta-blocker therapy in terms of improving patient prognosis,decreasing requirements for hospitalization,and postponing disease progression.[2-4]However,it remains unclear what the optimal efficacious and safe dose for an individual patient with CHF is,and whether this can simply be inferred from the target dose for each beta-blocking agent as used in the major clinical trials.

Value of renal parenchymal volume and thickness by non-contrast spiral CT in evaluating differential glomerular filtration rate for chronic obstructed kidneys

Objective To evaluate the value of renal parenchymal volume and thickness by non-contrast spiral CT in evaluating the differential glomerular filtration rate ( GFR) for chronic obstructed kidneys,and to compare the correlations between two morphologic indices of renal parenchyma and GFR for chronic obstructed kidneys.

Plasma hemoglobin concentration was related to estimated glomerular filtration rate in elderly patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy

Objectives To study the relationship between plasma hemoglobin concentration and estimated glomerular filtration rate （eGFR） in elderly patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy （ICM）.Methods Clinical data of patients with coronary heart disease who were discharged from The First Affiliated Hospital,Chongqing Medical University between 2005 and 2007 were analyzed retrospectively. Echocardiography results,plasma hemoglobin and creatinine concentration were abstracted from the medical records.The study included 235 Chinese Hart patients with age 60 years and older with angiography confirmed coronary heart disease,silent myocardial ischemia or angina pectoris,of whom 154 had ICM defined as left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVDd）,male≥56 mm,female≥51 mm （63. 51±7.70 mm） measured by M-mode echocardiography.The differences in plasma hemoglobin concentration were analyzed retrospec- tively between patients with and without ICM,and between patients with an eGFR【60 ml·min-1·1.73m-2 and those with an eGFR≥60 ml·min-1·1.73m-2.Results There were no significant differences in plasma hemoglobin concentration and eGFR between ICM and non-ICM group (118.49±20.52 g·L-1 vs.115.80±23.32 g·L-1 and 75.13±24.21 ml·min-1·1.73m-2 vs.79.09±28.41 ml·min- 1·1.73m-2,respectively,both P】0.05).However,in both ICM and non-ICM groups,plasma hemoglobin concentration was lower in those with an eGFR【60 ml·min-1·1.73m-2 compared with compared with those with an eGFR≥60 ml·min-1·1.73m-2 group (112. 29±18.61 g·L-1 vs.119.92±20.74L-1,P【0.05);plasma hemoglobin concentration was related positively to eGFR.Conclusions There were no significant changes in plasma hemoglobin concentration and eGFR;however,plasma hemoglobin concentration was related to eGFR significantly positively in elderly patients with ICM due to coronary heart

Difference between CKD-EPI and MDRD equations in calculating glomerular filtration rate in patients with cirrhosis

AIM:To evaluate the difference between the performance of the (CKD-EPI) and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equations in cirrhotic patients. METHODS: From Jan 2004 to Oct 2008, 4127 cirrhotic patients were reviewed. Patients with incomplete data with respect to renal function were excluded; thus, a total of 3791 patients were included in the study. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated by the 4-variable MDRD (MDRD-4), 6-variable MDRD (MDRD-6), and CKD-EPI equations.RESULTS:When serum creatinine was 0.7-6.8 mg/dL and 0.6-5.3 mg/dL in men and women, respectively, a significantly lower GFR was estimated by the MDRD-6 than by the CKD-EPI. Similar GFRs were calculated by both equations when creatinine was > 6.9 mg/dL and > 5.4 mg/dL in men and women, respectively. In predicting in-hospital mortality, estimated GFR obtained by the MDRD-6 showed better accuracy [81.72%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.94-0.95] than that obtained by the MDRD-4 (80.22%; 95%CI, 0.96-0.97), CKD-EPI (79.93%; 95%CI, 0.96-0.96), and creatinine (77.50%; 95%CI, 2.27-2.63). CONCLUSION: GFR calculated by the 6-variable MDRD equation may be closer to the true GFR than that calculated by the CKD-EPI equation.

