Clinical and histopathological characteristics of primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in Turkish adults.

The data regarding primary FSGS (pFSGS) from different parts of the world differ. While the prevalence of pFSGS has been increasing in Western countries like the USA, it follows an inconsistent trend in Europe and Asia and a decreasing trend in Far Eastern countries such as China in the last two decades. There are undetermined factors to explain those national and geographic discrepancies. Herein, we aimed to reveal the current prevalence with clinical and histopathological characteristics of pFSGS in Turkish adults. This study includes the biopsy-proven pFSGS patients data recorded between 2009 and 2019, obtained from the national multicenter primary glomerulonephritis registry system of the Turkish Society of Nephrology Glomerular Diseases (TSN-GOLD) database. 850 of the 3875 primer glomerulonephritis patients(21.9%) have pFSGS. The mean age is 40.5 ± 14.2 and 435 (51.2%) of patients are male. Nephrotic syndrome is the most common biopsy indication (59.2%). 32.6% of patients have hematuria, 15.2% have leukocyturia and 7.8% have both. Serum creatinine, albumin, and proteinuria are 1.0 mg/dL (IQR = 0.7-1.4) mg/dl, 3.4 ± 0.9 g/dl, 3400 mg/day(IQR, 1774-5740), respectively. Females have lower mean arterial pressure (- 2.2 mmHg), higher eGFR (+ 10.0 mL/min/1.73 m2), and BMI (+ 1.6 kg/m2) than males. Thickened basal membrane(76.6%) and mesangial proliferation (53.5%) on light microscopy are the major findings after segmental sclerosis. IgM (32.7%) and C3 (32.9%) depositions are the most common findings on immunofluorescence microscopy. IgM positivity is related to lower eGFR, serum albumin, and higher proteinuria. The prevalence of pFSGS is stable although slightly increasing in Turkish adults. The characteristics of the patients are similar to those seen in Western countries.

BNT162b2 or CoronaVac as the Third Dose against Omicron: Neutralizing Antibody Responses among Transplant Recipients Who Had Received Two Doses of CoronaVac.

We evaluated neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant and Anti-Spike IgG response in solid organ (SOT) or hematopoietic stem cell (HSTC) recipients after a third dose of BNT162b2 (BNT) or CoronaVac (CV) following two doses of CV. In total, 95 participants underwent SOT (n = 62; 44 liver, 18 kidney) or HSCT (n = 27; 5 allogeneic, 22 autologous) were included from five centers in Turkey. The median time between third doses and serum sampling was 154 days (range between 15 to 381). The vaccine-induced antibody responses of both neutralizing antibodies and Anti-Spike IgGs were assessed by plaque neutralizing assay and immunoassay, respectively. Neutralizing antibody and Anti-Spike IgG levels were significantly higher in transplant patients receiving BNT compared to those receiving CV (Geometric mean (GMT):26.76 vs. 10.89; p = 0.03 and 2116 Au/mL vs. 172.1 Au/mL; p < 0.001). Solid organ transplantation recipients, particularly liver transplant recipients, showed lower antibody levels than HSCT recipients. Thus, among HSCT recipients, the GMT after BNT was 91.29 and it was 15.81 in the SOT group (p < 0.001). In SOT, antibody levels after BNT in kidney transplantation recipients were significantly higher than those in liver transplantation recipients (GMT: 48.32 vs. 11.72) (p < 0.001). Moreover, the neutralizing antibody levels after CV were very low (GMT: 10.81) in kidney transplantation recipients and below the detection limit (<10) in liver transplant recipients. This study highlights the superiority of BNT responses against Omicron as a third dose among transplant recipients after two doses of CV. The lack of neutralizing antibodies against Omicron after CV in liver transplant recipients should be taken into consideration, particularly in countries where inactivated vaccines are available in addition to mRNA vaccines.

Blood pressure response to exercise in unaffected relatives of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease patients: an observational study.

