Predicting the outcome of COVID-19 infection in kidney transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to present the demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, and outcomes of our multicenter cohort of adult KTx recipients with COVID-19. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective study using data of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 collected from 34 centers in Turkey. Demographic characteristics, clinical findings, laboratory parameters (hemogram, CRP, AST, ALT, LDH, and ferritin) at admission and follow-up, and treatment strategies were reviewed. Predictors of poor clinical outcomes were analyzed. The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and the need for ICU admission. The secondary outcome was composite in-hospital mortality and/or ICU admission. RESULTS: One hundred nine patients (male/female: 63/46, mean age: 48.4 ± 12.4 years) were included in the study. Acute kidney injury (AKI) developed in 46 (42.2%) patients, and 4 (3.7%) of the patients required renal replacement therapy (RRT). A total of 22 (20.2%) patients were admitted in the ICU, and 19 (17.4%) patients required invasive mechanical ventilation. 14 (12.8%) of the patients died. Patients who were admitted in the ICU were significantly older (age over 60 years) (38.1% vs 14.9%, p = 0.016). 23 (21.1%) patients reached to composite outcome and these patients were significantly older (age over 60 years) (39.1% vs. 13.9%; p = 0.004), and had lower serum albumin (3.4 g/dl [2.9-3.8] vs. 3.8 g/dl [3.5-4.1], p = 0.002), higher serum ferritin (679 µg/L [184-2260] vs. 331 µg/L [128-839], p = 0.048), and lower lymphocyte counts (700/µl [460-950] vs. 860 /µl [545-1385], p = 0.018). Multivariable analysis identified presence of ischemic heart disease and initial serum creatinine levels as independent risk factors for mortality, whereas age over 60 years and initial serum creatinine levels were independently associated with ICU admission. On analysis for predicting secondary outcome, age above 60 and initial lymphocyte count were found to be independent variables in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION: Over the age of 60, ischemic heart disease, lymphopenia, poor graft function were independent risk factors for severe COVID-19 in this patient group. Whereas presence of ischemic heart disease and poor graft function were independently associated with mortality.

Characteristics and outcomes of hospitalised older patients with chronic kidney disease and COVID-19: A multicenter nationwide controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: Older adults with co-morbidities have been reported to be at higher risk for adverse outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The characteristics of COVID-19 in older patients and its clinical outcomes in different kidney disease groups are not well known. METHODS: Data were retrieved from a national multicentric database supported by Turkish Society of Nephrology, which consists of retrospectively collected data between 17 April 2020 and 31 December 2020. Hospitalised patients aged 18 years or older with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis suffering from stage 3-5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) or on maintenance haemodialysis (HD) treatment were included in the database. Non-uraemic hospitalised patients with COVID-19 were also included as the control group. RESULTS: We included 879 patients [388 (44.1%) female, median age: 63 (IQR: 50-73) years]. The percentage of older patients in the CKD group was 68.8% (n = 188/273), in the HD group was 49.0% (n = 150/306) and in the control group was 30.4% (n = 70/300). Co-morbidities were higher in the CKD and HD groups. The rate of presentation with severe-critical disease was higher in the older CKD and HD groups (43.6%, 55.3% and 16.1%, respectively). Among older patients, the intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate was significantly higher in the CKD and HD groups than in the control group (38.8%, 37.3% and 15.7%, respectively). In-hospital mortality or death and/or ICU admission rates in the older group were significantly higher in the CKD (29.3% and 39.4%) and HD groups (26.7% and 30.1%) compared with the control group (8.6% and 17.1%). In the multivariate analysis, in-hospital mortality rates in CKD and HD groups were higher than control group [hazard ratio (HR): 4.33 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.53-12.26) and HR: 3.09 (95% CI: 1.04-9.17), respectively]. CONCLUSION: Among older COVID-19 patients, in-hospital mortality is significantly higher in those with stage 3-5 CKD and on maintenance HD than older patients without CKD regardless of demographic characteristics, co-morbidities, clinical and laboratory data on admission.