Effect of ivabradine in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with heart failure

Objective: To observe the effectiveness and safety of ivabradine in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and heart failure. Methods:Patients who were admitted to hospital with AECOPD during the period from August 2017 to July 2018. Then those both had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction(HFrEF) and a resting heart rate>70 beats/min were enrolled. A total of 86 cases were screened and completed, which were randomly divided into two groups for treatment. The control group(41 cases) received standard treatments, such as oxygen, anti-infection, anti-spasmodic, hormone, diuretic, ACEI/ARB, recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide (rhBNP), etc. The bisoprolol was given 2.5~5 mg orally once a day to control heart rate, and the test group(45 cases) was further treated with ivabradine 2.5~5 mg orally twice a day on the basis of the control group. The average heart rate, cardiac function, lung function, and 6-minute walking test were compared between the two groups. Results: After treatment, the average heart rate of the test group was lower than the control group, and the heart rate control rate(<70 beats/min%) of the test group was superior to the control group. The level of N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) in test group was significantly lower than that in control group. The distance of the 6-minute walking test in e test group was significantly longer than that in control group. Conclusion: Ivabradine combined with bisoprolol could help patients with AECOPD and heart failure to further reduce the heart rates, improve heart function and exercise tolerance. Moreover, the therapeutic safety was acceptable during the short term.

Impact of creatinine methodology on glomerular filtration rate estimation in diabetes

AIM To evaluate the influence of creatinine methodology on the performance of chronic kidney disease(CKD)-Epidemiology Collaboration Group-calculated estimated glomerular filtration rate(CKD-EPI-eGFR) for CKD diagnosis/staging in a large cohort of diabetic patients. METHODS Fasting blood samples were taken from diabetic patients attending our clinic for their regular annual examination, including laboratory measurement of serum creatinine and eGFR.RESULTS Our results indicated an overall excellent agreement in CKD staging(kappa = 0.918) between the Jaffé serum creatinine-and enzymatic serum creatinine-based CKDEPI-eGFR, with 9% of discordant cases. As compared to the enzymatic creatinine, the majority of discordances(8%) were positive, i.e., associated with the more advanced CKD stage re-classification, whereas only 1% of cases were negatively discordant if Jaffé creatinine was used for eGFR calculation. A minor proportion of the discordant cases(3.5%) were re-classified into clinically relevant CKD stage indicating mildly to moderately decreased kidney function(< 60 m L/min per 1.73 m^2). Significant acute and chronic hyperglycaemia, assessedas plasma glucose and Hb A1 c levels far above the recommended glycaemic goals, was associated with positively discordant cases. Due to a very low frequency, positive discordance is not likely to present a great burden for the health-care providers, while intensified medical care may actually be beneficial for the small number of discordant patients. On the other hand, a very low proportion of negatively discordant cases(1%) at the 60 m L/min per 1.73 m^2 eGFR level indicate a negligible possibility to miss the CKD diagnosis, which could be the most prominent clinical problem affecting patient care, considering high risk of CKD for adverse patient outcomes. CONCLUSION This study indicate that compensated Jaffé creatinine procedure, in spite of the glucose-dependent bias, is not inferior to enzymatic creatinine in CKD diagnosis/staging and therefore may provide a reliable and cost-effective tool for the renal function assessment in diabetic patients.

Inflammatory status in chronic renal failure: The role of homocysteinemia and pro-inflammatory cytokines

