Patient-reported outcome measures in hemodialysis patients: results of the first multicenter cross-sectional ePROMs study in France.

BACKGROUND: Kidney failure with replacement therapy and hemodialysis are associated with a decrease in quality of life (QOL). Self-reported QOL symptoms are not always prioritized by the medical team, potentially leading to conflicting priorities with patients. Electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs) allow physicians to better identify these symptoms. The objective was to describe the prevalence of symptoms self-reported by hemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in three HD centers. Patients were included if they were 18 years old or over treated with HD for at least 3 months in a center. Data were collected by the patient via a self-administered ePROMs questionnaire. Data included patient characteristics, post-dialysis fatigue and intensity, recovery time after a session, perceived stress, impaired sleep the day before the dialysis session, current state of health and the change from the past year. A multivariate analysis was conducted to identify relations between symptoms. RESULTS: In total, we included 173 patients with a mean age of 66.2 years, a mean ± SD hemodialysis duration of 48.9 ± 58.02 months. The prevalence of fatigue was 72%. 66% had a high level of stress (level B or C). Recovery time was more than 6 h after a HD session for 25% of patients and 78% declared they had a better or unchanged health status than the previous year. Sleep disturbance was associated with cardiovascular comorbidities (OR 5.08 [95% CI, 1.56 to 16.59], p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue and stress were the main symptoms reported by HD patients. The patient's care teams should better consider these symptoms.

Alkaline Phosphatases in the Complex Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral and Bone Disorders.

Alkaline phosphatases (APs) remove the phosphate (dephosphorylation) needed in multiple metabolic processes (from many molecules such as proteins, nucleotides, or pyrophosphate). Therefore, APs are important for bone mineralization but paradoxically they can also be deleterious for other processes, such as vascular calcification and the increasingly known cross-talk between bone and vessels. A proper balance between beneficial and harmful activities is further complicated in the context of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this narrative review, we will briefly update the complexity of the enzyme, including its different isoforms such as the bone-specific alkaline phosphatase or the most recently discovered B1x. We will also analyze the correlations and potential discrepancies with parathyroid hormone and bone turnover and, most importantly, the valuable recent associations of AP's with cardiovascular disease and/or vascular calcification, and survival. Finally, a basic knowledge of the synthetic and degradation pathways of APs promises to open new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of the CKD-Mineral and Bone Disorder (CKD-MBD) in the near future, as well as for other processes such as sepsis, acute kidney injury, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, metabolic syndrome or, in diabetes, cardiovascular complications. However, no studies have been done using APs as a primary therapeutic target for clinical outcomes, and therefore, AP's levels cannot yet be used alone as an isolated primary target in the treatment of CKD-MBD. Nonetheless, its diagnostic and prognostic potential should be underlined.

Definition and evolution of the concept of sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia and dynapenia are two terms associated with ageing that respectively define the loss of muscle mass and strength. In 2018, the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) introduced the EWGSOP2 diagnostic algorithm for sarcopenia, which integrates both concepts. It consists of 4 sequential steps: screening for sarcopenia, examination of muscle strength, assessment of muscle mass and physical performance; depending on these last 3 aspects sarcopenia is categorised as probable, confirmed, and severe respectively. In the absence of validation of the EWGSOP2 algorithm in various clinical contexts, its use in haemodialysis poses several limitations: (a) low sensitivity of the screening, (b) the techniques that assess muscle mass are not very accessible, reliable, or safe in routine clinical care, (c) the sequential use of the magnitudes that assess dynapenia and muscle mass do not seem to adequately reflect the muscular pathology of the elderly person on dialysis. We reflect on the definition of sarcopenia and the use of more precise terms such as "myopenia" (replacing the classic concept of sarcopenia to designate loss of muscle mass), dynapenia and kratopenia. Prospective evaluation of EWGSOP2 and its comparison with alternatives (i.e. assessment of kratopenia and dynapenia only; steps 2 and 4) is proposed in terms of its applicability in clinical routine, resource consumption, identification of at-risk individuals and impact on events.

