Rationale and design of an investigator-initiated, multicenter, prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial to evaluate the effects of finerenone on vascular stiffness and cardiorenal biomarkers in type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (FIVE-STAR).

BACKGROUND: The overactivation of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) plays a key pathological role in the progression of cardiovascular and renal diseases by promoting pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic signaling. Recently, it has been found that finerenone, a novel nonsteroidal selective MR antagonist, can robustly improve cardiorenal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and a wide spectrum of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the mechanisms underlying the cardiorenal benefits of finerenone are poorly understood. Further, whether the clinical benefits are mediated by an improvement in vascular stiffness is not confirmed. Therefore, the current study aims to evaluate the effects of finerenone on vascular stiffness as assessed using cardio ankle vascular index (CAVI) and relevant cardiorenal biomarkers in patients with T2D and CKD. METHODS: The Effects of Finerenone on Vascular Stiffness and Cardiorenal Biomarkers in Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease (FIVE-STAR) is an ongoing, investigator-initiated, multicenter, prospective, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial in Japan. Its target sample size is 100 subjects. Recruitment will be performed from September 2023 to July 2024. After obtaining informed consent, eligible participants with T2D and CKD (25 mL/min/1.73 m2 ≤ estimated glomerular filtration ratio [eGFR] < 90 mL/min/1.73 m2 and 30 mg/g Cr ≤ urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio [UACR] < 3500 mg/g Cr) will be equally randomized to receive 24-week treatment with either finerenone (starting dose at 10 mg once daily in participants with a baseline eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or at 20 mg once daily in those with a baseline eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) or dose-matched placebo. The primary endpoint is the change from baseline in CAVI at 24 weeks. The secondary endpoints are changes from baseline in UACR at 12 and 24 weeks and relevant serum and urinary biomarkers at 24 weeks. As an exploratory endpoint, proteomic analysis using the Olink® Target 96 panels will be also performed. DISCUSSION: FIVE-STAR is the first trial evaluating the therapeutic impact of finerenone on vascular stiffness and relevant cardiorenal biomarkers in patients with T2D and CKD. This study will provide mechanistic insights on the clinical benefits of finerenone based on recent cardiovascular and renal outcome trials. Trial registration Unique Trial Number, NCT05887817 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05887817 ) and jRCTs021230011 ( https://jrct.niph.go.jp/latest-detail/jRCTs021230011 ).

Pseudohypercreatininemia after surgery for aortic dissection: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Elevated creatinine concentrations often indicate acute renal injury and renal biopsies are considered in this situation. However,pseudohypercreatininemia is potential cause of elevated creatinine concentrations, and invasive interventions should be avoided. CASE PRESENTATION: A 54-year-old woman underwent surgery for descending aortic dissection.Nine days postoperatively, her creatinine concentration increased from 1 mg/dl to 5.78 mg/dl (normal range, 0.47-0.7 mg/dl). Azotemia and hyperkalemia were absent and physical examination findings were unremarkable. Cystatin C concentration was 1.56 mg/l (normal range, 0.56-0.8 mg/l) and pseudohypercreatininemia was suspected. Testing with different reagents showed a creatinine concentration of 0.84 mg/dl. Immunoglobulin (Ig)G was markedly elevated, and creatinine and IgG fluctuated in parallel, suggesting the cause of the pseudohypercreatininemia. IgG4 was also elevated at 844 mg/dl. Immunosuppressive steroid therapy effectively decreased the IgG concentration and resolved the pseudohypercreatininemia. CONCLUSIONS: In cases of elevated creatinine concentration with the presence of abnormal proteins, pseudohypercreatininemia should be considered. We report a rare case of pseudohypercreatininemia caused by polyclonal IgG.

Hemodilution Impacts Assessment of Thyroid Status before and after Hemodialysis in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease.