INTRODUCTION: Hypertension is an early finding of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and is related to different mechanisms. Cyst expansion-related renin secretion or early endothelial dysfunctions are some of these hypotheses. In addition, the underlying genetic factor is thought to play a role in the inheritance of hypertension. The differential course of hypertension in ADPKD preoccupies that relatives of ADPKD patients may also be at risk for this underlying mechanisms with a genetically determined abnormal endothelial-vascular state. In this study, we aimed to evaluate blood pressure response to exercise as an initial vascular problem in unaffected and normotensive relatives of hypertensive ADPKD patients. METHODS: This is an observational study including unaffected and normotensive relatives (siblings and children) of ADPKD patients (relative group) and healthy controls (control group) who performed an exercise stress test. A 6-lead electrocardiogram was recorded and blood pressure was measured automatically with a cuff worn on the right arm, immediately before the test and every 3 min during the exercise and the recovery phase. Participants continued the test until their age-specific target heart rate was reached or symptoms occurred that required discontinuation of the test. The highest blood pressure and pulse values during exercise were noted. In addition, as a marker for endothelial function, nitric oxide (NO) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels were measured at baseline and post-exercise. RESULTS: There were 24 participants in the relative group (16 female, mean age 38.45 years) and 30 participants in the control group (15 female, mean age 37.96 years). Two groups were similar in terms of age, gender, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, resting systolic blood pressure (SBP)/diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and biochemical parameters. Mean SBP and DBP were similar in both groups during 1st, 3rd and 9th minutes of exercise (1st minute: 136.25 ± 19.71 mmHg vs 140.36 ± 30.79 mmHg for SBP, p = 0.607, 84.05 ± 14.75 mmHg vs 82.60 ± 21.60 mmHg for DBP, p = 0.799; 3rd minute: 150.75 ± 30.39 mmHg vs 148.54 ± 27.30 mmHg for SBP, p = 0.801, 98.95 ± 26.92 mmHg vs 85.92 ± 17.93 mmHg for DBP, p = 0.062; 9th minute: 156.35 ± 30.84 mmHg vs 166.43 ± 31.90 mmHg for SBP, p = 0.300, 96.25 ± 21.99 mmHg vs 101.78 ± 33.11 mmHg for DBP, p = 0.529 for control and relatives, respectively). During the recovery phase, SBP decreased in both groups in 6th minute (119.85 ± 14.06 mmHg vs 122.86 ± 16.76 mmHg, p = 0.538 for control and relatives respectively); however, in the relatives of ADPKD patients DBP remained high at the end of the 6th minute (78.95 ± 11.29 mmHg vs 86.67 ± 9.81 mmHg p = 0.025 for control and relatives, respectively). Baseline and post-exercise NO and ADMA levels were similar in both groups (Baseline p = 0.214 and p = 0.818, post-exercise p = 0.652 and p = 0.918 for NO and ADMA, respectively). CONCLUSION: Abnormal blood pressure response to exercise was observed in unaffected normotensive relatives of ADPKD. Although its clinical significance needs to be demonstrated by additional research, it is an important finding that unaffected relatives of ADPKD may be at risk for an altered arterial vascular network. Furthermore, these data are the first to demonstrate that relatives of ADPKD patients may also be under risk with a genetically determined abnormal vascular state.

IGA nephropathy and spinal epidural abscess after COVID-19 infection: a case report.

A 56-year-old male admitted to the hospital for generalized weakness and fever. He was treated in hospital for 10 days due to COVID-19. He did not receive any immunosuppressive therapy during admission. One day after his discharge he experienced back pain and received analgesic therapy for 10 days. About one month later he experienced severe back pain and gross hematuria. He was admitted to hospital with acute kidney injury and new-onset lower extremity muscle weakness. His renal biopsy revealed IgA nephropathy and thoracic/cervical/lumbar-spine imaging showed an epidural abscess. This is a unique case report of a patient developing an epidural abscess and acute kidney injury together as a serious complication of COVID-19 infection.

Effects of Medium Cutoff Membranes on Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine and Oxidative Marker Levels in Patients with Sepsis Who Developed Acute Kidney Injury.