Hemodialysis complications: focus on pruritus and vascular calcifications / Complications en hémodialyse : focus sur le prurit et les calcifications vasculaires

Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) is a frequent complication, with an estimated prevalence of 24-37% in patients treated with hemodialysis. Its pathophysiology is complex and includes four interrelated axes: accumulation of uremic toxins, peripheral neuropathy, an imbalance in the opioid receptors balance, and abnormal activation of immune cells. This symptom which is associated with impaired quality of life is underestimated by caregivers and underreported by patients. Management is not uniformly codified. It includes the use of skin emollients, optimization of dialysis parameters and management of chronic kidney disease complications, and specifically the use of difelikefalin. Patients treated with hemodialysis have an increased risk of calcifications that can affect the arteries and heart valves. These calcifications are associated with decreased survival and several scores based on radiological examinations have been proposed for screening. Although recommended, this screening is rarely performed in dialysis centers. Prevention and treatment against the development of cardiovascular calcifications are the control of risk factors associated with atherosclerosis, control of phosphatemia, and new therapeutic strategies such as sodium thiosulfate, rheopheresis, vitamin K, magnesium supplementation or SNF-472, a calcium chelator currently in clinical development.

Le prurit associé à la maladie rénale chronique (MRC) est une complication fréquente, dont la prévalence est estimée entre 24 et 37 % chez les patients traités par hémodialyse. Sa physiopathologie est complexe et comprend quatre axes intriqués : l'accumulation des toxines urémiques, la neuropathie périphérique, un déséquilibre de la balance des récepteurs opioïdes et une activation anormale des cellules immunitaires. Ce symptôme est associé à une altération de la qualité de vie, mais il est pourtant sous-estimé par les soignants et sous-déclaré par les patients. La prise en charge n'est pas uniformément codifiée. Elle comprend l'usage d'émollients cutanés, l'optimisation des paramètres de dialyse et de la prise en charge des complications de la MRC, et de manière spécifique la difélikéfaline. Les patients traités par hémodialyse présentent un risque augmenté de calcifications qui peuvent toucher les artères et les valves cardiaques. Ces calcifications sont associées à une diminution de la survie et plusieurs scores s'appuyant sur les examens radiologiques ont été proposés pour le dépistage. Bien que recommandé, ce dépistage est peu réalisé dans les centres de dialyse. La prévention et le traitement contre le développement des calcifications cardiovasculaires reposent sur la correction des facteurs de risque associés à l'athérosclérose, le contrôle de la phosphatémie, et des nouvelles stratégies thérapeutiques comme le thiosulfate de sodium, la rhéophérèse, la vitamine K, la supplémentation en magnésium ou le SNF-472, qui est un chélateur du calcium en cours de développement clinique.

Renal hyperparathyroidism.

The number of the patients with chronic kidney disease is now increasing in the world. The pathophysiology of renal hyperparathyroidism is closely associated with Klotho-FGF-endocrine axes, which must be solved definitively as early as possible. It was revealed that the expression of fgf23 is activated by calciprotein particles, which induces vascular ossification. And it is well known that phosphorus overload directly increases parathyroid hormone and hyperparathyroid bone disease develops in those subjects. On the other hand, low turnover bone disease is often recently. Both the patients with chronic kidney disease suffering from hyperparathyroid bone disease or low turnover bone disease are associated with increased fracture risk. Micropetrosis may be one of the causes of increased fracture risk in the subjects with low turnover bone disease. In this chapter, we now describe the diagnosis, pathophysiology and treatments of renal hyperparathyroidism.

Silver jubilee: 25 years of the first demonstration of the direct effect of phosphate on the parathyroid cell.

Although phosphorus is an essential element for life, it is not found in nature in its native state but rather combined in the form of inorganic phosphates (PO43-), with tightly regulated plasma levels that are associated with deleterious effects and mortality when these are out of bounds. The growing interest in the accumulation of PO43- in human pathophysiology originated in its attributed role in the pathogenesis of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in chronic kidney disease. In this article, we review the mechanisms by which this effect was justified and we commemorate the important contribution of a Spanish group led by Dr. M. Rodríguez, just 25 years ago, when they first demonstrated the direct effect of PO43- on the regulation of the synthesis and secretion of parathyroid hormone by maintaining the structural integrity of the parathyroid glands in their original experimental model. In addition to demonstrating the importance of arachidonic acid (AA) and the phospholipase A2-AA pathway as a mediator of parathyroid gland response, these findings were predecessors of the recent description of the important role of PO43- on the activity of the calcium sensor-receptor, and also fueled various lines of research on the importance of PO43- overload not only for the pathophysiology of SHPT but also in its systemic pathogenic role.