Impact of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury on Covid-19 outcomes in patients with and without chronic kidney disease: a multicenter retrospective cohort study

Background/aim: Hospital-acquired acute kidney injury (HA-AKI) may commonly develop in Covid-19 patients and is expected to have higher mortality. There is little comparative data investigating the effect of HA-AKI on mortality of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and a control group of general population suffering from Covid-19. Materials and methods: HA-AKI development was assessed in a group of stage 3­5 CKD patients and control group without CKD among adult patients hospitalized for Covid-19. The role of AKI development on the outcome (in-hospital mortality and admission to the intensive care unit [ICU]) of patients with and without CKD was compared. Results: Among 621 hospitalized patients (age 60 [IQR: 47­73]), women: 44.1%), AKI developed in 32.5% of the patients, as stage 1 in 84.2%, stage 2 in 8.4%, and stage 3 in 7.4%. AKI developed in 48.0 % of CKD patients, whereas it developed in 17.6% of patients without CKD. CKD patients with HA-AKI had the highest mortality rate of 41.1% compared to 14.3% of patients with HA-AKI but no CKD (p < 0.001). However, patients with AKI+non-CKD had similar rates of ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and death rate to patients with CKD without AKI. Adjusted mortality risks of the AKI+non-CKD group (HR: 9.0, 95% CI: 1.9­44.2) and AKI+CKD group (HR: 7.9, 95% CI: 1.9­33.3) were significantly higher than that of the non-AKI+non-CKD group. Conclusion: AKI frequently develops in hospitalized patients due to Covid-19 and is associated with high mortality. HA-AKI has worse outcomes whether it develops in patients with or without CKD, but the worst outcome was seen in AKI+CKD patients.

Mortality analysis of COVID-19 infection in chronic kidney disease, haemodialysis and renal transplant patients compared with patients without kidney disease: a nationwide analysis from Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and immunosuppression, such as in renal transplantation (RT), stand as one of the established potential risk factors for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Case morbidity and mortality rates for any type of infection have always been much higher in CKD, haemodialysis (HD) and RT patients than in the general population. A large study comparing COVID-19 outcome in moderate to advanced CKD (Stages 3-5), HD and RT patients with a control group of patients is still lacking. METHODS: We conducted a multicentre, retrospective, observational study, involving hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19 from 47 centres in Turkey. Patients with CKD Stages 3-5, chronic HD and RT were compared with patients who had COVID-19 but no kidney disease. Demographics, comorbidities, medications, laboratory tests, COVID-19 treatments and outcome [in-hospital mortality and combined in-hospital outcome mortality or admission to the intensive care unit (ICU)] were compared. RESULTS: A total of 1210 patients were included [median age, 61 (quartile 1-quartile 3 48-71) years, female 551 (45.5%)] composed of four groups: control (n = 450), HD (n = 390), RT (n = 81) and CKD (n = 289). The ICU admission rate was 266/1210 (22.0%). A total of 172/1210 (14.2%) patients died. The ICU admission and in-hospital mortality rates in the CKD group [114/289 (39.4%); 95% confidence interval (CI) 33.9-45.2; and 82/289 (28.4%); 95% CI 23.9-34.5)] were significantly higher than the other groups: HD = 99/390 (25.4%; 95% CI 21.3-29.9; P < 0.001) and 63/390 (16.2%; 95% CI 13.0-20.4; P < 0.001); RT = 17/81 (21.0%; 95% CI 13.2-30.8; P = 0.002) and 9/81 (11.1%; 95% CI 5.7-19.5; P = 0.001); and control = 36/450 (8.0%; 95% CI 5.8-10.8; P < 0.001) and 18/450 (4%; 95% CI 2.5-6.2; P < 0.001). Adjusted mortality and adjusted combined outcomes in CKD group and HD groups were significantly higher than the control group [hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI) CKD: 2.88 (1.52-5.44); P = 0.001; 2.44 (1.35-4.40); P = 0.003; HD: 2.32 (1.21-4.46); P = 0.011; 2.25 (1.23-4.12); P = 0.008), respectively], but these were not significantly different in the RT from in the control group [HR (95% CI) 1.89 (0.76-4.72); P = 0.169; 1.87 (0.81-4.28); P = 0.138, respectively]. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with CKDs, including Stages 3-5 CKD, HD and RT, have significantly higher mortality than patients without kidney disease. Stages 3-5 CKD patients have an in-hospital mortality rate as much as HD patients, which may be in part because of similar age and comorbidity burden. We were unable to assess if RT patients were or were not at increased risk for in-hospital mortality because of the relatively small sample size of the RT patients in this study.

