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INTRODUCTION: Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD) is the most common cause of end-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD), conditioning these patients to a worse renal prognosis and higher cardiovascular mortality and/or requirement for renal replacement therapy. The use of novel information and communication technologies (ICTs) focused on the field of health, may facilitates a better quality of life and disease control in these patients. Our objective is to evaluate the effect of monitoring DKD patients using NORA-app. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective feasibility/validation study of NORA-app in patients with DKD stage G3bA3 or higher, followed in outpatient clinics of a tertiary care hospital. NORA-app is an application for smartphones designed to control risk factors, share educational medical information, communicate via chat with health professionals, increase treatment compliance (Morisky-Green), and collect patient reported outcomes such as anxiety and depression using HADs scale. Clinical-laboratory variables were collected at 3 months and compared to control patients who declined using NORA-app. RESULTS: From 01/01/2021 to 03/03/2022 the use of NORA-app was offered to 118 patients, 82 accepted and 36 declined (controls). After a mean follow-up period of 6,04 months and at the time of data extraction 71 (86.6%) NORA-app patients remain active users, 2 have completed the follow-up at one year and 9 are inactive (3 due to death and 6 due to non-locatable). There were no differences in baseline characteristics including Creatinine [2.1 (1.6-2.4) vs. 1.9 (1.5-2.5)] mg/dL and alb/creat [962 (475-1784) vs. 1036 (560-2183)] mg/gr between Nora and control patients respectively. The therapeutic compliance rate in the NORA-app group was 77%, improving at 90 days to 91%. Patients in the NORA-group showed significantly lower levels of alb/creat than controls (768(411-1971) mg/g Vs 2039 (974-3214) p = 0.047) at 90-day follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with DKD the use of NORA-app was maintained in the long-term, leading to high levels of treatment compliance, and achieving a better disease control. Our study suggests that the generalized use of ICTs may help in the personalized monitoring of these patients to delay the progression of kidney disease.
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Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is associated with poor kidney transplant outcomes. While innate and adaptive immune cells have been implicated in its prevention, an in-depth characterization of the in vivo kinetics of multiple cell subsets and their role in protecting against CMV infection has not been achieved. Here, we performed high-dimensional immune phenotyping by mass cytometry, and functional assays, on 112 serially collected samples from CMV seropositive kidney transplant recipients. Advanced unsupervised deep learning analysis was used to assess immune cell populations that significantly correlated with prevention against CMV infection and anti-viral immune function. Prior to infection, kidney transplant recipients who developed CMV infection showed significantly lower CMV-specific cell-mediated immune (CMI) frequencies than those that did not. A broad diversity of circulating cell subsets within innate and adaptive immune compartments were associated with CMV infection or protective CMV-specific CMI. While percentages of CMV (tetramer-stained)-specific T cells associated with high CMI responses and clinical protection, circulating CD3+CD8midCD56+ NK-T cells overall strongly associated with low CMI and subsequent infection. However, three NK-T cell subsets sharing the CD11b surface marker associated with CMV protection and correlated with strong anti-viral CMI frequencies in vitro. These data were validated in two external independent cohorts of kidney transplant recipients. Thus, we newly describe the kinetics of a novel NK-T cell subset that may have a protective role in post-transplantation CMV infection. Our findings pave the way to more mechanistic studies aimed at understanding the function of these cells in protection against CMV infection.
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The classic paternalist medicine in nephrology has been modified to a shared decision-making model that clearly offers a benefit in patients with kidney disease. One of the cornerstones of shared treatment decision in patients with kidney failure is the understanding of kidney disease. As kidney disease is silent until advanced stages and is also an entity with a complex pathophysiology with little knowledge in the general population, its presence and understanding are difficult for most people. Health literacy (HL) plays a crucial role in the care of patients with kidney disease and the shared treatment decision. Limited HL has been associated with inefficient use of health services, non-compliance of medications, worse quality of life and increased mortality. In this review, we will address the importance of low HL in nephrology in terms of diagnosis, measurement, its effect on shared decision-making and how to increase it in people with kidney disease.
