Antibody-mediated rejection diagnosed in early protocol biopsies in high immunological risk kidney transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Renal transplant recipients with donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies are at an increased risk of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR). Early protocolized renal biopsies may serve as a strategy to improve diagnosis in this patient population. METHODS: We evaluated 155 highly sensitized renal transplant recipients with cPRA class I + II > 90% pre-transplant from 2015 to 2022. Patients with protocol biopsies within the first two weeks post-transplant were included. RESULTS: A total of 122 patients were included in the study. Of these, 13 (10.6%) were diagnosed with very early antibody-mediated rejection (veABMR) within the first two weeks post-transplant. This corresponds to 52% (13/25 patients) of all ABMR cases reported during the follow-up of this population. The graft survival rates at one and three years were significantly lower in patients with veABMR (p < 0.001) compared to patients without rejection in the early protocol biopsy. In terms of severity, the veABMR cohort exhibited a hazard ratio (HR) of 10.33 (95% CI 3.23-33.06; p < 0.001) for graft failure. The presence of donor-specific antibodies (DSA) class II on the day of transplantation and a higher percentage of eplet mismatch (EpMM), particularly EpMM DQA1, correlated with the development of veABMR. CONCLUSION: Early protocol biopsies play a pivotal role in the early detection of veABMR in high-risk immunological patients. Patients with veABMR face significant risks of graft loss, despite early treatment of rejection.

HLA-DQB1*05:02, *05:03, and *03:01 alleles as risk factors for myasthenia gravis in a Spanish cohort.

BACKGROUND: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a very heterogenic chronic autoimmune disease caused by the failure of neuromuscular transmission. The HLA gene complex has conventionally been recognized as its main genetic risk and phenotype modifying factor. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of HLA class I and II alleles and to identify possible risk factors for sporadic MG in a Spanish cohort. METHODS: We designed a clinical case-control study comparing HLA alleles and haplotype frequencies in a cohort of 234 patients with sporadic autoimmune MG with data from a group of 492 randomly selected healthy subjects. Using a high-resolution next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based HLA genotyping assay, we investigated the contribution of HLA genotypes and haplotypes in the resulting phenotype, especially, the age at onset, sex, onset MGFA class, thymic histopathology, and serological status. RESULTS: We found that the DQB1*05:02 and DQB1*05:03 alleles could be novel risk factors for Spanish MG cases. The HLA alleles A*01:01, B*08:01, DRB1*03:01, DRB1*14:54, and DQB1*02:01 were also risk factors for the disease. DQB1*03:01 acted as a risk factor for EOMG in women with AChR-positive antibodies and thymus hyperplasia. Additionally, several alleles were identified as potential phenotype-modifying factors that could exert a protective effect: HLA-B*35:08, DRB1*13:01, and DQB1*06:03 in MG; HLA-A*24:02 in women and DRB1*07:01 and DQB1*02:02 for early onset. HLA-C*07:01 and haplotype A1-B8-C7-DR3-DQ2 were associated with an early-onset phenotype.

[Baseline characteristics and clinical management of the first 3,000 patients enrolled in the IBERICAN study (Identification of the Spanish population at cardiovascular and renal risk)]. / Características basales y manejo clínico de los primeros 3.000 pacientes incluidos en el estudio IBERICAN (Identificación de la población española de riesgo cardiovascular y renal).

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and incidence of cardiovascular risk factors in Spain, as well as cardiovascular events, in Spanish adult population attended in primary care. METHODOLOGY: IBERICAN is a longitudinal, observational, multicenter study in which patients aged 18 to 85years attended in primary care health center in Spain are being included. The obtained cohort will be followed annually for at least 5years. The estimated final sample is 7,000 patients. The baseline characteristics of the second cut (n=3,042) are presented. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects included is 57.9±14.6 years, and 55.5% are women. 54.9% live in urban habitat, and 57.3% have primary education. 50.3% had dyslipidemia, 47.4% hypertension, 29.7% physical inactivity, 28.2% abdominal obesity and 19% diabetes mellitus. The degree of control of hypertension, dyslipidemia and type2 diabetes was 58.5%, 25.8% and 75.9%. 28.2% have criteria for metabolic syndrome. 15.6% of patients had previous cardiovascular disease. 7.8% have a history of coronary heart disease, a glomerular filtration rate <60ml/min (CKD-EPI) 8.4%, microalbuminuria 9.6%, atrial fibrillation 5.5%, stroke 4.6%, and heart failure 2.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Although the population treated in primary care is relatively young, the high prevalence of risk factors, their poor control and the existence of previous cardiovascular disease will determine the impact on the prognosis of the cohort.

