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Democracy and human rights are essential concepts for people as they are fundamental elements of human life. Demonstrating the importance of democracy and human rights in terms of human life can be achieved by educating people. Democracy and human rights education is given to primary and secondary school students through social studies lessons. As a matter of fact, social studies have content based on all situations, facts, and events related to human social life. In primary and secondary education, the knowledge, skills, and values people should have in their social life are presented to students through social studies education. In this study, the concepts of democracy and human rights were examined in terms of content and historical development, the place of these concepts in human education was tried to be discussed, and their importance in terms of social studies education was examined. The study stated that democracy and human rights education are essential facts in terms of human life. That theoretical and practical knowledge about democracy and human rights can be gained through education. On the other hand, the importance of the concepts of democracy and human rights in terms of social studies, an interdisciplinary field of education, has also been tried to be revealed in the study.

Background Candidemia is the most common invasive fungal disease in intensive care units (ICUs). Objective We aimed to investigate cases of candidemia infection developing in the ICU and factors associated with mortality due to this infection. Materials and Methods This is a retrospective study including patients admitted to a tertiary university hospital ICU between January 2012 and December 2020. Patients over 18 years of age who had candida growth in at least one blood culture taken from central or peripheral samples (>48 h after admission to the ICU) without concurrent growth were evaluated. Results The study group consisted of 136 patients with candida. Eighty-seven (63.97%) patients were male, with a median age of 69.5 (59–76.5) years. The 7-day mortality rate was 35.29%, while the 30-day mortality rate was 69.11%. As a result of multiple logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for age and malignancy, high APACHE II score and low platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) - were found to be significant factors in predicting both 7-day and 30-day mortality. Conclusion In this study, PLR and APACHE II scores were shown to be independent predictors of mortality in patients with candidemia in the ICU.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to characterize kidney and urine antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) from patients with active lupus nephritis, before and after induction therapy. METHODS: We included patients with biopsy-proven active lupus nephritis and performed anti-CD138 staining of kidney biopsy samples to visualize ASCs. We performed single-cell gene expression profiling on sorted ASCs from fresh biopsy samples using multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. We used a gene set that allowed for the study of ASC maturation from plasmablasts to long-lived plasma cells. We quantified urine ASCs from untreated patients with lupus nephritis at diagnosis and after 6 months of prospective follow-up during induction therapy. RESULTS: The number of kidney CD138+ ASCs in 46 untreated patients with lupus nephritis was correlated with a low estimated glomerular filtration rate and with tubulointerstitial damage. Most kidney ASCs from 3 untreated patients had a plasmablast molecular signature; in contrast, in 4 patients with refractory lupus nephritis, the kidney ASCs were mainly long-lived plasma cells, representing an ASC transcriptional profile similar to that in the bone marrow of 2 healthy donors. Some urine ASCs with a plasmablast signature were detected in patients with untreated active lupus nephritis. The presence of urine ASCs at 6 months was associated with treatment failure. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest potential for ASC-directed therapy in refractory lupus nephritis.

Short bubble and subsequent surface oxygenation is an innovative oxygenation technique and alternative for membrane oxygenation during hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP). The metabolic effect of the interruption of surface oxygenation for 4 h (mimicking organ transport) during HMP was compared to continuous surface and membrane oxygenation in a pig kidney ex situ preservation model. After 30 min of warm ischemia by vascular clamping, a kidney of a ±40 kg pig was procured and subsequently preserved according to one of the following groups: (1) 22-h HMP + intermittent surface oxygenation (n = 12); (2) 22-h HMP + continuous membrane oxygenation (n = 6); and (3) 22-h HMP + continuous surface oxygenation (n = 7). Brief perfusate O2 uploading before kidney perfusion was either obtained by direct bubble (groups 1, 3) or by membrane (group 2) oxygenation. Bubble oxygenation during minimum 15 min was as efficient as membrane oxygenation in achieving supraphysiological perfusate pO2 levels before kidney perfusion. Metabolic tissue analysis (i.e., lactate, succinate, ATP, NADH, and FMN) during and at the end of the preservation period demonstrated similar mitochondrial protection between all study groups. Short bubble and subsequent intermittent surface oxygenation of the perfusate of an HMP-kidney might be an effective and cheap preservation strategy to protect mitochondria, eliminating the need/costs of a membrane oxygenator and oxygen source during transport.