BACKGROUND: To elucidate the role of hemodilution in the alteration of thyroid hormone levels in end-stage renal disease (ESRD), we compared thyroid function before and after hemodialysis (HD). METHODS: Twenty-three male ESRD patients (age <65 years) with either chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) or diabetic nephropathy (DN), who were enrolled between June 2019 and August 2019, were included in the study. The free thyroxine (fT4), free tri-iodothyronine (fT3), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG), and thyroglobulin (Tg), measured before and after HD in 12 patients with CGN (48.7 ± 11.8 years [mean ± standard deviation]) and 11 patients with DN (57.6 ± 6.5 years), were compared with 45 healthy controls (52.5 ± 11.9 years). RESULTS: The fT4, fT3, and TBG were significantly low before HD and increased in parallel with an increase in hematocrit and albumin after HD in both ESRD subgroups. The TSH was high before HD and decreased significantly after HD, while Tg remained almost unchanged. In DN, the fT4 levels were nearly identical, while fT3 was lower with slightly higher TSH, compared with CGN. The TSH/fT4 ratios before HD were significantly higher in both subgroups, and the fT3/fT4 ratios after HD were significantly lower in DN than the control. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the low fT4 and fT3 levels found in ESRD are due to hemodilution before HD, resulting in a slightly higher TSH level but almost unchanged Tg level, and that DN is associated with decreased T4-to-T3 conversion.

A case of thrombotic microangiopathy associated with polymyositis.

A 60-year-old Japanese woman with polymyositis (PM) developed hemolytic anemia (hemoglobin of 7.3 g/dL), thrombocytopenia (platelet of 9.1×104/µL), and acute kidney injury (Cre of 4.7 mg/dL) at 14 days after starting steroid therapy. Renal biopsy revealed glomerular endothelial swelling with fibrin thrombi and fragmented erythrocytes in the capillary lumens. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) with thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) was diagnosed. Hemodialysis and plasma exchange/plasma transfusion were initiated, but HUS did not subside. After 45 days, the patient died of hemorrhagic respiratory failure. Autopsy showed fibrin thrombi filling the glomerular vascular pole and the small arteries in most glomeruli, resulting in glomerular collapse and glomerular basement membrane (GBM) duplication. Although renal involvement by PM is rare, HUS/TMA should be remembered as one of the serious renal complications of PM.

Shorter Relapse-Free Period after Leukocyte Removal Therapy in Younger than Older Patients with Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND: Leukocyte removal therapy (LRT) is an effective treatment for active ulcerative colitis (UC). The present study was performed to evaluate the relapse-free period after LRT and identify risk factors for relapse. METHODS: In total, 94 patients who underwent first-time LRT for remission of moderate to severe UC from April 2004 to March 2016 were enrolled in the present study. The patients were randomly assigned to one of 2 treatments: leukocytapheresis (LCAP; n = 43) or granulocyte and monocyte/macrophage adsorptive apheresis (GMA; n = 51). The 5-year cumulative relapse-free rate and risk factors for relapse were evaluated. RESULTS: The therapeutic response rate was 82% for GMA and 70% for LCAP without a statistically significant difference. The 5-year relapse-free rate was 34.7% in the LRT group. The 5-year relapse-free rate in patients aged > 40 years was 49.9%, which was significantly higher than that in patients aged ≤40 years (22.9%, p < 0.01). The relapse-free period was longer in the older than younger patients. CONCLUSIONS: The relapse-free period after LRT was examined in patients with UC, and 34.7% of patients achieved clinical remission within a 5-year period. The risk factor for early relapse after LRT was younger age.

Use of the Dorsal Vein of the Hand for Arteriovenous Fistula Creation.

A radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in the anatomical snuffbox is the most distal site of AVF in the upper limb. When the cephalic vein distal to the wrist is in poor condition or thrombosed, creating the typical radiocephalic AVF in the distal forearm just proximal to the wrist will likely be considered. However, we have adopted an operative technique for creating a transposed radial artery-dorsal metacarpal vein AVF (RDAVF) in the anatomical snuffbox when possible in such cases. RDAVF is AVF using the most peripheral autologous vein in the upper limb. To our knowledge, the creation of an RDAVF has not been previously reported. We herein describe the steps of the technique and report the successful treatment of a hemodialysis patient who developed occlusion of a radiocephalic AVF in the anatomical snuffbox.