Non-compliance and inertia in hypertensive Spaniards at high cardiovascular risk: CUMPLE study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess non-compliance (NC) and therapeutic inertia (TI) after 6 months of follow-up in hypertensive patients with poorly controlled blood pressure and high cardiovascular risk. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Longitudinal, multicentre study; 3900 uncontrolled hypertensive patients were recruited from 585 primary healthcare centres. Tablets were counted during visits at baseline, 1, 3 and 6 months. A tablet count between 80-100% was considered as compliant. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine variables associated with NC and TI. RESULTS: A total of 3636 patients completed, mean age was 64.8 (SD 10.8) years, 53.7% being male. After one month, 61.8% (60.2-63.4) had uncontrolled blood pressure, 39.5% (37.9-41.1) were NC and 52.3% (50.2-54.4) had TI. At the end of follow-up, uncontrolled blood pressure was 34.6% (33.1-36.1) (p < 0.05), NC was 46.8% (45.2-48.4) (p < 0.05) and TI was 34.2% (31.6-36.8) (p < 0.05). The variable associated with NC was greatest number of antihypertensive treatments (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.05-1.13, p < 0.001), and variables associated with TI were least number of antihypertensive drugs (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.84-0.98, p < 0.001) and least number of diseases suffered (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92-0.98, p = 0.002). LIMITATIONS: Due to the complexity of measuring compliance, we have to assume measurement bias. CONCLUSIONS: Among uncontrolled hypertensive patients, after completing 6 months follow-up, approximately one out of two patients were NC and one out of three physicians committed TI.

Do Patients With High Vascular Risk Take Antihypertensive Medication Correctly? Cumple-MEMS Study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: To assess compliance with treatment inhibit the renin-angiotensin system (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers) in uncontrolled hypertension in patients at high cardiovascular risk. METHODS: Prospective, longitudinal, multicenter study, carried out in 102 Spanish primary care centers. We included 808 uncontrolled hypertensive patients treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers who were at high vascular risk; 4 visits were conducted: baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months later. Compliance was measured by electronic monitors. We calculated the mean percentage compliance, the overall percentage of compliers, once-daily compliers, compliers with the prescribed time frame, and antihypertensive coverage. We considered a patient to be a complier when the percentage compliance was 80%-100%. RESULTS: In all, 701 patients completed the study (mean age, 63.7 [11.1] years). The systolic and diastolic blood pressures decreased significantly (P<.0001) to 18.8 mmHg and 9.8 mmHg, respectively. The control rate was 70% (95% confidence interval, 65.6%-74.4%) (P=.0001). The rate of control was significantly higher among compliers than noncompliers (P<.05). The mean percentage of doses taken was 87.9% (95% confidence interval, 84.8%-91%) and the mean therapeutic coverage was 82.4% (95% confidence interval, 78.7%-86.1%). Overall, 73.3% of the patients were compliers (95% confidence interval, 69%-77.6%), 52.8% (95% confidence interval, 48%-57.6%) were once-daily compliers, and 46.5% (95% confidence interval, 41.9%-51.1%) complied with the prescribed time frame. Noncompliance was associated with a higher number of drugs prescribed (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: In hypertensive patients at high vascular risk, the rate of therapeutic noncompliance was very high, mainly when they took 5 or more pills daily.

