Rationale and design of the Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network (NEPTUNE) Match in glomerular diseases: designing the right trial for the right patient, today.

Glomerular diseases are classified using a descriptive taxonomy that is not reflective of the heterogeneous underlying molecular drivers. This limits not only diagnostic and therapeutic patient management, but also impacts clinical trials evaluating targeted interventions. The Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network (NEPTUNE) is poised to address these challenges. The study has enrolled >850 pediatric and adult patients with proteinuric glomerular diseases who have contributed to deep clinical, histologic, genetic, and molecular profiles linked to long-term outcomes. The NEPTUNE Knowledge Network, comprising combined, multiscalar data sets, captures each participant's molecular disease processes at the time of kidney biopsy. In this editorial, we describe the design and implementation of NEPTUNE Match, which bridges a basic science discovery pipeline with targeted clinical trials. Noninvasive biomarkers have been developed for real-time pathway analyses. A Molecular Nephrology Board reviews the pathway maps together with clinical, laboratory, and histopathologic data assembled for each patient to compile a Match report that estimates the fit between the specific molecular disease pathway(s) identified in an individual patient and proposed clinical trials. The NEPTUNE Match report is communicated using established protocols to the patient and the attending nephrologist for use in their selection of available clinical trials. NEPTUNE Match represents the first application of precision medicine in nephrology with the aim of developing targeted therapies and providing the right medication for each patient with primary glomerular disease.

Pediatric contributions and lessons learned from the NEPTUNE cohort study.

Primary glomerular diseases are rare entities. This has hampered efforts to better understand the underlying pathobiology and to develop novel safe and effective therapies. NEPTUNE is a rare disease network that is focused on patients of all ages with minimal change disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, and membranous nephropathy. It is a longitudinal cohort study that collects detailed demographic, clinical, histopathologic, genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic data. The goal is to develop a molecular classification for these disorders that supersedes the traditional pathological features-based schema. Pediatric patients are important contributors to this ongoing project. In this review, we provide a snapshot of the children and adolescents enrolled in NEPTUNE and summarize some key observations that have been made based on the data accumulated during the study. In addition, we describe the development of NEPTUNE Match, a program that aims to leverage the multi-scalar information gathered for each individual patient to provide guidance about potential clinical trial participation based on the molecular characterization and non-invasive biomarker profile. This represents the first organized effort to apply principles of precision medicine to the treatment of patients with primary glomerular disease. NEPTUNE has proven to be an invaluable asset in the study of glomerular diseases in patients of all ages including children and adolescents.

Developing an Edema Clinician-Reported Outcome Measure for Nephrotic Syndrome.

Introduction: Edema is a common manifestation of proteinuric kidney diseases, but there is no consensus approach for reliably evaluating edema. The objective of this study was to develop an edema clinician-reported outcome measure for use in patients with nephrotic syndrome. Methods: A literature review was conducted to assess existing clinician-rated measures of edema. Clinical experts were recruited from internal medicine, nephrology, and pediatric nephrology practices to participate in concept elicitation using semi-structured interviews and cognitive debriefing. Qualitative analysis methods were used to collate expert input and inform measurement development. In addition, training and assessment modules were developed using an iterative process that also utilized expert input and cognitive debriefing to ensure interrater reliability. Results: While several clinician-rated measures of edema have been proposed, our literature review did not identify any studies to support the reliability or validity of these measures. Fourteen clinician experts participated in the concept elicitation interviews, and twelve participated in cognitive debriefing. A clinician-reported outcome measure for edema was developed. The measure assesses edema severity in multiple individual body parts. An online training module and assessment tool were generated and refined using additional clinician input and investigative team expertise. Conclusion: The Edema ClinRO (V1) measure is developed specifically to measure edema in nephrotic syndrome. The tool assesses edema across multiple body parts, and it includes a training module to ensure standardized administration across raters. Future examination of this measure is ongoing to establish its reliability and validity.

The Health Economic Impact of Nephrotic Syndrome in the United States.