Pulmonary-renal syndrome refers to the combination of elevated plasma creatinine concentration and/or abnormal urinalysis with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, and involves both an urgent diagnostic approach and care. We report the case of a 24-year-old man presenting with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage as well as a nephritic syndrome associating kidney failure, moderate hypertension, hematuria and selective glomerular proteinuria. The initial high suspicion of anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease or ANCA-associated vasculitis justified intravenous pulse-corticotherapy in association with plasma exchange. Renal biopsy was remarkable for an IgA nephropathy, lesions of active thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) and a positive staining for complement factor C4d. Because anti-GBM and ANCA antibodies returned negative, plasma exchange was discontinued, but oral corticosteroids were maintained to prevent alveolar hemorrhage recurrence. In the absence of renal function recovery, hemodialysis was initiated. TMA lesions are frequently seen in IgA nephropathy and are associated with a poorer prognosis. Complement activation seems to be involved in the development of those lesions and contributes to disease progression. Conversely, alveolar hemorrhage in the setting of IgA nephropathy is uncommon. It is thought to result from non-specific mucosal hemorrhage, an immune complex mediated basement membrane damage and an IgA-mediated capillaritis against basement membrane antigens.

Background Oxalate nephropathy is a potentially underestimated cause of kidney failure characterized by massive deposition of calcium oxalate crystals in the renal parenchyma. The prevalence and modes of presentation of this entity are ill-defined. Methods Here we report on the largest consecutive series of cases of adult oxalate nephropathy diagnosed on native kidney biopsies from January 2010 to December 2018 in the UCLouvain Kidney Disease Network. Results We screened 2265 native kidney biopsies and identified 22 cases (1%) of oxalate nephropathy. Patients had a mean age at diagnosis of 61 years (±20) and presented either with acute on chronic kidney disease (CKD) (62%) or with acute kidney injury (AKI) (38%). Mean serum creatinine at biopsy was 8.0 ± 4.5 mg/dl. Kidney biopsies showed abundant calcium oxalate crystal deposits, associated with acute interstitial nephritis and tubular necrosis, and variable degrees of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. Chronic pancreatitis and gastric bypass were the most common causes of oxalate nephropathy (48%). During a mean follow-up of 29 months, half of the patients (52%) progressed to kidney failure, all within the month following diagnosis. Higher serum creatinine level at presentation and interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy score were associated with progression to kidney failure. Conclusion Oxalate nephropathy is the cause of kidney disease in 1% of consecutive native kidney biopsies and typically presents as acute on CKD or AKI. The prognosis of the disease is poor, with a high rate of kidney failure within the first month after the diagnosis., Graphical abstract

Objectives In patients with LN, clinical and histological responses to treatment have been shown to be discordant. We investigated whether per-protocol repeat kidney biopsies are predictive of LN relapses and long-term renal function impairment. Methods Forty-two patients with incident biopsy-proven active proliferative (class III/IV±V) LN from the database of the UCLouvain were included in this retrospective study. Per-protocol repeat biopsies were performed after a median [interquartile range (IQR)] time of 24.3 (21.3–26.2) months. The National Institutes of Health activity index (AI) and chronicity index (CI) scores were assessed in all biopsies. Results Despite a moderate correlation between urinary protein/creatinine ratios (UPCR) and AI scores at repeat biopsy (r = 0.48; P = 0.001), 10 patients (23.8%) with UPCR 3). High AI scores (continuous) in repeat biopsies were associated with an increased probability and/or shorter time to renal relapse (n = 11) following the repeat biopsy [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.3; P = 0.007], independently of proteinuria levels. High CI scores (continuous) in repeat biopsies were associated with a sustained increase in serum creatinine levels corresponding to ≥120% of the baseline value (HR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.9; P = 0.016) through a median (IQR) follow-up time of 131.5 (73.8–178.2) months, being also the case for acute tubulointerstitial inflammation and interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy in repeat but not baseline biopsies. Conclusion Our results highlight the usefulness of per-protocol repeat biopsies, herein performed after a median time of 24 months from baseline, as an integral part of the treatment evaluation, also in patients showing adequate clinical response.

Heart Failure Due to Idiopathic Hypereosinophilic Syndrome in Pregnancy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

