The association of normal-range serum phosphorus with immunoglobulin A nephropathy progression: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: The relationship between serum phosphorus and immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy progression remains uncertain, especially normal-range serum phosphorus. Therefore, we herein examined the relationship between the normal-range serum phosphorus and the progression of IgA nephropathy. METHODS: One hundred sixty-two patients with primary IgA nephropathy were divided into three groups according to tertiles of baseline serum phosphorus (first tertile: 0.73-1.04 mmol/L; second tertile: 1.04-1.21 mmol/L; third tertile: 1.21-1.60 mmol/L). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration. The composite outcome was defined as a decrease of at least 50% in eGFR from baseline or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The association of serum phosphorus with IgA nephropathy progression was estimated using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: During a median 16 month follow-up period, 15 patients reached a composite outcome. In the crude Cox proportional hazard model, baseline serum phosphorus as a continuous variable was associated with increased risk for adverse renal outcomes [hazard ratio (HR) = 63.510, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.953-1020.284, P = 0.003], and the high tertile of serum phosphorus group had an increased risk of the composite outcome by using the low tertile group as the reference (HR = 11.895, 95% CI = 1.522-92.993, P = 0.018). After adjustment for traditional risk factors, the high tertile of serum phosphorus group was significantly related to IgA nephropathy progression compared with the low tertile group (HR = 9.424, 95% CI = 1.019-87.165, P = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Relatively higher serum phosphorus levels within the normal range were significantly associated with the progression of IgA nephropathy.

Clinicopathological Characteristics and Outcomes of Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy with Different Types of Dyslipidemia: A Retrospective Single-Center Study.

INTRODUCTION: Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is one of the most common glomerulonephritic diseases in the world. Several lines of evidence have suggested that dyslipidemia is related to the disease progression and prognosis of IgAN. However, the study is scarce on the clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of IgAN with dyslipidemia. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed 234 patients with biopsy-proven idiopathic IgAN at the Department of Nephrology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, between January 2015 and June 2021. The participants were divided into dyslipidemia (n = 119) and non-dyslipidemia (n = 115), and the dyslipidemia group was also divided into the following 4 groups: hypertriglyceridemia group, hypercholesterolemia group, mixed hyperlipidemia group, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol group. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation. RESULTS: The prevalence of dyslipidemia in IgAN patients in our center was 50.9% (119/234). The patients with dyslipidemia presented with higher systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP, serum creatinine, uric acid, hemoglobin, proteinuria, and eGFR (p < 0.05). Proportions of males, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease stage 2∼5 were also higher in the dyslipidemia group (p < 0.05). Similarly, the pathological characteristics performed were worse in the dyslipidemia group. Most dyslipidemia patients had a higher percentage of mesangial hypercellularity (M1) and tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis (T1∼2) in the Oxford Classification's scoring system (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that male gender (odds ratio [OR] = 2.397, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.051-5.469, p = 0.038) and proteinuria (OR = 1.000, 95% CI: 1.000-1.001, p = 0.035) were possible risk factors for dyslipidemia. A total of 13 patients (13.8%) in the dyslipidemia group had an endpoint event, of which 6 patients (6.4%) had a ≥50% decrease in eGFR from baseline and 7 patients (7.4%) reached the end-stage renal disease stage. Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showed that patients in the dyslipidemia group had a worse outcome than those in the non-dyslipidemia group (log-rank test, p = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: IgAN patients with dyslipidemia presented more severe clinicopathological characteristics. Male gender and proteinuria are significantly associated with the occurrence of dyslipidemia in IgAN patients. Patients in the dyslipidemia group had a worse prognosis than those in the non-dyslipidemia group, which may be essential for the disease management of IgAN and help identify the high-risk patients.

A Low-Protein, Plant-Dominant Gluten-Free Diet for Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy and Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis.

