Minimizing early catheter failure using a risk stratification model for peritoneal dialysis.

BACKGROUND: Early catheter failure is the main reason for peritoneal dialysis (PD) failure, which often causes patients to withdraw from PD. Reducing the early catheter failure is critical to increase the acceptance of PD. The purpose of our study was to establish a risk stratification model to minimize early catheter failure. METHODS: A retrospective study with patients underwent PD catheter placement from January 2013 to March 2022 was conducted. The primary outcome event was early catheter failure. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression were performed to select potential risk predictors. A risk stratification model and a clinical procedure were established. The effectiveness of the model was evaluated by external validation. RESULTS: A total of 432 patients were finally enrolled in the study. The risk for early catheter failure was associated with younger age (odds ratio [OR], 0.930; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.884 to 0.972; p = 0.002), lower body mass index (BMI) (OR, 0.797; 95% CI, 0.629 to 0.964; p = 0.036), and lower albumin (ALB) levels (OR, 0.881; 95% CI, 0.782 to 0.985; p = 0.036). The risk stratification model was established and performed great discrimination capability with AUC of 0.832 (cut-off value: 0.061, sensitivity: 0.853, specificity: 0.812). The model proved to be effective in external validation; the rate of early catheter failure was dropped off from 4.1% to 0%. CONCLUSIONS: We established an effective risk stratification model, by which patients with high risk of early catheter failure could be precisely identified. The clinical procedure based on the model was proved to be helpful to minimize early catheter failure.

Advances in detecting fruit aroma compounds by combining chromatography and spectrometry.

Fruit aroma is produced by volatile compounds, which can significantly enhance fruit flavor. These compounds are highly complex and have remarkable pharmacological effects. The synthesis, concentration, type, and quantity of fruit aroma substances are affected by various factors, both abiotic and biotic. To fully understand the aroma substances of various fruits and their influencing factors, detection technology can be used. Many methods exist for detecting aroma compounds, and approaches combining multiple instruments are widely used. This review describes and compares each detection technology and discusses the potential use of combined technologies to provide a comprehensive understanding of fruit aroma compounds and the factors influencing their synthesis. These results can inform the development and utilization of fruit aroma substances. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Clinicopathological features of renal amyloidosis: a single-center study on 47 cases.

The correlations between the clinicopathological features and the long-term outcomes of renal amyloidosis (RA) were analyzed with a view to develop strategies for improving diagnosis and prognosis of RA. We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathological characteristics of 47 patients diagnosed with RA between 2004 and 2014 at the Wuhan Union Hospital. The data on the renal histology, clinical manifestations, and prognosis of RA patients were retrieved from the hospital records and characteristic patterns were identified. The histological changes in the kidneys were correlated with the clinical manifestations of RA. Additionally, most RA patients in this study had decreased serum levels of κ light chain and increased urine levels of κ and λ light chains as well as presence of M-protein in the urine and serum. Patients with early RA showed no specific pathognomonic symptoms. Bleeding associated with diagnostic renal biopsy was rare. We recommend that the routine work-up of patients aged over 40 years and presenting with non-diabetic nephropathy includes the non-invasive tests for the measurement of serum and urine levels of κ and λ light chains as well as protein electrophoresis tests for the presence of urinary and serum M-protein. Additionally, such patients should undergo renal biopsy screening with Cong-red staining to ensure early diagnosis of RA and improve their survival, since the risk of hemorrhage related to renal biopsy screening is low at early stages of RA.

Therapeutic effect of alprostadil in diabetic nephropathy: possible roles of angiopoietin-2 and IL-18.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate the role of angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and IL-18 in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and the molecular mechanisms through which alprostadil protects renal function. METHODS: DN was induced by streptozotocin and intraperitoneal injection of alprostadil was given to diabetic mice. After 2, 4 and 8 weeks of alprostadil treatment, the mRNA and protein expression of kidney Ang-2 and IL-18 were detected by reverse transcription PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analyses. Mouse glomerular endothelial cells (GEnCs) were cultured in high glucose and treated with alprostadil. After transfection with an Ang-2-pcDNA and Ang-2-siRNA, both Ang-2 and IL-18 expression were measured by Western blot analyses. RESULTS: Alprostadil treatment caused a significant decrease in the renal damage parameters. Both Ang-2 and IL-18 were significantly increased in DN mice and in GEnCs cultured in high glucose; however, their expression was greatly reduced by alprostadil treatment. Ang-2 could also increase IL-18 expression in cultured endothelial cells under high glucose, and this response was partially blocked by Ang-2 siRNA. CONCLUSIONS: Ang-2 and IL-18 may be associated with the development and progression of DN in mice. Alprostadil treatment can protect renal function by reducing proteinuria. These effects are mediated, at least in part, through down-regulation of Ang-2 and IL-18 expression.