A 36-year-old male patient, who was an agricultural farmer and had a diagnosis of bicuspid aortic valve and coarctation, was admitted with symptoms of fever, fatigue, and shortness of breath that lasted for a month, in March 2017. Examination revealed dyspnea and bilateral rales and rhonchi in lung auscultation. A 3/6 systolic murmur was heard in the mesocardiac focus. The laboratory tests showed a white blood cell count of 15.14x10(3)/mu l, erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 36 mm/h, and C-reactive protein of 26 mg/l. An echocardiogram showed mobile vegetation (30x10 mm) on the aortic valve and severe aortic and tricuspid valve insufficiency. All blood cultures that are taken from the patient with the diagnosis of infective endocarditis were negative and C. burnetii phase I IgG antibody was positive at 1/32768 titer. As far as we know, herein, we present a case of endocarditis due to C. burnetii, which is the third case that is reported in Turkey. Q ateşi, Coxiella burnetii ’nin neden olduğu zoonotik bir hastalıktır. Çiftlik hayvanları insan enfeksiyonları için birincil rezervuarlardır. Akut Q ateşi genellikle grip benzeri bir hastalık olarak ortaya çıkar. Kronik formda ana klinik tablo endokardittir. Otuz altı yaşında erkek hasta, biküspit aort kapağı ve koarktasyon tanısı alan bir tarım çiftçisi, Mart 2017’de bir aydır devam eden ateş, yorgunluk ve nefes darlığı şikayetleri ile başvurdu. Fizik muayenede hasta dispneik olup, akciğer seslerinde bilateral ral ve ronküs mevcuttu. Mezokardiyak odakta 3/6 sistolik üfürüm duyuldu. Laboratuvar testlerinde lökosit 15,14x103 /µl, eritrosit sedimentasyon hızı 36 mm/saat, C-reaktif protein 26 mg/l idi. Ekokardiyogramda aort kapağında hareketli bir vejetasyon (30x10 mm), şiddetli aort ve triküspit kapak yetmezliği saptandı. Enfektif endokardit tanısıyla hastadan alınan tüm kan kültürleri negatif sonuçlandı. C. burnetii faz I IgG antikoru 1/32768 titrede pozitif geldi. Bu makalede bildiğimiz kadarıyla Türkiye’de bildirilen üçüncü olgu olan C. burnetii’ye bağlı endokardit vakasını sunduk.

Hyperoxaluria results from either inherited disorders of glyoxylate metabolism leading to hepatic oxalate overproduction (primary hyperoxaluria), or increased intestinal oxalate absorption (secondary hyperoxaluria). Hyperoxaluria may lead to urinary supersaturation of calcium oxalate and crystal formation, causing urolithiasis and deposition of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidney parenchyma, a condition termed oxalate nephropathy. Considerable progress has been made in the understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms leading to hyperoxaluria and oxalate nephropathy, whose diagnosis is frequently delayed and prognosis too often poor. Fortunately, novel promising targeted therapeutic approaches are on the horizon in patients with primary hyperoxaluria. Patients with secondary hyperoxaluria frequently have long-standing hyperoxaluria-enabling conditions, a fact suggesting the role of triggers of acute kidney injury such as dehydration. Current standard of care in these patients includes management of the underlying cause, high fluid intake and use of calcium supplements. Overall, prompt recognition of hyperoxaluria and associated oxalate nephropathy is crucial, because optimal management may improve outcomes.

ObjectivesBecause a significant fraction of patients with lupus nephritis (LN) develops renal impairment, there is a need to better understand the mechanisms underlying disease progression. Here, we assessed for cellular senescence in the LN kidney, and its association with disease severity and outcome.MethodsWe enumerated the number of cells positive for p16INK4a protein, a marker of cellular senescence, by immunohistochemistry followed by digital quantification, on renal biopsies from 40 patients with active LN. We tested for an association of p16INK4a with renal fibrosis, CD8+ T cell infiltration, systemic disease and renal function at baseline and at 5 years.ResultsThe presence of p16INK4a-positive cells was significantly associated with lower estimated glomerular filtration rate at baseline and 5 years post-treatment, independently of patient demographics and systemic disease parameters. It was also associated with higher baseline renal fibrosis and CD8+ T cell infiltration. Interestingly, we observed marked spatial co-distribution of glomerular p16INK4a-positive cells with CD8+ T cells.ConclusionWe demonstrate, for the first time, that LN biopsies characterised by renal impairment display increased p16INK4a-positive cells, associated with higher fibrosis and CD8+ T cell infiltration. Cellular senescence may represent a kidney-intrinsic disease mechanism and potentially, a novel therapeutic target in LN.