AIM： To evaluate determinants of infammatory mark-ers in chronic renal failure patients according to the level of glomerular fltration rate. METHODS： One hundred ffty four patients （Age： 44 ± 06 years; male/female： 66/88） with chronic renal fail-ure （CRF） were divided into 6 groups according to the National Kidney Foundation （NKF） classification. They included 28 primary stage renal failure patients （CRF 1）, 28 moderate stage renal failure patients （CRF 2）,28 severe stage renal failure patients （CRF 3）, 18 end-stage renal failure patients （CRF 4）, 40 hemodialysis （HD） patients, and 12 peritoneal dialysis （PD） patients. Tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）, interleukin-1β （IL-1β）, interleukin-6 （IL-6） and C-reactive protein （CRP） were analyzed by immunosorbent assay kit （ELISA） （Cayman Chemical’s ACETM EIA kit）. Immunoassay methods were used for total homocysteine （tHcy） （fuorescence polarization immunoanalysis HPLC, PerkinEmer 200 series）, transferrin （MININEPHTM human transferin kit： ZK070.R）, ferritin （ADVIA Centaur ） and fbrinogen analysis （ACL 200）. Differences between groups were performed using SPSS 20.0 and data are expressed as the mean ± SD.RESULTS： Results showed that in comparison with CRF 1 group and other groups, TNF-α and IL-6 levels were respectively more elevated in HD （16.38 ± 5.52 pg/mL vs 0.39 ± 0.03 pg/mL, 11.05 ± 3.59 pg/mL vs 8.20 ± 0.22 pg/mL, P 〈 0.001） and PD （14.04 ± 3.40 pg/mL vs 0.39 ± 0.03 pg/mL, 10.15 ± 1.66 pg/mL vs 8.20 ± 0.22 pg/mL, P 〈 0.001）. IL-1β levels were increased in HD （9.63 ± 3.50 pg/mL vs 3.24 ± 0.10 pg/mL, P 〈 0.001） and CRF 4 （7.76 ± 0.66 pg/mL vs 3.24 ± 0.10 pg/mL, P 〈 0.001） patients than in CRF 1 and in the other groups. Plasma tHcy levels were higher in HD （32.27 ± 12.08 μmol/L） and PD （28.37 ± 4.98 μmol/L） patients compared to the other groups of CRF （P 〈 0.001）. The serum CRP level was signifcantly increased in HD （18.17 ± 6.38 mg/L） and PD （17.97 ± 4.85 mg/L） patients compared to the other groups of CRF patients （P 〈 0.001）. The plasma fbrinogen level was more elevated in HD （6.86 ± 1.06 g/L） and CRF 4 （6.05 ± 0.57 g/L） than in the other groups （ P 〈 0.001）. Furthermore; the ferritin level was higher in HD （169.90 ± 62.16 ng/mL） and PD （90.08 ± 22.09 ng/mL） pa-tients compared to the other groups of CRF （P 〈 0.001）. The serum transferrin value was signifcantly decreased especially in PD （1.78 ± 0.21 g/L） compared to the oth-er groups （P 〈 0.001）. We found a negative correlation between glomerular fltration rate （GFR）, TNF-α levels （ r = -0.75, P 〈 0.001）, and tHcy levels （ r = -0.68, P 〈 0.001）. We observed a positive correlation between GFR and transferrin levels （ r = 0.60, P 〈 0.001）. CONCLUSION： CRF was associated with elevated in-flammatory markers. The inflammation was observed at the severe stage of CRF and increases with progres-sion of renal failure.

Relative performance of two equations for estimation of glomerular filtration rate in a Chinese population having chronic kidney disease

Background The new Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration （CKD-EPI） equation was developed to address the systematic underestimation of glomerular filtration rate （GFR） by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease （MDRD） Study equation in patients with relatively well-preserved kidney function.Performance of the new equation in the Chinese population is unknown.The goal of the present study was to compare performance of these two equations in Chinese patients with chronic kidney disease （CKD）.Methods We enrolled 450 Chinese patients （239 women and 211 men） with CKD in the present study.The renal dynamic imaging method was used to measure the referenced standard GFR （rGFR） for comparison with estimations using the two equations.Their overall performance was assessed with the Bland-Altman method and receiver-operating characteristics （ROC） analysis.Performance of the two equations in lower and higher estimated GFR （eGFR） subgroups was further investigated.Results Both eGFRs correlated well with rGFR （r=0.88,0.81,P〈0.05）.In overall performance,the CKD-EPI equation showed less bias,higher precision and improved accuracy,and was better for detecting CKD.In the higher-eGFR subgroup,the CKD-EPI equation corrected the underestimation of GFR by the abbreviated MDRD equation.Conclusions The CKD-EPI equation outperformed the abbreviated MDRD equation not only in overall performance but also in the subgroups studied.For the present,the CKD-EPI equation appears to be the first-choice prediction equation for estimating GFR.

