Interplay between metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and renal function: An intriguing pediatric perspective

Over recent years,the nomenclature of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has undergone significant changes.Indeed,in 2020,an expert consensus panel proposed the term“Metabolic(dysfunction)associated fatty liver disease”(MAFLD)to underscore the close association of fatty liver with metabolic abnormalities,thereby highlighting the cardiometabolic risks(such as metabolic syndrome,type 2 diabetes,insulin resistance,and cardiovascular disease)faced by these patients since childhood.More recently,this term has been further replaced with metabolic associated steatotic liver disease.It is worth noting that emerging evidence not only supports a close and independent association of MAFLD with chronic kidney disease in adults but also indicates its interplay with metabolic impairments.However,comparable pediatric data remain limited.Given the progressive and chronic nature of both diseases and their prognostic cardiometabolic implications,this editorial aims to provide a pediatric perspective on the intriguing relationship between MAFLD and renal function in childhood.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Renal function and physical fitness after 12-mo supervised training in kidney transplant recipients

AIM To evaluate the effect of a 12-mo supervised aerobic and resistance training, on renal function and exercise capacity compared to usual care recommendations.METHODS Ninety-nine kidney transplant recipients(KTRs) were assigned to interventional exercise(Group A; n = 52) and a usual care cohort(Group B; n = 47). Blood and urine chemistry, exercise capacity, muscular strength, anthropometric measures and health-related quality of life(HRQo L) were assessed at baseline, and after 6 and 12 mo. Group A underwent a supervised training three times per week for 12 mo. Group B received only general recommendations about home-based physical activities.RESULTS Eighty-five KTRs completed the study(Group A, n = 44; Group B, n = 41). After 12 mo, renal function remained stable in both groups. Group A significantly increased maximum workload(+13 W, P = 0.0003), V'O2 peak(+3.1 mL/kg per minute, P = 0.0099), muscular strength in plantar flexor(+12 kg, P = 0.0368), height in the countermovement jump(+1.9 cm, P = 0.0293) and decreased in Body Mass Index(-0.5 kg/m^2, P = 0.0013). HRQo L significantly improved in physical function(P = 0.0019), physical-role limitations(P = 0.0321) and social functioning scales(P = 0.0346). Noimprovements were found in Group B.CONCLUSION Twelve-month of supervised aerobic and resistance training improves the physiological variables related to physical fitness and cardiovascular risks without consequences on renal function. Recommendations alone are not sufficient to induce changes in exercise capacity of KTRs. Our study is an example of collaborative working between transplant centres, sports medicine and exercise facilities.

Residual renal function in peritoneal dialysis with failed allograft and minimum immunosuppression

Immunosuppression(IS) is often withdrawn in patients with end stage renal disease secondary to a failed renal allograft, and this can lead to an accelerated loss of residual renal function(RRF). As maintenance of RRF appears to provide a survival benefit to peritoneal dialysis(PD) patients, it is not clear whether this benefit of maintaining RRF in failed allograft patients returning to PD outweigh the risks of maintaining IS. A 49 year-old Caucasian male developed progressive allograft failure nine years after living-donor renal transplantation. Hemodialysis was initiated via tunneled dialysis catheter(TDC) and IS was gradually withdrawn. Two weeksafter IS withdrawal he developed a febrile illness, which necessitate removal of the TDC and conversion to PD. He was maintained on small dose of tacrolimus(1 mg/d) and prednisone(5 mg/d). Currently(1 year later) he is doing exceedingly well on cycler-assisted PD. Residual urine output ranges between 600-1200 m L/d. Total weekly Kt/V achieved 1.82. RRF remained well preserved in this patient with failed renal allograft with minimal immunosuppressive therapy. This strategy will need further study in well-defined cohorts of PD patients with failed allografts and residual RRF to determine efficacy and safety.