INTRODUCTION: There is insufficient data on the role of the medium cutoff (MCO) membranes in the clearance of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidant radicals in patients with sepsis requiring hemodialysis. METHODS: The study consisted of 38 septic patients who developed acute kidney injury (AKI) and who were scheduled to undergo 2 sessions of hemodialysis. Nineteen patients underwent their first dialysis session with the MCO membrane and 19 patients with the high-flux (HF) membrane. In the second session, the membranes were switched. Pro-inflammatory cytokine and oxidative marker levels were measured in blood samples obtained before and after both dialysis sessions. Reduction ratios were compared for the 2 types of hemodialysis membranes. RESULTS: After the first session, there was a greater reduction in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α with the MCO membrane (28.2 ± 21.1 vs. 8.0 ± 6.6, p = 0.001). After the second session, there was a greater reduction in interleukin (IL)-6 (27.8 ± 26.5 vs. 5.9 ± 13.3, p = 0.003) and IL-1ß (20.5 ± 21.1 vs. 4.0 ± 6.5, p = 0.004) with the MCO membrane. When the first and second sessions of all 38 patients were compared, the reductions in TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß were consistently greater for MCO than HF (p = 0.001, p = 0.006, p < 0.001, respectively). The reductions in total antioxidant status, total oxidant status, and myeloperoxidase were not statistically different for the 2 types of dialysis membranes. CONCLUSIONS: MCO membrane was superior to HF membrane in the removal of cytokines in septic patients with AKI. However, a similar effect was not observed for oxidative stress markers.

The relationship between glomerular IgG staining and poor prognostic findings in patients with IgA nephropathy: the data from TSN-GOLD working group.

BACKGROUND: Galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) has an increased tendency to form immunocomplexes with IgG in the serum, contributing to IgAN pathogenesis by accumulating in the glomerular mesangium. Several studies showed that glomerular IgG deposition in IgAN is an important cause of mesangial proliferation and glomerular damage. This study aims to determine the association of the positivity of IgG and the intensity of IgG staining with a poor renal prognosis. METHODS: A total of 943 IgAN patients were included in the study. Glomerular IgG staining negative and positive patients were compared using Oxford classification scores, histopathological evaluations, proteinuria, eGFR, albumin, blood pressures. IgG positive patients were classified as (+), (++), (+++) based on their staining intensity, and the association with the prognostic criteria was also evaluated. RESULTS: 81% (n = 764) of the patients were detected as IgG negative, while 19% (n = 179) were positive. Age, gender, body mass index, blood pressure, proteinuria, eGFR, uric acid values were similar in IgG positive and negative patients who underwent biopsy (p > 0.05). Intensity of glomerular IgG positivity was not found to be associated with diastolic and systolic blood pressure, urea, uric acid, age, eGFR, albumin, proteinuria (p > 0.05 for all, r = - 0.084, r = - 0.102, r = - 0.006, r = 0.062, r = 0.014, r = - 0.044, r = - 0.061, r = - 0.066, r = 0.150, respectively). There was no difference for histopathological findings between IgG (+), IgG (++), IgG (+++) groups (for all, p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Glomerular IgG negativity and positivity detected by routine IFM in IgAN patients is not associated with poor renal prognostic risk factors.

Occult Adrenal Insufficiency in Renal Amyloidosis Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Systemic amyloidosis may affect many organs, and may cause endocrinologic problems which may result in adrenal insufficiency. However, assessment of adrenocortical reserve is challenging in amyloidosis patients with renal involvement. We aimed to evaluate adrenocortical reserve with various methods of cortisol measurement to determine any occult clinical condition. METHODS: Patients with renal amyloidosis and healthy subjects were evaluated in this cross-sectional study. Basal cortisol, corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), and albumin levels were measured. Serum free cortisol (cFC) level was calculated. Cortisol response tests performed after ACTH stimulation test (250 µg, intravenously) were evaluated, and free cortisol index (FCI) was calculated. RESULTS: Twenty renal amyloidosis patients, and 25 healthy control subjects were included in the study. Patients and control subjects had similar median serum baseline cortisol levels [258 (126-423) vs 350 (314-391) nmol/L, p=0.169)] whereas patients' stimulated cortisol levels at the 60th minute were lower [624 (497-685) vs 743 (674-781) nmol/L, p=0.011)]. The 60th-minute total cortisol levels of 8 of the 20 (40%) amyloidosis patients were <500 nmol/L, but only three of these 8 patients had stimulated FCI <12 nmol/mg suggesting an adrenal insufficiency (15%). CONCLUSION: ACTH stimulation test and cortisol measurements should be considered in renal amyloidosis patients with severe proteinuria to avoid false positive results if only ACTH stimulation test is used. It will be appropriate to evaluate this group of patients together with estimated measurements as FCI.

