The Quality of Life in Elderly Patients in Comprehensive Conservative Management or Hemodialysis: A Case-Control Study in Analogous Basal Conditions.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Comprehensive conservative management (CCM) is a viable treatment option for elderly patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). However, it involves a significant change in dietary habits, such as adopting a low-protein diet. Therefore, it is crucial to understand its impact on the patient's quality of life (QoL), particularly when compared to hemodialysis (HD). The study aims to evaluate the differences in the QoL between patients undergoing CCM and HD. METHODS: The study included 50 patients over 75 with ESKD, with 25 patients in the CCM group and 25 in the HD group. The CCM group followed a personalized low-protein diet, while the HD group did not have protein restrictions. Various parameters were assessed, including demographic data, urine output, blood tests, comorbidity index, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and hospitalization. The SF-12 questionnaire assessed the QoL, and the Physical Composite Score (PCS) and Mental Composite Score (MCS) were calculated. RESULTS: The study revealed no age and comorbidity index differences between CCM and HD patients. In contrast, CCM patients reported significantly better physical and mental well-being than HD patients. In univariate analysis, CCM (B 0.24, p = 0.001), protein intake (B -0.004, p = 0.008), hospitalization (B -0.18, p = 0.024), urine output (B 0.25, p = 0.001), and VAS (B -0.26, p < 0.001) influenced the PCS. At the same time, only the type of treatment (B = 0.15, p = 0.048), urine output (B 0.18, p = 0.02), and VAS (B -0.14, p = 0.048) influence the MCS. In contrast, in multivariate analysis, only CCM contributed to an improved PCS (B 0.19, p = 0.003) and MCS (B 0.16, p = 0.03), while a higher VAS worsened the PCS (B -0.24, p < 0.001) and MCS (B -0.157, p = 0.0024). CONCLUSIONS: In elderly patients with similar basal conditions, health-related QoL perception is better in CCM than in HD patients.

The Role of Daily Dialysate Calcium Exposure in Phosphaturic Hormones in Dialysis Patients.

Managing mineral bone disease (MBD) could reduce cardiovascular risk and improve the survival of dialysis patients. Our study focuses on the impact of calcium bath exposure in dialysis patients by comparing peritoneal dialysis patients (PD, intervention group) and hemodialysis patients (HD, control group). We assessed various factors, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, PTH, vitamin D 25-OH, C-terminal telopeptide (CTX), and FGF-23 levels, as well as the calcium bath six hours before the blood sample and the length of daily calcium exposure. We enrolled 40 PD and 31 HD patients with a mean age of 68.7 ± 13.6 years. Our cohort had median PTH and FGF-23 levels of 194 ng/L (Interquartile range [IQR] 130-316) and 1296 pg/mL (IQR 396-2698), respectively. We identified the length of exposure to a 1.25 mmol/L calcium bath, phosphate levels, and CTX as independent predictors of PTH (OR 0.279, p = 0.011; OR 0.277, p = 0.012; OR 0.11, p = 0.01, respectively). In contrast, independent predictors of FGF-23 were phosphate levels (OR 0.48, p < 0.001) and serum calcium levels (OR 0.25, p = 0.015), which were affected by the calcium bath. These findings suggest that managing dialysate calcium baths impacts phosphaturic hormones and could be a critical factor in optimizing CKD-MBD treatment in PD patients, sparking a new avenue of research and potential interventions.

Low-Protein Diet in Elderly Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 4 and 5 in Conservative Management: Focus on Sarcopenia Development.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic kidney disease is a degenerative and increasingly prevalent condition that includes metabolic abnormalities and is associated with a higher risk of sarcopenia. The conservative approach points primarily to controlling metabolic issues and reducing the risk of malnutrition and sarcopenia, slowing the progression of kidney disease. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of a low-protein diet on malnutrition and sarcopenia. METHODS: A total of 45 patients (33 male and 12 female) aged over 70 with chronic kidney disease stage 4-5 in conservative management were considered. All patients had a dietary assessment and prescription of personalized low-protein dietary plans (≤0.6 g protein/kg) and a follow-up control between 4 and 6 months. In preliminary and follow-up evaluations, anthropometric data, blood examinations, body composition results, muscle strength, physical performance, and a 3-day food diary were collected. RESULTS: In the follow-up period, a significant weight loss (p = 0.001) and a decrease in body mass index (p = 0.002) were recorded. Food diaries revealed a significant reduction in protein, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus intake (p < 0.001), with a significant reduction in urea (p < 0.001) and proteinuria (p = 0.01) without any impact on lean mass (p = 0.66). Considerable variations in adherence between food diaries and the prescribed diet were also noted. CONCLUSIONS: Providing a personalized low-protein diet led to significant benefits in a short period without worsening the patient's nutritional status.

Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease: Epidemiological Analysis in a NorthEastern District of Italy Focusing on Access to Nephrological Care.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a retrospective epidemiological study about the prevalence of stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a high-income district, comparing some demographic characteristics and outcomes of those patients who had nephrological consultations and those who had not. RESULTS: In a district of 400,000 adult subjects in 2020, 925 patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) under 15 mL/min and CKD. In the same period, 747 (80.4%) patients were assessed by nephrologists, while 178 (19.6%) were not. Age (88 vs. 75, p < 0.0001), female gender (66.3% vs. 47%, p < 0.001), and eGFR (12 vs. 9 mL/min, p < 0.001) were significantly different in the patients assessed by a nephrologist as compared those who did not have nephrological care. Furthermore, unfollowed CKD patients had a significantly higher death rate, 83.1% versus 14.3% (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: About 20% of ESKD patients did not receive a nephrologist consultation. Older people and women were more likely not to be referred to nephrology clinics. Unfollowed patients with stage 5 CKD had a significantly higher death rate.

The Ultrasound Renal Stress Test for the Assessment of Functional Renal Reserve in Kidney Transplantation: A Pilot Study in Living Donors.

In the evolving landscape of nephrology and kidney transplants, assessing renal functional reserve (RFR) in living kidney donors is essential for ensuring donor safety and successful transplantation. This study explores the use of the Intra-Parenchymal Renal Resistive Index Variation (IRRIV) test, a novel non-invasive method, to measure RFR in living donors. Our observational study included 11 participants undergoing living kidney donations, evaluated using the IRRIV-based Renal Stress Test (RST) before and 12 months post-nephrectomy. The study demonstrated significant changes in creatinine and eGFR CKD-EPI levels post-donation, with an average creatinine rise from 69 to 97 µmol/L and a reduction in eGFR from 104 to 66 mL/min/1.73 m2. These variations align with the expected halving of nephron mass post-nephrectomy and the consequent recruitment of RFR and hyperfiltration in the remaining nephrons. This pilot study suggests that the IRRIV-based RST is a practical, safe, and reproducible tool, potentially revolutionizing the assessment of RFR in living kidney donors, with implications for broader clinical practice in donor eligibility evaluation, even in borderline renal cases. Furthermore, it confirms the feasibility of RST in living kidney donors and allows us to assess the sample size in 48 donors for a future study.

Varicella Zoster vaccination in hemodialysis patients: The state of the art.

Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) infection is a common childhood exanthematous disease, which in adults and immunocompromised people may result in severe neurologic complications. Up to one-third of infected subjects may have VZV clinical reactivation particularly if immunocompromised. Patients affected by end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis present immunodepression that contributes to their higher incidence of VZV infections and reactivation. While antiviral treatment in these patients shows low efficacy, the prevention of VZV through vaccination avoids the primary infection and the risk of reactivation. Two VZV vaccines are currently available: the live attenuate Zoster Vaccine (LZV) and a Recombinant Zoster Vaccine (RZV), with the latter appearing to provide greater efficacy. Given the higher incidence of VZV infection and reactivation, the lesser response to antivirals and the lower impact of VZ vaccine in hemodialysis patients in terms of side effects, a higher diffusion of VZV vaccination should be promoted by nephrologists in these patients in particular in those with future transplant opportunities.

Conservative Management in End-Stage Kidney Disease between the Dialysis Myth and Neglected Evidence-Based Medicine.

