Humoral Response after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination in a Cohort of Hemodialysis Patients and Kidney Transplant Recipients.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplant recipients and patients receiving hemodialysis are immunocompromised populations that are prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination but were excluded from clinical trials of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines. Antibody titers and rates of seroconversion after vaccination are lower among patients with CKD and those taking immunosuppressants compared with controls. Data are lacking regarding their humoral response to vaccination to prevent COVID-19. METHODS: This investigation of early serological response after COVID-19 vaccination with the Pfizer/BioNTech (BNT162b2) mRNA vaccine included 78 patients undergoing hemodialysis, 74 kidney transplant recipients, and seven healthy controls. We recorded data from the medical file for various clinical parameters, including response to hepatitis B vaccination, and measured antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 at 0, 14, 28, 36, and 58 days after the first injection. RESULTS: In controls, we detected antibodies at a positive level (>13 arbitrary units per ml; AU/ml) at day 14 postinjection, which increased progressively to peak at day 36 (1082 AU/ml; interquartile range [IQR], 735.0-1662.0). Patients undergoing hemodialysis had lower titers that peaked at day 58 (276 AU/ml; IQR, 83.4-526.0). We detected a positive antibody level in only three transplant recipients at day 36. In patients on hemodialysis, those aged <75 years had a higher antibody response versus those aged >75 years, and serum albumin and Kt/V were positively correlated with serological response (P<0.04 and P<0.0, respectively); nonresponders to HBV vaccine had the lowest anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the postvaccination humoral response is strongly inhibited by immunosuppressant therapy in kidney transplant recipients, and is reduced by the uremic condition in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Oral Findings in Hemodialyzed Patients Diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus and/or Hypertension-A Systematic Review.

Chronic kidney disease is classified as a civilization disease and is being diagnosed in an increasing number of patients. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus often coexist in hemodialyzed patients. The aim of the present study was to identify publications on the oral cavity status of multimorbid hemodialyzed adult patients additionally diagnosed with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus, published between 2012 and 2022 to establish evidence of the impact of hypertension and diabetes mellitus on the oral status of hemodialyzed patients. Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched. Eight articles were included in the review. In total, 3 articles discussed oral hygiene in hemodialyzed patients, 4 discussed periodontal status, 3 discussed mucosa condition and saliva parameters, and 3 discussed the problem of Candidiasis infections. The conclusions were as follows: there is still a limited number of publications discussing the oral status of hemodialyzed patients diagnosed with hypertension; involved articles have proven that coexisting diseases can influence the oral cavity status of hemodialyzed patients and cause periodontal disorders, lower hygiene status, saliva parameters and make the risk of Candida infections higher.

[Erectile Dysfunction In Chronic Hemodyalized Patients, Clinical And Epidemiological Aspects In Nephrologic Department Of Point "G" Hospital Teaching Center]. / Aspect Epidemiologique Et Clinique De La Dysfonction Erectile Chez Les Hemodialyses Chroniques, Dans Le Service De Nephrologie Et D'Hemodialyse Du CHU Du Point G.

Erectile dysfunction is a common pathology in the general population. The frequency of these erectile disorders is increased in some particular populations such as patients with renal impairment in which it is estimated between 50% and 70% depending on the stage of renal failure. AIMS: Our study aims to study erectile dysfunction in chronic hemodialyzed male patients. METHOD: This is a descriptive prospective study carried out during the period from April 3 to August 31, 2017 having covered 65 chronic hemodialyzed patients for more than 12 months. RESULT: In our study the prevalence of DE was 70.8% and moderate in 13.8%, severe in 30.8%, mild in 26.2%. Testosteronemia was normal in 83.1% of cases and significantly lower in patients with sexual disorders p = 0.030. Libido disorders were observed in 57% of our patients and significantly related to a decrease in testosteronemia p = 0.001. Vascular nephropathy was the most common etiology, i.e. 50.8% of cases followed by chronic Glomerulonephritis 24.6% and in 13.8% of cases no underlying etiology was found.

