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Abstract Background Vitamin D status has been implicated in COVID-19 disease. The objective of the COVID-VIT-D trial was to investigate if an oral bolus of cholecalciferol (100,000 IU) administered at hospital admission influences the outcomes of moderate-severe COVID-19 disease. In the same cohort, the association between baseline serum calcidiol levels with the same outcomes was also analysed. Methods The COVID-VIT-D is a multicentre, international, randomised, open label, clinical trial conducted throughout 1 year. Patients older than 18 years with moderate-severe COVID-19 disease requiring hospitalisation were included. At admission, patients were randomised 1:1 to receive a single oral bolus of cholecalciferol (n=274) or nothing (n=269). Patients were followed from admission to discharge or death. Length of hospitalisation, admission to intensive care unit (ICU) and mortality were assessed. Results In the randomised trial, comorbidities, biomarkers, symptoms and drugs used did not differ between groups. Median serum calcidiol in the cholecalciferol and control groups were 17.0 vs. 16.1 ng/mL at admission and 29.0 vs. 16.4 ng/mL at discharge, respectively. The median length of hospitalisation (10.0 [95%CI 9.0–10.5] vs. 9.5 [95%CI 9.0–10.5] days), admission to ICU (17.2% [95%CI 13.0–22.3] vs. 16.4% [95%CI 12.3–21.4]) and death rate (8.0% [95%CI 5.2–12.1] vs. 5.6% [95%CI 3.3–9.2]) did not differ between the cholecalciferol and control group. In the cohort analyses, the highest serum calcidiol category at admission (>25ng/mL) was associated with lower percentage of pulmonary involvement and better outcomes. Conclusions The randomised clinical trial showed the administration of an oral bolus of 100,000 IU of cholecalciferol at hospital admission did not improve the outcomes of the COVID-19 disease. A cohort analysis showed that serum calcidiol at hospital admission was associated with outcomes. Trial registration COVID-VIT-D trial was authorised by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health products (AEMPS) and registered in European Union Drug Regulating Authorities Clinical Trials (EudraCT 2020-002274-28) and in ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT04552951 ).

Phosphorus is a vital element for life found in most foods as a natural component, but it is also one of the most used preservatives added during food processing. High serum phosphorus contributes to develop vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease; however, it is not clear its effect in a population without kidney damage. The objective of this in vivo and in vitro study was to investigate the effect of high phosphorus exposure on the aortic and serum levels of miR-145 and its effect on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMCs) changes towards less contractile phenotypes. The study was performed in aortas and serum from rats fed standard and high-phosphorus diets, and in VSMCs exposed to different concentrations of phosphorus. In addition, miR-145 silencing and overexpression experiments were carried out. In vivo results showed that in rats with normal renal function fed a high P diet, a significant increase in serum phosphorus was observed which was associated to a significant decrease in the aortic α-actin expression which paralleled the decrease in aortic and serum miR-145 levels, with no changes in the osteogenic markers. In vitro results using VSMCs corroborated the in vivo findings. High phosphorus first reduced miR-145, and afterwards α-actin expression. The miR-145 overexpression significantly increased α-actin expression and partially prevented the increase in calcium content. These results suggest that miR-145 could be an early biomarker of vascular calcification, which could give information about the initiation of the transdifferentiation process in VSMCs.

Preclinical biomedical models are a fundamental tool to improve the knowledge and management of diseases, particularly in diabetes mellitus (DM) since, currently, the pathophysiological and molecular mechanisms involved in its development are not fully clarified, and there is no treatment to cure DM. This review will focus on the features, advantages and limitations of some of the most used DM models in rats, such as the spontaneous models: Bio-Breeding Diabetes-Prone (BB-DP) and LEW.1AR1-iddm, as representative models of type 1 DM (DM-1); the Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) and Goto-kakizaki (GK) rats, as representative models of type 2 DM (DM-2); and other models induced by surgical, dietary and pharmacological—alloxan and streptozotocin—procedures. Given the variety of DM models in rats, as well as the non-uniformity in the protocols and the absence of all the manifestation of the long-term multifactorial complications of DM in humans, the researchers must choose the one that best suits the final objectives of the study. These circumstances, added to the fact that most of the experimental research in the literature is focused on the study of the early phase of DM, makes it necessary to develop long-term studies closer to DM in humans. In this review, a recently published rat DM model induced by streptozotocin injection with chronic exogenous administration of insulin to reduce hyperglycaemia has also been included in an attempt to mimic the chronic phase of DM in humans.

Fibrosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of long-term diabetic complications and contributes to the development of cardiac and renal dysfunction. The aim of this experimental study, performed in a long-term rat model, which resembles type 1 diabetes mellitus, was to investigate the role of soluble Klotho (sKlotho), advanced glycation end products (AGEs)/receptor for AGEs (RAGE), fibrotic Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and pro-fibrotic pathways in kidney and heart. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin. Glycaemia was maintained by insulin administration for 24 weeks. Serum and urine sKlotho, AGEs, soluble RAGE (sRAGE) and biochemical markers were studied. The levels of Klotho, RAGEs, ADAM10, markers of fibrosis (collagen deposition, fibronectin, TGF-β1, and Wnt/β-catenin pathway), hypertrophy of the kidney and/or heart were analysed. At the end of study, diabetic rats showed higher levels of urinary sKlotho, AGEs and sRAGE and lower serum sKlotho compared with controls without differences in the renal Klotho expression. A significant positive correlation was found between urinary sKlotho and AGEs and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (uACR). Fibrosis and RAGE levels were significantly higher in the heart without differences in the kidney of diabetic rats compared to controls. The results also suggest the increase in sKlotho and sRAGE excretion may be due to polyuria in the diabetic rats.

The impact of body mass index (BMI) and body weight on hospitalization rates in haemodialysis patients is unknown.This study hypothesizes that being either underweight or obese is associated with a higher hospitalization rate.Observational study of 6296 European haemodialysis patients with prospective data collection and follow-up every six months for three years (COSMOS study). The risk of being hospitalized was estimated by a time-dependent Cox regression model and the annual risk (incidence rate ratios, IRR) by Poisson regression. We considered weight loss, weight gain and stable weight. Weight change analyses were also performed after patient stratification according to their baseline BMI.A total of 3096 patients were hospitalized at least once with 9731 hospitalizations in total. The hospitalization incidence (fully adjusted IRR 1.28, 95% CI [1.18–1.39]) was higher among underweight patients (BMI

Background: Mineral and bone metabolism disorders are common complications in hemodialysis patients that present significant geographical variability. Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess these disorders for the first time in hemodialysis patients from Peru. Methods: The study included 1551 hemodialysis patients from 55 centers affiliated with the Social Health System of Peru in the city of Lima. Demographic data, comorbidities, treatments and biochemical parameters were collected from each patient. Serum calcium, phosphorus and PTH levels were categorized according to the recommended ranges in the KDOQI and KDIGO guidelines. Results: The mean age of the patients was 59.5 ± 15.6 years, with a mean time on hemodialysis of 58.0 ± 54.2 months. All patients were dialyzed with a calcium concentration in the dialysis fluid of 3.5 mEq/l and 68.9% of patients were prescribed phosphate-binding agents (98.4% of them calcium carbonate). A high percentage of patients showed serum calcium above, and serum phosphorus below, the recommended ranges in the KDOQI guidelines (32.8% and 37.3%, respectively). More than half of the patients had serum PTH values below the recommended ranges of both the KDOQI and KDIGO guidelines (56.4% and 51.6%, respectively). Conclusions: Patients included in this study were younger than those from other studies and showed both hypophosphataemia and suppressed PTH, probably due to an excessive calcium overload through dialysis fluid and the use of calcium-containing phosphate binding agents. Resumen: Antecedentes: Las alteraciones del metabolismo óseo y mineral son complicaciones frecuentes de los pacientes de hemodiálisis que presentan una gran variabilidad geográfica. Objetivos: El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar por primera vez dichas alteraciones en pacientes de hemodiálisis de Perú. Métodos: El estudio incluyó 1.551 pacientes de hemodiálisis de 55 centros concertados con el seguro social de salud de Perú, pertenecientes a la ciudad de Lima. De cada paciente se recogieron datos demográficos, comorbilidades, tratamientos y parámetros bioquímicos. Los valores de calcio, fósforo y PTH fueron categorizados según los rangos recomendados en las guías KDOQI y KDIGO. Resultados: La edad media de los pacientes fue de 59,5 ± 15,6, con tiempo medio en hemodiálisis de 58,0 ± 54,2 meses. Todos los pacientes se dializaban con una concentración de calcio en el líquido de diálisis de 3,5 mEq/l y el 68,9% recibían captores de fósforo (98,4% carbonato de calcio). Se observó un alto porcentaje de pacientes con calcio sérico por encima y fósforo sérico por debajo de los rangos recomendados en las guías KDOQI (32,8% y 37,3% respectivamente). Más de la mitad de los pacientes tenían valores de PTH por debajo de los rangos recomendados, tanto en KDOQI como en KDIGO (56,4% y 51,6% respectivamente). Conclusiones: Los pacientes incluidos en el presente estudio se caracterizaron por ser más jóvenes que los de otros estudios y por tener hipofosforemia y PTH suprimida, probablemente debido a una excesiva sobrecarga de calcio a través del líquido de diálisis y el empleo de captores de fósforo con calcio. Keywords: Chronic kidney disease, Hemodialysis, Calcium, Phosphorus, Parathyroid hormone, Palabras clave: Enfermedad renal crónica, Hemodiálisis, Calcio, Fósforo, Hormona paratiroidea