Effect of controlled low central venous pressure on renal function in major liver resection

Objective： To investigate the effects of low central venous pressure （LVCP） on blood loss and evaluate its influence on renal function in patients undergoing hepatectomy. Methods： Forty-six patients, ASA classification Ⅰ-Ⅲ, undergoing liver resection were randomized into LCVP group （n = 23） and control group （n = 23）. In LCVP group, CVP was maintained at 2-4 mmHg and MBP above 60 mmHg during hepatectomy, while in control group hepatectomy was performed routinely without lowering CVP. Volume of blood loss during hepatectomy, volume of blood transfusion, and changes of renal functions were compared between the two groups. Results： There were no significant differences in demographics, ASA score, type of hepatectomy, duration of inflow occlusion, operation time, weight of resected liver tissues, and renal functions between the two groups. LCVP group had a significantly lower volume of total intraoperative blood loss （P 〈 0.01） and RBC transfusion （P 〈 0.05）. Conclusion： Lowering the CVP to less than 5 mmHg is a simple and effective technique to reduce blood loss and blood infusion during liver resection, and has no detrimental effects on renal functions.

Major influence of renal function on hyperlipidemia after living donor liver transplantation

AIM:To investigate the impact of renal and graft function on post-transplant hyperlipidemia(PTHL) in living donor liver transplantation(LDLT).METHODS:A total of 115 adult patients undergoing LDLT from January 2007 to May 2009 at a single center were enrolled.Data were collected and analyzed by the China Liver Transplant Registry retrospectively.PTHL was defined as serum triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dL or serum cholesterol ≥ 200 mg/dL or the need for pharmacologic treatment at the sixth month after LDLT.Early renal dysfunction(ERD) was defined as serum creatinine ≥ 2 mg/dL and/or the need for renal replacement therapy in the first post-transplant week.RESULTS:In 115 eligible patients,the incidence of PTHL was 24.3%.Recipients with PTHL showed a higher incidence of post-transplant cardiovascular events compared to those without PTHL(17.9% vs 4.6%,P = 0.037).Serum creatinine showed significant positive correlations with total serum triglycerides,both at posttransplant month 1 and 3(P < 0.01).Patients with ERD had much higher pre-transplant serum creatinine levels(P < 0.001) and longer duration of pre-transplant renal insufficiency(P < 0.001) than those without ERD.Pretransplant serum creatinine,graft-to-recipient weight ratio,graft volume/standard liver volume ratio,body mass index(BMI) and ERD were identified as risk factors for PTHL by univariate analysis.Furthermore,ERD [odds ratio(OR) = 9.593,P < 0.001] and BMI(OR = 6.358,P = 0.002) were identified as independent risk factors for PTHL by multivariate analysis.CONCLUSION:Renal function is closely associated with the development of PTHL in LDLT.Post-transplant renal dysfunction,which mainly results from pre-transplant renal insufficiency,contributes to PTHL.

Ligliptin for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus with early renal injury: Efficacy and impact on endogenous hydrogen sulfide and endothelial function

BACKGROUND Diabetes is a clinically common chronic disease,and its incidence has been increasing in recent years.Diabetes is believed to accelerate the process of atherosclerosis in patients,and abnormal endothelial function is an important factor leading to diabetic kidney damage.AIM To investigate the efficacy of ligliptin in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)with early renal injury and its effect on serum endogenous hydrogen sulfide(H2S),endothelial cell particles,and endothelial function.METHODS From January 2018 to April 2019,110 patients with T2DM and early kidney injury treated at our hospital were divided into an observation group(receiving ligliptin treatment,n=54)and a control group(receiving gliquidone therapy,n=56).Blood glucose and renal function before and after treatment were compared between the two groups.RESULTS The differences in fasting blood glucose,2 h blood glucose,and glycated hemoglobin were not statistically significant between the two groups after treatment.The urinary albumin excretion rate after treatment in the ligliptin group was 70.32±11.21μg/min,which was significantly lower than that of the gliquidone group(P=0.000).Serum endogenous H2S and endothelial cell microparticles of the ligliptin treatment group were 40.04±8.82 mol/L and 133.40±34.39,respectively,which were significantly lower than those of the gliquidone treatment group(P=0.000 for both);endothelin-dependent diastolic function and nitric oxide after treatment in the ligliptin group were 7.98%±1.22%and 190.78±30.32 mol/L,significantly higher than those of the gliquidone treatment group(P=0.000 for both).CONCLUSION Ligliptin treatment of T2DM with early renal injury has the same glucoselowering effect as gliquidone treatment.Ligliptin treatment has a better effect and it can significantly improve the renal function and vascular endothelial function of patients,and reduce serum endogenous H2S and endothelial cell particle levels.

