Clinical Presentation and Treatment Outcomes of Pregnancy-Related Acute Kidney Injury among Pregnant Women Admitted at the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital in Tanzania

Background: Globally, PRAKI is among the leading causes of death in pregnant women. The prevalence, causes and outcome of this condition vary among countries due to differences in environmental, socioeconomic, and health delivery systems. The common causes that have been reported in several studies are PIH, Haemorrhages and Sepsis while the outcomes may be either complete renal recovery, progression to CKD and hence dialysis dependency or death. This study aimed at determining clinical presentation and treatment outcomes of Pregnancy-Related Acute Kidney Injury in Pregnant women admitted at the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital, Dodoma, Tanzania. Results: Out of 4007 pregnant women who were admitted to the maternity ward 51 pregnant women were found to have PRAKI. Of those with PRAKI, 74.5% were between 21 to 25 years. The leading causes of PRAKI were PPH 12 (23.53%), Eclampsia 12 (23.53%), and pre-eclampsia 12 (23.5%). Hemodialysis therapy was provided to 22 (43.1%) patients, 15 (29.4%) individuals recovered spontaneously with medical management and 14 (27.5%) missed haemodialysis therapy due to various reasons. The mortality due to PRAKI was 17 (33.3%). Conclusion and Recommendation: Pre-eclampsia/eclampsia and post-partum haemorrhage were found to be the main causes of PRAKI. The mortality related to PRAKI is high and Hemodialysis therapy is vital help to prevent deaths for pregnant women with PRAKI. Pregnant women who develop acute kidney injury should be followed closely and a nephrologist should be consulted early. Early referral should be done by the lower level facilities for all at-risk pregnant women to a specialized multidisciplinary health facility.

A review of the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis from liver and kidney

Ankylosing spondytitis is a kind of arthropathy of rheumatic immune disease. The pathogenesis of ankylosing spondytitis is not very ctear in current medicat research. Because of the recurrence of the disease and the prolongation of the disease, the quality of tife of the patients has been seriously affected. Traditional Chinese medicine has tong known its etiotogy and pathogenesis, and it is very effective in ctinicat treatment. Based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine and modern physicians' understanding of its etiotogy and pathogenesis, and starting from the function and characteristics of tiver and kidney, this paper explores the basis of treating ankylosing spondytitis from tiver and kidney, with a view to providing new ideas for the ctinicat treatment of ankylosing spondytitis.

Impact of the adherence to medical treatment on the main urinary metabolic disorders in patients with kidney stones

Objective:To assess the effect of the adherence to medical treatment on urinary parameters in the 24-h metabolic study of patients with kidney stones.Methods:A retrospective,longitudinal,descriptive,and observational study was carried out by reviewing the hospital electronic medical record from 2014 to 2018.The adherence to drug treatment was measured 6 months after its initiation,and the numerical values of the metabolic studies were compared.Wilcoxon tests were performed to compare the difference before and after treatment.Results:Ninety patients were evaluated,with 73.3% of adherence.The 180-day overall adherence rate was 61.2% in patients treated with a single drug and 85.4% in patients treated with multiple drugs.There is a statistically significant increase in citrate levels in patients with good adherence in comparison with non-adherent patients(p=0.031 vs.p=0.528).Conclusions:Medical treatment and dietary measures in patients with kidney stones have an initial impact at 6 months on the values of the main urinary metabolic alterations that predispose to calculi formation;the most significant is seen in those patients with adherence to medical treatment for hypocitraturia.

TCM Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis by Supplementing the Kidney and Invigorating the Blood Circulation

The therapeutic effects in treating the intermediate and late rheumatoid arthritis by supplementing the kidney and invigorating blood circulation were observed. In the 43 cases of the treatment group, No. 2 Qu Feng Shi Ling capsules (祛风湿灵胶囊2号) and Fenbid (芬必得) were prescribed, while in the 39 cases of the control group Lei Gong Teng Tablets (雷公藤总甙片) and Fenbid were given. The results showed that the total effective rate in the treatment group was more satisfactory than that in the control (P<0.05 or P<0.01). With less toxic effects, the former could better improve the local swelling and lower the blood viscosity.

Treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome from the Theory of "Yigui Homology"

Traditional medicine believes that emotional,room labor and other factors lead to the lack of blood circulation after the weather,and the consumption of Yin blood is too much,which can lead to the deficiency of blood essence.Over time,the deficiency of menstrual blood can not nourish the kidney essence,leading to abnormal pregnancy.The liver is congenital for women,and the kidney is congenital.The disharmony of liver and kidney is the key factor of women's disease.Starting from the"homology of Yi and GUI",this paper analyzes the main etiology and pathogenesis of the disease from three aspects:deficiency of blood essence,imbalance of Zang and Xie,and Yin not controlling Yang.Following the principle of simultaneous treatment of liver and kidney,starting from the three methods of "regulating and tonifying liver and kidney,tonifying kidney and activating blood circulation,and balancing yin and Yang",the liver and kidney are reconciled,and pregnancy is sometimes the best choice.The main purpose is to benefit PCOS patients.

Analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes and Treatment Laws of Diabetic Kidney Disease and the Action Mechanism of High-Frequency Chinese Herbs in the Treatment of Diabetic Kidney Disease Based on Real-World Study

Objective Our objective was to analyze the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome and treatment laws of diabetic kidney disease(DKD)and the action mechanism of high-frequency Chinese herbs in the treatment of DKD based on realworldstudy.MethodsThe data of patients with DKD who had been treated in the First Hospital Affiliated to Henan Universityof ChineseMedicine from January1,2014to December 31,2021 were retrospectively analyzed through the hospital information management system.The contents of the cases were statistically analyzed using IBM SPsS Statistics 25 software,and the laws of DKDtreatment were summarized.Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to analyze the action mechanism of high-frequency Chinese herbs in the treatment of DKD.ResultsThe data of a total of 1,201 patients with DKD were included,involving 72 kinds of TCM syndromes.Nine disease nature elements and six disease location elements were extracted,involving 405 Chinese herbs.The top five high-frequency Chinese herbs were Baizhu(Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma),Fuling(Poria),Huangqi(Astragali Radix),Chuanxiong(Chuanxiong Rhizoma),and Danshen(Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma).Thirty kinds of Chinese herbs with the frequency of≥100 were mainly deficiency-tonifying herbs and blood-activating and stasis-eliminating herbs.The medicinal properties were mainly warm and mild,and the medicinal flavors were sweet and bitter mostly.For the meridian tropism,the main meridian tropism of these herbs is spleen meridian and lung meridian.The clustering method.

Clinical characteristics and treatment compounds of obesity-related kidney injury

Disorders in energy homeostasis can lead to various metabolic diseases,particularly obesity.The obesity epidemic has led to an increased incidence of obesityrelated nephropathy(ORN),a distinct entity characterized by proteinuria,glomerulomegaly,progressive glomerulosclerosis,and renal function decline.Obesity and its associated renal damage are common in clinical practice,and their incidence is increasing and attracting great attention.There is a great need to identify safe and effective therapeutic modalities,and therapeutics using chemical compounds and natural products are receiving increasing attention.However,the summary is lacking about the specific effects and mechanisms of action of compounds in the treatment of ORN.In this review,we summarize the important clinical features and compound treatment strategies for obesity and obesityinduced kidney injury.We also summarize the pathologic and clinical features of ORN as well as its pathogenesis and potential therapeutics targeting renal inflammation,oxidative stress,insulin resistance,fibrosis,kidney lipid accumulation,and dysregulated autophagy.In addition,detailed information on natural and synthetic compounds used for the treatment of obesity-related kidney disease is summarized.The synthesis of detailed information aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the clinical treatment modalities for obesity-related kidney diseases,fostering the anticipation of novel insights in this domain.

Therapeutic strategies for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms: State-of-the-art and future perspectives

Although gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms(GEP-NENs)have always been considered rare tumors,their incidence has risen over the past few decades.They represent a highly heterogeneous group of neoplasms with several prognostic factors,including disease stage,proliferative index(Ki67),and tumor differentiation.Most of these neoplasms express somatostatin receptors on the cell surface,a feature that has important implications in terms of prognosis,diagnosis,and therapy.Although International Guidelines propose algorithms aimed at guiding therapeutic strategies,GEP-NEN patients are still very different from one another,and the need for personalized treatment continues to increase.Radical surgery is always the best option when feasible;however,up to 80%of cases are metastatic upon diagnosis.Regarding medical treatments,as GEP-NENs are characterized by relatively long overall survival,multiple therapy lines are adopted during the lifetime of these patients,but the optimum sequence to be followed has never been clearly defined.Furthermore,although new molecular markers aimed at predicting the response to therapy,as well as prognostic scores,are currently being studied,their application is still far from being part of daily clinical practice.As they represent a complex disease,with therapeutic protocols that are not completely standardized,GEP-NENs require a multidisciplinary approach.This review will provide an overview of the available therapeutic options for GEP-NENs and attempts to clarify the possible approaches for the management of these patients and to discuss future perspectives in this field.