la dysfonction érectile est une affection fréquente dans la population générale. La fréquence de ces troubles de l'érection est majorée dans certaines populations particulières comme les patients insuffisants rénaux chez qui elle est estimée entre 50% à 70% selon le stade de l'insuffisance rénale. BUT: Notre étude a pour objectif d'évaluer la prévalence la dysfonction érectile chez les patients hémodialysés chroniques de sexe masculin. MÉTHODE: Il s'agit d'une étude prospective descriptive réalisée durant la période du 3 Avril au31 Aout 2017 ayant porté sur 65 patients hémodialysés chroniques depuis plus de 12 mois. RÉSULTAT: Dans notre étude la prévalence de la dysfonction érectile était de 70,8 %. Elle est modérée dans 13,8 %, sévère dans 30,8 %, et légère dans 26,2%. La testosteronémie était normale dans 83,1 % des cas et significativement plus basse chez les patients présentant des troubles sexuels p = 0,030. Les troubles de la libido étaient observés chez 57 % de nos patients et significativement liés à une diminution de la testostéronémie p = 0,001. La néphropathie vasculaire était l'étiologie la plus fréquente soit 50,8 % des cas puis la glomérulonéphrite chronique 24,6% et dans 13,8 % des cas aucune étiologie sous-jacente n'a été trouvée.

Prevalence of depression and associated factors among hemodialyzed patients in Jazan area, Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of depression and associated risk factors among patients on hemodialysis in Jazan area, Saudi Arabia. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The study was conducted on 211 randomly selected hemodialysis patients in Jazan area, Saudi Arabia, using an observational cross-sectional design. Patients were screened for depressive symptoms using the depression, anxiety and stress scale 42 (DASS-42). Descriptive statistics were used to present sociodemographic data. Multiple logistic regression was implemented to identify the predictors of depression. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software. FINDINGS: The study found the overall prevalence of depression among patients on hemodialysis to be 43.6 per cent. Of them, 12.8 per cent were mildly depressed, 15.6 per cent were moderately depressed and 15.1 per cent fell in the severe or extremely severe category. Depression was significantly associated with marital status, education level and the presence of sleep disturbances. The study indicates a high prevalence of depressive symptoms among patients on hemodialysis in Jazan. A higher rate of depressive symptoms was observed in currently unmarried, lower-educated patients and those with sleep disturbance. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Periodic evaluation of patients on hemodialysis for depression is needed to allow for early intervention.

Detection and scavenging of hydroxyl radical via D-phenylalanine hydroxylation in human fluids.

Hydroxyl radical (.OH) is highly reactive, and therefore very short-lived. Finding new means to accurately detect .OH, and testing the ability of known .OH scavengers to neutralize them in human biological fluids would leverage our ability to more effectively counter oxidative (.OH) stress-mediated damage in human diseases. To achieve this, we pursued the evaluation of secondary products resulting from .OH attack, using a detection system based on Fenton reaction-mediated D-phenylalanine (D-Phe) hydroxylation. This reaction in turn generates o-tyrosine (o-tyr), m-tyrosine (m-tyr) and p-tyrosine (p-tyr). Here, these isomers were separated by HPLC, equipped with fluorescence detectors due to the natural fluorescence of these hydrotyrosines. By extension, we found that, adding radical scavengers competed with D-Phe on .OH attack, thus allowing to determine the .OH quenching capacity of a given compound expressed as inhibition ratio percent (IR%). Using a kinetic approach, we then tested the .OH scavenging capacity (OHSC) of well-known antioxidant molecules. In a test tube, N,N'-dimethylthiourea (DMTU) was the most efficient scavenger as compared to Trolox and N-Acethyl-L-cysteine, with NAC being the less effective. OHSC assay was then applied to biological fluid samples as seminal plasma, human serum from normal subjects and patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD), colostrum and human breast milk from mothers that received daily doses of 30g of chocolate (70% cocoa) during pregnancy. We found that a daily administration of dark chocolate during pregnancy almost doubled OHSC levels in breast milk (1.88 ± 0.12 times, p < 0.01). Furthermore, HD treatment determined a significant reduction of serum OHSC concentration (54.63 ± 2.82%, p < 0.001). Our results provide evidence that Fenton reaction-mediated D-Phe hydroxylation is a suitable method for routine and non-invasive evaluation of .OH detection and its scavenging in human biological fluids.

Oxidized LDL, statin use, morbidity, and mortality in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis.