Anti-BCMA CAR-T Cell Therapy in Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma Patients with Impaired Renal Function

Anti-B cell maturation antigen(BCMA)chimeric antigen receptor(CAR)T-cell therapyis effective and well-tolerated for refractory or relapsed multiple myeloma(RRMM).The purposcof the present study was to analyze efficacy in RRMM patients with renal impairment treated byanti-BCMA CAR-T cell therapy.A total of 59 RRMM patients were selected,and divided intoimpaired renal function(lRF)group[basclinc cstimated giomerular filtration rate(eSFR)<90 m/min/1.73 m^2(n=18)]and normal renal function(NRF)group(baseline eGFR≥90 mL/min/1.73 m,n=41).For patients with IRF,eGFR at the 6th month post-CAR-T cells infusion was significantlyhigher than the baseline(P<0.05).The multivariate analysis showed that light chain type and beta-2 micro-globulin(bcta-2M)were associated factors with the decrease of serum creatinine.Medianprogression-free survival(PFS)in the NRF group and IRF group was 266 days and 181 daysrespectively.Overall survival(OS)in the NRF group and lRF group was 877 days and 238 daysrespectively.There was no significant difference in the objective response rate(ORR)between thelRF group and the NRF group.It is suggested that CAR-T cells therapy could improve the renalfunction during the treatment of RRMM.The renal function could be more significantly improvedin RRMM patients with light chain type than with other types.

Renal Function in Preeclamptics versus Normal Pregnant Women

Background: Pregnancy is implicated in notable physiological changes and the extraordinary kidney physiology during pregnancy is believed to have an effect on kidney functions. However, during pregnancy the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) increases its work rate up to 50%, on the contrary, in preeclampsia the GFR turns back to decline. Objectives: This study aims to measure and compare kidney function between preeclamptic and normal pregnant women. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted in the period from March to May 2021 in Wad Medani Obstetrics and Gynecology Teaching Hospital. A total of 100 pregnant women, 50 apparently healthy pregnant women and 50 pregnant ladies proved to have preeclamptic toxemia, their ages ranged from 18 to 44 years old and at the third trimester of pregnancy. Blood samples were taken and serum was separated, then urea, creatinine, uric acid, sodium and potassium were determined. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Results: The results of this study revealed that 92% of preeclamptic pregnant women had the first time of the incidence and 8% were family inherited preeclampsia and injured multiple times. The preeclamptic pregnant women showed elevation in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to the normal pregnant women. Although the creatinine values of all study subjects were in the normal range, the mean of its serum level was found to be higher in normal pregnant women than that in preeclamptic women. The study also showed urea level was elevated in the preeclampsia group in comparison to the normal one, while all values were in the normal range. In addition to the significant difference that observed in the uric acid mean between preeclamptic (higher) and normal pregnant groups, abnormal values were only noticed with many preeclamptic patients. The levels of electrolytes (sodium and potassium) were elevated in the preeclampsia women group, whereas all values were in the normal range. Conclusion: This study concluded that preeclamptics showed significant elevation in the urea, uric acid, sodium and potassium levels and a significant decrease in creatinine level compared to normal pregnant women, although all parameters values for both groups were in the reference values for non-pregnancy.