Clear Cell Sarcoma of the Kidney-A Case Report

Clear cell sarcoma of the kidney （CCSK） is a rare and highly malignant tumor which is usually confused with other kidaey tumors We experienced such a patient and present report this.

Analysis of Famous TCM Doctor Zan Qiang's Experience in the Treatment of Perimenopausal Osteoporosis

The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical experience of Zan Qiang,a famous doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Shaanxi province,in the treatment of perimenopausal osteoporosis.Zan believed that the main etiology and pathogenesis of perimenopausal osteoporosis were "deficiency of kidney essence,decreased marrow and bone",deficiency of liver and kidney"and"stasis caused by deficiency".Although it is a chronic physiological disease,and the pathological process is irreversible,the treatment groups of"tonifying kidney and filling essence","tonifying liver and tonifying kidney"and "tonifying deficiency and promoting blood circulation" can significantly improve the symptoms of patients,slow down the progress of the disease and improve the quality of life of patients.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome-Related Infertility Based on the Theory of“Liver and Kidney Homology”

Polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)is an endocrine disorder caused by hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian(HPO)axis dysfunction.In the field of gynecology and reproduction,PCOS has emerged as both a research hot spot and a challenging area of study.According to Chinese medicine,this disease is related to kidney deficiency,phlegm and dampness obstruction,blood stasis and interconnection,Chong pulse impassability,the lack of Ren pulse,and the loss of uterine nourishment,all of which affect the normal development and maturation of eggs as well as the duration at which menstrual blood stores.In this paper,based on the theoretical basis of“liver collects blood,regulates the flow of qi,and is the master of drainage,”we explore the rationality of the treatment of this disease from the perspective of“liver and kidney have the same origin”and the development of PCOS-related infertility in relation to dysfunctional internal organs.We also explore the feasibility of treatment from the perspective of“liver and kidney homology,”expand the ideas for treatment,as well as develop and innovate the application of organ identification in PCOS in relation to infertility.

Renin-angiotensin system in the kidney: What is new?

The renin-angiotensin system （RAS） has been known for more than a century as a cascade that regulates body fuid balance and blood pressure. Angiotensin Ⅱ（Ang Ⅱ） has many functions in different tissues; how-ever it is on the kidney that this peptide exerts its main functions. New enzymes, alternative routes for Ang Ⅱformation or even active Ang Ⅱ-derived peptides have now been described acting on Ang Ⅱ AT1 or AT2 recep-tors, or in receptors which have recently been cloned, such as Mas and AT4. Another interesting observation was that old members of the RAS, such as angioten-sin converting enzyme （ACE）, renin and prorenin, well known by its enzymatic activity, can also activate intra-cellular signaling pathways, acting as an outside-in sig-nal transduction molecule or on the renin/（Pro）renin re-ceptor. Moreover, the endocrine RAS, now is also known to have paracrine, autocrine and intracrine action on different tissues, expressing necessary components for local Ang Ⅱ formation. This in situ formation, especially in the kidney, increases Ang Ⅱ levels to regulate blood pressure and renal functions. These discoveries, such as the ACE2/Ang-（1-7）/Mas axis and its antangonistic effect rather than classical deleterious Ang Ⅱ effects, improves the development of new drugs for treating hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

Clinical trial with traditional Chinese medicine intervention ''tonifying the kidney to promote liver regeneration and repair by affecting stem cells and their microenvironment'' for chronic hepatitis B-associated liver failure

