-
Open Medicine (Warsaw, Poland) 2024The aim of this study was to observe the remission of primary membranous nephropathy (PMN) and evaluate the efficacy of tacrolimus (TAC) monotherapy for PMN in...
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to observe the remission of primary membranous nephropathy (PMN) and evaluate the efficacy of tacrolimus (TAC) monotherapy for PMN in comparison with TAC combined with a low-dose glucocorticoid (GC) protocol (TAC + GC).
METHODS
This was tested in a prospective monocentric observational trial of 70 patients with PMN, of whom 34 received TAC (0.05-0.075 mg/kg/day) or 36 received TAC (0.05-0.075 mg/kg/day) and GC (0.3-0.5 mg/kg/day of prednisone).
RESULTS
At 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment, the effective rates in the TAC group and the TAC + GC group were similar ( > 0.05). The urinary protein quantification was reduced in patients under both therapeutic protocols, and the differences in the proteinuria quantification at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment were not statistically significant between the two groups ( > 0.05). The overall incidence of adverse reactions in the TAC group was lower than that in the TAC + GC group (23.5% < 36.1%), and the difference was statistically significant ( < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
TAC monotherapy for PMN could effectively reduce urinary protein quantification and increase serum albumin levels. Compared with TAC + GC, TAC monotherapy for PMN had no difference in efficacy and fewer incidences of adverse reactions.
PubMed: 38841175
DOI: 10.1515/med-2024-0957 -
Translational Pediatrics May 2024Alport syndrome (AS) is a rare progressive hereditary kidney disease that is clinically principally associated with hematuria, proteinuria, and progressive renal...
BACKGROUND
Alport syndrome (AS) is a rare progressive hereditary kidney disease that is clinically principally associated with hematuria, proteinuria, and progressive renal dysfunction. This condition not only impairs renal function but also potentially affects auditory and ocular health, significantly impacting the patient's quality of life.
CASE DESCRIPTION
This article reports a young girl with AS, combined with dwarfism attributable to growth hormone (GH) deficiency, diagnosed at Wenzhou People's Hospital in 2019. The clinical data and diagnostic steps were retrospectively analyzed. Genetic testing showed that she carried a new mutation in the gene, c.2317_2318delAG (p.R773Gfs*14), classified as "pathogenic" under the criteria of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), confirming her AS diagnosis. Significantly, the patient's height was more than two standard deviations (SDs) below the average for children of her race, sex, and age. The peak GH level post-stimulation was below 5 ng/mL, coupled with a growth rate of less than 5 cm/year, leading to the diagnosis of GH deficiency. Consequently, recombinant human GH (rhGH) therapy was initiated.
CONCLUSIONS
After a year of rhGH treatment, we observed a notable increase in her height, without any adverse effects like elevated intracranial pressure, hypothyroidism, or worsening kidney function.
PubMed: 38840691
DOI: 10.21037/tp-23-569 -
Journal of Primary Care & Community... 2024To assess the prevalence and risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) among adults with type 2 diabetes within primary care.
AIMS
To assess the prevalence and risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) among adults with type 2 diabetes within primary care.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study evaluated 1319 individuals receiving standard care across 26 primary units from July 2017 to January 2023. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria were used for the diagnosis of CKD. CKD was defined by eGFR values of <60 mL/min/1.73 m and/or albumin-to-creatine ratio ≥30 mg/g. Logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with CKD and study variables.
RESULTS
The median age of participants (60.6% females) was 55 years and the median diabetes duration was 10 years. The overall CKD prevalence in the study population was 39.2%. Within the CKD group, the prevalence rates of albuminuria, albuminuria coupled with low eGFR and isolated low eGFR were 72.1%, 19%, and 8.9%, respectively. The prevalence of CKD was 30.6% among participants under 40 years old and a higher value was observed in middle-aged adults with early-onset diabetes (at age <40 years) compared with the later-onset group. Multivariable analyses identified associations between CKD and factors such as age, the male sex, diabetes duration, hypertension, retinopathy, and metformin use.
CONCLUSION
A relatively high prevalence of CKD, especially in non-elderly adults, was revealed in this primary care study. Early recognition strategies for CKD are crucial for timely prevention within primary care.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Primary Health Care; Prevalence; Adult; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Risk Factors; Albuminuria; Aged
PubMed: 38840565
DOI: 10.1177/21501319241259325 -
PloS One 2024Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a genetic kidney disease with high phenotypic variability. Furthering insights into patients' ADPKD progression...