Telbivudine vs tenofovir in hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B patients: OPTIMA roadmap study

AIMTo make efficacy and safety comparison of telbivudine-raodmap and tenofovir-roadmap in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. METHODSThis was the first prospective, randomised, two-arm, open-label, non-inferiority study in HBeAg-negative CHB patients that compared telbivudine and tenofovir administered as per roadmap concept. Patients were treated up to 24 wk and, depending on virologic response, continued the same therapy or received add-on therapy up to 104 wk. Eligible patients received an additional 52 wk of treatment in the extension period (i.e., up to 156 wk). Patients who developed virologic breakthrough (VB) while on monotherapy also received add-on therapy. The primary efficacy endpoint was the rate of patients achieving hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA RESULTSA total of 241 patients were randomised. Non-inferiority of telbivudine arm to tenofovir arm was demonstrated at week 52 (&plusmn; 7 d window), with over 91% of patients in each treatment arm achieving HBV DNA level CONCLUSIONEfficacy was shown for both telbivudine-roadmap and tenofovir-roadmap regimens in HBeAg-negative CHB patients over 156 wk. Telbivudine arm was associated with renal improvement.

Analysis of chronic kidney disease staging with different estimated glomerular filtration rate equations in Chinese centenarians

Background: Accurate estimation of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and staging of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are important. Currently, there is no research on the differences in several estimated GFR equations for staging CKD in a large sample of centenarians. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the differences in CKD staging with the most commonly used equations and to analyze sources of discrepancy. Methods: A total of 966 centenarians were enrolled in this study from June 2014 to December 2016 in Hainan province, China. The GFR with the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) and Berlin Initiative Study 1 (BIS1) equations were estimated. Agreement between these equations was investigated with the k statistic and Bland-Altman plots. Sources of discrepancy were investigated by partial correlation analysis. Results: The k values of the MDRD and CKD-EPI equations, MDRD and BIS1 equations, and CKD-EPI and BIS1 equations were 0.610, 0.253, and 0.381, respectively. Serum creatinine (Scr) explained 10.96%, 41.60% and 17.06% of the variability in these three comparisons, respectively. Serum uric acid (SUA) explained 3.65% and 5.43% of the variability in the first 2 comparisons, respectively. Gender was associated with significant differences in these 3 comparisons (P<0.001). Conclusions: The strengths of agreement between the MDRD and CKD-EPI equations were substantial, but those between the MDRD and BIS 1 equations and the CKD-EPI and BIS 1 equations were fair. The difference in CKD staging of the first 2 comparisons strongly depended on Scr, SUA and gender, and that of CKD-EPI and BIS1 equations strongly depended on Scr and gender. The incidence at various stages of CKD staging was quite different. Thus, a new equation that is more suitable for the elderly needs to be built in the future.