Background: Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is a rare kidney syndrome with high morbidity. Although a common contributor to the burden of chronic kidney disease, the direct and indirect costs of NS to patients and family caregivers are unrecognized. The objective was to characterize the direct and indirect costs of NS to patients. Methods: Adults with NS and family caregivers of children with NS were eligible to participate if they had a diagnosis of primary NS, had disease for at least 1 year, and had no other severe health conditions. Data-collection surveys were generated with input from the Kidney Research Network Patient Advisory Board, and surveys were mailed to the eligible participants. Participants were provided $50 for the return of completed surveys. Costs were defined as either direct out-of-pocket costs or indirect costs (e.g., time). Descriptive statistics, including percentage and median (interquartile range [IQR]) are reported. Results: Respondents included 28 adult patients and 17 caregivers of patients who were minors. Reported health insurance coverage included 35 (78%) with private insurance, 12 (27%) with public insurance, six (13%) with Children's Special Health Care Services, and one (2%) uninsured. Median annual direct costs were $3464 ($844-$5865) for adult patients and $1687 (IQR $1035-$4763) for caregivers. Of these costs, diet-associated costs contributed $1140 (IQR $600-$2400). The most substantial indirect cost was from the time spent planning/prepping meals (adults: 183 h/yr [IQR 114-331]; caregivers: 173 h/yr [IQR 84-205]). Conclusions: Adults and caregivers of children with NS face substantial disease-related direct and indirect costs beyond those covered by insurance. Following replication, the study will help health care providers, systems, and payers gain a better understanding of the financial and time burden incurred by those living with NS, consider barriers when treating patients, and develop supportive strategies.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Focal Segmental Glomerular Sclerosis and Minimal Change Disease: A Qualitative Study of Children and Adults to Inform Patient-Reported Outcomes.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Assessment of how patients feel and function is needed for clinical care and research for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and minimal change disease (MCD). The objective of this study was to develop a patient-reported outcome assessment appropriate for use in children and adults with FSGS and MCD. STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 48 semi-structured interviews with children aged 8 to 17 years (n = 11) and adults (n = 10) with FSGS and children aged 8 to 17 (n = 11) and adults (n = 16) with MCD recruited from 3 academic medical centers. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Latent content analysis. RESULTS: FSGS and MCD have a pervasive and comparable impact on physical, social, and mental health-related quality of life regardless of age or diagnosis. Physical symptoms of swelling, fatigue, and pain were articulated by most participants. Disease management was also a frequent topic of discussion; participants described their experiences with medication and associated side effects, as well as lifestyle changes made to manage their disease (ie, dietary changes and frequent medical appointments). These discussions often identified a profound impact on physical abilities and life participation. In many instances, participants described the negative impact these symptoms had on their mood and sense of self, with most participants reporting feelings of anxiety. LIMITATIONS: Participants were primarily non-Hispanic White and English speaking, which may limit generalizability. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that there are commonalities to the FSGS-MCD patient experience of health-related quality of life that will enable the generation of a disease-specific FSGS-MCD patient-reported outcomes instrument for use in children and adults. The development of this tool is intended to facilitate better care and support clinical research for these individuals.

The Development and Use of an EHR-Linked Database for Glomerular Disease Research and Quality Initiatives.

Background and Objective: The use of electronic health record (EHR) data can facilitate efficient research and quality initiatives. The imprecision of ICD-10 codes for kidney diagnoses has been an obstacle to discrete data-defined diagnoses in the EHR. This manuscript describes the Kidney Research Network (KRN) registry and database that provide an example of a prospective, real-world data glomerular disease registry for research and quality initiatives. Methods: KRN is a multicenter collaboration of patients, physicians, and scientists across diverse health-care settings with a focus on improving treatment options and outcomes for patients with glomerular disease. The registry and data warehouse amasses retrospective and prospective data including EHR, active research study, completed clinical trials, patient reported outcomes, and other relevant data. Following consent, participating sites enter the patient into KRN and provide a physician-confirmed primary kidney diagnosis. Kidney biopsy reports are redacted and uploaded. Site programmers extract local EHR data including demographics, insurance type, zip code, diagnoses, encounters, laboratories, procedures, medications, dialysis/transplant status, vitals, and vital status monthly. Participating sites transform data to conform to a common data model prior to submitting to the Data Analysis and Coordinating Center (DACC). The DACC stores and reviews each site's EHR data for quality before loading into the KRN database. Results: As of January 2021, 1,192 patients have enrolled in the registry. The database has been utilized for research, clinical trial design, clinical trial end point validation, and supported quality initiatives. The data also support a dashboard allowing enrolling sites to assist with clinical trial enrollment and population health initiatives. Conclusion: A multicenter registry using EHR data, following physician- and biopsy-confirmed glomerular disease diagnosis, can be established and used effectively for research and quality initiatives. This design provides an example which may be readily replicated for other rare or common disease endeavors.

