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Expanded hemodialysis (HDx) has a high capacity for removing medium and medium-large molecules; however, there are no specific recommendations during HDx for anticoagulation of the dialysis circuit. We aimed to evaluate the differences in the efficacy of anticoagulation procedures using the venous port and 40 mg enoxaparin in HDx compared to high-flux hemodialysis (HF-HD) and postdilution online hemodiafiltration (HDF). We compared anticoagulant activity in 11 patients in HDx, HF-HD, and HDF under similar dialysis conditions. In the 33 dialysis sessions, 40 mg enoxaparin was administered through the venous port, and pre- and postdialysis antifactor Xa activity (aXa) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), postdialysis clotting time of the vascular access, visual clotting score of the dialyzer, and any complications with the extracorporeal circuit or bleeding were registered. APTT postdialysis in HDx was not significantly different from that in HF-HD and HDF. Postdialysis aXa in HDx was not significantly different from that in HF-HD and HDF. We found no significant differences in visual clotting score of the dialyzer. Enoxaparin administered through the venous port was sufficient for anticoagulation within the extracorporeal circuit in HDx, HF-HD, and HDF. There were no differences in postdialysis aXa or APTT, most likely because when low molecular-weight heparin is applied through venous port, lesser enoxaparin concentration reaches the dialyzer. Thus, we conclude that the dose of enoxaparin administered through the venous port should not be adjusted according to dialysis technique.

Describir las características clínicas de los pacientes tratados con evolocumab, las razones del inicio de la terapia y los efectos del tratamiento en la fase inicial de disponibilidad de evolocumab en las unidades de nefrología de España.

Background. Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have shown high rates of sustained virological response in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, the influence of DAAs on the course of kidney involvement in HCV-associated mixed cryoglobulinaemia (HCV-MC) has been little studied. The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of antiviral treatment on kidney prognosis and evolution in patients diagnosed with HCV-MC. Methods. The RENALCRYOGLOBULINEMIC study is an observational multicentre cohort study of 139 patients with HCV-MC from 14 Spanish centres. Clinical and laboratory parameters were measured before and after antiviral treatment. Primary endpoints were kidney survival and mortality after HCV-MC diagnosis. Secondary endpoints were clinical, immunological and virological responses after antiviral treatment. Results. Patients were divided into three groups based on the treatment received: treatment with DAAs (n=100) treatment with interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) (n=24) and no treatment (n=15). Patients were followed up for a median duration of 138 months (interquartile range 70-251. DAA treatment reduced overall mortality {hazard ratio [HR] 0.12 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04-0.40]; P

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical characteristics, the reasons for initiating therapy and the effects of treatment in the initial phase of evolocumab availability in the Nephrology Units of Spain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective, observational and multicentric study that included patients initiating treatment with evolocumab (from February 2016 to August 2018), in 15 Nephrology Units in Spain. The demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, the lipid lowering treatment and the evolution of the lipid profiles between 24 weeks pre-initiation and 12±4 weeks post-initiation of evolocumab were reviewed. RESULTS: Sixty patients were enrolled: 53.3% women; mean (SD) age, 56.9 (12.8) years, 45.0% with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) (5.0% homozygous and 40.0% heterozygous) and 65.0% with atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CV) disease. The mean (SD) eGFR was 62.6 (30.0)ml/min/1.73m2 (51.7% of patients had eGFR2]), 50.0% had proteinuria (>300mg/g) and 10.0% had nephrotic syndrome. Other CV risk factors were hypertension (75.0%), diabetes (25.0%), and smoking (21.7%). A 40.0% of patients were statin intolerant. At evolocumab initiation, 41.7% of patients were on a high-intensity statin, 18.3% on moderate intensity statin and 50.0% were receiving ezetimibe. Mean (SD) LDL-c at evolocumab initiation was 179.7 (62.9)mg/dL (53.4% of patients with LDL-c=160mg/dL and 29.3%=190mg/dL). After 12 weeks, evolocumab resulted in LDL-c reductions of 60.1%. At week 12, 90.0% of patients reached LDL-c levels 2) and secondary prevention, with LDL-c levels above those recommended by the guidelines. Evolocumab used in clinical practice significantly reduced the LDL-c levels in all patients included in the study.

Background. Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) are easily dialysable with high-flow membranes; however, it is not clear whether the LMWH dose should be adjusted according to the membrane type and dialysis technique. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the dialyser on anticoagulation of the extracorporeal dialysis circuit. Methods. Thirteen patients received the same dose of LMWH through the arterial port via three dialysis techniques: high-flux haemodialysis (HF-HD), online haemodiafiltration (HDF) and expanded haemodialysis (HDx). All dialysis was performed under similar conditions: duration, 4 h; blood flow, 400 mL/min; and dialysate flow, 500 mL/min. Antifactor Xa (aXa) activity and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were measured before and after the dialysis. Clotting time of the vascular access site after haemodialysis, visual clotting score of the dialyser and any complications with the extracorporeal circuit or bleeding were registered. Results. Post-dialysis aXa activity in HF-HD (0.26 +/- 0.02 U/mL) was significantly different from that in HDF (0.21 +/- 0.02 U/mL, P = 0.024), and there was a trend in HDx (0.22 +/- 0.01 U/mL, P = 0.05). APTT post-dialysis in HF-HD (30.5 +/- 0.7 s) was significantly different from that in HDx (28.2 +/- 0.64 s, P = 0.009) and HDF (28.8 +/- 0.73 s, P = 0.009). Conclusions. AXa activity in HDF was significantly lower than that in HF-HD, possibly because of more losses of LMWH through the dialyser. Given the higher anticoagulant loss in HDF and probably in HDx than in HF-HD, the enoxaparin dose administered may be adjusted according to the dialysis technique.

BACKGROUND: Maternal iodine deficiency is related to high neonatal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) values, with the threshold of 5 mIU/L recommended as an indicator of iodine nutrition status. The objective of this study was to analyse possible risk factors for increased TSH that could distort its validity as a marker of iodine status. The clinical relevance of this research question is that if the factors associated with iodine deficiency are known, iodine supplementation can be introduced in risk groups, both during pregnancy and in newborns. METHODS: A case-control study was carried out in a sample of 46,622 newborns in 2002-2015 in Spain. Of these, 45,326 had a neonatal TSH value =5 mIU/L. The main variable was having TSH =5 mIU/L and the secondary variables were: sex, gestational age, day of sample extraction and maternal origin. Associated factors were analysed through a logistic regression model, calculating the odds ratio (OR). RESULTS: The factors associated with this outcome were: male sex (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.20-1.50, p