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Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) requiring renal replacement treatment (RRT) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Early reduction of serum free light chains (FLC) using both targeted therapy against MM and intensive hemodialysis (IHD) may improve renal outcomes. We evaluated the effectiveness of two different RRT techniques on renal recovery in an MM patient population: standard dialysis procedure vs IHD with either polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or hemodiafiltration with endogenous reinfusion (HFR). Methods: This was a multicentric retrospective study with severe AKI related to MM, between 2011 and 2018. Twenty-five consecutive patients with AKI secondary to MM requiring RRT were included. Patients that underwent IHD received six dialysis sessions per week during the first 14 days (PMMA vs HFR). All patients were diagnosed with de novo MM or first relapsed MM. Primary outcome was renal recovery defined as dialysis-free at 6 months follow-up. Results: A total of 25 patients were included. Seventeen patients received IHD and eight standard dialysis. All patients were treated with targeted therapy, 84% bortezomib-based. Of the 25 patients included, 14 (56%) became dialysis independent. We observed a higher proportion of patients who received IHD in the group who recovered kidney function compared with those who remained in HD (92.9% vs 36.4%, P = .007). In our study, the use of IHD to remove FLC had a statistically significant association with renal recovery compared with the standard dialysis group (P = .024). Conclusion: Early reduction of FLC with IHD as an adjuvant treatment along with MM-targeted therapy may exert a positive impact on renal recovery.
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BACKGROUND: Vaccination is a known trigger for the appearance of immune-mediated glomerulopathies (IMG). The appearance of IMG after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination with suspected causality has been described. Our aim is to analyze the incidence of IMG flares before and after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in our center. METHODS: All persons with native kidney biopsy (KB) from January 2019 to March 2022 in our center were included in the study. We compared the incidence of IMG before and after the start of vaccination. We also collected information about whether the patients had received a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine or have suffered from COVID in the six weeks before the IMG. We also evaluated the analytical characteristics of the outbreaks. RESULTS: A total of 386 KB were studied. Of them, 86/218 (39.4%) were IMG performed pre- and 85/168 (50.6%) post-SV (029). The incidence of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS), studied separately, was also significantly increased post-vaccination (n = 18 (10.7%)) compared to pre-vaccination (n = 11 (5%)) (p = 0.036). There were no differences in the incidence of vasculitis or IgA nephropathy. Up to 17 (20%) flares occurred 6 weeks before SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and only 2 (2.4%) within the first 6 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Within those 17 flares, the most common diagnosis was IgAN (n = 5 (29.4%)); a total of 14 (82.4%) received an mRNA vaccine and 9 (52.9%) took place after the 1st vaccine dose. There were 13 cases of minimal change disease (MCD) with debut/recurrence pre-SV and 20 MCD with debut/recurrence post-SV (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of IMG, INS and MCD flares in our center increased significantly after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Importantly, 20% of IMG flares took place within the first 6 weeks after receiving a vaccine dose, with the first dose being the riskiest one and IgAN the most frequent diagnosis.
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BACKGROUND: The incidence of older patients over 80 years old with chronic kidney disease who start hemodialysis (HD) program has been increasing in the last decade. METHODS: We aimed to identify risk factors for morbidity and mortality in patients older than 80 years with end-stage renal disease who started HD. We conducted a retrospective observational study of the Catalan Renal registry (RMRC). RESULTS: A total of 2833 patients equal or older than 80 years (of 15,137) who started HD between 2002 and 2019 from the RMRC were included in the study. In this group, the first dialysis was performed through an arteriovenous fistula in 44%, percutaneous catheter in 28.2%, and tunneled catheter in 26.6%. Conventional dialysis was used in 65.7% and online HD in 34.3%. The most frequent cause of death was cardiac disease (21.8%), followed by social problems (20.4%) and infections (15.9%). Overall survival in older HD during the first year was 84% versus 91% in younger than 80 years (p < 0.001). Cox regression analysis identified the start of HD in the period 2002-2010, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the onset of HD through vascular graft depicted as risk factors for first-year mortality after dialysis initiation in patients older than 80 years with end-stage renal disease who started HD. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, patients older than 80 years who started HD program had higher mortality, especially those who presented exacerbation of kidney disease, those with COPD, and those who started with a vascular graft.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in kidney transplant recipients has a high risk of complications and mortality, especially in older recipients diagnosed during the early period after transplantation. Management of immunosuppression has been challenging during the pandemic. We investigated the impact of induction immunosuppression, either basiliximab or thymoglobulin, on the clinical evolution of kidney transplant recipients developing COVID-19 during the early period after transplantation. We included kidney transplant recipients with Ë6 months with a functioning graft diagnosed with COVID-19 from the initial pandemic outbreak (March 2020) until 31 July 2021 from different Spanish centres participating in a nationwide registry. A total of 127 patients from 17 Spanish centres developed COVID-19 during the first 6 months after transplantation; 73 (57.5%) received basiliximab and 54 (42.5%) thymoglobulin. Demographics were not different between groups but patients receiving thymoglobulin were more sensitized [calculated panel reactive antibodies (cPRAs) 32.7 ± 40.8% versus 5.6 ± 18.5%] and were more frequently retransplants (30% versus 4%). Recipients Ë65 years of age treated with thymoglobulin showed the highest rate of acute respiratory distress syndrome [64.7% versus 37.1% for older recipients receiving thymoglobulin and basiliximab (P < .05), respectively, and 23.7% and 18.9% for young recipients receiving basiliximab and thymoglobulin (P > .05)], respectively, and the poorest survival [mortality rate 64.7% and 42.9% for older recipients treated with thymoglobulin and basiliximab, respectively (P < .05) and 8.1% and 10.5% for young recipients treated with thymoglobulin and basiliximab (P > .05), respectively]. Older recipients treated with thymoglobulin showed the poorest survival in the Cox regression model adjusted for comorbidities. Thus thymoglobulin should be used with caution in older recipients during the present pandemic era.
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Background: Sotrovimab is a neutralizing monoclonal antibody (mAb) that seems to remain active against recent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. The evidence on its use in kidney transplant (KT) recipients, however, is limited. Methods: We performed a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of 82 KT patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection {coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]} treated with sotrovimab. Results: Median age was 63 years. Diabetes was present in 43.9% of patients, and obesity in 32.9% of patients; 48.8% of patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate under 30 mL/minute/1.73 m2. Additional anti-COVID-19 therapies were administered to 56 patients, especially intravenous steroids (65.9%). Sotrovimab was administered early (<5 days from the onset of the symptoms) in 46 patients (56%). Early-treated patients showed less likely progression to severe COVID-19 than those treated later, represented as a lower need for ventilator support (2.2% vs 36.1%; P < .001) or intensive care admission (2.2% vs 25%; P = .002) and COVID-19-related mortality (2.2% vs 16.7%; P = .020). In the multivariable analysis, controlling for baseline risk factors to severe COVID-19 in KT recipients, early use of sotrovimab remained as a protective factor for a composite outcome, including need for ventilator support, intensive care, and COVID-19-related mortality. No anaphylactic reactions, acute rejection episodes, impaired kidney function events, or non-kidney side effects related to sotrovimab were observed. Conclusions: Sotrovimab had an excellent safety profile, even in high-comorbidity patients and advanced chronic kidney disease stages. Earlier administration could prevent progression to severe disease, while clinical outcomes were poor in patients treated later. Larger controlled studies enrolling KT recipients are warranted to elucidate the true efficacy of monoclonal antibody therapies.
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Background: Patients on hemodialysis are at high-risk for complications derived from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The present analysis evaluated the impact of a booster vaccine dose and breakthrough severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections on humoral immunity 3 months after the booster dose. Methods: This is a multicentric and prospective study assessing immunoglobulin G anti-Spike antibodies 6 and 9 months after initial SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients on hemodialysis that had also received a booster dose before the 6-month assessment (early booster) or between the 6- and 9-month assessments (late booster). The impact of breakthrough infections, type of vaccine, time from the booster and clinical variables were assessed. Results: A total of 711 patients [67% male, median age (range) 67 (20-89) years] were included. Of these, 545 (77%) received an early booster and the rest a late booster. At 6 months, 64 (9%) patients had negative anti-Spike antibody titers (3% of early booster and 29% of late booster patients, P = .001). At 9 months, 91% of patients with 