Association between Psychiatric Disorders and Glomerular Disease.

Introduction: Patients with chronic health conditions, particularly chronic kidney disease, are at heightened risk for psychiatric disorders; yet, there are limited data on those with primary glomerular disease. Methods: This study included patients with glomerular disease enrolled in the kidney research network multisite patient registry. Registry data include encounter, diagnoses, medication, laboratory, and vital signs data extracted from participants' electronic health records. ICD-9/10 diagnosis codes were used to identify a subset of psychiatric disorders focused on anxiety, mood, and behavioral disorders. Time-varying Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze time from the onset of kidney disease to diagnosis of psychiatric disorder. Adjusted models retained significant covariates from the full list of potential confounders, including age, sex, race, ethnicity, time-varying treatment, the estimated glomerular filtration rate, and proteinuria (urine protein-to-creatinine ratio [UPCR]). Analogous models examined diagnosis of psychiatric disorder as a predictor of time to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Results: Data were available for 950 participants, with a median of 58 months of follow-up. 110 (12%) participants were diagnosed with psychiatric disorder during the follow-up. The estimated rate of psychiatric diagnosis after kidney disease was 14.7 cases per 1,000 person-years and was highest among those of adolescent age at the time of kidney disease diagnosis. Adjusted analyses found adolescent age (vs. adult, hazard ratio [HR] = 3.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.87-5.17) and Asian race (vs. white, HR = 0.34, 95% CI 0.16-0.71) were associated with psychiatric diagnosis. A higher UPCR per 1 log unit (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01-1.27) and a higher total number of oral medications were associated with psychiatric disorder (p < 0.001). Psychiatric diagnosis was also associated with progression to ESKD (HR = 2.45, 95% CI 1.53-3.92) in adjusted models. Discussion/Conclusion: Psychiatric disorders were documented in approximately one-eighth of patients with glomerular disease and correlated with clinical disease characteristics such as age, race, proteinuria, and oral medication burden. These findings suggest mental health screening is warranted in patients of all ages with glomerular disease.

Validating a Computable Phenotype for Nephrotic Syndrome in Children and Adults Using PCORnet Data.

Background: Primary nephrotic syndromes are rare diseases which can impede adequate sample size for observational patient-oriented research and clinical trial enrollment. A computable phenotype may be powerful in identifying patients with these diseases for research across multiple institutions. Methods: A comprehensive algorithm of inclusion and exclusion ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes to identify patients with primary nephrotic syndrome was developed. The algorithm was executed against the PCORnet CDM at three institutions from January 1, 2009 to January 1, 2018, where a random selection of 50 cases and 50 noncases (individuals not meeting case criteria seen within the same calendar year and within 5 years of age of a case) were reviewed by a nephrologist, for a total of 150 cases and 150 noncases reviewed. The classification accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, F1 score) of the computable phenotype was determined. Results: The algorithm identified a total of 2708 patients with nephrotic syndrome from 4,305,092 distinct patients in the CDM at all sites from 2009 to 2018. For all sites, the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve of the algorithm were 99% (95% CI, 97% to 99%), 79% (95% CI, 74% to 85%), and 0.9 (0.84 to 0.97), respectively. The most common causes of false positive classification were secondary FSGS (nine out of 39) and lupus nephritis (nine out of 39). Conclusion: This computable phenotype had good classification in identifying both children and adults with primary nephrotic syndrome utilizing only ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, which are available across institutions in the United States. This may facilitate future screening and enrollment for research studies and enable comparative effectiveness research. Further refinements to the algorithm including use of laboratory data or addition of natural language processing may help better distinguish primary and secondary causes of nephrotic syndrome.

Establishing core outcome domains in pediatric kidney disease: report of the Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology-Children and Adolescents (SONG-KIDS) consensus workshops.