In the last few decades, the aging of the general population has significantly increased the number of elderly patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) who require renal replacement therapy. ESKD elders are often frail and highly comorbid with social issues and seem to not benefit from dialysis in terms of survival and quality of life. Conservative management (CM) could represent a valid treatment option, allowing them to live for months to years with a modest impact on their habits. Despite these possible advantages, CM remains underused due to the myth of dialysis as the only effective treatment option for all ESKD patients regardless of its impact on quality of life and survival. Both CM and dialysis remain valid alternatives in the management of ESKD. However, assessing comorbidities, disabilities, and social context should drive the choice of the best possible treatment for ESKD, while in elderly patients with short life expectancies, referring them to palliative care seems the most reasonable choice.

The Assessment of Renal Functional Reserve in ß-Thalassemia Major Patients by an Innovative Ultrasound and Doppler Technique: A Pilot Study.

Beta-thalassemia syndromes are the most common inherited monogenic disorders worldwide. The most common pathophysiologic and clinical renal disease manifestations of in ß-TM patients is the tubular dysfunctions related to iron overload, chronic anemia, and the need for chronic iron chelation therapy. The aim of this pilot study is to apply an innovative ultrasound and Doppler technique to assess the Renal Functional Reserve (RFR) in ß-TM patients, and to evaluate its reliability in iron overload tubulopathy. Ultrasound assessment of intra-parenchymal renal resistive index variation (IRRIV) has recently been proposed as a safe and reproducible technique to identify RFR presence. We define the preserved RFR when the Delta Renal Resistive Index (RRI) is >0.05 (baseline RRI­minimum RRI value during stress) in the Renal Stress Test (RST). Nineteen ß-TM patients were enrolled for this study. In our series, we found a strong negative correlation between mean ferritin values and Delta RRI (R = −0.51, p = 0.03). This pilot study suggested the RST as reliable tool for assessing the RFR by ultrasound. Specifically, RST could help in clinical practice suggesting the patient's management and iron chelation therapy.

Role of Renin-Angiotensin System Blockers on BCG Response in Nonmuscle Invasive, High Risk Bladder Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The gold standard treatment for high-risk NMIBC is BCG immunotherapy. Some studies suggested an immomodulatory effects for commonly used drugs (ie, ACE-I and ARBs). We aimed to determine whether these drugs impact the prognosis of patients with high-risk NMIBC treated with BCG. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis on 208 patients from a single academic center with primary high-risk NMIBC treated with transurethral resection followed by 6 weekly instillations of BCG and up to 12 monthly maintenance instillations. ARBs or ACE-I use at the time of treatment initiation was recorded. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to adjust for clinical and pathological covariates. IPTW-adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves and weighted Cox proportional hazards regression were used to compare 2-yr failure-free (2-yr FFS), failure-free (FFS), overall recurrence-free (RFS) and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: A total of 68 patients were on ACE-I, and 38 on ARBs and treatment respectively. At a median follow-up of 26 months, ACE-I treatment had no significant impact on cancer-related outcomes. Conversely, patients treated with ARBs experienced significant improvements in 2-yr FFS (HR 0.3; 0.1-0.9, P = .004), FFS (HR 0.4, 0.1-0.9, P = .005), and PFS (HR 0.001; < 0.001-0.001, P < .001). No significant impact was found for ARB use in RFS (HR 0.6; P = .09). Sensitivity analyses confirmed these results. CONCLUSIONS: our findings support a potential role of the angiotensin-renin system in bladder cancer development. We identified ARBs as potential beneficial drugs that seems to act in synergy with BCG-immunotherapy.

Relationship between Residual Urine Output and Type of Dialysis with FGF23 Levels.

Several studies investigated the role of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) in the regulation of renal phosphate excretion in chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, patients with residual urine output (UO) seem to control their serum phosphorus levels better. Our aim was to determine whether FGF23 levels are influenced by dialysis modality and UO. We performed a cross-sectional study in hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. The C-terminal FGF23 (cFGF23) levels were determined in plasma with a two-site enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The UO collection referred to an mL/day measurement. All p values were two-sided, and the statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. We enrolled 133 patients (58 HD, 75 PD, UO 70%). The median cFGF23 was significantly higher in HD vs. PD patients (p = 0.0017) and not significantly higher in patients without UO (p = 0.12). We found a negative correlation between cFGF23 and the UO volume (p = 0.0250), but the correlation was not significant when considering the type of dialysis treatment. Phosphorus (ß = 0.21677; p = 0.0007), type of dialysis (ß = −0.68392; p = 0.0003), and creatinine (ß = 0.08130; p = 0.0133) were significant and independent predictors of cFGF23 levels. In conclusion, cFGF23 was significantly higher in HD than in PD patients. We found a significant negative correlation between cFGF23 and the residual UO volume, but the correlation was not significant considering the type of dialysis. Our study reveals that dialysis modality is an independent predictor of FGF23 levels. In particular, PD is associated with lower FGF23 levels than HD.

