Prediction of Progression in Polycystic Kidney Disease Using the Kidney Failure Risk Equation and Ultrasound Parameters.

BACKGROUND: The kidney failure risk equation (KFRE) is a validated risk algorithm for predicting the risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients regardless of etiology. Patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (AD-PCKD) experience long disease trajectories and as such identifying individuals at risk of kidney failure would aid in intervention. OBJECTIVE: To examine the utility of the KFRE in predicting adverse kidney outcomes compared with existing risk factors in a cohort of patients with AD-PCKD. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of AD-PCKD patients referred to a tertiary care center with a baseline kidney ultrasound and a KFRE calculation. Cox proportional hazards were used to examine the association of the KFRE and composite of an eGFR decline of >30% or the need for dialysis/transplantation. Discrimination and calibration of a parsimonious fully adjusted model and a model containing only total kidney volume (TKV) with and without the addition of the KFRE was determined. RESULTS: Of 340 patients with AD-PCKD eligible, 221 (65%) met inclusion criteria. Older age, cardiac disease, cancer, higher systolic blood pressure, albuminuria, lower eGFR and a higher initial TKV were more common in patients with a higher KFRE. A total of 120 events occurred over a median patient follow-up time of 3.2 years. KFRE was independently associated with the composite kidney outcome. Addition of the KFRE significantly improved discrimination and calibration in a TKV only model and a fully adjusted model. CONCLUSIONS: In a diverse, referral population with AD-PCKD, the KFRE was associated with adverse kidney outcomes and improved risk prediction.

CONTEXTE: L'équation KFRE (kidney failure risk equation) est un algorithme validé pour prédire le risque de défaillance rénale chez les patients atteints d'IRC, quelle que soit l'étiologie. Les patients souffrant de polykystose rénale autosomique dominante (ADPKD) connaissent une longue trajectoire de maladie et, à ce titre, le dépistage des individus présentant un risque élevé d'insuffisance rénale pourrait faciliter les interventions. OBJECTIF: Examiner l'efficacité de la KFRE à prédire le risque d'issues rénales défavorables dans une cohorte de patients atteints d'ADPKD comparativement aux facteurs de risque existants. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Cette étude de cohorte rétrospective porte sur des patients atteints d'ADPKD aiguillés vers un centre de soins tertiaires avec une échographie rénale de référence et un calcul de KFRE. Un modèle de risques proportionnels de Cox a été employé pour analyser la relation entre la KFRE et un déclin composite du DFGe supérieur à 30% ou le besoin de dialyse ou de transplantation. La discrimination et la calibration d'un modèle parcimonieux entièrement corrigé et d'un modèle ne tenant compte que du volume rénal total (VRT), avec ou sans l'ajout de la KFRE, ont été déterminées. RÉSULTATS: Des 340 patients atteints d'ADPKD et admissibles à l'étude, 221 (65%) satisfaisaient les critères d'inclusion. Les patients présentant un résultat élevé à la KFRE étaient souvent plus âgés et étaient plus fréquemment atteints des troubles suivants: maladies cardiovasculaires, cancer, pression systolique élevée, albuminurie, faible DFGe et VRT initial plus élevé. Un total de 120 événements sont survenus au cours de la période de suivi médiane (3,2 ans). La KFRE a été associée de façon indépendante à l'issue rénale composite. L'ajout de la valeur de KFRE a considérablement amélioré la discrimination et la calibration des deux modèles employés (VRT seulement et modèle entièrement corrigé). CONCLUSION: L'utilisation de la KFRE a été associée à des issues rénales défavorables et à une meilleure prédiction du risque d'insuffisance rénale dans une population de référence diversifiée composée de patients atteints d'ADPKD.

Successful Initiation of Dialysis with a 20-Year-Old Buried Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter: Case Report and Literature Review.

Buried peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheters are typically inserted several weeks or months before the anticipated need for dialysis. Occasionally, renal function unexpectedly stabilizes after the surgery, and a patient may go years before the catheter is needed. We report a case of successful initiation of PD with a twenty-year-old buried catheter. We outline the steps needed to optimize the catheter function and review the benefits of the buried PD catheter.

Lower serum magnesium is associated with vascular calcification in peritoneal dialysis patients: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is highly prevalent among dialysis patients and is associated with increased cardiovascular and all cause mortality. Magnesium (Mg) inhibits vascular calcification in animal and in-vitro studies but whether the same effect occurs in humans is uncertain. METHODS: A single centre cross-sectional study of 80 prevalent peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients; on PD only for a minimum of 3 months. A radiologist blinded to patient status calculated their abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) scores on lateral lumbar spine radiographs, a validated surrogate for CAC. RESULTS: Eighty patients provided informed consent and underwent lumbar spine radiography. The mean serum Mg was 0.8 mmol/L (standard deviation 0.2) and mean AAC score 8.9 (minimum 0, maximum 24). A higher serum Mg level was associated with a lower AAC score (R 2 = 0.06, unstandardized coefficient [B] = -7.81, p = 0.03), and remained after adjustment for age, serum phosphate, serum parathyroid hormone, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking history, and diabetes (model adjusted R 2 = 0.36, serum Mg and AAC score B = -11.44, p = 0.00). This translates to a 0.1 mmol/L increase in serum Mg being independently associated with a 1.1-point decrease in AAC score. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that Mg may inhibit vascular calcification. If this association is replicated across larger studies with serial Mg and vascular calcification measurements, interventions that increase serum Mg and their effect on vascular calcification warrant further investigation in the PD population.

Renal cocktail: too hard for a diabetic.

We herein report a case of a 67-year-old diabetic woman who presented with a history of fatigue for 1 month. Her investigations showed proteinuria, active urine sediment, p-ANCA positivity and worsened renal functions. A diagnosis of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis was made. Renal biopsy revealed class V (membranous) lupus nephritis with superimposed ANCA-associated crescentic glomerulonephritis. She was treated with steroids and cyclophosphamide. Two months later, she presented with cytomegalovirus colitis and deep vein thrombosis of right leg. The case reflects an interesting renal pathology, and complications of the disease per se and its treatment.