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy is the most common glomerulonephritis syndrome in the world, yet there is currently no cure. While blood pressure control, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibition, and immunosuppression may slow disease progression, low-protein diets, defined as a daily dietary protein intake of 0.6 to 0.8 g/kg body weight, may also decrease immune complex deposition and disease severity, as evidenced in animal models. The link between secondary immunoglobulin A nephropathy and celiac disease has also led to the rise of gluten-free diets and zinc supplementation as potential lifestyle modifications to help manage common immunoglobulin A nephropathy symptoms such as proteinuria and hematuria. In addition, case reports and prospective studies suggest that patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which manifests as steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome may also benefit from a gluten-free diet. We highlight the example of a gluten-free, plant-dominant low-protein diet (a different type of low-protein diet that addresses both protein quantity and quality) for patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy or focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

Dyslipidemia may be a risk factor for progression in children with IgA nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is often chronically progressive and commonly accompanied by dyslipidemia. However, the intrinsic relationship between dyslipidemia and IgAN remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the impact of different types of dyslipidemia on clinical and pathological characteristics in children with IgAN. METHODS: In our retrospective cohort study from January 2006 to January 2021, 276 children with IgAN were ultimately included in the baseline analysis, and 169 were included in the follow-up analysis. The clinical and pathological features of different types of dyslipidemia and their effect on kidney prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: Children in the dyslipidemia group had more severe clinical characteristics (higher blood urea nitrogen, serum uric acid, and 24-h proteinuria; higher proportion of hypertension; and lower serum albumin and estimated glomerular filtration rate) and pathological changes (higher proportion of Lee grades IV-V and E1, S1, and C2 in MEST-C). Furthermore, the clinical and pathological characteristics were worse in the mixed hyperlipidemia group. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that hypertension, steroid treatment, lower serum albumin, severe proteinuria, and segmental glomerulosclerosis were independent risk factors for dyslipidemia in children with IgAN. The Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the probability of kidney survival in children with dyslipidemia was lower than that in those without dyslipidemia, with a median follow-up of 5.9 years. CONCLUSIONS: Children with IgAN and dyslipidemia, especially mixed hyperlipidemia, are prone to more severe clinical and pathological changes. Our study provides further insight into dyslipidemia as a potential risk factor in children with IgAN. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.

Clinicopathological features and risk factors analysis of IgA nephropathy associated with acute kidney injury: A single-center retrospective study.

The aim of this study is to investigate the distinctive clinicopathological characteristics of acute kidney injury (AKI) in immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy and identify the possible risk factors for AKI in IgA nephropathy. This study was a hospital-based retrospective analysis of clinicopthological data of IgA nephropathy. The study was conducted in the Department of Nephrology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Assam, India from the period from January 2012 to December 2016. A total of 169 patients who met the inclusion or exclusion criteria were included in the study. Patient data (clinical/demographic and laboratory data including renal biopsy) were collected and were analyzed to assess the risk factors for AKI in IgA nephropathy. For the purpose of analyses, the patients were divided into two groups, AKI (n = 28) and non-AKI group (n = 141). Twenty-eight patients out of 169 developed AKI. The prevalence of AKI in IgA nephropathy patients in our center was 16.5% (28/169). Most AKI patients were hypertensive, hyperlipidemic, had pre-existing impaired kidney function, and higher baseline serum creatinine, higher serum uric acid, and proteinuria, with lower serum albumin and hemoglobin (P <0.05). Use of herbal medications was also significantly more common in the AKI group (P <0.003). Pathological features, like crescents (both cellular and fibrocellular) and interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy, were also more severe in the AKI group (P <0.003). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, we found that hypertension, proteinuria, cellular and fibro-cellular crescents, glomerular sclerosis were possible risk factors for AKI. Prevalence of AKI in IgA nephropathy is not as uncommon in north-eastern India as previously thought and knowledge of risk factors for AKI can help in early identification of individuals at risk.

Calcitriol in the treatment of IgA nephropathy with non-nephrotic range proteinuria: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of calcitriol for treating Chinese patients with IgA nephropathy presenting as non-nephrotic range proteinuria, and a comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted using the related randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: We searched for RCTs of calcitriol for the treatment of IgA nephropathy in the CNKI, CBM, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PUBMED, and EMBASE databases. The studies included in our meta-analysis were strictly determined according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. We evaluated the quality of the included studies using the Jadad score sheet and performed the meta-analysis using RevMan software (version 5.30). RESULTS: Our meta-analysis, which included 7 RCTs involving 310 Chinese participants, showed that calcitriol contributed to a decrease in proteinuria standard mean difference (SMD) -1.49, 95% CI (-2.37, -0.62); p = 0.0008). No significant differences were observed in serum creatinine (SMD -0.13, 95% CI (-0.53, 0.27); p = 0.52), serum calcium (SMD 0.28, 95% CI (-0.08, 0.65); p = 0.13), or serum phosphorus (SMD 0.03, 95% CI (-0.07, 0.14); p = 0.57) levels. All of the adverse reactions mentioned in these studies were mild. CONCLUSION: These data indicated that calcitriol is a promising treatment to reduce proteinuria in Chinese patients with IgA nephropathy presenting as non-nephrotic range proteinuria, and it has only mild side effects.
.

