Humoral and cellular response to SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Hemodialysis (HD) patients have an increased risk of acquiring infections due to many health care contacts and may, in addition, have a suboptimal response to vaccination and a high mortality from Covid-19 infection. METHODS: In 50 HD patients (mean age 69.4 years, 62% men) administration of SARS-CoV-2BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine began in Dec 2020 and the immune response was evaluated 7-15 weeks after the last dose. Levels of Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) IgG antibody against the nucleocapsid antigen (anti-N) and the Spike antigen (anti-S) and T-cell reactivity testing against the Spike protein using ELISPOT technology were evaluated. RESULTS: Out of 50 patients, anti-S IgG antibodies indicating a vaccine effect or previous Covid-19 infection, were detected in 37 (74%), 5 (10%) had a borderline response and 8 (16%) were negative after two doses of vaccine. T-cell responses were detected in 29 (58%). Of the 37 patients with anti-S antibodies, 25 (68%) had a measurable T-cell response. 2 (40%) out of 5 patients with borderline anti-S and 2 (25%) without anti-S had a concomitant T-cell response. Twenty-seven (54%) had both an antibody and T-cell response. IgG antibodies to anti-N indicating a previous Covid-19 disease were detected in 7 (14%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Most HD patients develop a B- and/or T-cell response after vaccination against Covid-19 but approx. 20% had a limited immunological response. T-cell reactivity against Covid-19 was only present in a few of the anti-S antibody negative patients.

Health-related quality of life across all stages of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: A limited number of studies have assessed health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Results to date have been conflicting and studies have generally focused on patients with later stages of the disease. This study aimed to assess HRQoL in ADPKD across all stages of the disease, from patients with early chronic kidney disease (CKD) to patients with end-stage renal disease. METHODS: A study involving cross-sectional patient-reported outcomes and retrospective clinical data was undertaken April-December 2014 in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Patients were enrolled into four mutually exclusive stages of the disease: CKD stages 1-3; CKD stages 4-5; transplant recipients; and dialysis patients. RESULTS: Overall HRQoL was generally highest in patients with CKD stages 1-3, followed by transplant recipients, patients with CKD stages 4-5 and patients on dialysis. Progressive disease predominately had an impact on physical health, whereas mental health showed less variation between stages of the disease. A substantial loss in quality of life was observed as patients progressed to CKD stages 4-5. CONCLUSIONS: Later stages of ADPKD are associated with reduced physical health. The value of early treatment interventions that can delay progression of the disease should be considered.

Real-world costs of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease in the Nordics.

BACKGROUND: There is limited real-world data on the economic burden of patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The objective of this study was to estimate the annual direct and indirect costs of patients with ADPKD by severity of the disease: chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 1-3; CKD stages 4-5; transplant recipients; and maintenance dialysis patients. METHODS: A retrospective study of ADPKD patients was undertaken April-December 2014 in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Data on medical resource utilisation were extracted from medical charts and patients were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 266 patients were contacted, 243 (91%) of whom provided consent to participate in the study. Results showed that the economic burden of ADPKD was substantial at all levels of the disease. Lost wages due to reduced productivity were large in absolute terms across all disease strata. Mean total annual costs were highest in dialysis patients, driven by maintenance dialysis care, while the use of immunosuppressants was the main cost component for transplant care. Costs were twice as high in patients with CKD stages 4-5 compared to CKD stages 1-3. CONCLUSIONS: Costs associated with ADPKD are significant and the progression of the disease is associated with an increased frequency and intensity of medical resource utilisation. Interventions that can slow the progression of the disease have the potential to lead to substantial reductions in costs for the treatment of ADPKD.

[The KDIGO guideline on blood pressure management in chronic kidney disease is based on weak evidence]. / Vi ifrågasätter blodtrycksmål vid diagnosen kronisk njursjukdom.

The recently published Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guideline on blood pressure (BP) management in chronic kidney disease (CKD) recommends a target systolic BP of <120 mm Hg in all adults with hypertension and CKD. This recommendation is controversial. It is based on weak evidence derived primarily from CKD subgroup analysis of a single randomized controlled trial. The Swedish Society of Nephrology recommends a BP target of <140/90 mm Hg in all patients and, provided that the treatment is well tolerated, a BP target of <130/80 mm Hg is recommended in most patients with CKD.

A third dose SARS­CoV­2 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine results in improved immune response in hemodialysis patients.

Background: The hemodialysis (HD) population has been a vulnerable group during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Advanced chronic kidney disease with uremia is associated with weaker immune response to infections and an attenuated response to vaccines. The aim of this study was to study the humoral and cellular response to the second and third doses of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS­CoV­2) BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in HD patients and to follow the response over time. Methods: The patients received their first two vaccine doses from 28 December 2020 within a 4-week interval and the third dose in September 2021 and were followed-up for humoral and cellular immune response at 1) 7-15 weeks and 2) 6-8 months after dose two (no t-cell reactivity measured), and 3) 3 weeks and 4) 3 months after dose three. Fifty patients were initially enrolled, and 40 patients were followed during the entire study. Levels of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) IgG antibody against the Spike antigen (anti-S) and T-cell reactivity testing against the Spike protein using Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSpot (ELISPOT) technology were evaluated. Results: IgG antibodies to anti-S were detected in 35 (88%) of the 40 patients 7-15 weeks after vaccine dose two, 31 (78%) were positive, and 4 (10%) borderline. The median anti-S titer was 606 Abbott Units/milliliter (AU/mL) (interquartile range [IQR] 134-1,712). Three months after the third dose, anti-S was detected in 38 (95%) of 40 patients (P < 0.01 compared to after dose two), and the median anti-S titer was 9,910 AU/mL (IQR 2,325-26,975). Cellular reactivity was detected in 22 (55%), 34 (85%), and 28 (71%) of the 40 patients, and the median T-cell response was 9.5 (IQR 3.5-80), 51.5 (14.8-132), and 19.5 (8.8-54.2) units, respectively, for 6-8 months after dose two, 3 weeks, and 3 months after dose three. Conclusions: Our data show that a third dose of SARS­CoV­2 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine gives a robust and improved immunological response in HD patients, but a few patients did not develop any anti-S response during the entire study, indicating the importance to monitor the vaccine response since those who do not respond could now be given monoclonal antibodies if they contract a COVID-19 infection or in the future antivirals.

