Saudi Journal of Kidney Diseases and Transplantation最新文献

Immunoglobulin (Ig) G4-related diseases are very rare diseases and are difficult to diagnose and treat. Here, we report a rare condition, an IgG4-related disease involving the bilateral renal pelvises, which was successfully treated with steroid therapy. A 64-year-old female was admitted with left flank pain and hematuria. Computed tomographic images showed irregular enhancing masses around the bilateral renal pelvises and lymph nodes in the left para-aortic area. A histopathological examination of a renal needle biopsy revealed numerous cells that were positive for IgG and more than 10 IgG4-positive cells per high-powered field. The IgG4/IgG ratio was more than 40%. Her serum IgG4 level was elevated to 1440 mg/dL, and her IgG4/IgG ratio was 82.1%. After a diagnosis of IgG4 sclerosing disease, a double-J ureteral stent was inserted and steroid therapy was performed for 20 weeks. Her symptoms dramatically improved, and the follow-up images showed a resolved state. There was no relapse of the disease for more than 6 months after the removal of the stent.

Arterial stiffness is a non-traditional risk factor of cardiovascular disease and may explain part of the excess cardiovascular risk in chronic kidney disease patients. Successful renal transplantation (RT) may restore renal function and improve several metabolic abnormalities involved in arterial stiffness. This prospective study conducted non-invasive assessments of arterial stiffness indices [the augmentation index (AI) and pulse wave velocity (PWV)] in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients before RT and 3 and 6 months after living-donor RT, alongside the effects of age and calcineurin inhibitors on arterial stiffness. The study included 26 ESKD patients (22 males and 4 females; mean age, 34.07 years; median duration of dialysis, 10 months) scheduled for RT and followed up for three visits (within 1 week before transplantation, and 3 and 6 months after transplantation). Six months after successful RT, the patients had nearly normal serum creatinine and significantly improved serum phosphate and intact parathyroid hormone levels. The pretransplant AI was 21.53% ± 13.61% which reduced significantly 6 months after RT to 16.19% ± 10.74% (P <0.05). Although there was a reduction in PWV 6 months after RT from the pre-transplant PWV, it was not significant. A significant correlation between age and the augmentation index was noted 3 and 6 months after RT. Patients on tacrolimus-based immunosuppression after RT showed significant improvements in the AI compared with patients on a cyclosporine-based regimen. RT helped to improve arterial stiffness indices, resulting in reduced cardiovascular risk.

Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in patients on hemodialysis. An imbalance between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of depression in patients on dialysis. We undertook this study to assess the correlations of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 with depression in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. This cross-sectional observational study was carried out at our hospital, a tertiary care referral government teaching hospital, over 2 years. Depression was assessed using the Becks Depression Inventory score. A higher cutoff of >16 was taken for a diagnosis of depression. Clinical, demographic, and laboratory parameters were analyzed. Cytokines were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Eighty patients satisfied the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of depression in our study was 41.5%. Depression was more common in those who were unemployed and/or illiterate. Mild depression was found in patients from the upper-lower and lower-middle classes, but severe depression was seen in lower-economic classes. Serum levels of IL-6 showed a positive correlation with the severity of depression. Depression was common in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. High levels of serum IL-6 were observed in those with depression. Depression in patients on maintenance hemodialysis is associated with a considerable risk of mortality.

Distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA), also known as Type 1 renal tubular acidosis, is a rare disorder. It primarily occurs through the inability to secrete H+ ions. The causes of dRTA can be divided into primary and secondary. The most common secondary cause of dRTA is Sjögren syndrome. dRTA typically presents as hypokalemia with non-anion gap metabolic acidosis. Here, we present a patient where Sjögren's syndrome causing dRTA was masked by the presence of hypernatremia causing metabolic acidosis with a high anion gap.

Fibrillary glomerulonephritis (FGN) is a rare glomerular disorder characterized by the deposition of randomly arranged fibrils in the mesangium and the glomerular basement membrane. Clinical features include massive albuminuria, hematuria, high blood pressure, and kidney failure. Usually, the renal prognosis is not favorable, with evolution to end-stage renal disease in approximately 50% of cases. Recent studies in proteomics have identified a member of the heat shock protein family, also called DNAJB9, which is deposited in the glomerulus of patients with FGN and is not present in other diseases, such as amyloidosis or immunotactoid glomerulopathy. These findings are the first step to clarify the pathogenesis of this disease and could facilitate its diagnosis. Hence, we present a case of FGN with mild albuminuria at baseline and discuss the usefulness of this novel biomarker for diagnosing this group of patients.