Treatment of IgA nephropathy.

The therapy of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is cause for debate among nephrologists. Since the early 1980s, many therapeutic attempts have been proposed, but most of them did not prove efficacy. The recent KDIGO Clinical Practice Guideline for Glomerulonephritis recommend long-term ACE-I or ARB treatment when proteinuria is more than 1 g/day, with up-titration of the drug. For patients with GFR >50 ml/min and proteinuria persistently higher than 1 g/day, they suggest a 6-month course of corticosteroid therapy. Based on our experience and the results of the literature, we propose a progressive treatment, which takes into account the time the IgAN is recognized and the clinical conditions present at that time. The treatment can be summarize as follows: (1) in patients with macro-microscopic haematuria, in case with proteinuria less than 0.3 g/day, only annual controls; (2) in patients with proteinuria between 0.3 and 0.9 g/day, ACE-I and/or ARB, with titration of the drugs; (3) in patients with proteinuria higher than 1 g/day, in case with the presence of arterial hypertension and GFR up to 30 ml/min, 6 months course of corticosteroids, in addition to ACE-I and/or ARB; (4) in patients with GFR less than 30 ml/min, ACE-I/ARB, dialysis and kidney transplantation; corticosteroids should be in case considered for patients with persistently high or increasing proteinuria; (5) the immunosuppressants (cyclophosphamide and azathioprine) should be reserved for patients with progressive renal insufficiency or with vasculitic lesions on renal biopsy.

Huai Qi Huang ameliorates proteinuria and hematuria in mild IgA nephropathy patients: a prospective randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Huai Qi Huang (HQH) is a compound Chinese herbal medicine that contains Trametes robiniophila murr, wolfberry fruit, and Polygonatum. In the present study, we investigated the effects of HQH on patients with mild immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) through a prospective randomized controlled study. METHODS: Forty-five adults diagnosed with IgAN according to renal pathology, who had hematuria or/and proteinuria (≤ 2 g/day), were randomly assigned to receive HQH or no treatment for 12 weeks. Twenty-four hour urinary protein excretion and hematuria were measured at Weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12. The rate of complete remission of proteinuria and hematuria was evaluated. Any adverse events induced by HQH were also observed during the treatment period. RESULTS: Twenty-four hour urinary protein excretion was significantly reduced by HQH treatment compared with that in the control group at Weeks 8 and 12. A much higher rate of complete remission of proteinuria was observed in the HQH group than in control group at Week 12. HQH administration also obviously reduced the extent of hematuria compared with that in the control group at Week 12. HQH treatment dramatically increased the rate of complete remission of hematuria compared with that in control group at Weeks 8 and 12. No obvious adverse events caused by HQH were observed. CONCLUSION: HQH could be a new conservative therapy for IgAN patients who cannot tolerate steroids and immunosuppressive agents. The relapse rate after discontinuing treatment still needs further investigation.

Omega-3 fatty acids ameliorate proteinuria but not renal function in IgA nephropathy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The effects of ω-3 fatty acids (O3FAs) on renal function and proteinuria in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) are not fully understood. Thus, we conducted an up-to-date meta-analysis of the currently available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to validate the effects of O3FA in IgAN. METHODS: A literature search was performed in PubMed, Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials using an extended search strategy to identify RCTs that assessed the treatment efficacy of O3FA in IgAN. The dose-effect relationships of O3FA on renal function and proteinuria were also determined. RESULTS: Five RCTs with a total of 233 patients were included in our analysis. Our results demonstrated that while O3FA does not have any beneficial effects in preserving renal function in IgAN, proteinuria was significantly reduced. Furthermore, patients who received a high dose of O3FA (>3 g/day) did not differ from those who received a low dose of O3FA (≤3 g/day) in renal function or proteinuria. CONCLUSION: The currently available evidence suggests that O3FA has no benefit in preserving renal function, but can ameliorate proteinuria in IgAN. However, the effects of O3FA on proteinuria are not dose dependent.