Urinay neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin as a biomarker in different renal problems

Background/aim: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is used previously to estimate the etiology, severity, and clinical outcomes of acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the role of urinary NGAL (uNGAL) in the postrenal setting is not clear. In our study, we aimed to discover the cut-off value of uNGAL that can be used in the differential diagnosis of underlying AKI etiologies. Materials and methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study, we examined 82 subjects in four groups: patients that had (1) postrenal AKI; (2) AKI other than postrenal etiologies; (3) stable chronic kidney disease; and (4) healthy subjects. A renal function assessment was carried out by measuring serum creatinine (sCr) and uNGAL at the time of diagnosis [0th min (T0)]. We followed the study group for three months. Results: At the time of diagnosis, sCr (T0) was highest in the postrenal AKI and AKI groups in contrast to stable chronic kidney disease patients and healthy subjects (P < 0.001), as expected. T0 median uNGAL was highest in the postrenal group (P < 0.001). Area under curve (AUC) of uNGAL to estimate postrenal AKI presence was 0.957 (95% CI, 0.897­1.000; P < 0.001). The cut-off point of uNGAL was 42.625 ng/mL for this estimation. Conclusion: Patients with AKI must be classified according to the underlying etiologies as soon as possible. uNGAL may be useful to estimate the etiologies, and whether the problem is acute or chronic in the course. In postrenal kidney problems, to plan the urgency of the urologic procedures, it is crucial.

Prevalence of HPV Genotypes in South Europe: Comparisons between an Italian and a Turkish Unvaccinated Population.

The human papilloma virus (HPV) is a DNA virus associated with benign and malignant lesions of skin and mucous membranes and is the most common sexually transmitted viral infection worldwide. We investigated the prevalence of HPV infection and associated risk factors in Italian and Turkish women population attending the gynecology outpatients clinic in Naples (Italy) and Pamukkale (Turkey). Women were enrolled from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" in Naples (Italy) and of "Pamukkale University" in Denizli (Turkey) between January 2014 and June 2015. A questionnaire that included sociodemographic and sexual behavior characteristics, questions about HPV awareness, vaccine status, and reasons for not wanting to get vaccinated, and HPV-related knowledge was completed for each participant, and cervical cytology samples were collected. The prevalence of HPV infection was higher in the Italian group (52.6% vs 32.6%, p < 0.001), while the distribution of genotypes is similar (p=0.325). Moreover, the differences in cytological alterations in these patients are significant (p < 0.001). The analysis showed a higher prevalence of sexual behavioral characteristics (p < 0.001) and better attention to the execution of the screening test in the Italian population (p < 0.001). Italian women showed more knowledge and propensity to vaccination compared to Turkish women (p < 0.001). Our data highlighted three relevant aspects: the different prevalence of cytological abnormalities, the different distribution of risk factors and, above all, the different attitude of women towards the primary prevention of cervical cancer between an Italian and a Turkish population group.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus as a Rare Cause of Anemia Resistant to Erythropoiesis-stimulating Agents.

Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) play an important role in the management of anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease, but the goals cannot be reached in 5% to 10% of the patients despite high-dose ESA treatment. In case of ESA resistance, all causes of anemia encountered in the general population should be carefully reviewed. We present a patient examined for ESA resistance that was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus and subsequently showed improvement of anemia with systemic corticosteroids.

The effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on proteinuria in patients with primary glomerulonephritis.