Apolipoprotein e mutation and double filtration plasmapheresis therapy on a new Chinese patient with lipoprotein glomerulopathy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Lipoprotein glomerulopathy (LPG) is a rare hereditary disease. In this study, we investigated the apoE mutation and the role of double filtration plasmapheresis therapy (DFPP) on a new Chinese patient with LPG. METHODS: Renal biopsy was performed on this patient to allow a definitive diagnosis. The mutations in the coding sequence of apoE and the hereditary pedigree of this patient were investigated by DNA sequencing. The patient was treated with DFPP, and clinical parameters before and after DFPP were compared. RESULTS: Two missense mutations were found in this patient: Cys112Arg and Arg25Cys. Arg25Cys was previously designated as APOE Kyoto. Family genotyping showed that Cys112Arg and Arg25Cys mutation were transmitted through his father and his mother, respectively. The patient's parents are healthy so far to date. Possibly there was a dose effect on apoE mutation induced LPG. Furthermore, DFPP treatment was first used on this patient and led to dramatic changes: Proteinuria and apo E values declined, and hemoglobin level increased significantly. CONCLUSION: APOE Kyoto mutation was found in a new Chinese patient with LPG, accompanied by Cys112Arg. More cases and further functional experiments are needed to investigate the role of these two mutations together in LPG. DFPP is an effective therapeutic modality for improving NS in patients with LPG.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Triplax ainonia Lewis, 1877 (Coleoptera: Erotylidae).

The beetle Triplax ainonia Lewis, 1877 is a serious pest of cultivated the mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus in China. The complete mitochondrial genome of this species was reported for the first time in this study. The mitogenome was 17,555 bp in length and had a base composition of 39.4% A, 36.1% T, 8.7% G and 15.3% C, which indicated that the base composition was AT-biased. Similar to other species of Coleoptera, the mitogenome of T. ainonia contained 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA unit genes, and a large noncoding region. Phylogenetic analysis based on mitogenomes suggested that the family Erotylidae was a monophyletic group.

New taxonomic status of the Pseudotachycines procerus guizhouensis Zhu & Shi, 2022 (Rhaphidophoridae: Aemodogryllinae: Aemodogryllini).

The genus Pseudotachycines belongs to the tribe Aemodogryllini of the subfamily Aemodogryllinae. In the present paper, we examined the morphological features of male and female adults of the subspecies P. procerus guizhouensis, and suggested that this subspecies should be treated as a separate species. We redescribed the male of P. guizhouensis in detail. The morphological information and some related photographs of the female of this species were provided for the first time in this study. The morphological differentiation between P. guizhouensis and P. procerus was discussed.

Description of five new species of the subgenus Tachycines (Gymnaeta) (Rhaphidophoridae: Aemodogryllinae: Aemodogryllini) from caves in Guizhou, China.

The genus Tachycines contains two subgenera: T. (Tachycines) and T. (Gymnaeta), and the species of this genus occur mainly in Southeast and East Asia, including Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam, India, and China. Many species of the subgenus Tachycines (Gymnaeta) are cavernicolous. In this study, five new cave species of this subgenus, namely Tachycines (Gymnaeta) lingulatus sp. nov., Tachycines (Gymnaeta) multispinus sp. nov., Tachycines (Gymnaeta) microtuberculatus sp. nov., Tachycines (Gymnaeta) ovalius sp. nov., and Tachycines (Gymnaeta) conicus sp. nov., from Guizhou Province, China are identified and described. Morphological information of males and females of the five new species are provided.

The first case of lipoprotein glomerulopathy complicated with collagen type III glomerulopathy and literature review.