Desprendimiento de retina seroso con lupus fijo discoides y nefropatía por inmunoglobulina A / Serous retinal detachment in a patient with discoid fixed lupus and nephropathy by immunoglobulin A

El desprendimiento seroso de retina produce disminución de la agudeza visual debido al paso de fluido procedente de la coroides hacia el espacio subretiniano. Esta enfermedad tiene varias causas, entre las que se encuentran las idiopáticas, congénitas, posquirúrgicas, secundarias e uveítis infecciosas, autoinmune, vascular, hematológicas y neoplásicas.Objetivo: describir el caso inusual de un paciente joven con desprendimiento seroso de retina asociado a lupus fijo discoide y nefropatía por inmunoglobulina A con respuesta satisfactoria al uso de esteroides.Caso clínico: se presenta un paciente masculino de 18 años de edad que acudió a consulta de retina del centro oftalmológico del Hospital Universitario Manuel Ascunce Domenech, por disminución súbita de la agudeza visual en ambos ojos con diagnóstico inicial de coroidopatia serosa central, que posteriormente evolucionó hacia desprendimientos serosos bilaterales con afectación de todo el polo posterior. Por sus antecedentes se interconsultó con el especialista en dermatología y nefrología, donde se decidió iniciar tratamiento con esteroides a altas dosis, vitaminoterapia endovenosa, así como antiinflamatorios y midriáticos ciclopléjicos tópicos con respuesta excelente a la terapia (AU)

Serous retinal detachment causes visual acuity decrease due to the passage of fluid from the choroid into the subretinal space. This disease has several causes including idiopathic, congenital, postoperative, and secondary to infectious uveitis, autoimmune, vascular, hematological and neoplastic ones.Objective: to describe an unusual case of a young patient with serous retinal detachment associated with discoid fixed lupus and nephropathy by immunoglobulin A with satisfactory response to steroids use.Clinical case: a male patient of 18 years old was presented in the retina office of the Ophthalmological Center at the University Hospital Manuel Ascunce Domenech with sudden decrease of visual acuity in both eyes with an initial diagnosis of serous central choroidopathy, which later progressed into bilateral serous detachments with entire posterior pole involvement. By his antecedents, a specialty consultation in dermatology and nephrology was carried out, deciding to initiate treatment with high-dose steroids, intravenous vitamin therapy, and anti-inflammatory and topical cycloplegic mydriatic with excellent response to therapy (AU)

Desprendimiento de retina seroso con lupus fijo discoides y nefropatía por inmunoglobulina A / Serous retinal detachment in a patient with discoid fixed lupus and nephropathy by immunoglobulin A

El desprendimiento seroso de retina produce disminución de la agudeza visual debido al paso de fluido procedente de la coroides hacia el espacio subretiniano. Esta enfermedad tiene varias causas, entre las que se encuentran las idiopáticas, congénitas, posquirúrgicas, secundarias e uveítis infecciosas, autoinmune, vascular, hematológicas y neoplásicas.Objetivo: describir el caso inusual de un paciente joven con desprendimiento seroso de retina asociado a lupus fijo discoide y nefropatía por inmunoglobulina A con respuesta satisfactoria al uso de esteroides.Caso clínico: se presenta un paciente masculino de 18 años de edad que acudió a consulta de retina del centro oftalmológico del Hospital Universitario Manuel Ascunce Domenech, por disminución súbita de la agudeza visual en ambos ojos con diagnóstico inicial de coroidopatia serosa central, que posteriormente evolucionó hacia desprendimientos serosos bilaterales con afectación de todo el polo posterior. Por sus antecedentes se interconsultó con el especialista en dermatología y nefrología, donde se decidió iniciar tratamiento con esteroides a altas dosis, vitaminoterapia endovenosa, así como antiinflamatorios y midriáticos ciclopléjicos tópicos con respuesta excelente a la terapia

Serous retinal detachment causes visual acuity decrease due to the passage of fluid from the choroid into the subretinal space. This disease has several causes including idiopathic, congenital, postoperative, and secondary to infectious uveitis, autoimmune, vascular, hematological and neoplastic ones.Objective: to describe an unusual case of a young patient with serous retinal detachment associated with discoid fixed lupus and nephropathy by immunoglobulin A with satisfactory response to steroids use.Clinical case: a male patient of 18 years old was presented in the retina office of the Ophthalmological Center at the University Hospital Manuel Ascunce Domenech with sudden decrease of visual acuity in both eyes with an initial diagnosis of serous central choroidopathy, which later progressed into bilateral serous detachments with entire posterior pole involvement. By his antecedents, a specialty consultation in dermatology and nephrology was carried out, deciding to initiate treatment with high-dose steroids, intravenous vitamin therapy, and anti-inflammatory and topical cycloplegic mydriatic with excellent response to therapy