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is one of the most common causes of nephrotic syndrome (NS) in nondiabetic adults, with about 70%-80% of cases of MN being primary MN (pMN). Many studies have shown that serum phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibodies are a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for pMN, with a pooled diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 54%-82% and 89%-100%, respectively, resulting in PLA2R staining and serum PLA2R antibodies being incorporated in the management algorithms of MN. We studied the sensitivity and specificity of serum PLA2R antibodies for diagnosing pMN and its correlation with PLA2R staining in kidney biopsies in a prospective observational study of 58 adult NS subjects undergoing a kidney biopsy. Serum PLA2R antibodies were determined by indirect immunofluorescence (IF) before the biopsy. Kidney biopsies were sent for light microscopy and IF examinations. Biopsy samples with MN histology were stained for PLA2R antigens. Out of the 58 adult NS subjects, 28 were diagnosed with pMN and one with secondary MN. Serum PLA2R antibodies were positive in 12 subjects with pMN, and one had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis not otherwise specified, giving a sensitivity of 42.8% and specificity of 96.7% for diagnosing pMN. There was a significant association between glomerular staining for PLA2R (24 of 28 subjects) and a diagnosis of pMN by kidney biopsy, with a sensitivity of 82.8%. Cohen's kappa agreement between glomerular staining for PLA2R and a diagnosis of MN was 0.83 (0.57-1.08).

The cost of kidney transplantation (KT) and its follow-up care greatly exceeds the mean annual family income. Governmental support during the post-transplant period is needed. This study aimed to identify the drivers of cost during the 1st year after KT. The records of 129 adult Filipino KT recipients over 2 years in a single center were reviewed to determine the total cost for the 1st year after KT, such as diagnostics, medications, supplies, and professional fees. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to determine the economic impact of the baseline characteristics, comorbidities, and events after KT. The direct costs of care were significantly higher among patients aged >40 years (P = 0.009), those with diabetic kidney disease as the primary renal disease (P <0.0001), and those with a high Charlson comorbidity index (P = 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that patients with diabetes mellitus paid US$ 6813.6 more, and those hospitalized for any infection spent US$ 3877.4 more than those without comorbid conditions or complications. The results showed that diabetes mellitus and hospitalization for any infection significantly impacted the cost of follow-up care. Health-care policies that can aid patients after KT are needed to minimize expenditures and avoid complications.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, but few studies are available on CKD in Cote d'Ivoire. We aimed to assess the prevalence of CKD and identify its associated factors in the general population in Abidjan in 2016 in a cross-sectional study that included 1418 subjects. We did not receive laboratory data for 38 subjects, including serum creatinine data. Of the 1380 remaining subjects, 138 cases of CKD were included in the study (10% prevalence). We observed a female predominance (sex ratio = 0.81), and the mean age was 43.7 ± 14.5 years. Histories of hypertension (HTN) (29.7%) and diabetes (10.1%) were reported. The main clinical signs were high blood pressure (51.4%), obesity (21%), proteinuria (37.9%), and hematuria (37.4%). The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was <60 mL/min in 8.2% of cases according to the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation, in 8.6% according to the CKD Epidemiology Collaboration equation, and in 12.6% according to the Cockroft-Gault (CG) equation. The other laboratory signs were hyperglycemia (51.4%), hypercholesterolemia (34.1%), and hyperlipidemia (21%). In the multivariate analysis, factors such as female sex (P = 0.013), age >55 years (P = 0.02), a history of HTN (P = 0.001), hypercholesterolemia (P = 0.010), and hyperlipidemia (P = 0.009) were associated with the risk of CKD. The prevalence of CKD was high in our study. The CG equation should not be used to estimate the GFR in the general population. Prevention involves managing modifiable risk factors.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common complication in patients with diabetes mellitus. Recently, the class of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2-Is) has been shown to have cardiovascular and renal benefits. The extent of the use of SGLT2-Is in patients with CKD is unknown. The objective of this study was to describe the prescription pattern of empagliflozin (the only available agent) in patients with CKD at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare. This was a retrospective single-center analysis of patients with CKD over 2 years between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021. The prescription pattern of empagliflozin for adults (≥18 years) with CKD was determined quarterly. Among 2528 patients with CKD, 119 (5%) patients were prescribed empagliflozin during the first quarter of 2020. The number of patients steadily increased and reached 16% by the end of the study period. Despite the overwhelming evidence of their benefits, the overall utilization of SGLT2-Is was poor. Physicians' education is paramount to increase awareness about the benefits of SGLT2-Is as renoprotective and lifesaving medications.

The hemodialysis reliable outflow (HeRO) graft was designed for patients with failed arteriovenous accesses caused by an obstructed central venous outflow or patients who have exhausted all upper arm options. We describe a patient with severe stenosis of the superior vena cava (SVC) who experienced recurrent episodes of infection of permanent tunneled catheters, resulting in repeated hospitalizations. We successfully used the HeRO graft after angioplasty of the SVC. This indication for placing the HeRO graft has not been emphasized and mentioned previously in the literature. We also reviewed the literature regarding comparisons of this technique with other options.