Risk factors and urinary biomarkers of non-albuminuric and albuminuric chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND A number of recent studies indicate a transformation in the natural course of chronic kidney disease(CKD)in type 2 diabetes(T2D)patients:an increasing prevalence of declined renal function without proceeding to the accompanying elevation of albuminuria.It has been suggested that albuminuric and nonalbuminuric CKD patterns could be different in their phenotypes and pathogenic mechanisms.AIM To identify the risk factors and biomarkers of albuminuric and non-albuminuric patterns of CKD in patients with T2D.METHODS Three hundred sixty patients with T2D duration≥10 years were included in this observational cross-sectional study.The associations of a panel of demographic and clinical characteristics,complications,comorbidities,and metabolic and hematology parameters with albuminuric and non-albuminuric CKD patterns were analyzed.The urinary excretion of nephrin and podocin,two podocytespecific markers,and WAP-four-disulfide core domain protein 2(WFDC-2),a marker of tubulointerstitial fibrosis,was determined by ELISA in comparison with healthy controls.RESULTS Non-albuminuric CKD was associated with age≥65 years(P=0.0001),female sex(P=0.04),diabetes duration≥15 years(P=0.0009),and the use of diuretics(P=0.0005).Male sex(P=0.01),smoking(P=0.01),waist-to-hip ratio>1.0(P=0.01)and hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c)>8.0%(P=0.005)were risk factors for elevated albuminuria not accompanied by a decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR).Duration of diabetes≥15 years and the use of calcium channel blockers were risk factors for albuminuria with decreased eGFR(both P=0.01).In multivariate logistic regression analysis,age,HbA1c,female sex and diuretics were significant predictors for reduced eGFR,while waist-to-hip ratio,HbA1c and male sex were associated with elevated urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio(UACR).Excretion of nephrin and podocin was increased in patients with albuminuria,regardless of decline in renal function(P<0.001),correlating positively with UACR.The urinary excretion of WFDC-2 was markedly higher in men than in women(P<0.000001).Men with T2D demonstrated increased WFDC-2 levels independently of the CKD pattern(all P<0.05).In T2D women,WFDC-2 excretion was increased in those with reduced renal function(P≤0.01),correlating negatively with eGFR.CONCLUSION The data provide further evidence that albuminuric and non-albuminuric CKD phenotypes correspond to different pathways of diabetic kidney disease progression.

Impact of chronic kidney disease on mortality in older adults treated with pacemaker implantation

Objective To investigate whether chronic kidney disease could negatively impact survival in older adults needing pacemaker implantation after admission for bradyarrhythmias. Methods This retrospective observational study considered 538 older adults consecutively admitted, who had been followed-up for 31 ± 20 months. Subjects with poor short-term prognosis were excluded. Charlson comorbidity index （CCI） and estimated glomerular filtration rate （eGFR） was calculated, along with the independent relationship between all-cause mortality and clinical data. Hazard Ratio （HR） was calculated by Cox regression analysis. Results Mean age of the population was 85 ± 3.7 years, and causes for implantation were atrioventricular block in 51.9% and other bradyarrhythmias in 48.1% of cases. Mean eGFR was 58.3 ± 24 mL/min per 1.73 m2, and mean CCI was 3.65 ± 2.28. Death for all-causes was recorded in 213 subjects. Deceased patients were older, had lower eGFR, higher comorbidity, higher prevalence of myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, dementia and chronic pulmonary disease. Age （HR： 1.081, 95% CI： 1.044-1.119; P 〈 001）, CCI （HR： 1.651, 95% CI： 1.286-2.121, P 〈 001） and eGFR 〈 45 mL/min per 1.73 m2 （HR： 1.360, 95% CI： 1.024-1.806; P = 0.033） were predictors of death. Conclusions Renal dysftmction, as well as comorbidity, impacts negatively survival of older adults treated with pacemaker implantation because of bradyarrhythmias.

Chronic kidney disease prediction is an inexact science: The concept of “progressors” and “nonprogressors”

In 2002,the National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative(NKF KDOQI)instituted new guidelines that established a novel chronic kidney disease(CKD)staging paradigm.This set of guidelines,since updated,is now very widely accepted around the world.Nevertheless,the authoritative United States Preventative Task Force had in August 2012acknowledged that we know surprisingly little about whether screening adults with no signs or symptoms of CKD improve health outcomes and that we deserve better information on CKD.More recently,the American Society of Nephrology and the American College of Physicians,two very well respected United States professional physician organizations were strongly at odds coming out with exactly opposite recommendations regarding the need or otherwise for"CKD screening"among the asymptomatic population.In this review,we revisit the various angles and perspectives of these conflicting arguments,raise unanswered questionsregarding the validity and veracity of the NKF KDOQI CKD staging model,and raise even more questions about the soundness of its evidence-base.We show clinical evidence,from a Mayo Clinic Health System Renal Unit in Northwestern Wisconsin,United States,of the pitfalls of the current CKD staging model,show the inexactitude and unpredictable vagaries of current CKD prediction models and call for a more cautious and guarded application of CKD staging paradigms in clinical practice.The impacts of acute kidney injury on CKD initiation and CKD propagation and progression,the effects of such phenomenon as the syndrome of late onset renal failure from angiotensin blockade and the syndrome of rapid onset end stage renal disease on CKD initiation,CKD propagation and CKD progression to end stage renal disease all demand further study and analysis.Yet more research on CKD staging,CKD prognostication and CKD predictions are warranted.Finally and most importantly,cognizant of the very serious limitations and drawbacks of the NKF K/DOQI CKD staging model,the need to individualize CKD care,both in terms of patient care and prognostication,cannot be overemphasized.