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a genetic kidney disease with high phenotypic variability. Furthering insights into patients' ADPKD progression could lead to earlier detection, management, and alter the course to end stage kidney disease (ESKD). We sought to identify patients with rapid decline (RD) in kidney function and to determine clinical factors associated with RD using a data-driven approach. A retrospective cohort study was performed among patients with incident ADPKD (1/1/2002-12/31/2018). Latent class mixed models were used to identify RD patients using differences in eGFR trajectories over time. Predictors of RD were selected based on agreements among feature selection methods, including logistic, regularized, and random forest modeling. The final model was built on the selected predictors and clinically relevant covariates. Among 1,744 patients with incident ADPKD, 125 (7%) were identified as RD. Feature selection included 42 clinical measurements for adaptation with multiple imputations; mean (SD) eGFR was 85.2 (47.3) and 72.9 (34.4) in the RD and non-RD groups, respectively. Multiple imputed datasets identified variables as important features to distinguish RD and non-RD groups with the final prediction model determined as a balance between area under the curve (AUC) and clinical relevance which included 6 predictors: age, sex, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, hemoglobin, and proteinuria. Results showed 72%-sensitivity, 70%-specificity, 70%-accuracy, and 0.77-AUC in identifying RD. 5-year ESKD rates were 38% and 7% among RD and non-RD groups, respectively. Using real-world routine clinical data among patients with incident ADPKD, we observed that six variables highly predicted RD in kidney function.
Topics: Humans; Polycystic Kidney, Autosomal Dominant; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Retrospective Studies; Disease Progression; Adult; Kidney; Kidney Failure, Chronic
PubMed: 38837988
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298484 -
Renal Failure Dec 2024To determine the efficacy and safety of Astragalus combined with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockers in treating stage III diabetic nephropathy (DN) by... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Efficacy of astragalus combined with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers in the treatment of stage III diabetic nephropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the efficacy and safety of Astragalus combined with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockers in treating stage III diabetic nephropathy (DN) by meta-analysis.
METHODS
PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wiley, and Web of Science databases were searched for articles published between August 2007 and August 2022. Clinical studies on Astragalus combined with RAAS blockers for the treatment of stage III DN were included. Meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.1 and Stata 14.3 software.
RESULTS
A total of 32 papers were included in this meta-analysis, containing 2462 patients from randomized controlled trials, with 1244 receiving the combination treatment and 1218 solely receiving RAAS blockers. Astragalus combined with RAAS blockers yielded a significantly higher total effective rate (TER) (mean difference [MD] 3.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.59-5.09) and significantly reduced urinary protein excretion rate (UPER), serum creatinine (Scr), blood urine nitrogen (BUN) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAlc) levels. In subgroup analysis, combining astragalus and angiotensin receptor blocker significantly lowered fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 24 h urinary protein (24hUTP) levels, compared with the combined astragalus and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor treatment. Meanwhile, the latter significantly decreased the urinary microprotein (β-MG). Importantly, the sensitivity analysis confirmed the study's stability, and publication bias was not detected for UPER, BUN, HbAlc, FPG, or β-MG. However, the TER, SCr, and 24hUTP results suggested possible publication bias.
CONCLUSIONS
The astragalus-RAAS blocker combination treatment is safe and improves outcomes; however, rigorous randomized, large-scale, multi-center, double-blind trials are needed to evaluate its efficacy and safety in stage III DN.
Topics: Humans; Diabetic Nephropathies; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Renin-Angiotensin System; Drug Therapy, Combination; Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; Astragalus Plant; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Treatment Outcome; Creatinine; Glycated Hemoglobin; Proteinuria
PubMed: 38836372
DOI: 10.1080/0886022X.2024.2359033 -
Kidney Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease. The exact pathogenesis of IgAN is not well defined, but some genetic studies have led to a novel...
INTRODUCTION
IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease. The exact pathogenesis of IgAN is not well defined, but some genetic studies have led to a novel discovery that the (immuno)proteasome probably plays an important role in IgAN.
METHODS
We firstly analyzed the association of variants in the region with susceptibility to IgAN in 3,495 patients and 9,101 controls, and then analyzed the association between lead variant and clinical phenotypes in 1,803 patients with regular follow-up data. The blood mRNA levels of members of the ubiquitin-proteasome system including were analyzed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 53 patients and 28 healthy controls. The associations between and the expression levels of genes involved in Gd-IgA1 production were also explored.
RESULTS
The rs131654 showed the most significant association signal in region (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.04-1.16, = 2.29 × 10), whose genotypes were also associated with the levels of Gd-IgA1 ( = 0.04). The rs131654 was observed to exert eQTL effects on in various tissues and cell types, particularly in immune cell types in multiple databases. The , , and proteasome subunits were highly expressed in patients compared with healthy controls. High expression levels of were not only associated with higher proteinuria ( = 0.34, = 0.01) and lower eGFR ( = -0.28, = 0.04), but also positively correlated with the gene expression of and other proteasome subunits. Additionally, mRNA expression levels of were also positively correlated with IL-6 and , but negatively correlated with the expression levels of the key enzyme in the process of glycosylation including and .