1. L’OBSERVATION : Une femme, âgée de 64 ans, était hospitalisée à la fin du mois d’avril pour dyspnée évoluant depuis un mois. Dans ses antécédents, on notait un reflux gastro-œsophagien, une hypothyroïdie substituée, des migraines, une hypertension artérielle, une hypercholestérolémie et une arthrodèse lombaire. Elle était fonctionnaire, ne fumait pas et consommait de l’alcool de manière occasionnelle. Elle appréciait les balades en forêt. Son traitement comportait : propanolol 40 mg/j, oméprazole 20 mg/j, L-thyroxine 25 μg/j, acide folique 4 mg/j. Fin mars, après une chute de la 11e marche d’un escalier, elle présentait une fracture et une plaie du poignet, nécessitant une attelle plâtrée puis une chirurgie de l’extenseur de l’index droit. C’est en revoyant l’orthopédiste à la consultation de contrôle post-opératoire qu’elle mentionnait pour la première fois une dyspnée de grade 3, associée à des douleurs thoraciques d’effort. Elle était donc hospitalisée en cardiologie où un bilan était réalisé : ECG montrant des ondes T négatives de V1 à V3, échographie cardiaque retrouvant une discrète hypertension artérielle pulmonaire (HTAP), angioscanner pulmonaire négatif, coronarographie normale. Une anémie macrocytaire (hémoglobine : 7,2 g/L) était découverte. Le bilan biologique montrait également une carence en folate substituée. Une gastroscopie mettait en évidence une petite ulcération antrale traitée par oméprazole. Il existait un syndrome inflammatoire (CRP : 200 mg/L), pour lequel les prélèvements bactériologiques (hémocultures, culture urinaire) restaient stériles. [...] Titre en anglais : Dyspnea in a 64 year-old woman

Objectives Because a significant fraction of patients with lupus nephritis (LN) develops renal impairment, there is a need to better understand the mechanisms underlying disease progression. Here, we assessed for cellular senescence in the LN kidney, and its association with disease severity and outcome. Methods We enumerated the number of cells positive for p16INK4a protein, a marker of cellular senescence, by immunohistochemistry followed by digital quantification, on renal biopsies from 40 patients with active LN. We tested for an association of p16INK4a with renal fibrosis, CD8+ T cell infiltration, systemic disease and renal function at baseline and at 5 years. Results The presence of p16INK4a-positive cells was significantly associated with lower estimated glomerular filtration rate at baseline and 5 years post-treatment, independently of patient demographics and systemic disease parameters. It was also associated with higher baseline renal fibrosis and CD8+ T cell infiltration. Interestingly, we observed marked spatial co-distribution of glomerular p16INK4a-positive cells with CD8+ T cells. Conclusion We demonstrate, for the first time, that LN biopsies characterised by renal impairment display increased p16INK4a-positive cells, associated with higher fibrosis and CD8+ T cell infiltration. Cellular senescence may represent a kidney-intrinsic disease mechanism and potentially, a novel therapeutic target in LN.

A 26-year-old heavily disabled woman was admitted through the emergency department after presenting signs of respiratory distress. A pear-shaped object present in the vagina was discovered unexpectedly on a full-body CT-scan. Sexual assault was suspected and the case was subsequently reported to the authorities. The office of the forensic medical examiner was notified to further investigate the case. The vaginal object of unknown origin was sent to the pathology department, where it was identified as being a primary vaginal stone and the hypothesis of a sexual assault could be excluded. The aim of this case report is to raise awareness amongst clinicians and forensic medical examiners about the existence of vaginal stones, especially in female patients suffering from disabilities, incontinence and recurrent infections of the pelvic area. The presence of a foreign body can be suspicious of sexual assault in certain settings, but physicians as well as medical examiners need to be careful while interpreting lesions in order to protect patients from unnecessary investigations that can be traumatic such as sexual assault kits. Une femme lourdement handicapée de 26 ans a été admise à l’urgence après avoir présenté des signes de détresse respiratoire. Un objet en forme de poire présent dans le vagin a été découvert de manière inattendue lors d’une tomodensitométrie du corps entier. Une agression sexuelle a été suspectée et le cas a ensuite été signalé aux autorités. Le bureau du médecin légiste a été avisé pour approfondir l’enquête. L’objet vaginal d’origine inconnue a été envoyé au service de pathologie, où il a été identifié comme étant une pierre vaginale primaire et l’hypothèse d’une agression sexuelle a pu être exclue. L’objectif de ce rapport de cas est de sensibiliser les cliniciens et les médecins légistes à l’existence de pierres vaginales, en particulier chez les patientes souffrant de handicaps, d’incontinence et d’infections récurrentes de la région pelvienne. La présence d’un corps étranger peut être suspecte d’une agression sexuelle dans certains contextes, mais les médecins ainsi que les médecins légistes doivent être prudents lors de l’interprétation des lésions afin de protéger les patients d’investigations inutiles qui peuvent être traumatisantes comme les trousses d’agressions sexuelles.

TO THE EDITOR : Several reports of newly diagnosed or relapses of immune-mediated renal diseases following vaccination with anti–severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mRNA and AstraZeneca vaccines recently emerged in the litterature. [...]