Biomarkers of Glyco-Metabolic Control in Hemodialysis Patients: Glycated Hemoglobin vs. Glycated Albumin.

Background and Objectives: Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) dosage is considered the gold standard in glycol-metabolic monitoring, but it presents limits, which can underestimate the glycemia trend. In this regard, it was introduced the glycated albumin (GA). The aim of the study is to verify the predictivity of the GA compared to HbA1c in identifying glyco-metabolic alterations in non-diabetic and diabetic hemodialysis (HD) patients. Materials and Methods: For this purpose, we conducted a multicenter study involving one analysis laboratory and six dialysis centers in the Lazio region (Rome, Italy). Both diabetic and non-diabetic HD patients represent the study population, and the protocol included five time points. Results: The analyzed data highlighted the ability of GA to predict changes in glycemic metabolism in HD patients, and GA values are not significantly influenced, like HbA1c, by dialysis therapy itself and by comorbidities of the uremic state, such as normochromic and normocytic anemia. Thus, GA seems to reflect early glyco-metabolic alterations, both in patients with a previous diagnosis of diabetes and in subjects without diabetes mellitus. As part of this study, we analyzed two HD patients (one diabetic and one non-diabetic) in which GA was more predictive of glycol-metabolic alterations compared to HbA1c. Our study confirms the need to compare classical biomarkers used for the monitoring of glyco-metabolic alterations with new ones, likely more reliable and effective in specific subgroups of patients in which the classic biomarkers can be influenced by the preexisting pathological conditions. Conclusions: In conclusion, our evidence highlights that in uremic patients, GA shows a better ability to predict glyco-metabolic alterations allowing both an earlier diagnosis of DM and a prompt modulation of the hypoglycemic therapy, thus improving the clinical management of these patients.

CORONAcrisis-An Observational Study on the Experience of Healthcare Professionals in a University Hospital during a Pandemic Emergency.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to affect millions worldwide and has posed unique challenges to healthcare professionals. Caring for patients during a pandemic may have negative impacts on their mental health. We describe the first part of a study using a mixed-method sequential explanatory design (QUANT→QUAL). This quantitative part examines the experiences of healthcare professionals during the pandemic in a University Hospital in Italy. We performed a cross-sectional hospital-based survey involving all healthcare professionals between 19 May 2020 and 3 June 2020. Perceived Stress Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, and General Anxiety Disorder scores were calculated, in order to assess how the pandemic emergency changed the occupational and social habits of the healthcare professionals. The mean age of the 275 respondents was 47 years and females accounted for 80.2%. A total of 29.8% had a Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score ≥25, 22.9% scored ≥15 on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scale, and 17.1% scored ≥15 on the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) scale. Stress symptoms were mostly manifested for interviewees over 55, females, those who live far from their family, those who have only one child, and those who had a qualification lower than high school or who had a medical specialization. Our findings show a relevant level of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression in up to 30% of the sample, highlighting a significant psychological burden in all professionals.

Nomograms in Urologic Oncology: Lights and Shadows.

Decision-making in urologic oncology involves integrating multiple clinical data to provide an answer to the needs of a single patient. Although the practice of medicine has always been an "art" involving experience, clinical data, scientific evidence and judgment, the creation of specialties and subspecialties has multiplied the challenges faced every day by physicians. In the last decades, with the field of urologic oncology becoming more and more complex, there has been a rise in tools capable of compounding several pieces of information and supporting clinical judgment and experience when approaching a difficult decision. The vast majority of these tools provide a risk of a certain event based on various information integrated in a mathematical model. Specifically, most decision-making tools in the field of urologic focus on the preoperative or postoperative phase and provide a prognostic or predictive risk assessment based on the available clinical and pathological data. More recently, imaging and genomic features started to be incorporated in these models in order to improve their accuracy. Genomic classifiers, look-up tables, regression trees, risk-stratification tools and nomograms are all examples of this effort. Nomograms are by far the most frequently used in clinical practice, but are also among the most controversial of these tools. This critical, narrative review will focus on the use, diffusion and limitations of nomograms in the field of urologic oncology.