Brain natriuretic peptide reflects individual variation in hydration status in hemodialysis patients.

INTRODUCTION: Fluid management in hemodialysis patients is a controversial topic. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is secreted from the heart in response to volume overload, and may be a marker of overhydration in hemodialysis patients. Our aim was to investigate the correlation between BNP and overhydration in a cohort of hemodialysis patients, and to find out whether BNP and overhydration correlate in repeated measurements within individuals with elevated BNP. METHODS: The study was prospective, observational, and had a cross-sectional part and a longitudinal follow-up. The distribution of BNP was investigated in a cohort of 64 hemodialysis patients. Blood samples and bioimpedance spectroscopy measurements were performed before midweek dialysis. Subsequently, 11 study participants with elevated BNP concentrations (>500 pg/mL) were assessed in another nine dialysis sessions each. These individuals also had their cardiac function and heart rate variability (HRV) examined. FINDINGS: BNP was above 500 pg/mL in 38% of the participants, and correlated positively with overhydration (rs = 0.381), inflammation and malnutrition, but not with systolic blood pressure. In comparison to participants with BNP below 500 pg/mL, participants with elevated BNP were older, had lower muscle strength, lower bodyweight and lower levels of hemoglobin and albumin. Echocardiography revealed cardiac anomalies in all 11 participants in the longitudinal follow-up, and HRV, as measured by SDNN, was pathologically low. In repeated measurements, the between-individuals variation of BNP in relation to overhydration was greater (SD = 0.581) than the within-person variation (SD = 0.285). DISCUSSION: BNP correlates positively to overhydration, malnutrition, and inflammation. In a subgroup of patients with elevated BNP, who are mainly elderly and frail, BNP reflects individual variation in hydration status, and hence seems to be a modifiable marker of overhydration. These data suggest that BNP is best applied for measuring changes in hydration status within an individual over time.

Ischemia-induced renal expression of hyaluronan and CD44 in diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Unilateral renal ischemia during 30 min causes severe, non-reversible renal damage in diabetic (DM) rats, but not in nondiabetic rats. Hyaluronan (HA) is a glycosaminglycan involved in various forms of renal injury. We examined the role of HA and CD44, a major receptor for HA, in the development of postischemic renal injury in DM rats. METHODS: The left renal artery of streptozotocin diabetic Wistar rats was clamped for 30 min. The HA content in the kidneys was measured. A biotinylated HA-binding probe was used to localize HA. Inflammatory cells and other cells expressing CD44 were identified by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In ischemic DM kidneys the renal HA-content started to increase already after 24 h and significantly so after 1-8 weeks after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). The relative water content of the kidneys increased in parallel. HA started to appear in the cortex of ischemic DM kidneys 1 week after I/R. In contrast, the non-DM ischemic kidneys showed no increase of HA and water content after 1-8 weeks after I/R. The tubular cells in the cortex and outer medulla demonstrated increased staining for CD44. In the same compartments the increased numbers of infiltrating inflammatory cells also expressed CD44. CONCLUSION: HA-accumulation in the renal cortex might contribute to the renal damage seen after transient ischemia in DM rats by promoting inflammation through interaction between HA and CD44 expressing inflammatory cells. Furthermore, HA accumulation may contribute to an interstitial renal edema.

Protective effect of insulin on ischemic renal injury in diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: An exceptional susceptibility to unilateral renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury resulting in inflammation, fibrosis, atrophy of the kidney, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has been demonstrated in the diabetic rat. The aim of this study was to examine whether insulin treatment would reduce I/R injury in diabetic kidneys. METHODS: Diabetes mellitus (DM) was induced in male Wistar rats by streptozotocin. I/R was achieved by clamping the left renal artery for 30 minutes. Treatment with long acting insulin was started 7 to 14 days before or one day after I/R. Short acting insulin was administrated 2 to 6 hours before the injury. Apoptosis was evaluated six hours after ischemia with the TUNEL-method. Four weeks after the clamping inulin clearance was measured and kidneys were removed for histopathological evaluation. RESULTS: In DM animals renal I/R caused massive induction of apoptosis in the renal medulla after six hours as well as inflammation, fibrosis, renal atrophy and anuria within four weeks. Treatment with long acting insulin before I/R resulted in decreased cell death and an almost complete protection of both renal function and histomorphology. Treatment with short acting insulin before I/R also decreased the loss of renal function. In contrast, insulin treatment after I/R did not protect the kidney from damage. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that insulin treatment with a subsequent improved metabolic control before renal I/R protected kidneys from ESRD.