6-month negative response had seroconverted and there were no differences in residual prevalence of negative humoral response between early and late booster patients (0.9% vs 0.6%, P = .693). During follow-up, 35 patients (5%) developed breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection. Antibody titers at 9 months were independently associated with mRNA-1273 booster (P = .001), lower time from booster (P = .043) and past breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection (P < .001). Conclusions: In hemodialysis patients, higher titers of anti-Spike antibodies at 9 months were associated with mRNA-1273 booster, lower time from booster and past breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Background: Kidney replacement therapy (KRT) conferred a high risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related mortality early in the pandemic. We evaluate the presentation, treatment and outcomes of COVID-19 in patients on KRT over time during the pandemic. Methods: This registry-based study involved 6080 dialysis and kidney transplant (KT) patients with COVID-19, representing roughly 10% of total Spanish KRT patients. Epidemiology, comorbidity, infection, vaccine status and treatment data were recorded, and predictors of hospital admission, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality were evaluated. Results: Vaccine introduction decreased the number of COVID-19 cases from 1747 to 280 per wave. Of 3856 (64%) COVID-19 KRT patients admitted to the hospital, 1481/3856 (38%) were admitted during the first of six waves. Independent predictors for admission included KT and the first wave. During follow-up, 1207 patients (21%) died, 500/1207 (41%) during the first wave. Among vaccinated patients, mortality was 19%, mostly affecting KT recipients. Overall, independent predictors for mortality were older age, disease severity (lymphopaenia, pneumonia) and ICU rejection. Among patient factors, older age, male sex, diabetes, KT and no angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) were independent predictors of death. In KT recipients, individual immunosuppressants were independent predictors of death. Over time, patient characteristics evolved and in later pandemic waves, COVID-19 was mainly diagnosed in vaccinated KT recipients; in the few unvaccinated dialysis patients, ICU admissions increased and mortality decreased (28% for the first wave and 16-22% thereafter). Conclusions: The clinical presentation and outcomes of COVID-19 during the first wave no longer represent COVID-19 in KRT patients, as the pandemic has become centred around vaccinated KT recipients. Vaccines lowered the incidence of diagnosed COVID-19 and mortality. However, mortality remains high despite increased access to ICU care.
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Novel coronavirus disease infection (coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19) was declared a global pandemic in March 2020 and since then has become a major public health problem. The prevalence of COVID-19 infection and acute kidney injury (AKI) is variable depending on several factors such as race/ethnicity and severity of illness. The pathophysiology of renal involvement in COVID-19 infection is not entirely clear, but it could be in part explained by the viral tropism in the kidney parenchyma. AKI in COVID-19 infection can be either by direct invasion of the virus or as a consequence of immunologic response. Diverse studies have focused on the effect of COVID-19 on glomerulonephritis (GN) patients or the 'novo' GN; however, the effect of COVID-19 in acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (ATIN) has been scarcely studied. In this article, we present five cases with different spectrums of COVID-19 infection and ATIN that may suggest that recent diagnosis of ATIN is accompanied by a worse clinical prognosis in comparison with long-term diagnosed ATIN.
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Renal replacement therapy (RRT) in cirrhotic patients encompasses a number of issues related to the particular characteristics of this population, especially in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. The short-term prognosis of cirrhotic patients with acute kidney injury is poor, with a mortality rate higher than 65% in patients with RRT requirement, raising questions about the futility of its initiation. Regarding the management of the RRT itself, there is still no consensus with respect to the modality (continuous versus intermittent) or the anticoagulation required to improve the circuit life, which is shorter than similar at-risk populations, despite the altered haemostasis in traditional coagulation tests frequently found in these patients. Furthermore, volume management is one of the most complex issues in this cohort, where tools used for ambulatory dialysis have not yet been successfully reproducible in the ICU setting. This review attempts to shed light on the management of acute RRT in the critically ill cirrhotic population based on the current evidence and the newly available tools. We will discuss the timing of RRT initiation and cessation, the modality, anticoagulation and fluid management, as well as the outcomes of the RRT in this population, and provide a brief review of the albumin extracorporeal dialysis from the point of view of a nephrologist.
