Severe Leptospirosis with Acute Kidney Injury - A Case Description and Literature Review.

INTRODUCTION: Leptospirosis is a globally transmitted zoonotic disease caused by Leptospira spp., a highly mobile, obligate aerobic, spiral-shaped bacteria. Described first by Adolf Weil in 1886, leptospirosis in Germany is rare, leading to a delayed diagnosis due to diverse symptoms. Most cases are mild, but severe forms, like Weil's disease, cause life-threatening complications such as fever, jaundice, hemoptysis, and acute kidney injury (AKI). The aim of this work is to provide a literature review of leptospirosis with renal manifestation based on a case report. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of an 81-year-old male patient with initially unclear oliguric AKI, bilateral pulmonary infiltrates, and jaundice. After excluding common AKI causes, the expanded patient history suggested possible rat contact in his chicken coop. Finally, we serologically identified an infection with Leptospira spp. by positive IgM, proving that the illness was compatible with classical Weil`s disease. The patient underwent temporary hemodialysis and antibiotic treatment with intravenous penicillin G for 2 weeks. Under therapy, the AKI, hyperbilirubinemia, and clinical condition of the patient improved. The patient was discharged after 2 weeks. In the following controls, slightly impaired kidney function was observed, indicating a progress of his chronic kidney disease (CKD). CONCLUSION: Although leptospirosis is rare, there are some cases with a fulminant course. Impairment of renal function often correlates with severity of the disease requiring antibiotic treatment. In some cases, AKI progresses to CKD demonstrating the need to raise awareness for leptospirosis.

Post-COVID-19 complement-mediated TMA: A case report.

Systemic COVID-19 disease is associated with a variety of organ involvement in infected patients. A rarely reported complication is the induction of complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). TMA is an extremely rare pathological condition that results in thrombosis in capillaries and small arterioles, due to an endothelial injury. It is often combined with thrombocytopenia, Coombs-negative hemolytic anemia, and end-organ damage. This case involves a patient who was admitted to our hospital for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment of acute kidney injury (AKIN 3) with severe proteinuria after a preceding SARS-CoV-2 infection. A 77-year-old male patient had COVID-19 pneumonia in January 2021 with the need of high-flow oxygen therapy in the intensive care unit. In March 2021, he was hospitalized again due to elevated serum creatinine levels and proteinuria. The patient exhibited normal vital parameters. A renal biopsy showed severe TMA. A diagnosis of COVID-19-associated TMA was made, and treatment with high-dose glucocorticoid therapy and plasma exchange was initiated. Additionally, therapy with eculizumab was established. Unfortunately, the kidney failure was initially progressive, so that hemodialysis (HD) was temporarily necessary. In May 2021, kidney function recovered to an estimated glomerular filtration rate of ~ 30 mL/min/1.73m2 corresponding to chronic kidney disease stage 3bA3 - 4A3. COVID-19-associated TMA is an extremely rare disease. TMA may be a possible long-term complication with the risk of end-stage renal disease if not properly diagnosed and treated.