Hyporesponsiveness or resistance to the action of parathyroid hormone in chronic kidney disease.

Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is an integral component of the chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD). Many factors have been associated with the development and progression of SHPT but the presence of skeletal or calcemic resistance to the action of PTH in CKD has often gone unnoticed. The term hyporesponsiveness to PTH is currently preferred and, in this chapter, we will not only review the scientific timeline but also some of the molecular mechanisms behind. Moreover, the presence of resistance to the biological action of PTH is not unique in CKD since resistance to other hormones has also been described ("uremia as a receptor disease"). This hyporesponsiveness carries out important clinical implications since it explains, at least partially, not only the progressive nature of the pathogenesis of CKD-related PTH hypersecretion and parathyroid hyperplasia but also the increasing prevalence of adynamic bone disease in the CKD population. Therefore, we underline the importance of PTH control in all CKD stages, but not aiming to completely normalize PTH levels since a certain degree of SHPT may represent an adaptive clinical response. Future studies at the molecular level, i.e. on uremia or the recent description of the calcium-sensing receptor as a phosphate sensor, may become of great value beyond their significance to explain just the hyporesponsiveness to PTH in CKD.

Endorsement of the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral and Bone Disorder (CKD-MBD) Guidelines: a European Renal Best Practice (ERBP) commentary statement.

Under the auspices of the European Renal Best Practice, a group of European nephrologists, not serving on the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) working group, but with significant clinical and research interests and expertise in these areas, was invited to examine and critique the Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral and Bone Disorder KDIGO document published in August 2009. The final form of this paper in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, as a commentary, not as a position statement, reflects the fact that we have had no more evidence to review, discuss and debate available to us than was available to the KDIGO working group. However, we have felt that we were able to comment on specific areas where we feel that further clinical guidance would be helpful, thereby going beyond the KDIGO position as reflected in their document. This present paper, we hope, will be of most use to the practising kidney specialist and those allied to the clinical team.

Effects of vitamin D supplementation on the calcium-phosphate balance in renal transplant patients.

Low serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D frequently occur after renal transplantation, but few studies have evaluated the effects of normalizing this on serum parathyroid hormone and calcium levels or urinary calcium excretion. To determine this we compared the outcomes of 94 renal transplant patients with low 25-hydroxy vitamin D and normal serum calcium levels who were either treated or not with cholecalciferol every 2 weeks for 2 months (intensive phase) followed by an every other month maintenance phase. The biological characteristics of the two equally divided patient groups did not differ before treatment. After the intensive phase, serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels were normalized in all but 3 patients and the serum parathyroid hormone decreased and calcium levels increased with no severe adverse effects. During the maintenance phase, the serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D level decreased but remained significantly higher than in controls. In the control group, the serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D concentration increased slightly but became normal in only three patients. Serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels were significantly higher and parathyroid hormone levels were lower in treated patients compared to controls one year following transplant. Hence, cholecalciferol treatment significantly increased serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D and decreased parathyroid hormone levels with no adverse effects in 25-hydroxy vitamin D-deficient renal transplant patients.

2009 EANM parathyroid guidelines.

The present guidelines were issued by the Parathyroid Task Group of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine. The main focus was imaging of primary hyperparathyroidism. Dual-tracer and single-tracer parathyroid scintigraphy protocols were discussed as well as the various modalities of image acquisition. Primary hyperparathyroidism is an endocrine disorder with high prevalence, typically caused by a solitary parathyroid adenoma, less frequently (about 15%) by multiple parathyroid gland disease (MGD) and rarely (1%) by parathyroid carcinoma. Patients with MGD may have a double adenoma or hyperplasia of three or all four parathyroid glands. Conventional surgery has consisted in routine bilateral neck exploration. The current trend is toward minimally invasive surgery. In this new era, the success of targeted parathyroid surgery depends not only on an experienced surgeon, but also on a sensitive and accurate imaging technique. Recognizing MGD is the major challenge for pre-operative imaging, in order to not direct a patient towards inappropriate minimal surgery. Scintigraphy should also report on thyroid nodules that may cause confusion with a parathyroid adenoma or require concurrent surgical resection. The two main reasons for failed surgery are ectopic glands and undetected MGD. Imaging is mandatory before re-operation, and scintigraphy results should be confirmed with a second imaging technique (usually US for a neck focus, CT or MRI for a mediastinal focus). Hybrid SPECT/CT instruments should be most helpful in this setting. SPECT/CT has a major role for obtaining anatomical details on ectopic foci. However, its use as a routine procedure before target surgery is still investigational. Preliminary data suggest that SPECT/CT has lower sensitivity in the neck area compared to pinhole imaging. Additional radiation to the patient should also be considered. The guidelines also discuss aspects related to radio-guided surgery of hyperparathyroidism and imaging of chronic kidney disease patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Cinacalcet and achievement of the NKF/K-DOQI recommended target values for bone and mineral metabolism in real-world clinical practice--the ECHO observational study.