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, by combined genetic association and differed expression analysis of , our data support a role of genetically conferred dysregulation of the (immuno)proteasome in regulating galactose-deficient IgA1 in the development of IgAN.
PubMed: 38835407
DOI: 10.1159/000537987 -
Renal Failure Dec 2024The M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R)-associated primary membranous nephropathy (PMN) is an immune-related disease in adults with increasing morbidity and...
BACKGROUND
The M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R)-associated primary membranous nephropathy (PMN) is an immune-related disease in adults with increasing morbidity and variable treatment response, in which inflammation may contribute to the multifactorial immunopathogenesis. The relationship between fibrinogen-albumin ratio (FAR), serving as a novel inflammatory biomarker, and PMN is still unclear. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the association between FAR and disease activity and therapy response of PMN.
METHODS
110 biopsy-proven phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) -associated PMN participants with nephrotic syndrome from January 2017 to December 2021 were recruited in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. The independent risk factors of non-remission (NR) and the predictive ability of FAR were explored by Cox regression and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. According to the optimal cutoff value, study patients were categorized into the low-FAR group (≤the cutoff value) and the high-FAR group (>the cutoff value). Spearman's correlations were used to examine the associations between FAR and baseline clinicopathological characteristics. Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess the effects of FAR on remission.
RESULTS
In the entire study cohort, 78 (70.9%) patients reached complete or partial remission (CR or PR). The optimal cutoff value of FAR for predicting the remission outcome (CR + PR) was 0.233. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that the high-FAR group (>0.233) had a significantly lower probability to achieve CR or PR compared to the low-FAR group (≤0.233) (Log Rank test, = 0.021). Higher levels of FAR were identified as an independent risk factor for NR, and the high-FAR group was associated with a 2.27 times higher likelihood of NR than the low-FAR group (HR 2.27, 95% CI 1.01, 5.13, = 0.048). These relationships remained robust with further analysis among calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs)-receivers. In the multivariate Cox regression model, the incidence of NR was 4.00 times higher in the high-FAR group than in the low-FAR group (HR 4.00, 95% CI 1.41, 11.31, = 0.009). Moreover, ROC analysis revealed the predictive value of FAR for CR or PR with a 0.738 area under curve (AUC), and the AUC of anti-PLA2R Ab was 0.675. When combining FAR and anti-PLA2R Ab, the AUC was boosted to 0.766.
CONCLUSIONS
FAR was significantly correlated with proteinuria and anti-PLA2R Ab in PMN. As an independent risk factor for NR, FAR might serve as a potential inflammation-based prognostic tool for identifying cases with poor treatment response, and the best predictive cutoff value for outcomes was 0.233.
Topics: Humans; Glomerulonephritis, Membranous; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Receptors, Phospholipase A2; Nephrotic Syndrome; Adult; Biomarkers; Fibrinogen; ROC Curve; Retrospective Studies; Remission Induction; Treatment Outcome; Immunosuppressive Agents; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Serum Albumin; Risk Factors
PubMed: 38832491
DOI: 10.1080/0886022X.2024.2359024 -
Kidney Medicine Jun 2024Sparsentan is a novel, non-immunosuppressive, single-molecule, dual endothelin angiotensin receptor antagonist (DEARA) examined in the ongoing phase 2 DUET trial for...
RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE
Sparsentan is a novel, non-immunosuppressive, single-molecule, dual endothelin angiotensin receptor antagonist (DEARA) examined in the ongoing phase 2 DUET trial for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). In the DUET 8-week double-blind period, sparsentan resulted in greater proteinuria reduction versus irbesartan. We report the long-term efficacy and safety of sparsentan during the open-label extension over more than 4 years.
STUDY DESIGN
Patients were examined from their first sparsentan dose (double-blind period or open-label extension) through 4.6 years.
SETTING & PARTICIPANTS
Patients with FSGS, excluding secondary FSGS.
INTERVENTION
Sparsentan (200, 400, and 800 mg/d).
OUTCOMES
Urinary protein-creatinine ratio, FSGS partial remission endpoint (urinary protein-creatinine ratio ≤1.5 g/g and >40% reduction from baseline), estimated glomerular filtration rate, and blood pressure approximately every 12 weeks. Treatment-emergent adverse events by year and cases/100 patient-years.
RESULTS
109 patients were enrolled; 108 received ≥1 sparsentan dose; 103 entered the open-label extension (68 sparsentan, 35 irbesartan during the double-blind period). Sparsentan was ongoing in 45/108 patients (41.7%); median time to treatment discontinuation was 3.9 years (95% CI, 2.6-5.2). Mean percent proteinuria reduction from baseline was sustained through follow-up. Achieving partial remission within 9 months of first sparsentan dose (52.8% of patients) versus not achieving (47.2%) was associated with significantly slower rate of estimated glomerular filtration rate decline over the entire treatment period (-2.70 vs -6.56; = 0.03) and in the first 2 years (-1.69 vs -6.46; = 0.03). The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (>9 cases/100 patient-years) were headache, peripheral edema, upper respiratory infection, hyperkalemia, and hypotension. Peripheral edema and hypotension declined from year 1 (13.9% and 15.7% of patients, respectively) to ≤4% in years ≥2. There were no cases of heart failure and no patient deaths.