Non-diabetic nephropathy in diabetic patients: incidence, HbA1c variability and other predictive factors, and implications.

PURPOSE: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the population. In patients with diabetes mellitus, the incidence of non-diabetic nephropathy (NDNP) has been estimated to range from 3% to 69.5%. Personal judgment is frequently employed while deciding whether or not to do a kidney biopsy (KB) on diabetic patients. NDNP alters the prognosis and course of treatment for people with DM. In our study, we examined the incidence of NDNP concurrent with the progression of diabetes mellitus, as well as the laboratory and clinical indicators that could be utilized to forecast it. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 76 diabetic patients who underwent KB was conducted. Based on the pathological diagnoses of these patients, they were categorized as DNP (diabetic nephropathy) or NDNP. The definition of HbA1c variability was determined by calculating the mean HbA1c and the average value of the HbA1c measurements, as well as the standard deviation (SD) for each participant. RESULTS: NDNP was detected in 50% of 76 patients. Among patients with NDNP, 36.8% had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), 23.6% had membranous glomerulonephritis, and 7.8% had IgA nephritis. The NDNP group exhibited significantly higher rates of female gender, absence of diabetic retinopathy, shorter time to diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and proteinuria, less intensive medication for diabetes mellitus, presence of hematuria and leukociduria, immunological serological marker positivity, and non-HbA1C variability. Risk factors for predicting non-diabetic nephropathy, as determined by multivariate analysis, included female gender, the absence of diabetic retinopathy, non-HbA1c variability and a positive immunological serological test. CONCLUSION: In this study, a significant number of diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease were diagnosed with NDNP. Identifying these patients allows for treatment of the specific underlying disease. Factors such as the absence of DR, non-HbA1c variability, female gender, and immunological serological test positivity can predict NDNP and guide the clinician's decision on kidney biopsy. Further prospective studies are warranted to validate the efficacy of potential predictive factors like HbA1c variability.

Could mesangial C3 deposition be an independent prognostic marker in immunoglobulin A nephropathy?

BACKGROUND: Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is a common primary glomerulonephropathy. There is evidence that mesangial C3 deposition plays a role in the development of the disease. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of C3 deposition on the prognosis of IgAN patients. METHOD: The study included 1135 patients with biopsy-confirmed IgAN from the database of the Turkish Nephrology Association Glomerular Diseases Working Group (TSN-GOLD). Patients were excluded from the study if they were aged < 18 or > 75 years or if C3 staining had not been performed in the immunofluorescent analysis. C3 deposition was defined as an immunofluorescence intensity of C3 ≥ 2 + within the mesangium. The primary endpoints were the development of end-stage renal disease, a 30% decrease in glomerular filtration rate compared to the basal value or an elevation in proteinuria to a nephrotic level (3.5 gr/day). RESULTS: Mesangial C3 deposition was observed in 603 (53.1%) patients. No statistically significant difference was found at baseline between the groups with and without mesangial C3 deposition, as for age, sex, BMI, proteinuria level, or the presence of hypertension. In the follow-up period with a mean duration of 78 months, no significant difference was found between the two groups regarding the primary endpoints (p = 0.43). A significant correlation between C3 deposition and segmental glomerulosclerosis (S1) according to the Oxford MEST-C classification was found (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Although a correlation was observed between mesangial C3 deposition and the S1 MEST-C classification, mesangial C3 deposition was not a prognostic factor in IgAN.

Middle-term outcomes in renal transplant recipients with COVID-19: a national, multicenter, controlled study.

Background: In this study, we evaluated 3-month clinical outcomes of kidney transplant recipients (KTR) recovering from COVID-19 and compared them with a control group. Method: The primary endpoint was death in the third month. Secondary endpoints were ongoing respiratory symptoms, need for home oxygen therapy, rehospitalization for any reason, lower respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infection, biopsy-proven acute rejection, venous/arterial thromboembolic event, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection/disease and BK viruria/viremia at 3 months. Results: A total of 944 KTR from 29 different centers were included in this study (523 patients in the COVID-19 group; 421 patients in the control group). The mean age was 46 ± 12 years (interquartile range 37-55) and 532 (56.4%) of them were male. Total number of deaths was 8 [7 (1.3%) in COVID-19 group, 1 (0.2%) in control group; P = 0.082]. The proportion of patients with ongoing respiratory symptoms [43 (8.2%) versus 4 (1.0%); P < 0.001] was statistically significantly higher in the COVID-19 group compared with the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of other secondary endpoints. Conclusion: The prevalence of ongoing respiratory symptoms increased in the first 3 months post-COVID in KTRs who have recovered from COVID-19, but mortality was not significantly different.