Trials in children with chronic kidney disease do not consistently report outcomes that are critically important to patients and caregivers. This can diminish the relevance and reliability of evidence for decision making, limiting the implementation of results into practice and policy. As part of the Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology-Children and Adolescents (SONG-Kids) initiative, we convened 2 consensus workshops in San Diego, California (7 patients, 24 caregivers, 43 health professionals) and Melbourne, Australia (7 patients, 23 caregivers, 49 health professionals). This report summarizes the discussions on the identification and implementation of the SONG-Kids core outcomes set. Four themes were identified; survival and life participation are common high priority goals, capturing the whole child and family, ensuring broad relevance across the patient journey, and requiring feasible and valid measures. Stakeholders supported the inclusion of mortality, infection, life participation, and kidney function as the core outcomes domains for children with chronic kidney disease.

Steroid-Associated Side Effects in Patients With Primary Proteinuric Kidney Disease.

INTRODUCTION: The goal of this study was to assess the occurrence of steroid-associated adverse events (SAAE) in patients with primary proteinuric kidney disease. METHODS: The Kidney Research Network Registry consists of children and adults with primary proteinuric kidney disease. SAAEs of interest were hypertension, hyperglycemia and diabetes, overweight and obesity, short stature, ophthalmologic complications, bone disorders, infections, and psychosis. Events were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision/Tenth Revision codes, blood pressures, growth parameters, laboratory values, and medications. Poisson generalized estimating equations tested the association between steroid onset and dose on SAAE risk. RESULTS: A total of 884 participants were included in the analysis; 534 (60%) were treated with steroids. Of these, 62% had at least one SAAE. The frequency of any SAAE after initiation of steroids was 293 per 1000 person-years. The most common SAAEs were hypertension (173.7 per 1000 person-years), diabetes (78.7 per 1000 person-years), obesity (66.8 per 1000 person-years), and infections (46.1 per 1000 person-years). After adjustment for demographics, duration of kidney disease, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), proteinuria, and other therapies, steroid exposure was associated with a 40% increase in risk of any SAAE (Relative risk [RR]: 1.4; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3-1.6). A 1-mg/kg per day increase in steroid dose was associated with a 2.5-fold increase in risk of any SAAE. CONCLUSION: Most patients with primary proteinuric kidney disease treated with steroids experienced at least one SAAE. Steroid therapy increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, weight gain, short stature, fractures, and infections after adjusting for disease-related factors. This study highlights the importance of surveillance and management of SAAE and provides rationale for the development of steroid minimization protocols.

NephCure Accelerating Cures Institute: A Multidisciplinary Consortium to Improve Care for Nephrotic Syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: NephCure Accelerating Cures Institute (NACI) is a collaborative organization sponsored by NephCure Kidney International and the University of Michigan. The Institute is composed of 7 cores designed to improve treatment options and outcomes for patients with glomerular disease: Clinical Trials Network, Data Warehouse, Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO) and Endpoints Consortium, Clinical Trials Consulting Team, Quality Initiatives, Education and Engagement, and Data Coordinating Center. METHODS: The Trials Network includes 22 community- and hospital-based nephrology practices, 14 of which are trial-only sites. Eight sites participate in the NACI Registry, and as of October 2017, 1054 patients are enrolled with diagnoses including but not limited to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, minimal change disease, membranous nephropathy, IgA nephropathy, and childhood-onset nephrotic syndrome. By using electronic health record data extraction, robust and efficient clinical data are captured while minimizing the burden to site-based network staff. RESULTS: The Data Warehouse includes her-extracted data from registry patients, PRO development data, and data from completed observational studies and clinical trials. The Clinical Trial Consulting Team provides support for trial design in rare diseases leveraging these data. The PRO and Endpoints Consortium develops shorter-term endpoints while capturing the patient-reported significance of interventions under study. The Quality Initiatives and Education/Engagement cores elevate the level of care for patients. The Data Coordinating Center manages the analysis and operations of the Institute. CONCLUSION: By engaging with patients, academia, industry, and patient advocate community representatives, including our Patient Advisory Board, NACI strives for better outcomes and treatments using evidence-based support for clinical trial design.