Statin treatment reduces the risk of cardiovascular mortality in the general population, but it has little or no benefit in hemodialyzed (HD) patients. This may reflect different underlying pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients treated with HD, maybe involving the oxidative stress. Our aim was to assess the association of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), determined by Mercodia oxLDL enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, with major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and all-cause mortality in HD patients based on the AURORA trial (rosuvastatin vs placebo), and patients not on HD from the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) study. We also assessed whether its decrease due to statin use improves these outcomes using Cox proportional hazard models. Baseline oxLDL level was 34.2 ± 13.8 U/L in AURORA and did not differ between treatment groups, and 74.6 ± 28.1 U/L in LURIC. Lower baseline oxLDL levels were associated with higher hazard ratios (HRs) for outcomes, but not anymore after adjusting for apolipoprotein B level in AURORA and was not related to mortality in LURIC. OxLDL levels decreased by 30.9% between baseline and 3 months in the statin-treated group and increased by 10.5% between 3 and 12 months. Nevertheless, oxLDL reduction was not significantly associated with adjusted HRs for MACE and for all-cause mortality. These results showed no association between oxLDL and MACE after adjustment on apolipoprotein B, which may relate to the properties of the method used for oxLDL. Our results also showed no benefit for oxLDL reduction by rosuvastatin on outcomes. Future clinical trials are needed to define the relative CVD risks and benefits of other modalities of oxidative stress modification in this population.

[Valvular calcifications in a patient on hemodialysis in Morocco]. / Calcifications valvulaires chez l'hémodialysé au Maroc.

INTRODUCTION: Valvular calcifications are one of the major cardiovascular complications of hemodialysis because of its prevalence and its predictive indices of morbidity and mortality. There are many risk factors associated with these calcifications. Our study aims to evaluate both the prevalence of valvular calcifications in our patients on hemodialysis and their risk factors. METHODS: This was a single-center cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study of 111 adult patients who were on hemodialysis for more than 6 months at the hemodialysis center CHU Ibn Rushd, Casablanca and who underwent ETT during the year 2013. RESULTS: The average age of our patients was 44 ± 14 years. The average duration of hemodialysis was 146 ± 80 months. Average systolic blood pressure was 123 ± 23 mmHg and average diastolic blood pressure 72 ± 13 mmHg diastolic, average iPTH was 529 ± 460 pg/ml, mean serum calcium was 86 ± 10 mg/l and mean serum phosphate was 40 ± 15 mg/l. Mean CRP level was 11±19,8 mg/L. From the therapeutic point of view, 96% of patients were treated with calcium carbonate, 11% with 25 OH vitamin D, 55,5% with 1 hydroxy-vitamin D3. The prevalence of valvular calcification was 15% with aortic valve location in 41.2% and mitral valve location in 41.2%. In univariate analysis, only hemodialysis duration seems to be associated with the occurrence of calcifications and approaches marginal level of significance (p = 0.09). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of valvular calcification in our hemodialysis patients remains high even if it seems relatively low compared to the literature data. No known risk factor was significantly associated with these calcifications.

Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage and patterns of antibiotic resistance in bacterial isolates from patients and staff in a dialysis center of southeast Iran.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Staphylococcus aureus is an important infection in hemodialysis patients. We studied the prevalence of nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and its antibiotic resistance pattern in patients receiving hemodialysis as well as in dialysis unit staff. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June to September 2012, we evaluated 74 cases including 61 patients on hemodialysis and 13 dialysis unit staff. Nasal swabs were taken from all cases and were cultured on a blood medium agar. We identified S. aureus based on conventional laboratory methods. For antimicrobial resistance patterns, we used disk diffusion method. Oxacillin MIC, oxacillin and cefoxcitin disk diffusion methods were used for detection of MRSA. Disk approximation test (D-test) was applied for the frequency of erythromycin induced clindamycin resistance. RESULTS: S. aureus carrier state was determined in 12 of the 61 patients on hemodialysis (19.67%) and 5 of the 13 dialysis unit staffs (38.46%). In hemodialyzed patients, MRSA and MSSA carrier of S. aureus were 6.56% and 13.11%, respectively. All nasal carriage states in studied staffs were MSSA. All isolated S. aureus were found to be sensitive to vancomycin, teicoplanin, and rifampin. However, reduced sensitivity of MRSA isolates to other antibiotics was noted. Resistance frequencies to tested antibiotic was as follows: cefteriaxone and penicillin (100%), tetracycline and doxycilin (75%), gentamicin, cloxacillin, and cefazolin (50%), ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazol, erythromycin, and clindamycin (25%). The resistance rate of isolated MSSA against tested antibiotics was lower than isolated MRSA. Inducible clindamycin resistance was shown in 25% of identified MRSA strains. CONCLUSION: S. aureus nasal carrier state was lower than former reports from other parts of Iran. The antibiotic resistance patterns also differed, perhaps due to different pattern of administering antibiotics at our hospital. Screening of these patients should be noted as a health priority and microbial sensitivity tests should be considered in order to optimize treatment options.