BACKGROUND: The use and effectiveness of cinacalcet in 'real-world' clinical practice was investigated in a pan-European observational study in dialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) of varying severity. METHODS: Adult patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis who had initiated cinacalcet treatment were enrolled. Data were collected 6 months before initiating cinacalcet, at baseline (initiation of cinacalcet) and up to 12 months after cinacalcet initiation. RESULTS: A total of 1865 patients [mean (SD) age 58 (15) years] were enrolled from 187 sites in 12 countries. Most patients had a dialysis vintage of > or =1 year (1-5 years, n = 833; >5 years, n = 748 versus <1 year, n = 265). The patients generally had severely uncontrolled intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) serum levels (median 721 pg/ml) and elevated phosphorus (median 5.9 mg/dl) and calcium (median 9.6 mg/dl) at baseline, despite being prescribed conventional therapies. The proportions of patients achieving the recommended [NKF-K/DOQI(TM) (KDOQI(TM))] targets increased from baseline [4%, 39%, 40% and 46% for iPTH, phosphorus, calcium and calcium-phosphorus product (Ca x P), respectively] to Month 12 (28%, 48%, 51% and 68%, respectively). At Month 12, 18% of patients had achieved the combined target for iPTH + Ca x P compared with 2% at baseline. Most patients (65%) received <60 mg/day cinacalcet at Month 12. Vitamin D sterol use remained fairly stable throughout the study. There was a 13% decrease in prescribed sevelamer; use of calcium-based phosphate binders increased by 5.6%. There was no unexpected safety or tolerability concerns. CONCLUSION: This analysis of current European clinical practice shows that-consistent with findings from randomized controlled trials and retrospective observational studies-cinacalcet improves attainment of KDOQI bone metabolism targets in dialysis patients with various stages of SHPT.

Pitfalls of measuring total blood calcium in patients with CKD.

Disorders of mineral and bone metabolism are prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The recent National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) guidelines recommend that blood calcium (Ca) be regularly measured in patients with stages 3 to 5 CKD. The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) position states that the measurement of ionized Ca (iCa) is preferred and that if total Ca (tCa) concentration is used instead, then it should be adjusted in the setting of hypoalbuminemia. In 691 consecutive patients with stages 3 to 5 CKD, we compared the ability of noncorrected and albumin-corrected tCa concentration to identify low, normal, or high iCa concentration. The agreement between noncorrected or albumin-corrected tCa and iCa was only fair. The risk for underestimating ionized calcium was independently increased by a low total CO(2) concentration when either noncorrected or albumin-corrected Ca was used and by a low albumin concentration only when noncorrected tCa was used. The risk for overestimating iCa was increased by a low albumin concentration only when albumin-corrected Ca was used. In conclusion, albumin-corrected tCa does not predict iCa better than noncorrected tCa. Moreover, both noncorrected and albumin-corrected tCa concentrations poorly predict hypo- or hypercalcemia in patients with CKD.

The Effect of Sevelamer on Serum Levels of Gut-Derived Uremic Toxins: Results from In Vitro Experiments and A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial.