[Prevalence of chronic kidney disease in hypertensive aged women treated in primary care. MERICAP Study]. / Prevalencia de enfermedad renal crónica en mujeres hipertensas de edad avanzada atendidas en atención primaria. Estudio MERICAP.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Information about the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the population treated in primary care is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of CKD in Spanish hypertensive women aged 64 years or older, and to determine possible associated factors. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Cross-sectional study including women with a diagnosis of hypertension selected by consecutive sampling in primary care. CKD was diagnosed when glomerular filtration rate was<60 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (MDRD). We assessed sociodemographic and clinical data, cardiovascular risk factors, and the presence of cardiovascular disease. RESULTS: The sample included 3782 women with a mean age of 73.6 ± 6.1 years. CKD (glomerular filtration rate<60 ml/min/1.73 m(2) was present in 53.4% (95% CI: 51.8-55.0). Masked CKD (serum creatinine<1.2mg/dl) was present in 25.7% (95% CI: 26.3-29.1). The prevalence increased with age (51% in those younger than 75 and 60.7% in women older than 84 (P<.001). With respect to those with normal renal function, hypertensive women having CKD were older, showed higher values of blood pressure, and had more frequently dyslipidemia, elevated plasma glucose, target organ damage and cardiovascular disease (P<.001). In a multivariate analysis, CKD was associated with coronary heart disease (OR: 1.9), hyperglycemia (OR: 1.6), hypertriglyceridemia (OR: 1.5), and elevated diastolic blood pressure (OR: 1.4). CONCLUSIONS: More than half of hypertensive women aged 64 years have CKD and of these about half have normal creatinine values.

[Objective KONTROL study: therapeutic inertia in hypertensive patients attended in primary care of Spain]. / Inercia terapéutica en pacientes hipertensos asistidos en atención primaria en España. Estudio Objetivo Kontrol.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the level of therapeutic inertia (TI), and the factors associated to the patient, doctor and the health organisation, in hypertensive patients treated in Primary Care (PC). DESIGN: Cross-sectional, multicentre study. SETTING: A sample of PC Teams from all over Spain. PARTICIPANTS: The study was conducted among PC doctors using a questionnaire and clinical records of 4 patients. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: The TI was calculated for each patient (TIp) as the proportion of visits in which there was no change in medication when this was indicated. RESULTS: A total of 543 PC doctors provided data on 2,032 patients, who fulfilled the indication of a change in requirement. There was TI In 77.8% of cases. The TIp observed was non-existent or low for 17.1% of the patients, intermediate for 42% and high for 40.8%. For the patients, the factors most associated with TIp were, age (P<.001), diabetes (P<.001), stroke (P<.01), obesity (P<.01) and a low education level (P<.001). To be female, be less than 40 years or more than 55 years, to be a family doctor with a training program other than MIR and to work in the public sector increased the probability of TIp (P<.001 for all the assumptions). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study indicate that there is TI in 7 out every 10 visits made by hypertensive patients in Primary care. There are significant differences as regards the clinical characteristics of the patients and of the doctors.