Epidemiology of Renal Failure in Children at the Pediatric University Hospital Charles De-Gaulle of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Objective: Renal failure (RF) is a serious condition that is still insufficiently evaluated in our context. We wanted to know its epidemiology at the Pediatrics University Hospital Center Charles De-Gaulle (PUHC-CDG) of Ouagadougou. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively studied all children aged from three to fifteen years old who were diagnosed with renal failure (RF) in the Department of Medical Pediatrics, from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013. RF was defined by a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) less than 80 mL/min/1.73m2, estimated by the formula of Pottel et al., which ignored the size that was rarely found in the medical records. The department constantly lacked pediatric blood pressure monitors or urinary strips. Results: In total, 119 cases of RF (3.3% of all admissions) were collected. They were about acute RFs (ARFs), chronic RFs (CRFs), and Unclassified RFs (URFs), respectively in 28.6%, 2.5% and 68.9% of cases. The overall average age of patients was 6.7 ± 3.4 years old. The average GFR was 35.2 ± 22.2 mL/min/1.73m2. The mechanism of ARF was presumed to be organic in 26 cases (76.5%). The most common presumed etiology was malaria (47.9%). Twelve patients (10.1%) died. Conclusion: RF was common at the PUHC-CDG but it was unclassified in over half of the cases. The diagnosis was based on the estimation of the GFR by Pottel et al.’s formula which was a good alternative to the Schwartz’s formula. The improvement of human and material resources would certainly help for a screening and characterization of RF at the PUHC-CDG.

Chronic kidney disease as a predictor of clinical risk in the elderly

Facing the needs of an increasingly ageing population is rapidly becoming a major public health issue in western countries, Chronic kidney disease （CKD）, whose current prevalence is estimated around 10%-15% in the general population, with considerably higher figures in at-risk groups, is widely known to increase with age. In the elderly, renal impairment is often concomitant or secondary to several other systemic disorders such as hypertension, atherosclerosis,

Risk estimation of chronic kidney disease in a leptospirosis endemic area: A case-control study from south Andaman Islands of India

Objective:To estimate the risk of chronic kidney disease in patients with leptospirosis.Methods:All reported(41890)and later confirmed leptospirosis(1990)cases from 2010-2020 were traced by universal sampling.386 Laboratory-confirmed leptospirosis cases were enrolled and 413 age,gender,area,and occupation matched healthy persons were included as controls.Variables including socio-demographic characteristics,medical history,and health-related behaviours were compared between the two groups and association between these variables and reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)was analyzed with multiple linear regression.Results:The median of eGFR was 49.0(27.0,75.0)mL/min/1.73 m^(2) in the cases and 96.0(72.0,121.0)mL/min/1.73 m^(2) in the controls,showing significant differences(P<0.001).Bivariate analysis showed that leptospirosis seropositivitiy,repeat leptospirosis infection,diabetes,male gender,working in field(sun exposure),COVID-19 infection and smoking had statistically significant association with reduced eGFR.Leptospirosis seropositivity had negative effects on eGFR.Multiple linear regression confirmed that leptospirosis seropositivity had negative effects on eGFR(unstandardised β coefficients=−30.86,95%CI−49.7 to−11.9,P<0.001).Conclusions:Chronic kidney disease is a complex disease with multiple risk factors involved.Exposure to leptospirosis is one of the essential factors in accelerating its progression.