With oxygenation proposed as a resuscitative measure during hypothermic models of preservation, the aim of this study was to evaluate the optimal start time of oxygenation during continuous hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP). In this porcine ischemia‐reperfusion autotransplant model, the left kidney of a ±40 kg pig was exposed to 30 minutes of warm ischemia prior to 22 hours of HMP and autotransplantation. Kidneys were randomized to receive 2 hours of oxygenation during HMP either at the start (n = 6), or end of the perfusion (n = 5) and outcomes were compared to standard, nonoxygenated HMP (n = 6) and continuous oxygenated HMP (n = 8). The brief initial and continuous oxygenated HMP groups were associated with superior graft recovery compared to either standard, nonoxygenated HMP or kidneys oxygenated at the end of HMP. This correlated with significant metabolic differences in perfusate (eg, lactate, succinate, flavin mononucleotide) and tissues (eg, succinate, adenosine triphosphate, hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α, nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2) suggesting superior mitochondrial preservation with initial oxygenation. Brief initial O2 uploading during HMP at procurement site might be an easy and effective preservation strategy to maintain aerobic metabolism, protect mitochondria, and achieve an improved early renal graft function compared with standard HMP or oxygen supply shortly at the end of HMP preservation.

Introduction: Though there is currently no approved treatment for COVID-19, potential medications include lopinavir and doxycycline. Lopinavir is a broad-spectrum protease inhibitor successfully used during the SARS outbreak. Doxycycline is an antibiotic with immunomodulatory effects, which successfully treats dengue hemorrhagic fever. Comparing lopinavir combined with doxycycline with other commonly implemented COVID-19 treatment regimens is of medical significance. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study comparing two cohorts. One cohort strictly adhered to a treatment protocol of lopinavir combined with doxycycline (Lop/Dox), while the other cohort (Others) applied protocols based on combinations of favipiravir, hydroxychloroquine, and azithromycin. The outcomes evaluated were death from coronavirus and intubation. Results: During the study period, 161 and 114 patients were followed in the Lop/Dox cohort and the Others cohort, respectively. The Lop/Dox cohort was older and had lower O2 saturation at admission. The proportion of patients needing intubation did not differ between the cohorts (Lop/Dox, 15∙5%; Others, 16∙7%). The overall fatality rate likewise did not differ (12∙4%) in Lop/Dox and 8∙7% in the Others cohort). Older age and elapsed time between the onset of symptoms and hospitalization, O2 saturation at admission, and the lymphocyte to white blood cell ratio were independent risk factors for poor outcomes of the illness. Conclusion: This study showed that lopinavir plus doxycycline therapy is an effective treatment amongst moderate to severe COVID-19 patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is commonly associated with kidney damage, and the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor for SARS-CoV-2 is highly expressed in the proximal tubule cells. Whether patients with COVID-19 present specific manifestations of proximal tubule dysfunction remains unknown. To test this, we examined a cohort of 49 patients requiring hospitalization in a large academic hospital in Brussels, Belgium. There was evidence of proximal tubule dysfunction in a subset of patients with COVID-19, as attested by low-molecular-weight proteinuria (70-80%), neutral aminoaciduria (46%), and defective handling of uric acid (46%) or phosphate (19%). None of the patients had normoglycemic glucosuria. Proximal tubule dysfunction was independent of pre-existing comorbidities, glomerular proteinuria, nephrotoxic medications or viral load. At the structural level, kidneys from patients with COVID-19 showed prominent tubular injury, including in the initial part of the proximal tubule, with brush border loss, acute tubular necrosis, intraluminal debris, and a marked decrease in the expression of megalin in the brush border. Transmission electron microscopy identified particles resembling coronaviruses in vacuoles or cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum in proximal tubule cells. Among features of proximal tubule dysfunction, hypouricemia with inappropriate uricosuria was independently associated with disease severity and with a significant increase in the risk of respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation using Cox (adjusted hazard ratio 6.2, 95% CI 1.9-20.1) or competing risks (adjusted sub-distribution hazard ratio 12.1, 95% CI 2.7-55.4) survival models. Thus, our data establish that SARS-CoV-2 causes specific manifestations of proximal tubule dysfunction and provide novel insights into COVID-19 severity and outcome., Graphical abstract

Sneddon's syndrome is a rare, noninflammatory thrombotic vasculopathy characterized by the combination of livedo racemosa, recurrent stroke, and histopathological skin lesions of endarteritis obliterans. Although multiorgan involvement suggests its systemic nature, detailed pathological description of affected organs - including the kidney - is exceptional. We report a case of Sneddon's syndrome with chronic kidney disease, associated with features of endarteritis obliterans in the skin and the kidney. The clinical presentation of our patient is compared to previously reported cases of Sneddon's syndrome with biopsy-proven kidney disease. We also discuss the differential diagnosis, pathophysiological mechanisms, relationship with antiphospholipid syndrome, and management of patients with Sneddon's syndrome and kidney disease. This clinical observation supports the systemic nature of Sneddon's syndrome and provides insights into the mechanisms by which this rare but probably underdiagnosed disease alters kidney function. .