[Distribution features of Chinese medicine syndrome types in IgA nephropathy patients complicated with hypertension and analysis of its correlated factors].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the distribution features of Chinese medicine syndrome types in immunoglobin A (IgA) nephropathy patients complicated with hypertension and its correlation with main prognostic indicators of hypertension classification and chronic kidney disease (CKD) staging, thus providing the diagnostic standards of Chinese medicine syndrome types and reliance for accurate syndrome differentiated medication. METHODS: By on-the-spot survey, the Chinese medicine syndrome and laboratory testing data of 154 IgA nephropathy patients complicated with hypertension confirmed by the pathology of kidneys were collected to analyze the distribution of Chinese medicine syndrome types, its correlation with hypertension classification and CKD staging. RESULTS: Asthenia was the most common syndrome in the 154 patients (146 cases, 94.81%), covering Pi-Shen deficiency syndrome (58, 37.66%), Shen qi-yin deficiency syndrome (48, 31.17%), and Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome (40, 25.97%). Of them, asthenia accompanied by asthenia was seen in 80 cases (54.79%) and pure asthenia in 8 cases (5.2%). Shen qi-yin deficiency syndrome and Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome were mostly seen in hypertension III, while Pi-Shen deficiency syndrome was mostly seen in hypertension I. Pi-Shen deficiency syndrome was mostly seen in CKD stage 4, Shen qi-yin deficiency syndrome mostly seen in CKD stage 1-2, and Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome mainly distributed in CKD stage 1-3. No obvious correlation was seen between Chinese medicine syndrome types and 24-h urine protein quantitation. CONCLUSIONS: Pi-Shen deficiency syndrome, Shen qi-yin deficiency syndrome, and Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome were main Chinese medicine syndrome types in IgA nephropathy patients complicated with hypertension. Asthenia accompanied by asthenia was mostly seen. Pi-Shen deficiency syndrome was mostly seen in hypertension I. Shen qi-yin deficiency syndrome and Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome were mostly seen in hypertension III, Shen qi-yin deficiency syndrome mostly seen in CKD stage 1-2, and Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome mainly distributed in CKD stage 1-3. Pi-Shen deficiency syndrome was mostly seen in CKD stage 4 patients.

[Treatment of IgA nephropathy with chronic renal failure]. / Il trattamento della nefropatia a depositi di IgA con insufficienza renale cronica.

INTRODUCTION: About 25-50% of patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) progress toward end-stage renal disease (ESRD) within 25 years. Negative prognostic factors are hypertension, proteinuria >1 g/day, high values of plasma creatinine, and the extension of chronic histological lesions. METHODS AND RESULTS: Only a few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of treatment in IgAN patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and most of these had methodological flaws. However, some studies produced interesting results. Alexopoulos and Donadio found that the progression of IgAN slowed down with the use of omega-3 fatty acids; Woo and Nakao used angiotensin inhibitors to obtain the same result, while Ballardie used immunosuppressors. Evidence of treatment efficacy in chronic histological lesions is almost completely lacking. Yoshikawa found that a two-year course of corticosteroids and azathioprine could arrest the progression of glomerular sclerosis, and Shoji obtained similar results using corticosteroids alone for one year. In 2007 we presented the results of a study that compared corticosteroids alone vs corticosteroids and azathioprine in 253 IgAN patients. In all patients, including 46 with serum creatinine >2 mg/dL, both therapy schemes appeared effective in slowing the progression towards ESRD, even if patients in the azathioprine group experienced more side effects. CONCLUSIONS: At the moment, Italian nephrologists preferably use ACE inhibitors alone or associated with corticosteroids in patients with IgAN and CRF. Recently, the Renal Immunopathology Group of the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN) proposed a therapeutic study that would compare steroids and ACE inhibitors in patients with IgAN and CRF in order to provide more certain therapeutic indications.

Treatment of recurrent chest pain in a heart transplant recipient using spinal cord stimulation.