Thyroid function in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in comparison with chronic kidney disease
.

BACKGROUND/METHODS: Thyroid function was evaluated in 14 Japanese patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) with end-stage renal disease compared with 11 chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 1+2 patients (glomerular filtration rate ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73m2). RESULTS: The serum free triiodothyronine (fT3) (2.2 ± 0.3 pg/mL, p < 0.05) levels were lower, and the rate of low triiodothyronine (T3) syndrome was higher (4 of 13 cases, 30.8%) in the CAPD patients than in the CKD stage 1+2 patients (1 of 10 cases, 10.0%, respectively) or the 57 age-matched healthy controls. The serum thyroglobulin (Tg) levels were significantly higher in the CAPD patients (39.7 (13.4 - 178.0) ng/mL) than in the CKD stage 1+2 patients (9.9 (5.5 - 28.8) ng/mL, p < 0.05). High serum Tg levels (> 30 ng/mL) were observed in 66.7% of the CAPD patients. CONCLUSION: The finding from our study suggested the deterioration of thyroid function with higher prevalence of low T3 syndrome in the CAPD patients. Although speculation as to the reasons for this would be unwise at this point, we did note that the serum Tg levels were very high in the CAPD patients.
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Restoration of Autologous Arteriovenous Fistula by Removal of the Occluded Short Venous Part and Venovenous End-To-End Anastomosis in a Hemodialysis Patient.

Standard salvage procedures for occuluded autologous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in a hemodialysis patient are endovascular and/or surgical therapy. When endovascular therapy and thrombectomy prove unsuccessful, it is most likely that creating a new AVF or arteriovenous graft will be considered. However, if the occuluded venous part is short, we have adopted an operative technique for repair of AVF by removal of the occluded short venous part and venovenous end-to-end anastomosis. To our knowledge, the efficacy and clinical course of restoration of AVF by the technique have not been reported to date. Here, we describe the technique and report the successful treatment of a hemodialysis patient who developed AVF occlusion.

Long-term outcomes of tonsillectomy for IgA nephropathy patients: A retrospective cohort study, two-centre analysis with the inverse probability therapy weighting method.

AIM: The effect of tonsillectomy on IgA nephropathy remains controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of tonsillectomy on the outcome, end stage kidney disease (ESKD) and all-cause death in IgA nephropathy patients who did and did not undergo tonsillectomy. METHODS: All basic data were retrospectively gathered from patients who had undergone renal biopsies at two Japanese clinical centres. Two hundred and twenty-seven patients were eligible for the study, with a median age of 34 (Interquartile range (IQR): 25-43) years and median follow-up of 92 (IQR: 40-178) months. The primary endpoint was the composite outcome of the onset of ESKD and all-cause death before ESKD. We performed a Cox proportional hazard regression analysis after adjusting for patient characteristics using the inverse probability therapy weighting (IPTW) method and a Cox analysis using the Matching method. Similarly, we analyzed these outcomes in a mild cohort. RESULTS: We were unable to find any significant advantages of tonsillectomy in either analysis (IPTW and matching, HR: 0.40 (0.12-1.36) P = 0.072 and 0.78 (0.13-4.64) P = 0.786). However, in the mild cohort analysis, our data showed that the Tonsillectomy group tended to be less likely to reach the composite outcomes than the Not Tonsillectomy group with statistical significance (hazard ratio (HR), <0.001 [CI <0.001 to <0.001, P = 0.039]). CONCLUSION: In this study, our findings led us to conclude that performing tonsillectomy in an early and timely manner may have predisposition of less poor prognosis.