LIMITATIONS
The open-label extension does not include a comparison group.
CONCLUSIONS
Long-term sparsentan treatment showed sustained proteinuria reduction and a consistent safety profile.
PubMed: 38831932
DOI: 10.1016/j.xkme.2024.100833 -
BMC Nephrology Jun 2024Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health problem with rising prevalence, morbidity, mortality, and associated costs. Early identification and risk stratification... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
BACKGROUND
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health problem with rising prevalence, morbidity, mortality, and associated costs. Early identification and risk stratification are key to preventing progression to kidney failure. However, there is a paucity of data on practice patterns of kidney function assessment to guide the development of improvement strategies, particularly in lower-income countries.
METHODS
A retrospective observational analysis was conducted in a nationwide laboratory database in Brazil. We included all adult patients with at least one serum creatinine assessment between June 2018 and May 2021. Our primary objective was to determine the proportion of patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) evaluations accompanied by predicted levels of urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (pACR) assessments within 12 months.
RESULTS
Out of 4,5323,332 serum creatinine measurements, 42% lacked pACR measurements within 12 months. Approximately 10.8% of tests suggested CKD, mostly at stage 3a. The proportion of serum creatinine exams paired with pACR assessment varied according to the CKD stage. Internal Medicine, Cardiology, and Obstetrics/Gynecology were the specialties requesting most of the creatinine tests. Nephrology contributed with only 1.1% of serum creatinine requests for testing.
CONCLUSION
Our findings reveal that a significant proportion of individuals with a creatinine test lack an accompanying urinary albuminuria measurement in Brazil, contrary to the recommendations of the international guidelines. Non-Nephrologists perform most kidney function evaluations, even among patients with presumable advanced CKD. This highlights the urge to incorporate in clinical practice the early detection of CKD and to encourage more collaborative multidisciplinary care to improve CKD management.
Topics: Humans; Brazil; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Creatinine; Retrospective Studies; Female; Male; Glomerular Filtration Rate; Albuminuria; Risk Assessment; Middle Aged; Databases, Factual; Adult; Kidney Function Tests; Aged
PubMed: 38831397
DOI: 10.1186/s12882-024-03588-w -
BMC Medical Genomics Jun 2024To investigate the role of BTG2 in periodontitis and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and its potential underlying mechanism.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of BTG2 in periodontitis and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and its potential underlying mechanism.
METHODS
Gene expression data for periodontitis and DKD were acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differential expression analysis identified co-expressed genes between these conditions. The Nephroseq V5 online nephropathy database validated the role of these genes in DKD. Pearson correlation analysis identified genes associated with our target gene. We employed Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) networks to elucidate potential mechanisms. Expression levels of BTG2 mRNA were examined using quantitative polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) and immunofluorescence assays. Western blotting quantified proteins involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), apoptosis, mTORC1 signaling, and autophagy. Additionally, wound healing and flow cytometric apoptosis assays evaluated podocyte migration and apoptosis, respectively.
RESULTS
Analysis of GEO database data revealed BTG2 as a commonly differentially expressed gene in both DKD and periodontitis. BTG2 expression was reduced in DKD compared to normal conditions and correlated with proteinuria. GSEA indicated enrichment of BTG2 in the EMT and mTORC1 signaling pathways. The PPI network highlighted BTG2's relevance to S100A9, S100A12, and FPR1. Immunofluorescence assays demonstrated significantly lower BTG2 expression in podocytes under high glucose (HG) conditions. Reduced BTG2 expression in HG-treated podocytes led to increased levels of EMT markers (α-SMA, vimentin) and the apoptotic protein Bim, alongside a decrease in nephrin. Lower BTG2 levels were associated with increased podocyte mobility and apoptosis, as well as elevated RPS6KB1 and mTOR levels, but reduced autophagy marker LC3.
CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that BTG2 is a crucial intermediary gene linking DKD and periodontitis. Modulating autophagy via inhibition of the mTORC1 signaling pathway, and consequently suppressing EMT, may be pivotal in the interplay between periodontitis and DKD.
Topics: Periodontitis; Diabetic Nephropathies; Humans; Tumor Suppressor Proteins; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; Apoptosis; Immediate-Early Proteins; Podocytes; Signal Transduction; Autophagy; Protein Interaction Maps; Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1; Cell Movement
PubMed: 38831322
DOI: 10.1186/s12920-024-01915-6