[Impact of the presence of cardiovascular disease on blood pressure and lipid control in the hypertense population attended in primary care]. / Impacto de la presencia de enfermedad cardiovascular en el control de presión arterial y lípidos en la población hipertensa asistida en atención primaria.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of cardiovascular disease (CVD) (heart failure, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, renal insufficiency, and peripheral arterial disease) on blood pressure (BP) and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) control in hypertense patients. DESIGN: We analysed the subset of patients with CVD from those included in the PRESCOT study (a cross-sectional study of hypertense patients attended in primary care). SETTING: A total of 2000 primary care physicians participated in the study. PARTICIPANTS: In an analysis of 12 954 patients (50.1% males; aged 62.1 [10.7]), good BP control was defined as <140/90 mm Hg (<130/80 mm Hg for diabetics) and good LDL-C control, according to the ATP-III stipulations for every risk group. RESULTS: Overall, 3294 (25.43%) patients had established CVD (mean age, 66.0 [10.2] years; 56.3% males). Of these, 82.2% had dyslipidaemia and 45.6% were diabetics (vs 72.3% and 23.9%, respectively, in non-CVD group; P< .0001). Patients with CVD were treated with more anti-hypertensives (55.7% vs 30.4% were on é2 drugs; P< .001) and more lipid-lowering drugs (67.6% vs 55.4%, P< .001) than patients without CVD. BP was controlled in 25.3% of patients with CVD versus 26.7% (P=.095); and LDL-C in 13.3% versus 40.2% (P< .001). Only 7.0% of patients with CVD were well controlled for both parameters versus 18.7% of those without CVD (P< .001). The main predictive factors of poor BP control were Diabetes (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.10-1.30), sedentary lifestyle (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.11-1.29) and female gender (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.02-1.23), among others; whilst the main factors for poor LDL-C control were a family history of CVD (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.24-1.46), sedentary lifestyle (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.18-1.39), and diabetes (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.06-1.26). CONCLUSIONS: BP and LDL-C control in the hypertense population with CVD is very poor. In fact, only 7% of these patients have both parameters well controlled.

[Arterial hypertension in immigrant patients in Spanish primary health care]. / Prevalencia de la hipertensión arterial en la población inmigrante asistida en atención primaria en España.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the arterial hypertension (AHT) prevalence in a wide sample of immigrant patients. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A transversal and multicentric study that has included immigrant patients aged 18 years or more, consecutive sampling recruitment in primary healthcare consultations. The patient was defined with AHT hypertension when the average of 6 measurements in 3 visits (2 measurements per visit) was > or = 140 mmHg for the systolic blood pressure and/or 90 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure or if the patient had been previously diagnosed. RESULTS: 1,424 immigrants were followed-up (53.1% women) with average age (standard deviation) of 42.8 (13.1) years and mean stay in our country of 5.6 (5.7) years. Most of the patients' origin was Central and South America (40.2%) and Eastern Europe (21.9%). The prevalence of AHT was 31.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 30.1-32.7%), of which the 62.1% where known patients. Patients coming from Asia showed a significant higher prevalence of AHT (40.0%; 95% CI, 38.7-41.3). CONCLUSIONS: Three of each 10 immigrant patients have AHT. There are significant differences according to the gender, the origin and period of residence of these patients.

[Control of blood pressure in diabetic patients in primary care setting. DIAPA study]. / Control de la presión arterial de los pacientes diabéticos en el ámbito de atención primaria. Estudio DIAPA.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the blood pressure (BP) control in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) treated in primary care (PC) and to establish the factors associated with a suboptimal control of BP. PATIENTS AND METHOD: This was a multicenter, transverse study. Ninety investigators included 875 patients with DM (57.8% women), with a mean (SD) age of 64 (11.8) years. BP was measured according to the Sixth Report of Joint National Committee (JNC-VI) and Word Health Organization/International Society Hypertension (WHO/ISH) recommendations, calculating the arithmetic mean of three consecutive measurements. Patients with a previous established diagnosis were considered to be hypertensive, and an optimal control was considered when BP values were lower than 130/85 mmHg. RESULTS: 66.7% (n = 583) patients with DM were previously diagnosed of hypertension (HT); 86.3% (CI 95%: 83.0-89.1) of those with type 2 DM and 87.8% (CI95%: 70.9-96.0) of those with type 1 DM did not have an optimal control of BP at the visit (BP >= 130 and/or 85 mmHg). 56.8% (CI 95%: 50.1-63.3) of those with type 2 DM and 23.8% (CI 95%: 12.6-39.8) of those with type 1 DM with unknown HT had a BP >= 130 and/or 85 mmHg at the visit. The median of antihypertensive drugs used was 1 (1-2). In a multivariate analysis, age, higher body mass index (BMI), higher cholesterol levels and uric acid were associated with a worse BP control (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, 66.7% of patients with DM attended in PC had known HT and only 13.6% had an optimal BP control. Diabetic patients with HT were undertreated, with a median of one antihypertensive drug.