Acute Kidney Injury in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: Risk Factors and Serum Biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: AKI is one of the COVID-19 complications with high prognostic significance. In our research, we studied the prognostic role of several biomarkers that could help us understand AKI pathogenesis in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: We evaluated the medical data of 500 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Tareev Clinic from 5 October 2020 to 1 March 2022. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was confirmed with positive RNA PCR in nasopharyngeal swabs and/or typical radiological findings on CT scans. Kidney function was assessed in accordance with KDIGO criteria. In the selected 89 patients, we evaluated serum levels of angiopoetin-1, KIM-1, MAC, and neutrophil elastase 2 and their prognostic significance. RESULTS: The incidence of AKI in our study was 38%. The main risk factors for kidney injury were male sex, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic kidney disease. High serum angiopoetin-1 levels and a decrease in blood lymphocyte count and fibrinogen level also increased the risk of AKI. CONCLUSIONS: AKI is an independent risk factor for death in patients with COVID-19. We propose the prognostic model of AKI development, which includes the combination of serum levels of angiopoetin-1 and KIM-1 on admission. Our model can help to prevent AKI development in patients with coronavirus disease.

Adverse outcomes in obstetric-atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome: a case series analysis.

Objective: The aim of this case series is to raise awareness of obstetric-related atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (aHUS) amongst obstetricians and gynaecologists. Study design: Data from 20 consecutive patients, aged 19-38, with obstetric-aHUS manifestation during or immediately after pregnancy are reported. Patients were diagnosed and treatment was initiated between 2012 and 2016. Results: Presentation of aHUS was mainly preceded by preeclampsia and/or haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count syndrome, other obstetric complications, or by diarrhoea. Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) was evident in all patients with signs of microangiopathic haemolysis (sharp decline in haemoglobin; mean 67 g/L), elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; mean 2953.1 U/L), schistocytosis, thrombocytopenia (mean platelet count 52.5 × 109/µL), and acute kidney injury (AKI) (hypercreatininaemia, mean 456.4 µmol/L; oliguria or anuria). The majority of patients (80%) initially presented with arterial hypertension. Diagnosis of obstetric-aHUS was complicated, as multiple organs were affected. Time taken to make the diagnosis of aHUS delayed the initiation of fresh-frozen plasma infusions and plasma exchange (80% of patients) and subsequent eculizumab treatment (40% of patients). Maternal mortality was high (35%) as was foetal mortality (25%). Conclusions: Obstetric-aHUS is a serious condition characterized by multiple organ failure (MOF) and a high mortality rate. Presentation of obstetric-aHUS is preceded by various precipitating factors, suggesting pregnancy complications, and not the pregnancy per se, often induce aHUS in women with a genetic predisposition to its development. A delay in the correct diagnosis and initiation of the most effective treatment can have serious consequences, reinforcing the need to raise awareness of obstetric-aHUS.