The high prevalence of reversible subclinical hypothyroidism with elevated serum thyroglobulin levels in chronic kidney disease patients
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BACKGROUND: We examined the thyroid function of non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in Japan. METHODS: Serum-free thyroxine, free triiodothyronine, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and thyroglobulin (Tg) levels were evaluated in 37 CKD patients. CKD was defined as sustained kidney damage for more than 3 months and was classified as CKD 1+2 (n = 11), 3+4 (n = 10), or 5 (n = 16), which were defined by glomerular filtration rates of ≥ 60, 15 - 59, or < 15 mL/min/1.73m2, respectively. RESULTS: The prevalence of primary hypothyroidism (TSH ≥ 4.83 mU/L) in CKD 1+2, CKD 3+4, and CKD 5 was 9%, 20%, and 56%, respectively (p < 0.05). Unexpectedly, elevated serum Tg levels (> 30 ng/mL), a marker of the reversible recovery of the thyroid function, were found in 67% of the CKD 5 patients (p < 0.05). The serum TSH and Tg levels became lower, without replacement therapy, after the initiation of hemodialysis and iodine restriction, and there was a significant correlation between the serum TSH and Tg levels in the CKD 5 patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of reversible hypothyroidism and the TSH-dependent elevation of the serum Tg levels was suggested in Japanese patients with advanced CKD. The excess ingestion and the impaired urinary excretion of iodine may be responsible for this reversible thyroid dysfunction.
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Successful treatment of a patient with refractory nephrotic syndrome with PCSK9 inhibitors: a case report.

BACKGROUND: The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor evolocumab is a low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-lowering drug with a new mechanism, which is currently available in Japan. Here, for the first time, we report the successful use of the PCSK9 inhibitor in a patient with refractory nephrotic syndrome. CASE PRESENTATION: A 61-year-old woman was diagnosed with minimal change-type nephrotic syndrome in October 2012. She received prednisolone (PSL) and cyclosporin A (CyA), but she experienced several cycles of relapse and remission and was hospitalized in May 2016 due to relapse. However, in spite of steroid pulse therapy and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) administration, her urinary protein level did not improve. We started her on evolocumab with the expectation of equivalent LDL-lowering effects as seen with LDL apheresis. After that, the LDL cholesterol level and UP/UC were concomitantly decreased, and the serum albumin was increased. This was maintained even when we reduced the PSL dose. This suggests that evolocumab clinically improves the nephrotic condition. CONCLUSION: No other report has described the use of evolocumab for nephrotic syndrome (NS) or its effect on similar nephrotic conditions. We believe that the findings presented here are unique and may be beneficial when treating similar cases.

Importance of specific reference values for evaluation of the deteriorating thyroid function in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: We evaluated the thyroid function in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on maintenance hemodialysis. MATERIAL/METHODS: Thyroid function and clinical hypothyroid score were evaluated in 145 ESRD patients. RESULTS: Comparison of thyroid function between 127 ESRD patients, excluding 18 patients with suppressed or elevated serum TSH level, and age/sex-matched healthy controls (76 in midlife group aged under 65 and 51 in late-life group aged 65 or over) using a multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested significant difference (P < 0.0001), mainly in serum fT4 level (P = 0.0099) and age (P = 0.0492), but not in serum fT3 (not significant; ns), TSH (ns) level or fT3/fT4 ratio (ns). Serum fT3 level and fT3/fT4 ratio were significantly lower (P < 0.001) in late-life group only in ESRD. Reference values calculated for midlife ESRD patients, such as 0.6-1.3 ng/dl for fT4 compared with 0.8-1.7 ng/dl for healthy control, were helpful for the diagnosis of mild but definite hyperthyroidism in whom serum fT4 level was 1.5 ng/dl. The prevalence of primary thyroid dysfunction, compared with the values for ESRD, was 0.7 % for hyperthyroidism, 1.4 % for overt hypothyroidism and 10.3 % for subclinical hypothyroidism. Hypothyroid score was high among those with ESRD independent of thyroid dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Serum fT4 level was markedly lower without a change in fT3/fT4 ratio in ESRD. This may suggest typical carbohydrate-sufficient non-thyroidal illness. The specific reference values for ESRD were useful to evaluate borderline thyroid dysfunction and to evaluate the prevalence of the patients with primary thyroid dysfunction in ESRD.