Long-Term Renal Function with Cardiac Contractility Modulation Therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiac implantable electrical devices are able to affect kidney function through hemodynamic improvements. The cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) is a device-based therapy option for patients with symptomatic chronic heart failure (HF) despite optimized medical treatment. The long-term cardiorenal interactions for CCM treated patients are yet to be described. METHODS: CCM recipients (n = 187) from the Mannheim Cardiac Contractility Modulation Observational Study (MAINTAINED) were evaluated in the long-term (up to 60 months) for changes in serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), other surrogate markers of kidney function, and the chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage distribution. With regard to kidney function at baseline, the patients were furthermore grouped to either advanced CKD (aCKD, CKD stage ≥3, eGFR≤59 mL/min/1.73 m2, n = 107) or preserved kidney function and mild CKD (pCKD, CKD stages 1-2, eGFR≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2, n = 80). The groups were compared for differences regarding kidney function, New York Heart Association classification (NYHA), biventricular systolic function, HF hospitalizations and other parameters in the long-term (60 months). RESULTS: CKD stage distribution remained stable during the entire follow-up (p = 0.65). An increase in serum creatinine (1.47 ± 1 vs. 1.6±1 mg/dL) with a corresponding decline of eGFR (58.2 ± 23.4 vs. 54.2 ± 24.4 mL/min/1.73 m2, both p < 0.05) were seen after 60 months but not before for the total cohort, which was only significant in pCKD patients in terms of group comparison. Mean survival (54.3 ± 1.3 vs. 55.3 ± 1.2 months, p = 0.53) was comparable in both groups. Improvements in NYHA (3.11 ± 0.46 vs. 2.94 ± 0.41-2.28 ± 0.8 vs. 1.94 ± 0.6) and LVEF (24.8 ± 7.1 vs. 22.9 ± 6.6-31.1 ± 11.4 vs. 35.5 ± 11.1%) were likewise similar after 60 months (both p < 0.05). The aCKD patients suffered from more HF hospitalizations and ventricular tachycardias during the entire follow-up period (both p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The kidney function parameters and CKD stage distribution might remain stable in CCM treated HF patients in the long-term, who experience improvements in LVEF and functional status, regardless of their kidney function before. An impaired kidney function might be associated with further cardiovascular comorbidities and more advanced HF before CCM, and could be an additional risk factor of HF complications afterward.

Tumor-Induced Parkinsonism Due to a Large Meningioma Diagnosed by 99m Tc-TRODAT-1 SPECT/CT.

ABSTRACT: A 67-year-old woman complained of rest and postural tremors in her left upper extremity, associated with bradykinesia and gait disorder since 2 years ago, with no significant response to antiparkinsonism drugs. Dopamine transporter SPECT/CT revealed a remarkable area of 99m Tc-TRODAT-1 uptake in a huge tumoral lesion in the right frontotemporal region, compressing and dislocating the right striatum with evidence of significant midline shift. The patient underwent surgical resection with a diagnosis of meningioma on preoperative MRI and postoperative histology report, experiencing a marked recovery in symptoms after 1 month.

Comparative immunogenicity and safety of SpikoGen®, a recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike protein vaccine in children and young adults: An immuno-bridging clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: SpikoGen® is a recombinant subunit spike protein ectodomain vaccine manufactured in insect cells and formulated with the novel polysaccharide-based Advax-CpG55.2 adjuvant. This study aimed to compare the immunogenicity and safety of SpikoGen® vaccine in children, adolescents and young adults. METHODS: This was a non-randomized, three-arm, open-label, parallel-group, immuno-bridging, non-inferiority trial to compare the immunogenicity and safety of a primary course of two intramuscular doses of SpikoGen® vaccine in children aged 5 to < 12 years, adolescents aged 12 to < 18 years and young adults aged 18 to 40 years. Children 5-12 years received a half dose of 12.5 µg spike protein, whereas the other groups received the full vaccine dose. Vaccine immunogenicity was evaluated via assessment of serum anti-spike and neutralizing antibodies 14 days after the second dose. Solicited adverse events were recorded for 7 days after each vaccination. Safety assessments including serious adverse events were continued through six months after the second dose in children and adolescents. RESULTS: Two weeks after the second dose, seroconversion rates for neutralizing antibody levels were not significantly different for children (59.50 %), adolescents (52.06 %) and adults (56.01 %). The 95 % confidence interval of the difference in seroconversion rates between children and adults was within the prespecified non-inferiority margin of 10 % (-12 % to 5 %). SpikoGen® vaccine was well tolerated in all age groups with the most common solicited adverse events being injection site pain and fatigue which were generally transient and mild. CONCLUSION: SpikoGen® vaccine was shown to be safe, well tolerated and immunogenic in children as young as 5 years of age, with non-inferior responses to those seen in adults. The Iranian FDA authorisation of SpikoGen® vaccine is now extended down to 5 years of age.