High serum levels of gut-derived uremic toxins, especially p-cresyl sulfate (pCS), indoxyl sulfate (IS) and indole acetic acid (IAA), have been linked to adverse outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Sevelamer carbonate could represent an interesting option to limit the elevation of gut-derived uremic toxins. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the adsorptive effect of sevelamer carbonate on different gut-derived protein-bound uremic toxins or their precursors in vitro, and its impact on the serum levels of pCS, IS and IAA in patients with CKD stage 3b/4. For the in vitro experiments, IAA, p-cresol (precursor of pCS) and indole (precursor of IS), each at a final concentration of 1 or 10 µg/mL, were incubated in centrifugal 30 kDa filter devices with 3 or 15 mg/mL sevelamer carbonate in phosphate-buffered saline at a pH adjusted to 6 or 8. Then, samples were centrifuged and free uremic toxins in the filtrates were analyzed. As a control experiment, the adsorption of phosphate was also evaluated. Additionally, patients with stage 3b/4 CKD (defined as an eGFR between 15 and 45 mL/min per 1.73 m2) were included in a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. The participants received either placebo or sevelamer carbonate (4.8 g) three times a day for 12 weeks. The concentrations of the toxins and their precursors were measured using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography method with a diode array detector. In vitro, regardless of the pH and concentration tested, sevelamer carbonate did not show adsorption of indole and p-cresol. Conversely, with 10 µg/mL IAA, use of a high concentration of sevelamer carbonate (15 mg/mL) resulted in a significant toxin adsorption both at pH 8 (mean reduction: 26.3 ± 3.4%) and pH 6 (mean reduction: 38.7 ± 1.7%). In patients with CKD stage 3b/4, a 12-week course of treatment with sevelamer carbonate was not associated with significant decreases in serum pCS, IS and IAA levels (median difference to baseline levels: -0.12, 0.26 and -0.06 µg/mL in the sevelamer group vs. 1.97, 0.38 and 0.05 µg/mL in the placebo group, respectively). Finally, in vitro, sevelamer carbonate was capable of chelating a gut-derived uremic toxin IAA but not p-cresol and indole, the precursors of pCS and IS in the gut. In a well-designed clinical study of patients with stage 3b/4 CKD, a 12-week course of treatment with sevelamer carbonate was not associated with significant changes in the serum concentrations of pCS, IS and IAA.

Intravenous sodium thiosulfate for treating tumoral calcinosis associated with systemic disorders: Report of four cases.

Intravenous sodium thiosulfate (ivSTS) is a promising new therapeutic option for calciphylaxis related to end-stage renal disease. However, its effect on tumoral calcinosis (TC) complicating autoimmune connective-tissue diseases has been scarcely described. We report here 4 cases (3 adults and 1 child) of TC treated with ivSTS. TC was secondary to CREST syndrome, dermatomyositis (1 adult and 1 child) and systemic erythematous lupus and involved multiple sites in all cases. In all 4 patients, TC was responsible for joint pain, reduced mobility, inflammatory flares and skin fistulations. One patient experienced difficulty sitting due to the pain induced by calcified lesions on the buttock; another patient had major disability, moved only with wheelchair and was under opioid treatment for pain. For all patients, treatment with several medications before STS was unsuccessful. The 3 adults received at least 6 cycles of ivSTS (20g/d, 5 days/month) and the child received a daily infusion of 17g STS during 1 month then a 9-g/d infusion during 3 months. Two adults and the child showed clinical improvement with STS treatment and the third adult felt disappointed and stopped STS treatment after 6 months. The child also stopped STS after 6 months due to vomiting. In one patient, an intensive regimen of ivSTS (20g every 2 days) controlled recurrent flares and fistulations. Unfortunately, TC remained unchanged. Further studies are needed to decipher how STS modulates ectopic calcification, the optimal regimen and posology.

Randomized Clinical Trial of Sevelamer Carbonate on Serum Klotho and Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 in CKD.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Epidemiologic studies suggest that higher serum phosphaturic hormone fibroblast growth factor 23 levels are associated with increase morbidity and mortality. The aim of the FGF23 Reduction Efficacy of a New Phosphate Binder in CKD Trial was to evaluate the effect of sevelamer carbonate on serum C-terminal fibroblast growth factor 23 levels in normophosphatemic patients with CKD stage 3b/4. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Patients with CKD, eGFR between 45 and 15 ml/min per 1.73 m2, fasting serum phosphate concentration >3.1 mg/dl, and serum C-terminal fibroblast growth factor 23 >80 relative units/ml were included in our double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized multicenter study. All patients received 100,000 IU cholecalciferol at time of randomization. Participants received either placebo or sevelamer carbonate 4.8 g daily during a 12-week period. Biologic parameters, including serum C-terminal fibroblast growth factor 23, intact fibroblast growth factor 23, and α-klotho, were evaluated at baseline and 12 weeks after inclusion. RESULTS: Of 96 screened patients, 78 (mean±SD age: 63±13 years old; 70% men; mean eGFR: 27±9 ml/min per 1.73 m2) met the inclusion criteria. At baseline, mean eGFR was 27±9 ml/min per 1.73 m2, mean serum phosphate level was 3.8±0.5 mg/dl, and median (interquartile range) serum C-terminal fibroblast growth factor 23 level was 157 (120-241) relative units/ml. After 12 weeks of treatment, urinary phosphate-to-creatinine ratio fell significantly in the sevelamer group. The sevelamer and placebo groups did not differ significantly in terms of median change in serum C-terminal fibroblast growth factor 23 levels: the median (interquartile range) change was 38 (-13-114) relative units/ml in the placebo group and 37 (-1-101) relative units/ml in the sevelamer group (P=0.77). There was no significant difference in serum intact fibroblast growth factor 23, α-klotho, or phosphate levels changes between the two groups. Serum total and LDL cholesterol levels fell significantly in the sevelamer group. CONCLUSIONS: In our double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study performed in normophosphatemic patients with CKD, a 12-week course of sevelamer carbonate significantly reduced phosphaturia without changing serum phosphorus but did not significantly modify serum C-terminal fibroblast growth factor 23 and intact fibroblast growth factor 23 or α-klotho levels.