Is Podocytopathy Associated with Gross Hematuria after COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy?

We experienced three cases of a fever and subsequent severe, prolonged gross hematuria after COVID-19 vaccination. A kidney biopsy revealed immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy, and electron microscopy showed two types of podocytopathy (podocyte damage): loss of foot processes from the glomerular basement membrane and foot process effacement. Mesangial interposition was also present in cases 1 and 3 but not in case 2. Podocytopathy is known to be a cause of proteinuria; however, the reactions to COVID-19 vaccination described here suggest that it may also be related to hematuria in IgA nephropathy.

Immunoglobulin G4-related Dacryoadenitis Successfully Treated with Baricitinib.

A 48-year-old woman visited our hospital because of bilateral lacrimal gland enlargement. Her serum immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) level was high, and positron emission tomography-computed tomography showed significant positive findings in the bilateral lacrimal gland. A biopsy revealed a considerable increase in IgG4/CD138, leading to a diagnosis of IgG4-related dacryoadenitis. The disease did not respond to steroid therapy, so treatment was started with baricitinib because of exacerbation of the original atopic dermatitis and dacryoadenitis after the second dose of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. Baricitinib was effective for resolving both dermatitis and dacryoadenitis, and steroids were able to be discontinued. The IgG4 level also improved.

A Classical Phenotype of Fabry Disease with Novel Mutation Found by Kidney Biopsy, A Case Report.

Fabry disease (FD) is a multi-organ disorder caused by a deficiency of alpha-galactosidase (α-GLA) or reduced activity of the enzyme due to mutations in the GLA gene on the X chromosome, making it an X-linked hereditary disease. A 37-year-old man previously diagnosed with sudden deafness and cardiac hypertrophy was referred to our department after an abnormal urine finding during a public health checkup. A renal biopsy revealed characteristic findings, and he was diagnosed with FD with a novel GLA abnormality (c.714dupT (p.I239Yfs*11)). We are currently administering enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with agalsidase α. This case shows that a novel genetic abnormality in FD can be overlooked for 37 years, even in the presence of typical symptoms. The significance of a renal biopsy in diagnosing FD is emphasized, highlighting the crucial role of nephrologists.  DOI: 10.52547/ijkd.7595.

Endothelial Damage-dominant Nephritis Related to IgA Vasculitis after 11 Years' Use of Infliximab for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

A 43-year-old Japanese woman with rheumatoid arthritis treated by infliximab and methotrexate for 11 years was admitted for proteinuria and purpura. A kidney biopsy revealed endothelial damage-dominant nephritis with IgA deposition. Infliximab and methotrexate were discontinued, and tocilizumab was started; however, proteinuria persisted. Therefore, tocilizumab was discontinued, and oral prednisolone and methylprednisolone pulse therapy were administered. After 6 months, urinary protein was less than 0.1 g/day, and purpura subsided. To our knowledge, this is the first case of endothelial damage-dominant nephritis related to IgA vasculitis involving the skin and kidney after long-term use of infliximab and methotrexate.

Immunoglobulin G4-related Tubulointerstitial Nephritis with Simultaneous Resolution of Plasma Cell Infiltration and Fibrosis after Steroid Treatment.

We performed 3 kidney biopsies in a 71-year-old man. At the first biopsy, we made the diagnosis of immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related interstitial nephritis characterized by the simultaneous presence of IgG4-positive plasma cells and characteristic fibrosis with a bird's-eye pattern. At the second biopsy, rather than finding fibrosis as a post-inflammatory scar, we noted that steroid treatment had caused the simultaneous disappearance of IgG4-positive plasma cells and fibrosis and had restored the normal tubular structure. The third biopsy showed the recurrence of the disease with inflammatory cells accompanied by fibrosis. These findings suggest that IgG4-positive plasma cells and fibrosis occur simultaneously.