Underestimation of chronic renal dysfunction after liver transplantation: ICEBERG study

AIM: To compare prevalence of chronic renal dysfunction(CRD) according to serum creatinine(sCr) vs estimated glomerular filtration rate(e GFR) among maintenance liver transplant patients.METHODS: The ICEBERG study was an observational, retrospective, cross-sectional, and multicenter study. Consecutive adult patients(aged 18 years or older) with liver transplantation(LT) performed at least two years previously were recruited. Multi-organ transplant recipients were excluded. Chronic renal dysfunction was defined according to sCr based criteria in routine clinical practice(≥ 2 mg/d L) and eGFR using MDRD-4 equation(< 60 m L/min per 1.73 m2). Agreement between sCr definition and e GFR assessment was evaluated using the Kappa index. Cox regression analysis was applied to identify predictive factors for developing CRD after LT.RESULTS: A total of 402 patients were analyzed(71.6% males). Mean ± SD age at transplant was 52.4 ± 9.8 years. Alcoholic cirrhosis without hepatocellular carcinoma was the most common reason for LT(32.8%). Mean time since LT was 6.9 ± 3.9 years. Based on sCr assessment, 35.3% of patients(95%CI: 30.6-40.0) had CRD; 50.2%(95%CI: 45.3-55.1) according to e GFR. In 32.2% of cases, sCr assessment had underestimated CRD. Multivariate analysis showed the following factors associated with developing CRD: eGFR < 60 m L/min per 1.73 m2 at three months post-transplant [hazard ratio(HR) = 4.76; 95%CI: 2.78-8.33; P < 0.0001]; calcineurin inhibitor use(HR = 2.31; 95%CI: 1.05-5.07; P = 0.0371); male gender(HR = 1.98; 95%CI: 1.09-3.60; P = 0.0260); and ≥ 10 years post-transplantation(HR = 1.95; 95%CI: 1.08-3.54; P = 0.0279).CONCLUSION: Seven years after LT, CRD affected half our patients, which was underestimated by s Cr. An e GFR < 60 m L/min per 1.73 m2 three months post-LT was predictive of subsequent CRD.

Efficacy and Safety of Diflstat for the Treatment of Secondary Dyslipidemia in Chronic Kidney Disease

1104 patients with Secondary Dyslipidemia and CKD （Chronic Kidney Disease） （females： 387; males： 717; aged： 70 4- 11 years） were given Diflstat with diet to evaluate efficacy and safety. The study lasted two years. Patients were assigned to three groups （A, B, C） based upon basal renal function. Group A consisted of 180 patients with GFR （glomerular filtration rate） of 67 4- 16 mL/min/m2. TC （Total-Cholesterol） （-31%）, LDLC （LDL-Cholesterol） （-42%）, TG （triglycerides） （-36.8%） levels, and nonHDLC （non HDLC holesterol） （-41%） and TC/HDLC ratio （-40%） were significantly reduced （P 〈 0.001）. GFR （＋2.5%） increased significantly. No significant changes were observed in HDLC （＋13%）. Group B was of 744 patients, 69% （males： 514）, 31% （females： 230） （median age： 70 ± 13 years）, and moderate stage Ill CKD （GFR： 38 ± 12 mL/min/l.73m2）. After 24 months the change of HDLC （＋3.5%） was not significant, while TC （-27%）, TG （-32%）, LDLC （-33%）, non-HDLC （33.4%）, TC/HDLC （-30%）, and GFR （＋2.1%） were statistically significant （P 〈 0.001）. Group C consisted of 180 patients, 51.6% （males： 93）, 48.3% （females： 87） （median age： 72±11 years）, with severe stage IV CKD （GFR： 19 mL/min/l.73m2）. HDLC （＋13%） was not significant, while TC （-32%）, TG （-38%）, LDLC （-35%）, non-HDLC （-38.5%）, TC/HDLC （-40%）, and GFR （＋2.1%） were statistically significant （P 〈 0.001）. An effective but safe lipid-lowering therapy in patients with CKD, may be crucial to prevent cardiovascular events. The treatment with Dill stat~ combined with diet is to be started as soon as possible in patients with CKD in order of improving lipid and lipoprotein profile, and reducing the progression of renal damage.