Lipoprotein glomerulopathy (LPG) is a rare autosomal dominant kidney disease caused by pathogenic mutations in the APOE gene. Collagen type III glomerulopathy (CG) is a sporadic condition in adults characterized by abnormal accumulation of type III collagen in the subendothelial space and mesangium of the glomerulus. We report the first case of both LPG and CG in a 21-year-old male. A search of the literature found no confirmed reports of these two concomitant nephropathies. The patient presented with hypertension, proteinuria, hematuria and hyperlipidemia. Renal pathology showed lipid vacuoles in the enlarged glomerular capillary loops and type III collagen in the segmental mesangial area and on the inner side of the glomerular basement membrane by electron microscopy. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a heterozygous mutation (c.127C>T; p. Arg43Cys) in exon 3 of the APOE gene, known as the APOE-Kyoto of LPG. In addition, two heterozygous COL4A4 mutations (c.4715C>T in exon 47 and c.5065 T>C in exon 48) were observed, the first one was suspected pathogenic and the other one was uncertain significant. There is no special treatment for these diseases. The patient was treated with lipid-lowering agents, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibition and tripterygium glycosides. The patient received double-filtration plasmapheresis and immunoadsorption therapy when renal function deteriorated dramatically. Immunoadsorption was beneficial for this patient.

A new species of the genus Megatachycines (Rhaphidophoridae: Aemodogryllinae: Aemodogryllini) from Guizhou, China.

Zhu et al. (2022) proposed the genus Megatachycines based on the description of a new species and the reviewed genus Microtachycines. In this study, a new species of Megatachycines, namely Megatachycines rectangularis sp. nov., from Guizhou Province, China is described. This new species is similar to Megatachycines elongatus, and the morphological differentiation between the two species is discussed. Morphological information including diagnosis of the new species, description of male genitalia, and some related photographs of males and females are provided.

Pathogenic Role of MicroRNA Dysregulation in Podocytopathies.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in the regulation of various important biological processes by regulating the expression of various genes at the post-transcriptional level. Podocytopathies are a series of renal diseases in which direct or indirect damage of podocytes results in proteinuria or nephrotic syndrome. Despite decades of research, the exact pathogenesis of podocytopathies remains incompletely understood and effective therapies are still lacking. An increasing body of evidence has revealed a critical role of miRNAs dysregulation in the onset and progression of podocytopathies. Moreover, several lines of research aimed at improving common podocytopathies diagnostic tools and avoiding invasive kidney biopsies have also identified circulating and urine miRNAs as possible diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for podocytopathies. The present review mainly aims to provide an updated overview of the recent achievements in research on the potential applicability of miRNAs involved in renal disorders related to podocyte dysfunction by laying particular emphasis on focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), minimal change disease (MCD), membranous nephropathy (MN), diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Further investigation into these dysregulated miRNAs will not only generate novel insights into the mechanisms of podocytopathies, but also might yield novel strategies for the diagnosis and therapy of this disease.

Description of a new species of the subgenus Tachycines (Tachycines) (Rhaphidophoridae: Aemodogryllinae: Aemodogryllini) from Guizhou, China.

In this study, we identify and describe a new species of the subgenus Tachycines (Tachycines), namely Tachycines (Tachycines) nigrocorporis sp. nov., which was collected from Guizhou Province, China, bringing the species number of this subgenus to twenty-two. The morphological differentiation between this new species and other species of Tachycines (Tachycines) is discussed. The morphological photographs of the new species are provided.

Natural product therapies in chronic kidney diseases: An update.

Chronic kidney disease is one of the major worldwide public health problems. Traditional Chinese medications have been widely used for chronic kidney disease treatment. As the development of modern phytochemistry technology, natural products have been isolated from traditional Chinese medications, which provide a more precise method for the investigation of traditional Chinese medications. In this article, we selected eight natural products from traditional Chinese medications for chronic kidney disease therapy to summarize the recent advances for the development of new medications.

Variation of serum monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in patients with diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

This study investigated the variation of serum monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in patients with both diabetes mellitus (DM) and metabolic syndrome (MS). Based on the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) diagnostic criteria, 93 patients enrolled in this study were divided into four groups: normal control (NC), simple DM, simple MS, and DM plus MS (DM-MS) groups. The main measures included height, weight, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), serum triglyceride (TG), HDL-ch, LDL-ch, and MCP-1. The results showed that the serum levels of MCP-1 in the DM-MS group were significantly increased as compared with those in the DM and MS groups (P<0.05), and the increase in the MCP-1 level in the DM group was much higher than in the MS group (P<0.05). The DM-MS group had the highest HOMA-IR levels, followed by MS, DM and NC groups (P<0.05). Correlation tests showed that the association of MCP-1 with age, HDL-ch, or LDL-ch was insignificant, whereas that of MCP-1 with body mass index (BMI), waist hip rate (WHR), WC, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), TG, and HOMA-IR was significantly positive. It was concluded that circulating MCP-1 was substantially increased in patients with both DM and MS as compared with that in the patients with DM or MS alone, and the central obese state may contribute to a more vicious proinflammatory condition and insulin resistance in patients with diabetes.

