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Background. Africa has the highest rate of HIV infection, and HIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) is one of the most frequent kidney diseases observed in children. HIVAN in children usually presents as a form of nephrotic syndrome, predominantly focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) on histopathology, that often leads to chronic kidney failure. Objective. This study determined the urinary concentrations of ß-2-microglobulin (ß2M) and cystatin C proteins in children with HIVAN and primary FSGS. Methods. The study group comprised 34 children; 14 with HIVAN and 20 with primary FSGS. The control groups were 20 HIV-positive and 20 HIV-negative children with no kidney disease. Urine samples collected from these 74 children were stored at -80°C. Bio-Plex technology was used to analyse the urinary protein concentration of cystatin C and ß2M. Results. A significant increase in urinary ß2M levels was observed in the HIVAN group compared with the HIV-negative group (p=0.0240). No other statistically significant differences in urinary ß2M concentrations were noted across the study groups. Urinary cystatin C levels were significantly increased in primary FSGS children compared with both HIV-negative (p=0.0041) and HIV-positive controls (p=0.0256). Urinary cystatin C displayed a significant increase in the primary FSGS compared with the HIVAN group (p=0.0150). No significant differences in urinary cystatin C levels were noted in the HIVAN group compared with the HIV-negative and HIV-positive control groups. Conclusion. Urinary cystatin C has promising prognostic value to predict primary FSGS from HIVAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the ultrasound biomicroscopic characteristics of primary iridociliary cysts presenting to a Canadian tertiary care centre., Design: Retrospective study., Participants: A total of 189 patients (212 eyes) referred to the Sinai Health System (Toronto) for suspected iris abnormalities., Methods: Clinical records of patients referred between March 2016 and October 2019 were reviewed. All patients were evaluated and received a diagnosis of an iridociliary cyst using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM). Data were collected for age, sex, involvement (iris vs ciliary body), laterality, size, and location on initial examination and subsequent follow-up., Results: Of the 189 patients (212 eyes) with iridociliary cysts, more were female (65.1%) versus male (34.9%). The highest incidence occurred in females aged 21-30 years (13.2%). The iris pigment epithelium was involved in 84.4%, and only the ciliary body was involved in 3.8%. Both the iris pigment epithelium and the ciliary body were involved in 10.8%. The size of the cysts ranged between 0.5 and 4.41 mm in diameter. Cysts greater than 1 mm in diameter occurred in 78.7%, and 86.8% of cysts occurred unilaterally. Twelve percent were multicystic, and 8.5% were multiloculated, with 1% exhibiting both features. Twenty-three eyes (12.2%) were reviewed at 1 year of follow-up with UBM. Stable iridociliary cysts with no appreciable change in size were seen in 73.9% (n = 17). Iridociliary cyst growth was noted at 4 months in 1 patient., Conclusion: Information regarding iridociliary cysts is not easily available in the literature. UBM is a helpful clinical tool in the evaluation of iris abnormalities. Iridociliary cysts tend to be stable and compatible with a low rate of complications., (Copyright © 2022 Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)