Background Renal fibrosis is a feared complication of Lupus Nephritis (LN), and is associated with irreversible loss of kidney function. In our previous experiments, we found that intrarenal infiltration by immune effectors in LN correlates with the development of renal fibrosis. Here, we wondered whether cellular senescence, through its typical secretome (known as senescence-associated secretory phenotype or SASP) or through the accumulation of functionally incompetent cells, are part of the renal functional impairment and fibrotic process in LN. Methods Microarray data (Illumina HumanHT-2 v4 Expression BeadChip), obtained by our group from 32 human LN kidney biopsies and 8 controls were mined using GeneSpring software in order to study the expression of SASP-associated transcripts. Senescent cells were identified in human LN kidney biopsies using an anti-p16 antibody (Roche Diagnostics). Evaluation of glomerular activity and chronicity indices, glomerular and interstitial fibrosis was performed using conventional or quantitative scores on HE- PAS- and Red Sirius-stained sections. Clinical and biological data were retrieved from the medical files of the patients. Results Mining of microarray data obtained from 32 LN kidney biopsies indicated that SASP-associated transcripts (e.g. IGFB4, VCAM1, TGFb2, COL1A2, MMP7) were significantly overexpressed in kidney biopsies characterized by the presence of adaptive immune cell infiltrates in the interstitium and lower renal function. Expression of SASP-associated transcripts correlated significantly with the expression of b galactosidase (GLB1), a key regulator of the senescence process. In a pilot experiment, we stained LN renal biopsy sections using anti-p16 antibodies, in order to detect the presence of senescent cells. We found a positive stain in podocytes and renal tubular cells from 8 LN patients. The number of positive cells correlated positively with the number of intrarenal CD8-positive cells and the amount of fibrosis in these samples, while it correlated negatively with renal function (eGFR). Conclusion Our data show that the presence of senescent podocytes and renal tubular cells in LN kidney biopsies correlates with fibrotic changes and impaired renal function. Characterization of senescent cells in a larger cohort of LN biopsies is ongoing. Our observations are in line with the hypothesis that inflammation-accelerated senescence links the presence of activated adaptive immune effectors in the lupus kidney and the development of fibrosis.

Background In patients with Lupus Nephritis (LN), clinical response to treatment and renal histopathology have been shown to be discordant. We investigated whether per-protocol repeat renal biopsies are predictive of LN relapses and long-term impairment of renal function. Methods Forty-two patients with an incident biopsy-proven active proliferative (class III/IV ± V) LN from the LN database of the Universite catholique de Louvain were included in the present retrospective study. Per-protocol repeat kidney biopsies were performed in all patients after a median time of 24.3 (IQR: 21.3–26.2) months. The NIH activity index (AI) and chronicity index (CI) scores were assessed in both baseline and repeat biopsies. Results Despite a moderate correlation between urinary protein/creatinine (U-P/C) ratios and AI scores at repeat biopsy (r=0.48; P=0.001), ten patients (23.8%) with U-P/C ratios 3; figure 1). High AI scores in repeat biopsies were associated with an increased probability and/or shorter time to renal relapse (N=11) following the repeat biopsy (HR: 1.2; 95% CI: 1.1–1.3; P=0.007), independently of proteinuria levels. High NIH CI scores in repeat biopsies were associated with a sustained increase in serum creatinine levels corresponding to ≥120% of the baseline value (HR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.1–2.9; P=0.016) through a median follow-up time of 131.5 (IQR: 73.8–178.2) months. Baseline AI/CI scores were not predictive of these outcomes. Conclusions Our results highlight the usefulness of per-protocol repeat biopsies as an integral part of the treatment evaluation, also in patients who have shown adequate clinical response.

