Search

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation equations using creatinine and Cystatin-C appear to be superior to those based on creatinine or Cystatin-C in older adults. We sought to compare the performances of those based on creatinine and Cystatin-C in Chinese older adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD). A total of 368 Chinese elderly with CKD underwent the dynamic imaging with technetium-99m diethylene-triamine-pentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA), and serum creatinine and Cystatin-C were measured on the same day. The comparison of GFR equations which were creatinine and Cystatin-C-based including chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation (CKD-EPI-Cr-Cys), Berlin Initiative Study (BIS) equation (BIS-Cr-Cys, also known as BIS-2), MA equation (MA-Cr-Cys), and FENG equation (FENG-Cr-Cys) was conducted. Four equations overestimated GFR except for BIS-2 equation in mGFR ≥ 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (bias: − 1.40, p = 0.7) and CKD-EPI-Cr-Cys equation in mGFR

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in the early diagnosis of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN).We searched MEDLINE and Embase until December 2014 for articles evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of plasma/serum and urinary NGAL levels to predict CIN. The primary analysis was based on a hierarchical, bivariate, generalized, linear, mixed model. Diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and sample size-weighted area under the curve for the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) were calculated.Ten studies involving 1310 patients were analyzed. Overall, the DOR/AUROC for NGAL level to predict CIN was 20.56 [95% confidence interval (CI), 9.67-43.74]/0.87 (95% CI, 0.84-0.90), with sensitivity and specificity of 0.80 (95% CI, 0.74-0.85) and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.73-0.90), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the diagnostic performance of the DOR/AUROC of urinary NGAL [29.48 (95% CI, 12.19-71.27)/0.87 (95% CI, 0.84-0.90)] was better than that of plasma/serum NGAL [14.63 (95% CI, 4.51-47.38)/0.85 (95% CI, 0.82-0.88)] (DOR, P = 0.005, and AUROC, P = 0.04, respectively).Plasma/serum and urinary NGAL levels seem to be useful biomarkers in the early prediction of CIN. Moreover, urinary NGAL levels perform better than plasma/serum NGAL.

Aims To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of abnormal circadian blood pressure (BP) rhythm among IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients. Materials and methods 375 Chinese IgAN patients with biopsy-proven primary IgAN were recruited from June 2013 to December 2014 and divided into four groups based on circadian BP rhythm (dippers, non-dippers, reversed dippers, and extreme dippers) measured by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring. Demographic and clinicopathologic data were collected and analyzed. Results The prevalence of abnormal circadian BP was 84% (315/375) in all the participants, accounting for 82.4% of the normotensive patients and 86.1% of the hypertensive patients. The prevalence increased with the decline of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in IgAN patients. The non-dipper pattern was most frequent (63.8%, 201/315) in this population, followed by the reversed-dipper (27.3%, 86/315), and then the extreme-dipper pattern (8.9%, 28/315). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the eGFR (odds ratio (OR) = 0.64, 95% conficence interval (CI): 0.45 - 0.93, p = 0.037), serum uric acid (OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.01 - 2.54, p = 0.014), and small vessel hyalinosis (OR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.14 - 4.11, p = 0.044) were independently associated with abnormal circadian BP rhythm. Conclusion Abnormal circadian BP rhythm was common in IgAN patients and occurred in the early stages of chronic kidney disease. Low eGFR, high serum uric acid, and small vessel hyalinosis increased risk of abnormal BP rhythm in IgAN patients. .

Introduction The treatment of adult refractory idiopathic membranous nephropathy with steroid and other immunosuppressant-resistant nephrotic syndrome can be a significant challenge. The authors investigated the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus (TAC) as a promising regimen. Methods A prospective, multicenter trial was conducted in 9 nephrology centers from 2006 to 2008. Fourteen patients were enrolled. In conjunction with prednisone, TAC was started at 0.05 mg/kg/d, titrated to achieve a trough blood level of 5 to 10 ng/mL for the first 6 months, then reduced to 4 to 6 ng/mL for the subsequent 6 months. The primary endpoints included complete or partial remission. Secondary endpoints included relapse, change of clinical parameters and adverse events. Results After 12 months, complete remission was achieved in 35.7% of patients and partial remission in 42.9%, yielding a response rate of 78.6%. Proteinuria, serum albumin, cholesterol, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein were improved significantly ( P P P = 0.002, P = 0.01, P = 0.004, respectively). Proteinuria and serum albumin were significantly improved (42.0% ± 13.2%, P = 0.02; 15.2% ± 4.5%, P = 0.01, respectively) even after the first month of treatment. One patient relapsed during the subsequent 6 months of follow-up. Adverse events included 2 cases of infection and 1 case each of hyperglycemia, hand tremor, sudden death (nondrug related) and diarrhea. Conclusions TAC plus prednisone may be an alternative therapeutic option for steroid and general immunosuppressant-resistant membranous nephrotic syndrome patients, with a favorable safety profile. However, given the limitation of a small number of patients in this trial, further study with a larger number and longer follow-up is needed.

