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The cardiovascular mortality risk is greatly increased in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially in dialysis patients, due to atherosclerosis. Platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) is an enzyme that hydrolyzes platelet activating factor (PAF). Valvular calcifications and PAF-AH are associated with atherosclerosis. However, little is known about the status of PAF-AH activity and valvular calcification in dialysis patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the status of these parameters in CKD patients.

Background Data on the prognostic factors for C3 glomerulopathy (C3G) are limited, and validation of the new C3G histologic index (C3G-HI) in different settings is still needed. We aimed to evaluate the chronicity score of C3G-HI and probable prognostic factors in our population. Methods In this registry study, 74 patients from 20 centers with adequate follow-up data were included. Total chronicity score (TCS) was calculated according to percentages of glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, and presence of arterio- and arteriolosclerosis. Primary composite outcome was defined as doubling of serum creatinine from baseline, undergoing dialysis or transplantation, development of stage 5 chronic kidney disease, or death. Results Median age was 34 [interquartile range (IQR) 24–46] years, and 39 patients (52.7%) were male. Median follow-up duration was 36 (IQR 12–60) months, and median TCS was 3 (IQR 1–5). Overall, 19 patients (25.7%) experienced primary composite outcome. Multivariate Cox regression model showed that only hemoglobin [adjusted HR (aHR) 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.46–0.97, P = .035] predicted primary composite outcome, and TCS fell short of the statistical significance (aHR 1.26, 0.97–1.64, P = .08). Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that TCS showed an area under the curve value of 0.68 (0.56–0.78, P = .028) in discriminating primary composite outcome at 3 years, and 3-year kidney survival was lower in patients with TCS ≥4 (72.4%) compared with TCS <4 (91.1%) in Kaplan–Meier analysis (P = .036). Conclusions Low hemoglobin levels predicted dismal outcomes in patients with C3G. TCS ≥4 was associated with a worse 3-year kidney survival, which validated the 3-year prognostic value of the TCS of C3G-HI in our population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the vaccine response and the effect of the booster dose on COVID‐19 positivity in haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients who received and did not receive BNT162b2 as a booster dose after two doses of CoronaVac. Methods: The study included 80 PD and 163 HD patients, who had been administered two doses of the CoronaVac. Antibody levels were measured on Days 42 and 90 after the first dose. Measurements were repeated on Day 181 after the first dose in the patients that received two vaccine doses and on Day 28 after the third dose in those that also received the booster dose. Antibody levels below 50 AU/mL were considered negative. Results: The seropositivity rate was similar in the HD and PD group on Days 42 and 90 (p = 0.212 and 0.720). All patients were seropositive in the booster group. The antibody level was lower in the patients that received CoronaVac as the booster compared to those administered BNT162b2 in HD and PD groups (p < 0.001 and 0.002). COVID‐19 positivity was detected in 11 patients (7 = had not received the booster dose, 4 = had received third dose of CoronaVac). The multivariate analysis revealed that as age increased, COVID‐19 positivity also increased (OR: 1.080, 95% CI: 1.017 – 1.146, p = 0.012), while booster dose administration decreased this positivity (OR: 0.113, 95% CI: 0.028 – 0.457, p = 0.002). Conclusion: Our results may indicate the need for additional vaccination doses in patients with HD and PD. Our findings indicate a higher antibody response in dialysis patients with heterologous BNT162b2 as a booster dose after two doses of CoronaVac compared to homologous CoronaVac. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Depression, anxiety, and poor sleep quality are common problems in patients with chronic kidney disease and are closely related to mortality and quality of life. The aim of this study is to investigate all factors, including vascular access type, that affect anxiety symptoms, depression, and poor sleep quality in hemodialysis patients. Methods: The study included 101 patients. The patients were divided into 2 groups as patients with central venous catheter and with arterio-venous fistula. The basic demographics and laboratory data of the patients were recorded. Anxiety symptom, depressive symptom, and sleep quality were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, respectively. Regression analysis was used to determine the factors affecting poor sleep quality, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Results: Anxiety symptoms were found in 76.2%, suspicion of depression in 64.4%, and poor sleep quality in 63.4% of the patients. In the group of patients with central venous catheter, the number of patients with anxiety symptoms, suspicion of depression, and poor sleep quality were significantly higher than arterio-venous fistula group (96.8% vs 67.2%, P: .001, 90.3% vs 52.9%, P: .001, 80.6% vs 55.7%, P: .024, respectively). Regression analysis showed that a high Beck Anxiety Inventory score affected sleep quality; female gender and high Beck Depression Inventory and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores affected anxiety; and inflammation and malnutrition affected suspicion of depression. Conclusion: Sleep disorders, depression, and anxiety are common in patients with chronic kidney disease. Although the rate of poor sleep quality, anxiety symptoms, and suspicion of depression was found to be significantly higher in the group with central venous catheter than in the group with arterio-venous fistula, no effect of vascular access was detected in the regression analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Familial Mediterranean fever is an autosomal recessive genetic disease characterized by fever and serositis attacks. The most important complication is amyloidosis. In Familial Mediterranean fever patients, chronic kidney disease can develop without amyloid development. The aim of the study is to evaluate the development of chronic kidney disease in familial Mediterranean fever patients and to determine the factors that are involved in this development. Methods: One hundred seventy-eight familial Mediterranean fever patients who were followed up between 2000 and 2020 were included in the study. Familial Mediterranean fever diagnosis was made according to the Tel-Hashomer criteria. Genetic tests were obtained in cases in which there was suspicion of diagnosis. Clinical and demographic characteristics of patients and all laboratory data including urea, creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and proteinuria in 24-hour urine at the time of first and last admission were evaluated. Results: The mean age of the patients was 34.53 ± 10.72, the follow-up period was 6.12 ± 3.94, and the diagnosis age was 21.7 ± 11.5 years. The percentage of chronic kidney disease development at first and last admission was 13.5% and 19.1%, respectively. The risk factors associated with the development of chronic kidney disease were early disease onset and arthritis attacks. Conclusion: The role of genotype characteristics in the development of chronic kidney disease has not been determined. Patients diagnosed with familial Mediterranean fever disease at an early age and especially with arthritis attacks should be closely monitored in terms of the risk of developing chronic kidney disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The most important cause of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease is cardiovascular disease. Despite traditional risk factors being controlled, the lack of desired reduction in mortality rates has led to an investigation of new treatment strategies. In experimental studies, urotension-II has been shown to increase foam cell formation, reactive oxygen radicals, oxide-Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) levels, and matrix metalloproteinase expression and thus contributing to the development of atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between urotension-II and carotid intima media thickness in dialysis patients. Methods: This study included 33 hemodialysis patients, 35 peritoneal dialysis patients, and 15 healthy individuals. Patients with traditional risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease, such as diabetes mellitus, familial hypercholesterolemia, and a family history of early cardiac disease, were not included in the study. Furthermore, all individuals with active infection and malignancy were excluded. All laboratory data and urotension-II levels were analyzed. To prevent interobserver errors, carotid intima media thickness measurements were performed by a single radiologist Results: There was no difference between the groups in terms of age, gender, smoking, and dialysis duration. Urotension-II levels were significantly higher only in hemodialysis group compared to peritoneal dialysis and control groups. Carotid intima media thickness was significantly higher in both dialysis groups. Factors affecting carotid intima media thickness were age in peritoneal dialysis patients, as well as glucose, albumin, phosphorus, parathormone, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and uric acid in hemodialysis patients. Conclusion: Although the role of urotension-II in the development of atherosclerosis was demonstrated in experimental studies, no positive correlation was found between urotension-II and carotid intima media thickness in current study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]