INTRODUCTION: Glomerulonephritis is still the primary cause among the diseases causing end stage renal disease. Helicobacter pylori (HP), also having a local proinflammatory effect on gastric mucosa, can trigger a local and systemic inflammatory response, and consequently have a role in the development of extragastrointestinal defects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was composed of patients diagnosed with primary glomerulonephritis who had dyspeptic complaints throughout the diagnosis. Patients who received endoscopic biopsy upon the determination of pathologic findings in their upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were HP positive in their biopsy material. A triple eradication therapy was initiated for HP. RESULTS: The study included 14 female and 19 male patients, 33 in total, whose biopsy material was determined to be HP positive. Before the eradication for HP, we found serum albumin to be 34.0 (19.0-51.0) g/l, serum total protein 58.6 ±12.9 g/l, serum creatinine 0.9 (0.5-1.2) and proteinuria 3069 (652-12392) mg/day in 24-hour urine. After the eradication, however, serum albumin was found to be 40 (20-52) g/l, serum total protein 62.3 ±11.1 g/l, serum creatinine 1.02 (0.6-1.29) mg/dl and proteinuria was 2850 (172-15181) mg/day in 24-hour urine. A comparison of the results showed that a statistically significant difference is established between the serum albumin, total protein and creatinine values (p = 0.001, p = 0.001 and p = 0.021, respectively), but not between proteinuria values in 24-hour urine (p = 0.990). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with primary glomerulonephritis, HP eradication treatment has an effect on serum albumin levels.

Prognostic factors in crescentic glomerulonephritis: a single-center experience.

INTRODUCTION: Crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN) is a fatal disease, rapidly leading to end-stage renal disease. Diagnosis should be accurate and treatment should be started immediately. We investigated the factors associated with the renal prognosis in CGN patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-one patients with CGN who were followed up at the Nephrology Clinic of Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital were divided into 2 arms of the dialysis-dependent group after treatment and the group that was followed up without dialysis. Demographic and clinical features along with biopsy findings during time of diagnosis were evaluated for both groups. RESULTS: The mean age was 41.3 ± 17.2 years old and 26 were men. Twenty patients developed end-stage renal disease, requiring long-term dialysis. The dialysis-dependent group had higher serum creatinine levels (8.2 ± 3.6 mg/dL versus 2.6 ± 2.5 mg/dL) and percentages of glomeruli with crescent (83.1 ± 19.1% versus 56.4 ± 11.9%), were more likely to have oligoruia-anuria (90.5% versus 9.5%) and be dialysis-dependent at admission (86.4% versus 13.6%), and had longer elapsed time until the beginning of treatment (18.9 ± 10.4 days versus 10.6 ± 3.0 days) after treatment. At admission, their serum creatinine was greater than 4.2 mg/dL and the rate of crescentic glomeruli was greater than 63%. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CGN, renal prognosis is poor and the time of admission to the hospital, degree of renal insufficiency, presence of oligo-anuria, dialysis requirement, and the percentage of crescentic glomeruli on biopsy are closely related to progression to end-stage renal disease.

Coexistence of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and amyloidosis in a patient with nephrotic-range proteinuria.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is an inherited disorder characterized by the development and growth of cysts in the kidneys. Non-nephritic-range proteinuria is a common presentation in ADPKD patients; however, nephrotic syndrome is a rare coincidence. A 52-year-old man is described who was diagnosed with secondary amyloidosis with ADPKD. To our knowledge, this is the first case of amyloidosis associated with frequently infected renal cysts. Patients with ADPKD who show massive proteinuria should be investigated in terms of concomitant glomerular disease.

Acute thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura following orthopedic surgery: case report and review of the literature.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is an uncommon cause of hematological and renal abnormalities in the postoperative period. An association between TTP and orthopedic surgery, a rare entity, has been reported in the literature. It has the strong possibility of being fatal and therefore should be treated immediately, mostly by plasmapheresis. We report a 15-year-old girl of TTP following a high tibial valgus osteotomy (HTO).

Life threatening chylothorax in a patient with congenital thrombophilia: case report.

We reported here a case of bilateral chylothorax as a result of widespread thrombi formation in a patient who was heterozygote for factor V leiden gene mutation and who had antithrombin III deficiency. We performed bilateral chest tubes, thrombolytic and oral anticoagulant therapy. The patient responded to the therapy. She has been in follow up without symptoms for 18 months.