Background/Aims: Although dialysis patients have a higher risk of morbidity and mortality related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) than the general population, the mortality and associated risk factors in Asian dialysis patients with CVD have not been well examined. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, mortality and risk factors were investigated in 591 dialysis patients who were recruited from two dialysis centers from May 1, 2009 to May 1, 2014. The Cox proportional hazards regression assessed adjusted differences in mortality risk. A multivariate analysis was also performed, comparing the CVD and non-CVD groups. Results: A total of 591 patients were enrolled in this study (mean age, 52.05 ± 16.46 years [SD]; 61.8% men; 20.8% with CVD), with a median follow-up of 21.9 (maximum, 72) months. The cumulative hazard of mortality was significantly higher in CVD patients (hazard ratio [HR], 1.835; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.023-3.293; P=0.042) than in their non-CVD counterparts after adjusting for various confounders. On multivariate Cox analysis, stroke (HR, 4.574; 95% CI, 2.149-9.736; PConclusion: All-cause mortality was significantly higher in the CVD group than in the non-CVD group. Stroke is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in dialysis patients with CVD. These findings warrant further studies into preventive and interventional strategies.

Intravenous cyclophosphamide with prednisone is an effective treatment for lupus nephritis, but with significant toxicities. We compared the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus versus intravenous cyclophosphamide as induction therapy.Multicenter noninferiority randomized controlled trial.81 patients with biopsy-proven lupus nephritis from 9 nephrology centers in China from 2006-2008.Prednisone and either tacrolimus (n = 42) or intravenous cyclophosphamide (n = 39) for 6 months. Tacrolimus was started at 0.05 mg/kg/d and titrated to achieve a trough blood concentration of 5-10 ng/mL. Intravenous cyclophosphamide was initiated at 750 mg/m² of body surface area, then adjusted to 500-1,000 mg/m² every 4 weeks for a total of 6 pulse treatments.The primary outcome was complete remission (proteinuria with protein excretion0.3 g/24 h, serum albumin ≥3.5 g/dL, normal urinary sediment, and normal or stable serum creatinine level) at 6 months. Response (complete or partial remission), clinical parameters, and adverse effects were secondary end points.After the 6-month induction therapy, the tacrolimus group achieved higher cumulative probabilities of complete remission and response (52.4% vs 38.5% and 90.5% vs 82.1%, respectively) than the intravenous cyclophosphamide group, but differences were not statistically significant (log-rank test, P = 0.2 and P = 0.7, respectively). Proteinuria [corrected] was significantly decreased in tacrolimus- versus intravenous cyclophosphamide-treated patients after the first month of treatment, even with adjustment for baseline proteinuria (protein excretion, 1.76 vs 2.40 g/d; P = 0.02 for the log-transformed analysis). [corrected] After treatment, serum creatinine levels and estimated glomerular filtration rates were not significantly different between treatment groups. Adverse effects, such as leukopenia and gastrointestinal symptoms, were less frequent in the tacrolimus group.Nonblinded, small sample size, and short duration of follow-up.In conjunction with prednisone, induction therapy with tacrolimus is at least as efficacious as intravenous cyclophosphamide and prednisone in producing complete remission of lupus nephritis and has a more favorable safety profile.

The optimal therapy for adult steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) remains a therapeutic challenge. We investigated the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus as a promising regimen in Chinese adult patients. A prospective, multicenter trial was conducted in 9 nephrology centers from 2006 to 2008, in patients with SRNS (defined as failure to respond to 1 mg/kg/day of prednisone for 8, and 16 weeks, in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis). Patients were treated with tacrolimus (TAC) plus prednisone for 12 months. TAC dose was titrated to achieve a target trough blood concentration of 5–10 ng/ml for the first 6 months and 4–6 ng/ml for the subsequent 6 months. The primary outcomes included complete or partial remission [complete remission (CR): proteinuria

Background Patients undergoing maintenance dialysis are at increased risk of stroke, however, less is known about the prevalence and impact on stroke in the patients. Methods In this prospective cohort study, 590 patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD; n = 285) or peritoneal dialysis (PD; n = 305) from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2012 were recruited. Baseline demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected. Timeline incidence data were analyzed using a Poisson model. The Cox proportional hazards regression assessed adjusted differences in stroke risk, a multivariate analysis was also performed. Results 62 strokes occurred during 1258 total patient-years of follow-up. Stroke occurred at a rate of 49.2/1,000 patient-years with a predominance in HD patients compared with PD patients (74.0 vs. 31.8/1,000 patient-years). The cumulative hazard of developing stroke was significantly higher in HD patients (hazard ratio [HR], 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15–3.62; p = 0.046) after adjusting for potential confounders. HD patients had an increased risk of ischemic stroke (HR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.56–4.58; p = 0.002). The risk of hemorrhagic stroke was not significantly different between PD and HD patients. On multivariate Cox analysis, risk factors of stroke in both HD and PD patients were older age, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Other independent risk factors of stroke were lower albumin-corrected calcium in HD patients and higher triglycerides in PD patients. Conclusions Patients undergoing PD were less likely to develop ischemic stroke than those undergoing HD. Comprehensive control of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, calcium-phosphorus metabolism, and triglyceride levels may be useful preventive strategies for stroke in dialysis patients.