Resume La granulomatose induite par les agents anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) est un effet secondaire rare, mais pas exceptionnel, de ce traitement. Les organes le plus souvent atteints sont les poumons, les ganglions lymphatiques et la peau. L’atteinte renale est exceptionnelle. L’examen histologique montre habituellement des granulomes non caseeux. Certains des signes biologiques decrits habituellement dans la sarcoidose sont tres rares dans la granulomatose induite. Nous rapportons un cas de granulomatose se manifestant par une hypercalcemie severe et symptomatique, associee a une insuffisance renale aigue, chez une femme traitee par etanercept pour une polyarthrite rhumatoide. Sept jours apres l’admission, elle a presente une pneumopathie interstitielle hypoxemiante. Les analyses microbiologiques se sont averees negatives, y compris la recherche de mycobacteries et mycoses. Le tableau etant suggestif de granulomatose secondaire au traitement par etanercept, celui-ci a ete arrete. La biopsie renale, effectuee 30 jours apres l’admission, a revele une nephrite interstitielle aigue avec des depots de cristaux calciques. L’evolution a ete favorable apres arret de l’etanercept et traitement par cortisone, avec une reversibilite des lesions pulmonaires et une recuperation totale de la fonction renale trois semaines apres l’admission. La presentation clinique de la granulomatose secondaire aux agents anti-TNF peut etre extremement variable. Notre observation montre qu’une hypercalcemie symptomatique et potentiellement fatale peut survenir. L’atteinte renale est inhabituelle. Ce cas souligne la difficulte diagnostique de cette entite, ainsi que l’importance d’un suivi rapproche chez les patients recevant ce traitement. L’arret du medicament conduit a la resolution des lesions dans la majorite des cas.

ObjectivesChronic renal impairment remains a feared complication of lupus nephritis (LN). The present work aimed at identifying mechanisms and markers of disease severity in renal tissue samples from patients with LN.MethodsWe performed high-throughput transcriptomic studies (Illumina HumanHT-12 v4 Expression BeadChip) on archived kidney biopsies from 32 patients with LN and eight controls (pretransplant donors). Histological staging (glomerular and tubular scores) and immunohistochemistry experiments were performed on the same and on a replication set of 37 LN kidney biopsy samples.ResultsA group of LN samples was identified by unsupervised clustering studies based on their gene expression features, that is, the overexpression of transcripts involved in antigen presentation, T and B cell activation. These samples were characterised by a significantly lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at the time of biopsy (T0) compared with the other systemic lupus erythematosus samples. Yet, apparent disease duration at T0, double-stranded DNA antibody titres at T0 and other relevant characteristics (serum C3, proteinuria, histological scores, numbers of previous flares) were not different between groups.Immunohistochemistry studies confirmed the association between interstitial infiltration by adaptive immune effectors and decreased renal function in the same and in a replication group of LN kidney biopsies. This was associated with transcriptomic, histological and immunohistochemical evidence of renal tubular cell involvement.ConclusionInterstitial infiltration of LN kidney biopsies by adaptive immune effectors is associated with impaired renal tubular cell function and decreased eGFR. These results open new perspectives in evaluating and treating patients with LN, focusing on intrarenal mechanisms of immune cell activation.

Context: Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) are rare neuroendocrine, usually benign, tumors. Currently, the only reliable criterion of malignancy is the presence of metastases. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify genes associated with malignancy in PPGLs. Design: Transcriptomic profiling was performed on 40 benign and 11 malignant PPGLs. Genes showing a significantly different expression between benign and malignant PPGLs with a ratio $4 were confirmed and tested in an independent series by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Immunohistochemistry was performed for the validated genes on 109 benign and 32 malignant PPGLs. Functional assays were performed with hPheo1 cells. Setting: This study was conducted at the Department of Pathology of the Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam Human Molecular Genetics laboratory of the de Duve Institute, University of Louvain. Patients: PPGL samples from 179 patients, diagnosed between 1972 and 2015, were included. Main outcome measures: Associations between gene expression and malignancy were tested using supervised clustering approaches. Results: Ten differentially expressed genes were selected based on messenger RNA (mRNA) expression array data. Contactin 4 (CNTN4) was overexpressed in malignant vs benign tumors [4.62-fold; false discovery rate (FDR), 0.001]. Overexpression at the mRNA level was confirmed using qRTPCR (2.90-fold, P=0.02; validation set: 4.26-fold, P=0.005). Consistent findings were obtained in The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort (2.7-fold; FDR, 0.02). CNTN4 protein was more frequently expressed in malignant than in benign PPGLs by immunohistochemistry (58% vs 17%; P=0.002). Survival after 7 days of culture under starvation conditions was significantly enhanced in hPheo1 cells transfected with CNTN4 complementary DNA. Conclusion: CNTN4 expression is consistently associated with malignant behavior in PPGLs.

De novo thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) can occur after kidney transplantation. An abnormality of the alternative pathway of complement must be suspected and searched for, even in presence of a secondary cause. We report the case of a 23-year-old female patient who was transplanted with a kidney from her mother for end-stage renal disease secondary to Hinman syndrome. Early after transplantation, she presented with 2 episodes of severe pyelonephritis, associated with acute kidney dysfunction and biological and histological features of TMA. Investigations of the alternative pathway of the complement system revealed atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome secondary to complement factor I mutation, associated with mutations in CD46 and complement factor H related protein genes. Plasma exchanges followed by eculizumab injections allowed improvement of kidney function without, however, normalization of creatinine.