AIM:To study the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)intervention"tonifying the kidney to promote liver regeneration and repair by affecting stem cells and their microenvironment"("TTK")for treating liver failure due to chronic hepatitis B.METHODS:We designed the study as a randomized controlled clinical trial.Registration number of Chinese Clinical Trial Registry is Chi CTR-TRC-12002961.A total of 144 patients with liver failure due to infection with chronic hepatitis B virus were enrolled in this randomized controlled clinical study.Participants were randomly assigned to the following three groups:(1)a modern medicine control group(MMC group,36patients);(2)a"tonifying qi and detoxification"("TQD")group(72 patients);and(3)a"tonifying the kidney to promote liver regeneration and repair by affecting stem cells and their microenvironment"("TTK")group(36patients).Patients in the MMC group received general internal medicine treatment;patients in the"TQD"group were given a TCM formula"tonifying qi and detoxification"and general internal medicine treatment;patients in the"TTK"group were given a TCM formula of"TTK"and general internal medicine treatment.All participants were treated for 8 wk and then followed at 48 wk following their final treatment.The primaryefficacy end point was the patient fatality rate in each group.Measurements of various virological and biochemical indicators served as secondary endpoints.The one-way analysis of variance and the t-test were used to compare patient outcomes in the different treatment groups.RESULTS:At the 48-wk post-treatment time point,the patient fatality rates in the MMC,"TQD",and"TTK"groups were 51.61%,35.38%,and 16.67%,respectively,and the differences between groups were statistically significant(P<0.05).However,there were no significant differences in the levels of hepatitis B virus DNA or prothrombin activity among the three groups(P>0.05).Patients in the"TTK"group had significantly higher levels of serum total bilirubin compared to MMC subjects(339.40μmol/L±270.09μmol/L vs 176.13μmol/L±185.70μmol/L,P=0.014).Serum albumin levels were significantly increased in both the"TQD"group and"TTK"group as compared with the MMC group(31.30 g/L±4.77g/L,30.72 g/L±2.89 g/L vs 28.57 g/L±4.56 g/L,P<0.05).There were no significant differences in levels of alanine transaminase among the three groups(P>0.05).Safety data showed that there was one case of stomachache in the"TQD"group and one case of gastrointestinal side effect in the"TTK"group.CONCLUSION:Treatment with"TTK"improved the survival rates of patients with liver failure due to chronic hepatitis B.Additionally,liver tissue was regenerated and liver function was restored.

Clinical course and outcome of adult patients with primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis with kidney function loss on presentation

BACKGROUND Kidney function loss or renal insufficiency indicated by elevated creatinine levels and/or an estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)<60 mL/minute/1.73 m²at presentation in patients with primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis(FSGS)is commonly seen as a poor prognostic marker for kidney survival.However,a pre>vious study from our center suggested this may be due to hemodynamic factors.AIM To observe the clinical and biochemical parameters,treatment response,kidney survival,and overall outcomes of adult patients with primary FSGS presenting with kidney function insufficiency.METHODS This retrospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Nephrology,Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation,Karachi,Pakistan,from January 1995 to December 2017.During this period,401 biopsy-proven primary FSGS patients were identified,of which 98(24.4%)presented with kidney function loss or renal insufficiency defined as eGFR<60 mL/minute/1.73 m²at presentation and were studied in detail.RESULTS Among the 98 patients with renal function loss on presentation,the mean age was 30.9 years±13.6 years with a male-to-female ratio of 2.5:1.The mean serum creatinine level was 2.2 mg/dL±1.3 mg/dL and mean eGFR 37.1 mL/minute/1.73 m2±12.8 mL/minute/1.73 m2.The mean 24-hour urinary protein excretion was 5.9 g/day±4.0 g/day,and the mean serum albumin was 2.1 g/dL±1.0 g/dL(median:1.5 g/dL).The mean systolic blood pressure(BP)was 132.7 mmHg±19.8 mmHg,and the mean diastolic BP was 87.4 mmHg±12.7 mmHg.Steroid treatment was given to 81(82.6%)of 98 patients for an average duration of 19.9 weeks±14.4 weeks,with a mean total steroid dose of 4.4 g±1.5 g.Treatment response showed that 20(24.6%)patients achieved complete remission,9(11.1%)achieved partial remission,and 52(64.1%)did not respond.The baseline eGFR was significantly lower in the non-responsive group(P=0.006).The distribution of FSGS variants was also significantly different among steroid-responsive and non-responsive groups(P=0.012).CONCLUSION Renal function loss in FSGS patients at presentation does not necessarily indicate irreversible kidney function loss and a significant number of patients respond to appropriate treatment of the underlying disease.

Multidisciplinary Approach to Drug-Drug Interactions between Tacrolimus and Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir and Glecaprevir/Pibrentasvir in Kidney Transplant Patients during Hepatitis C Treatment:A Case Series Report

The direct acting antivirals(DAAs)are now the standard of care for hepatitis C virus(HCV)treatment with high and effective sustained virologic responserate(SVR)and great safety profile,including solid organ transplant patients.There are increasing reports showing DAAs are effective with high SVR rates and safety profile in kidney transplant recipients.There are reports on drug-drug interaction(DDI)between tacrolimus with DAAs.However,data remain lacking on potential DDIs between tacrolimus and DAA regimens and the management process.This case series reports three kidney transplant patients on tacrolimus who were successfully treated for HCV with multidisciplinary approach,although there was DDI between tacrolimus with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir and glecaprevir/pibrentasvir,which required tacrolimus dose adjustment to maintain therapeutic level during and after DAA treatment.Such DDIs should be aware of and closely monitored by pharmacist and physicians with tacrolimus dose adjustment as needed during and right after DAA treatment in post-kidney transplant patients.