Analysis of the Clinical and Epidemiological Meaning of Screening Test for SARS-CoV-2: Considerations in the Chronic Kidney Disease Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COronaVIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic is an emerging reality in nephrology. In a continuously changing scenario, we need to assess our patients' additional risk in terms of attending hemodialysis treatments, follow-up peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplant visits. The prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-20 infection in the general population plays a pivotal role in estimating the additional COVID-19 risk in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Unfortunately, local prevalence is often obscure, and when we have an estimation, we neglect the number of asymptomatic subjects in the same area and, consequently, the risk of infection in CKD patients. Furthermore, we still have the problem of managing COVID-19 diagnosis and the test's accuracy. Currently, the gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 detection is a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) on respiratory tract samples. rRT-PCR presents some vulnerability related to pre-analytic and analytic problems and could impact strongly on its diagnostic accuracy. Specifically, the operative proceedings to obtain the samples and the different types of diagnostic assay could affect the results of the test. In this scenario, knowing the local prevalence and the local screening test accuracy helps the clinician to perform preventive measures to limit the diffusion of COVID-19 in the CKD population.

Pilot health technology assessment study: organizational and economic impact of remote monitoring system for home automated peritoneal dialysis.

PURPOSE: Follow-up of automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) has been improved by data transmission by cellular modem and internet cloud. With the new remote patient monitoring (RPM) technology, clinical control and prescription of dialysis are performed by software (Baxter Claria-Sharesource), which allows the center to access home operational data. The objective of this pilot study was to determine the impact of RPM compared to traditional technology, in clinical, organizational, social, and economic terms in a single center. METHODS: We studied 21 prevalent APD patients aged 69 ± 13 years, on dialysis for a median of 9 months, for a period of 6 months with the traditional technology and 6 months with the new technology. A relevant portion of patients lived in mountainous or hilly areas. RESULTS: Our study shows more proactive calls from the center to patients after the consultation of RPM software, reduction of calls from patients and caregivers, early detection of clinical problems, a significant reduction of unscheduled visits, and a not significant reduction of hospitalizations. The analysis also highlighted how the RPM system lead to relevant economic savings, which for the health system have been calculated € 335 (mean per patient-month). With the social costs represented by the waste of time of the patient and the caregiver, we calculated € 685 (mean per patient-month). CONCLUSION: In our pilot report, the RPM system allowed the accurate assessment of daily APD sessions to suggest significative organizational and economic advantages, and both patients and healthcare providers reported good subjective experiences in terms of safety and quality of follow-up.

Gadolinium-Based Contrast Media Nephrotoxicity in Kidney Impairment: The Physio-Pathological Conditions for the Perfect Murder.

Gadolinium-based contrast media (GBCM) toxicity in patients with kidney disease is a concern for the possible development of systemic nephrogenic fibrosis and possible renal complications. This review focuses on the pathological mechanisms underlying the potential kidney toxicity of gadolinium. Gadolinium, as a free compound (Gd3+), is highly toxic in humans because it competes with divalent calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) ions, interfering in some relevant biologic processes. Its toxicity is blunted by the complexing of Gd3+ with a carrier, allowing its use in magnetic resonance imaging. The binding reaction between gadolinium and a carrier is thermodynamically reversible. Consequently, under some conditions, gadolinium can be released in the interstitial space as a free Gd3+ compound with the possibility of toxicity. Other metals such as iron, copper, and calcium can interfere with the binding between gadolinium and its carrier because they compete for the same binding site. This process is known as transmetallation. In patients with kidney impairment, conditions such as low clearance of the Gd-carrier complex, acid-base derangements, and high serum phosphorous can increase the presence of free Gd3+, leading to a higher risk for toxicity.