Resumen: Antecedentes: Las alteraciones del metabolismo óseo y mineral son complicaciones frecuentes de los pacientes de hemodiálisis que presentan una gran variabilidad geográfica. Objetivos: El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar por primera vez dichas alteraciones en pacientes de hemodiálisis de Perú. Métodos: El estudio incluyó 1.551 pacientes de hemodiálisis de 55 centros concertados con el seguro social de salud de Perú, pertenecientes a la ciudad de Lima. De cada paciente se recogieron datos demográficos, comorbilidades, tratamientos y parámetros bioquímicos. Los valores de calcio, fósforo y PTH fueron categorizados según los rangos recomendados en las guías KDOQI y KDIGO. Resultados: La edad media de los pacientes fue de 59,5 ± 15,6, con tiempo medio en hemodiálisis de 58,0 ± 54,2 meses. Todos los pacientes se dializaban con una concentración de calcio en el líquido de diálisis de 3,5 mEq/l y el 68,9% recibían captores de fósforo (98,4% carbonato de calcio). Se observó un alto porcentaje de pacientes con calcio sérico por encima y fósforo sérico por debajo de los rangos recomendados en las guías KDOQI (32,8% y 37,3% respectivamente). Más de la mitad de los pacientes tenían valores de PTH por debajo de los rangos recomendados, tanto en KDOQI como en KDIGO (56,4% y 51,6% respectivamente). Conclusiones: Los pacientes incluidos en el presente estudio se caracterizaron por ser más jóvenes que los de otros estudios y por tener hipofosforemia y PTH suprimida, probablemente debido a una excesiva sobrecarga de calcio a través del líquido de diálisis y el empleo de captores de fósforo con calcio. Abstract: Background: Mineral and bone metabolism disorders are common complications in haemodialysis patients that present significant geographical variability. Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess these disorders for the first time in haemodialysis patients from Peru. Methods: The study included 1551 haemodialysis patients from 55 centres affiliated with the Social Health System of Peru in the city of Lima. Demographic data, comorbidities, treatments and biochemical parameters were collected from each patient. Serum calcium, phosphorus and PTH levels were categorised according to the recommended ranges in the KDOQI and KDIGO guidelines. Results: The mean age of the patients was 59.5 ± 15.6 years, with a mean time on haemodialysis of 58.0 ± 54.2 months. All patients were dialysed with a calcium concentration in the dialysis fluid of 3.5 mEq/l and 68.9% of patients were prescribed phosphate-binding agents (98.4% of them calcium carbonate). A high percentage of patients showed serum calcium above, and serum phosphorus below, the recommended ranges in the KDOQI guidelines (32.8% and 37.3%, respectively). More than half of the patients had serum PTH values below the recommended ranges of both the KDOQI and KDIGO guidelines (56.4% and 51.6%, respectively). Conclusions: Patients included in this study were younger than those from other studies and showed both hypophosphataemia and suppressed PTH, probably due to an excessive calcium overload through dialysis fluid and the use of calcium-containing phosphate binding agents. Palabras clave: Enfermedad renal crónica, Hemodiálisis, Calcio, Fósforo, Hormona paratiroidea, Keywords: Chronic kidney disease, Haemodialysis, Calcium, Phosphorus, Parathyroid Hormone

Fibrosis is a process characterized by an excessive accumulation of the extracellular matrix as a response to different types of tissue injuries, which leads to organ dysfunction. The process can be initiated by multiple and different stimuli and pathogenic factors which trigger the cascade of reparation converging in molecular signals responsible of initiating and driving fibrosis. Though fibrosis can play a defensive role, in several circumstances at a certain stage, it can progressively become an uncontrolled irreversible and self-maintained process, named pathological fibrosis. Several systems, molecules and responses involved in the pathogenesis of the pathological fibrosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) will be discussed in this review, putting special attention on inflammation, renin-angiotensin system (RAS), parathyroid hormone (PTH), fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), Klotho, microRNAs (miRs), and the vitamin D hormonal system. All of them are key factors of the core and regulatory pathways which drive fibrosis, having a great negative kidney and cardiac impact in CKD.