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.

Serious Deterioration of Renal Function after Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: A Case Report

A 25-year-old man presented with stones in left kidney received the left Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) with holmium laser lithotripsy. All the stones were successfully removed, and all the results were normal in the first three months followup. However, a deterioration of renal function was confirmed two years later. No mechanical obstruction was found with ureteroscopy. The deterioration of renal function may be induced by high internal renal pelvis pressure, injury of the laser energy, potential functional obstruction, and/or ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Circulating miR-21-5p level has limited prognostic value in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and is influenced by renal function

BACKGROUND MicroRNAs(miRNAs)have been suggested as biomarkers for malignant diseases including hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Specifically,hsa-miR-21-5p(miR-21)is among the most frequently deregulated miRNA in cancer.The diagnostic and prognostic value of miR-21 has been demonstrated in HCC tissue,mostly in the Asian population.Although the impact of various factors has been recently reported for circulating hsa-miR-122-5p(miR-122),at present only limited knowledge is available for miR-21.AIM To evaluate the value of miR-21 for the assessment of prognosis in HCC patients and to delineate the influence of clinical and preanalytical factors on miR-21 level in sera.METHODS Patients with confirmed HCC from our European cohort with predominantly alcohol-associated liver damage were included in the study.All subjects were characterized according to their clinical and laboratory work-up and overall survival data were obtained.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed for miR-21 and spiked-in cel-miR-39-3p.The results were compared to previously reported miR-122 data.RESULTS Survival of HCC patients was comparable between patients with low and high serum miR-21 concentration.No association was observed between miR-21 level in sera and Child-Pugh score,Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system,or etiology of HCC/liver disease.Age,gender,or pretreatment had no association with miR-21 level.A positive correlation was observed between miR-21 and aspartate aminotransferase(r=0.2854,P=0.0061),serum miR-122(r=0.2624,P=0.0120),and the International Normalized Ratio(r=0.2065,P=0.0496).Negative correlation of miR-21 with serum creatinine(r=-0.2215,P=0.0348)suggests renal function as a potential influencing factor in miR-21 biogenesis in blood.CONCLUSION The results from this work do not support clinically relevant prognostic value of circulating miR-21 in HCC patients in real-life settings.Following systematic evaluation,we identified renal function and aspartate aminotransferase as potential factors that may affect miR-21 concentration in blood.This knowledge should be considered in future miRNA-based biomarker studies not only for HCC but also for other diseases.

Correlation between Residual Renal Function and Hypertension in Regular Haemodialysis Patients

Objective: To evaluate the correlation between residual renal function and hypertension in regular haemodialysis patients. Background: Initiating chronic dialysis treatment gives end-stage renal disease patients a new lease on life. However, the annual mortality rate in dialysis patients is ~20% and quality of life is substantially reduced. Patients and Methods: This study was carried out on a reasonable number of subjects on regular haemodialysis divided into two groups. All were given informed consent and, the study was approved by the ethics committee of Menoufia University. Results: There was significant relation between presence of residual renal function and hypertension in patients with ESRD on regular haemodialysis, but the relation between residual renal function and control of hypertension is not statistically significant. 40% of group 1 were hypertensive, 66.7% of group 2 patients were hypertensive, the interdialytic weight gain mean was 1.42 in group 1 and 2.37 in group 2. Control of hypertension was achieved in 63.6% of group 1 patients by one drug, 27.3% patients by 2 drugs;however 9.1% of patients need 3 drugs to control their blood pressure, while in group 2 40% of patients were controlled by one drug, 45% with 2 drugs and 15% need 3 drugs to control blood pressure. Conclusion: There is significant relation between presence of residual renal function and hypertension in patients with ESRD on regular haemodialysis, but the relation between residual renal function and control of hypertension is not statistically significant.

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.