A patient presented with chest pain refractory to conventional medical therapy eight years after heart and renal transplantation. High-dose opioids provided limited relief and repeated hospitalisation was required. Angiography demonstrated severe cardiac allograft vasculopathy, unsuitable for percutaneous or surgical intervention. Reports of sympathetic re-innervation of the transplanted heart encouraged us to undertake a trial of spinal cord stimulation. This was successful so we proceeded to permanent implantation. The patient was weaned from opioids and after six months had needed no further hospital admissions. We recommend consideration of spinal cord stimulation in patients with features of angina pectoris following heart transplantation.

[Efficacy of hirudin in treating immunoglobulin A nephropathy with hematuria: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the curative effects and side effects of hirudin in treating immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) with hematuria and minimal proteinuria in a short-term. METHODS: Two hundred and sixty-two histologically confirmed cases of IgAN with hematuria and minimal proteinuria from 1998 to 2007 were randomly divided into hirudin-treated group (peroral administration of Maixuekang capsules) and dipyridamole-treated group (peroral administration of dipyridamole). In the two groups, contrast analysis of conformation and counts of erythrocytes in urine, urine protein quantitation in 24 hours, levels of serum creatinine (Scr) and creatinine clearance rate (Ccr), blood lipid, five items of blood clotting and side effects was performed. RESULTS: After six-month treatment, the anisotrophy rate and the counts of erythrocytes in urine, and the urine protein quantitation in 24 hours in hirudin-treated group were decreased distinctly as compared with pre-treatment (P<0.01) and dipyridamole-treated group (P<0.05). On the other hand, Ccr was increased obviously in hirudin-treated group as compared with pre-treatment and dipyridamole-treated group (P<0.01). The blood lipid was also ameliorated in hirudin-treated group, but there was no significant difference. The anticoagulation effect of hirudin was better than dipyridamole (P<0.01). Efficacy assessment showed that the total response rate, complete remission rate and predominance remission rate in hirudin-treated group were higher than those in dipyridamole-treated group. Few side effects were found in both groups, and the rate of adverse reaction in gastrointestinal tract was lower in hirudin-treated group as compared with that in dipyridamole-treated group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with dipyridamole, hirudin has superiority in kidney protection and decreasing the anisotrophy rate, counts of erythrocytes in urine and the urine protein.

Ichthyosiform mycosis fungoides: report of a case associated with IgA nephropathy.

We report a case of ichthyosiform mycosis fungoides (MF) associated with IgA nephropathy. Histological examination showed a dense atypical lymphocytic infiltrate admixed with epithelioid cells and giant cells in the dermis associated with the features of epidermotropism and folliculotropism. Reported cases of ichthyosiform MF are reviewed and histopathological characters of ichthyosiform MF are summarized. We suggest a histiocyte/dendritic-cell-rich infiltrate, or granulomatous features of infiltrate may be another characteristic of ichthyosiform MF. This case was associated with IgA nephropathy, which is uncommon. Such a presentation has never been reported in the literature.

Treatment of severe IgA nephropathy with omega-3 fatty acids: the effect of a "very low dose" regimen.

BACKGROUND: The effect of a "very low dose" of purified omega-3 fatty acids (PFA) in the progression of severe IgA nephropathy (IgAN) was tested, in a randomized, prospective, controlled trial. METHODS: Fourteen patients were assigned to receive a "very low dose" of PFA (0.85 g EPA and 0.57 g PHA) and 14 patients were treated symptomatically and used as controls. Both groups were similar in terms of serum creatinine (Scr) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at baseline. Patients were treated for 4 years. The primary end-points were an increase of 50% or more in Scr or a decrease of 50% or more in GFR at the end of the study. RESULTS: During treatment, 1 patient (7%) in the PFA group and 6 (43%) in the control group had an increase of 50% or more in their Scr (p<0.01). Also, 1 patient (7%) in the PFA group and 7 (50%) in the control group had a decrease of 50% or more in GFR (p<0.007). The mean annual change in Scr was 0.2 mg/dL in the PFA group and 1.0 mg/dL in the control group (p<0.01). The mean annual change in GFR was -1.4 mL/min in the PFA group and -3.0 mL/min in the control group (p <0.001). One patient in the PFA group (7%) and 6 patients in the control group (43%) (p<0.01) developed end-stage renal disease during the period of observation. CONCLUSIONS: A "very low dose" of PFA is also effective in slowing renal progression in high-risk patients with IgAN and particularly those with advanced renal disease.