Cutaneous calcification in patients with end-stage renal disease: a regulated process associated with in situ osteopontin expression.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous calcification, or calcinosis cutis (CC), is found in approximately 1% of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing chronic dialysis. While the pathogenesis is not well understood, it may be similar to those for medial and intimal vascular calcifications, which are actively regulated processes. OBSERVATION: In a retrospective study of 9 patients, the role of an active calcification process leading to CC was assessed by the immunohistochemical detection of osteopontin, which is a regulator of osseous and extra-osseous calcification processes. Calcinosis cutis was associated with female sex, vascular comorbidity, inconstant secondary hyperparathyroidism, and elevated levels of plasma calcium-phosphorus product. Six patients had a favorable outcome after the lowering of plasma calcium levels during dialysis or after parathyroidectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Calcinosis of the vascular media of subcutaneous vessels was the most common histologic feature and was always associated with osteopontin staining, suggesting that CC is a regulated process. Moreover, to our knowledge, extravascular staining of osteopontin in sweat glands, nerves, and macrophages was demonstrated for the first time in this study.

[Darbepoetin-alfa treatment of anemia secondary to chronic renal failure in dialysis patients: Results of a French multicenter study]. / Traitement par la darbepoetin alfa de l'anémie liée à l'insuffisance rénale chronique chez les patients dialysés: résultats d'une étude multicentrique française.

Darbepoetin alfa is a unique genetically engineered glycoprotein with a three-fold longer terminal half-life than recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO). The objective of this study was to determine if darbepoetin alfa administered at a reduced dosing frequency relative to the prior rHuEpo regimen is an effective and safe alternative for treating renal anemia in patients undergoing dialysis. A total of 1,008 French hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients receiving stable rHuEPO therapy by either the intravenous (i.v., N = 217) or subcutaneous (s.c., N = 791) route were switched to darbepoetin alfa given by the same route of administration at a reduced dosing frequency. Patients receiving rHuEPO once weekly (N = 248, 25%) were switched to darbepoetin alfa every two weeks, and those receiving rHuEPO two or three times weekly (N = 760, 75%) were switched to darbepoetin alfa once weekly. The doses of darbepoetin alfa were titrated to maintain hemoglobin concentration in the target range of 10.0 to 13.0 g/dl for up to 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change in hemoglobin between baseline and the evaluation period (weeks 21-24). Adjusted (for covariates that might influence hemoglobin response) mean change in hemoglobin from baseline to the evaluation period was not clinically significant: +0.11 g/dl (95% CI: -0.30; 0.52). An i.v./s.c. dose ratio of 0.96 (95% CI: 0.86; 1.06) at evaluation confirms previous findings that darbepoetin alfa dose requirements were not different for the s.c. and i.v. routes. At the end of the evaluation period, more than 98% of patients successfully maintained hemoglobin within the target range and at their darbepoetin alfa assigned dosing frequency. Darbepoetin alfa was well tolerated with a safety profile consistent with that observed in previous darbepoetin alfa studies. Darbepoetin alfa administered at a reduced dosing frequency relative to the prior rHuEpo regimen effectively maintains hemoglobin in the target range in dialysis patients with renal anemia.