An open-label, randomized, placebo-controlled study on the effectiveness of a novel probiotics administration protocol (ProbiotiCKD) in patients with mild renal insufficiency (stage 3a of CKD).

PURPOSE: Gut dysbiosis has been described in advanced, but not in initial stages of CKD. Considering the relevant impact of gut dysbiosis on renal and cardiovascular risk, its diagnosis and treatment are clinically relevant. METHODS: We designed, open-label, placebo-controlled intervention study (ProbiotiCKD) to evaluate gut microbiota metabolism in a cohort of KDIGO CKD patients (n = 28) at baseline and after a randomly assigned treatment with probiotics or placebo. Gut microbiota status was evaluated on:. RESULTS: Basal mean fecal Lactobacillales and Bifidobacteria concentrations were abnormally low in both groups, while urinary indican and 3-MI levels were, indicating a mixed (fermentative and putrefactive) dysbiosis. After treatment, mean fecal Lactobacillales and Bifidobacteria concentrations were increased, only in the probiotics group (p < 0.001). Conversely, mean urinary indican and 3-MI levels only in the group treated with probiotics (p < 0.001). Compared to placebo group, significant improvements of C-reactive protein (p < 0.001), iron (p < 0.001), ferritin (p < 0.001), transferrin saturation (p < 0.001), ß2-microglobulin (p < 0.001), serum iPTH and serum calcium were observed only in the probiotics group. CONCLUSIONS: ProbiotiCKD is the first intervention study demonstrating that an intestinal mixed dysbiosis is present even in early CKD stage and can be effectively corrected by the novel mode of administration of high-quality probiotics with improvement of inflammatory indices, iron status and iPTH stabilization.

Successful Use of Aliskiren in a Case of IgA- Mesangial Glomerulonephritis Unresponsive to Conventional Therapies.

INTRODUCTION: The early suspension of Altitude trial in recent years has induced most nephrologists and cardiologists to abandon Aliskiren use. Consequently, the potential usefulness of the direct renin inhibition in IgA glomerulonephritis remained an under-investigated therapeutic option. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 53 years old IgA GMN patient unresponsive to all conventional anti-angiotensin-2 agents, steroids and immunosuppressants, in which the administration of Aliskiren permitted to achieve and maintain a complete proteinuria remission in the absence of any adverse event. CONCLUSION: Aliskiren might represent a valid and safe therapeutic option in IgA GMN, although further investigations would be needed to confirm this conclusion.

Correction to: An open-label, randomized, placebo-controlled study on the effectiveness of a novel probiotics administration protocol (ProbiotiCKD) in patients with mild renal insufficiency (stage 3a of CKD).

In the original publication of the article, few of the authors were missed in the author group.

[Drug-induced liver injury]. / Il danno epatico da farmaci.

Drug-induced liver injury represents the principal cause of acute liver failure and orthotopic liver transplantation in western country. A very large number of different drugs and medicinal herbs has been associated with liver injury but just for few of them we know the process that causes liver disease. All the people which ingest a large number of drugs present a risk of developing liver injury. Diagnosis is very difficult because a specific biomarker of damage is absent and the clinical picture is common to other liver diseases. A therapeutic approach is efficacy only in few cases. When a drug-induced liver injury is suspected, cessation of the drug is the first step in their management.