Cushing syndrome (CS) is a rare disease in children, frequently associated with subtle or periodic symptoms that may delay its diagnosis. Weight gain and growth failure, the hallmarks of hypercortisolism in pediatrics, may be inconsistent, especially in ACTH-independent forms of CS. Primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD) is the rarest form of ACTH-independent CS, and can be associated with endocrine and nonendocrine tumors, forming the Carney complex (CNC). Recently, phenotype/genotype correlations have been described with particular forms of CNC where PPNAD is isolated or associated only with skin lesions. We present four familial series of CS due to isolated PPNAD, and compare them to available data from the literature. We discuss the clinical and molecular findings, and underline challenges in diagnosing PPNAD in childhood.

The Aristolochic Acid (AA)-specific mutational pattern was recently characterized in urothelial carcinoma (UC) from Belgian AA Nephropathy (AAN) patients (n=5). Besides the A>T transversion hallmark, a specific AA-mutational pattern was found in the TP53 hotspot region in p53-positive immunohistochemistry (IHC) areas and consisted of poly- or multiclonal TP53 alterations and an unusual high prevalence of G>T transversion. In the current study, these data were complemented using the same validated methodology for assessing the complete coding sequence of the TP53 gene in tumor areas stratified according to the percentage of p53-stained cells (i.e., [+], ≥60%; [+/-], 1-59%, [-], no staining). Results were compared to existing data (i.e., other series of AA-associated UC and IARC TP53 database). Aside of the TP53 hotspot region (exons 5-8), multiple mutations were also found in exons 4 and 10. A unique TP53 mutational pattern was characterized by a large spectrum of mutations among which A>T and C>T have the highest prevalence. Most A>T mutations were characterized by the 5'Py-A-Pu sequence. Interestingly, the majority of p53-negative areas were dysplastic (low grade intra-urothelial neoplasia) and disclosed TP53 mutations among which a majority of A>T transversions. Beside nonsense p53-negative mutations, several missense mutations are also known to affect p53 DNA- or zinc-binding domains, hence probably impairing the antigen binding site and/or masking the antigenic epitope. These uncommon histologic, immunopathologic and genetic features in Belgian AAN patients probably result from the unique pattern of duration and extent of AA exposure which led to a cumulative toxic dose ingested over a short period of time. Consequenlty, current results bring additional and valuable evidence unravelling the molecular pathogenesis of AA-induced carcinogenesis and the origin of related high-grade UCs.

Rationale & Objective Membranous nephropathy (MN) is characterized by the deposition of immune complexes along glomerular basement membranes. M-Type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R), thrombospondin type 1 domain-containing 7A (THSD7A), exostosin 1 and 2 (EXT1/2), and neural epidermal growth factor-like 1 protein (NELL-1) have been identified as established or potential podocyte antigens in MN. We investigated the association of podocyte antigen staining with MN clinical phenotype and outcomes. Study Design Multicenter retrospective cohort study. Setting & Participants 177 consecutive patients with MN unrelated to lupus erythematosus, identified after screening of 3,875 native kidney biopsies performed in the Belgian UCLouvain Kidney Disease Network from 2000 through 2018. Predictor Positive immunostaining for podocyte antigens on archived kidney biopsy samples. Outcomes Association with different phenotypes (baseline characteristics of patients and pathologic findings on kidney biopsy), time to cancer and to kidney failure. Analytical Approach Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox regression analyses to assess time to cancer and kidney failure. Results 177 patients were followed up for a median of 4.0 (IQR, 1.3-8.0) years. Diagnosis of PLA2R-positive (PLA2R+), THSD7A+, and double-negative (PLA2R−/THSD7A−) MN was made in 117 (66.1%), 6 (3.4%), and 54 (30.5%) patients, respectively. Progression to kidney failure was similar in all groups. Although the number of patients with THSD7A+ MN was small, they showed a higher incidence (50%) and increased risk for developing cancer during follow-up (adjusted HR, 5.0 [95% CI, 1.4-17.9]; P = 0.01). 8% and 5% of patients with double-negative MN stained positively for EXT1/2 and NELL-1, respectively. Most patients with EXT1/2+ MN were women, had features of systemic autoimmunity, and showed glomerular C1q deposits. Limitations Retrospective design; small number of patients in the THSD7A group; lack of evaluation of immunoglobulin G subclasses deposition. Conclusions Our real-world data describe the relative prevalence of subgroups of MN and support the hypothesis that a novel classification of MN based on podocyte antigen staining may be clinically relevant.