Biomarkers for detecting and improving AKI after liver transplantation: From diagnosis to treatment.

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is a well-established treatment for patients with liver failure. The shortage of donor organs and postoperative complications remain major obstacles for improving patient survival. Among these complications, acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most frequent types, contributing to graft loss. The timely detection and reversal of AKI can reduce its adverse influences on graft and patient outcomes. Traditional markers for detecting AKI are often limited with regard to their accuracy and specificity, and the discovery of better AKI markers and therapeutic targets assumes great importance. During past decades, studies directed toward early detection and treatment of AKI in OLT have been available. This review summarizes the evidence of these biomarkers for the prediction, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis stratification of AKI associated with OLT.

A new cave species of the genus Gymnaetoides (Rhaphidophoridae: Aemodogryllinae: Aemodogryllini) from Guizhou, China.

In this study, a new species of the genus Gymnaetoides Qin, Liu Li, 2017, namely Gymnaetoides polaoensis sp. nov., from a karst cave in Guizhou Province, China is described. This new species is the first cave-dwelling species belonging to the genus Gymnaetoides. The morphological photographs of the males of this new cave species are provided.

Three new cave species of the subgenus Tachycines (Gymnaeta) (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae: Aemodogryllinae) from northern Guizhou, China.

Some species of the subgenus Tachycines (Gymnaeta) are cavernicolous. In this paper, three new species of this subgenus, namely Tachycines (Gymnaeta) zaoshu sp. nov., Tachycines (Gymnaeta) shuangcha sp. nov., and Tachycines (Gymnaeta) tongrenus sp. nov., from karst caves in Guizhou Province, China are described. The results of this study expand our knowledge of the geographical distribution of the cave species of the subgenus Tachycines (Gymnaeta) in China. The morphological photographs of the three new cave species are provided.

A new species of the subgenus Tachycines (Tachycines) (Othoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) from Guizhou, China.

Adelung (1902) erected the genus Tachycines with Tachycines asynamorus as the type species. In this paper, a new species of the genus Tachycines, subgenus Tachycines, namely Tachycines (Tachycines) huaxi sp. nov., from Guizhou, China is described. This new species is similar to Tachycines (Tachycines) asynamorus. The morphological differentiation between the two species is discussed.

A new species of the subgenus Tachycines (Gymnaeta) (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) from karst caves of southern Guizhou, China.

Some species of the subgenus Tachycines (Gymnaeta) inhabit caves. In this study, a new species of, Gymnaeta namely Tachycines (Gymnaeta) lalinus sp. nov., from two karst caves in Guizhou Province, China is described. This new species resembles the cave species Tachycines (Gymnaeta) zorzini from Guizhou Province, but can be separated from the latter by morphological characters of the male genitalia, the number of spines on hind tibiae, and coloration.

Sexual pair-formation in a cicada mediated by acoustic behaviour of females and positive phonotaxis of males.

The functions of female song found in a few cicadas have rarely been studied. In the cicada Subpsaltria yangi we investigated the acoustic behaviour and signal structure of songs produced by females, the phonotaxis of males, and mate choice, as well as the selective pressure imposed on this species by predators. Pair-formation in S. yangi occurs when males signal, females respond, then males move to signaling females, which is opposite to that in most other cicadas where females move to calling males. Females only mate once and are sexually unreceptive after copulation. Most males mate once, but ~25% mate multiply. Females display little direct evidence of mate preference or choice of males, and all mate encounters led to a successful mating. Only males are attacked by a robber fly, Philonicus albiceps, while flying to females. This imposes strong selection on males - only males who can evade predators mate. Males are also attracted to human simulations of female calls. This behaviour exposes the mating system to impacts from anthropogenic noise systems which could disrupt mating activity of this species. Our results improve the understanding of mate choice/competition in cicadas, and are valuable for future studies of the evolution of sound communication in the Cicadoidea.