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BACKGROUND: The clinical effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in kidney transplant (KT) recipients is lower than in the general population. METHODS: From April to October 2021, 481 KT recipients with COVID-19, included in the Spanish Society of Nephrology COVID-19 Registry, were analyzed. Data regarding vaccination status and vaccine type were collected, and outcomes of unvaccinated or partially vaccinated patients (n = 130) were compared with fully vaccinated patients (n = 351). RESULTS: Clinical picture was similar and survival analysis showed no differences between groups: 21.7% of fully vaccinated patients and 20.8% of unvaccinated or partially vaccinated died (P = 0.776). In multivariable analysis, age and pneumonia were independent risk factors for death, whereas vaccination status was not related to mortality. These results remained similar when we excluded patients with partial vaccination, as well as when we analyzed exclusively hospitalized patients. Patients vaccinated with mRNA-1273 (n = 213) showed a significantly lower mortality than those who received the BNT162b2 vaccine (n = 121) (hazard ratio: 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.85; P = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 severity in KT patients has remained high and has not improved despite receiving 2 doses of the mRNA vaccine. The mRNA-1273 vaccine shows higher clinical effectiveness than BNT162b2 in KT recipients with breakthrough infections. Confirmation of these data will require further research taking into account the new variants and the administration of successive vaccine doses.
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COVID-19 , Transplante de Rim , Vacina de mRNA-1273 contra 2019-nCoV , Vacina BNT162 , COVID-19/epidemiologia , COVID-19/prevenção & controle , Vacinas contra COVID-19/efeitos adversos , Humanos , Transplante de Rim/efeitos adversos , RNA Mensageiro , SARS-CoV-2 , Transplantados , Vacinação , Vacinas Sintéticas , Vacinas de mRNARESUMO
Long-term adaptive immune memory has been reported among immunocompetent individuals up to eight months following SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, limited data is available in convalescent patients with a solid organ transplant. To investigate this, we performed a thorough evaluation of adaptive immune memory at different compartments (serological, memory B cells and cytokine [IFN-γ, IL-2, IFN-γ/IL12 and IL-21] producing T cells) specific to SARS-CoV-2 by ELISA and FluoroSpot-based assays in 102 convalescent patients (53 with a solid organ transplants (38 kidney, 5 liver, 5 lung and 5 heart transplant) and 49 immunocompetent controls) with different clinical COVID-19 severity (severe, mild and asymptomatic) beyond six months after infection. While similar detectable memory responses at different immune compartments were detected between those with a solid organ transplant and immunocompetent individuals, these responses were predominantly driven by distinct COVID-19 clinical severities (97.6%, 80.5% and 42.1%, all significantly different, were seropositive; 84% vs 75% vs 35.7%, all significantly different, showed IgG-producing memory B cells and 82.5%, 86.9% and 31.6%, displayed IFN-γ producing T cells; in severe, mild and asymptomatic convalescent patients, respectively). Notably, patients with a solid organ transplant with longer time after transplantation did more likely show detectable long-lasting immune memory, regardless of COVID-19 severity. Thus, our study shows that patients with a solid organ transplant are capable of maintaining long-lasting peripheral immune memory after COVID-19 infection; mainly determined by the degree of infection severity.
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COVID-19 , Transplante de Órgãos , Anticorpos Antivirais , Humanos , Memória Imunológica , Transplante de Órgãos/efeitos adversos , SARS-CoV-2 , TransplantadosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are at high-risk for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The multicentric, observational and prospective SENCOVAC study aims to describe the humoral response and safety of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines in CKD patients. Safety and immediate humoral response results are reported here. METHODS: Four cohorts of patients were included: kidney transplant (KT) recipients, and haemodialysis (HD), peritoneal dialysis (PD) and non-dialysis CKD patients from 50 Spanish centres. Adverse events after vaccine doses were recorded. At baseline and on Day 28 after the last vaccine dose, anti-Spike antibodies were measured and compared between cohorts. Factors associated with development of anti-Spike antibodies were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 1746 participants were recruited: 1116 HD, 171 PD, 176 non-dialysis CKD patients and 283 KT recipients. Most patients (98%) received mRNA vaccines. At least one vaccine reaction developed after the first dose in 763 (53.5%) and after the second dose in 741 (54.5%) of patients. Anti-Spike antibodies were measured in the first 301 patients. At 28 days, 95% of patients had developed antibodies: 79% of KT, 98% of HD, 99% of PD and 100% of non-dialysis CKD patients (P < 0.001). In a multivariate adjusted analysis, absence of an antibody response was independently associated with KT (odds ratio 20.56, P = 0.001) and with BNT162b2 vaccine (odds ratio 6.03, P = 0.023). CONCLUSION: The rate of anti-Spike antibody development after vaccination in KT patients was low but in other CKD patients it approached 100%, suggesting that KT patients require persistent isolation measures and booster doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Potential differences between COVID-19 vaccines should be explored in prospective controlled studies.