The transition and current pattern of drug therapy for advanced gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world.Its incidence ranks fifth among all malignant tumors worldwide and is the third leading cause of death among cancer patients.Surgery is currently considered to be the only radical treatment.However,the low rate of early diagnosis means that most patients have an advanced-stage disease at diagnosis which lost the chance of surgery.Therefore,the main treatment for advanced gastric cancer includes chemotherapy,targeted therapy,immunotherapy.The purpose of this study is to review the transition and current patterns of drug therapy for advanced gastric cancer and to provide assistance for subsequent clinical studies in advanced gastric cancer.

Research progress on non-drug treatment of diabetic kidney disease

Diabetic kidney disease is one of the most serious and common chronic complications of diabetes and one of the leading causes of death in diabetic patients.In the case of diabetic kidney disease,sustained proteinuria is irreversible until it develops into end-stage renal disease.Drug treatment of diabetic kidney disease is relatively limited.More and more evidences into the effectiveness and safety that related non-drug treatments not only have the characteristics of simple operation and high safety,but also can improve the clinical symptoms of patients with diabetic kidney disease,reduce laboratory indicators,and delay disease progression.This article summarizes the recent literature on non-drug treatment of diabetic kidney disease such as exercise therapy,acupuncture therapy,acupoint application,auricular acupoint pressing pill therapy,moxibustion therapy,in order to provide reference for clinical treatment.

Retroperitoneoscopic heminephroureterectomy for treatment of duplex kidney anomalies(report of 9 cases)

Objective To investigate the efficacy of retroperitoneal laparoscopic heminephroureterectomy for duplex kidney anomalies. Methods Retroperitoneoscopic heminephroureterectomy was performed on nine patients,six males and three females. The average age of the

Effect of desensitization treatment for highly sensitized uremic patients before kidney transplantation

Objective To explore the feasibility and efficacy of desensitization protocol for highly sensitized renal transplant patients ( HSP ) . Methods Thirty - five HSPs ( HLA class - I panel reactive antibody 2〉50 % ) , including 27 patients with a positive T and/or B cell cy-

Acute kidney injury in acute-on-chronic liver failure is different from in decompensated cirrhosis

AIM To evaluate the differences in acute kidney injury(AKI) between acute-on-chronic liver failure(ACLF) and decompensated cirrhosis(DC) patients. METHODS During the period from December 2015 to July 2017, 280 patients with hepatitis B virus(HBV)-related ACLF(HBV-ACLF) and 132 patients with HBV-related DC(HBV-DC) who were admitted to our center were recruited consecutively into an observational study. Urine specimens were collected from all subjects and the levels of five urinary tubular injury biomarkers were detected,including neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin(NGAL), interleukin-18(IL-18), liver-type fatty acid binding protein(L-FABP), cystatin C(CysC), and kidney injury molecule-1(KIM-1). Simultaneously, the patient demographics, occurrence and progression of AKI, and response to terlipressin therapy were recorded. All patients were followed up for 3 mo or until death after enrollment. RESULTS AKI occurred in 71 and 28 of HBV-ACLF and HBV-DC patients, respectively(25.4% vs 21.2%, P = 0.358). Among all patients, the levels of four urinary biomarkers(NGAL, CysC, L-FABP, IL-18) were significantly elevated in patients with HBV-ACLF and AKI(ACLF-AKI), compared with that in patients with HBV-DC and AKI(DC-AKI) or those without AKI. There was a higher proportion of patients with AKI progression in ACLF-AKI patients than in DC-AKI patients(49.3% vs 17.9%, P = 0.013). Fortythree patients with ACLF-AKI and 19 patients with DC-AKI were treated with terlipressin. The response rate of ACLFAKI patients was significantly lower than that of patients with DC-AKI(32.6% vs 57.9%, P = 0.018). Furthermore, patients with ACLF-AKI had the lowest 90 d survival rates among all groups(P < 0.001).CONCLUSION AKI in ACLF patients is more likely associated with structural kidney injury, and is more progressive, with a poorer response to terlipressin treatment and a worse prognosis than that in DC patients.