Characteristics and outcomes of acute kidney injury in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: A multicenter study by the Turkish society of nephrology.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and the severity of AKI is linked to adverse outcomes. In this study, we investigated the factors associated with in-hospital outcomes among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and AKI. METHODS: In this multicenter retrospective observational study, we evaluated the characteristics and in-hospital renal and patient outcomes of 578 patients with confirmed COVID-19 and AKI. Data were collected from 34 hospitals in Turkey from March 11 to June 30, 2020. AKI definition and staging were based on the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria. Patients with end-stage kidney disease or with a kidney transplant were excluded. Renal outcomes were identified only in discharged patients. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 69 years, and 60.9% were males. The most frequent comorbid conditions were hypertension (70.5%), diabetes mellitus (43.8%), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) (37.6%). The proportions of AKI stages 1, 2, and 3 were 54.0%, 24.7%, and 21.3%, respectively. 291 patients (50.3%) were admitted to the intensive care unit. Renal improvement was complete in 81.7% and partial in 17.2% of the patients who were discharged. Renal outcomes were worse in patients with AKI stage 3 or baseline CKD. The overall in-hospital mortality in patients with AKI was 38.9%. In-hospital mortality rate was not different in patients with preexisting non-dialysis CKD compared to patients without CKD (34.4 versus 34.0%, p = 0.924). By multivariate Cox regression analysis, age (hazard ratio [HR] [95% confidence interval (95%CI)]: 1.01 [1.0-1.03], p = 0.035], male gender (HR [95%CI]: 1.47 [1.04-2.09], p = 0.029), diabetes mellitus (HR [95%CI]: 1.51 [1.06-2.17], p = 0.022) and cerebrovascular disease (HR [95%CI]: 1.82 [1.08-3.07], p = 0.023), serum lactate dehydrogenase (greater than two-fold increase) (HR [95%CI]: 1.55 [1.05-2.30], p = 0.027) and AKI stage 2 (HR [95%CI]: 1.98 [1.25-3.14], p = 0.003) and stage 3 (HR [95%CI]: 2.25 [1.44-3.51], p = 0.0001) were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Advanced-stage AKI is associated with extremely high mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Age, male gender, comorbidities, which are risk factors for mortality in patients with COVID-19 in the general population, are also related to in-hospital mortality in patients with AKI. However, preexisting non-dialysis CKD did not increase in-hospital mortality rate among AKI patients. Renal problems continue in a significant portion of the patients who were discharged.

Fabry Disease Prevalence in Renal Replacement Therapy in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder resulting from lack of alpha-galactosidase A (AGALA) activity in lysosomes. OBJECTIVE: In this multicenter study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of FD in renal transplant (Tx) recipients in Turkey. We also screened dialysis patients as a control group. METHODS: All Tx and dialysis patients were screened regardless of the presence of a primary disease. We measured the AGALA activity in all male patients as initial analysis. Mutation analysis was performed in male patients with decreased AGALA activity and in female patients as the initial diagnostic assay. RESULTS: We screened 5,657 patients. A total of 17 mutations were identified. No significant difference was observed between the groups regarding the prevalence of patients with mutation. We found FD even in patients with presumed primary kidney diseases. Seventy-one relatives were analyzed and mutation was detected in 43 of them. We detected a patient with a new, unknown mutation (p.Cys223) in the GLA gene. CONCLUSIONS: There are important implications of the screening. First, detection of the undiagnosed patients leads to starting appropriate therapies for these patients. Second, the transmission of the disease to future generations may be prevented by prenatal screening after appropriate genetic counseling. In conclusion, we suggest screening of kidney Tx candidates for FD, regardless of etiologies of chronic kidney disease.