The comparison of paricalcitol and calcitriol effects on pulse wave velocity, osteocalcin, and fetuin-A in chronic hemodialysis patients.

INTRODUCTION: Vascular calcification is an intervenable factor in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease. Treatment-related factors might worsen the arterial stiffness in chronic hemodialysis patients. The aim of the study is to compare the effects of 1-year treatment with paricalcitol or calcitriol on pulse wave velocity (PWV), which is an indicator of arterial stiffness and osteocalcin and fetuin-A levels. METHODS: Seventy-six hemodialysis patients who had similar PWV1 at the beginning were evaluated after a 1-year treatment of paricalcitol or calcitriol. PWV2, serum osteocalcin, and fetuin-A levels were measured at the end of the study. RESULTS: At the end of the study, PWV2 of paricalcitol group was statistically lower than the calcitriol group. Osteocalcin levels were statistically lower and fetuin-A levels were statistically higher in the paricalcitol group than the calcitriol group at the end of the study. The number of patients with PWV2 > 7 m/s and using paricalcitol was 16 (39%) but 25 (41%) patients were using calcitriol; the differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term benefits of paricalcitol were superior to the benefits of calcitriol. Paricalcitol has protective effects from vascular calcification in chronic hemodialysis patients.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety levels among patients who have to go to the hospital due to chronic illnesses: A prospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Cancer and hemodialysis (HD) patients are at high risk for COVID-19. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of pandemic on anxiety in these patients. METHODS: One hundred and six oncology and 97 HD patients participated in the study. Anxiety levels were assessed by using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). At the end of 8-month follow-up, these questionnaires were re-administered. RESULTS: During this period, 38 patients (38/203; 18.7%) had COVID-19 infection. Twenty-three patients (23/203; 11.3%) died due to COVID-19 and/or other causes. One hundred and thirteen of the remaining patients were participated in the second questionnaire. Having COVID-19 was not the independent factor for changes in STAI, and BAI scores in any regression models. CONCLUSION: Having COVID-19 does not affect the increased anxiety levels in HD and oncology patients. The effect of the pandemic may have remained in the background, as these patients have more concerns about their own diseases.

Evaluation of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) levels in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

PURPOSE: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common genetic kidney disease and the majority of patients have a PKD-1 or PKD-2 mutation. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) has roles in cellular aging, antioxidant activity, cellular proliferation. In an experimental study, inhibition of SIRT1 was found to delay renal cyst development in ADPKD. The purpose of this study is to determine the SIRT1 levels in ADPKD patients. To our knowledge, this is the first study that investigating blood and urine SIRT1 levels in ADPKD patients. METHODS: Sixty-seven patients with ADPKD and 34 control cases with normal renal functions and without renal cysts were included in this study. Serum and urine SIRT1 concentrations were determined by human enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. 24-h urine samples were used for urine SIRT1 measurements. RESULTS: The urine SIRT1 levels were statistically significantly lower in ADPKD patients group (p < 0.001). Although blood SIRT1 levels of ADPKD patients were higher than control cases but there were no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of blood SIRT1 levels. Urine SIRT1 levels (ß = 2.452, CI 95% 1.419-4.239, p = 0.001) were found an independent factor in multivariate regression analysis for ADPKD. CONCLUSIONS: Urine SIRT1 levels were lower in ADPKD patients than control group. The low urinary SIRT1 levels despite the similar blood SIRT1 levels might be due to the impaired metabolism of SIRT1 in ADPKD patients; this state might has a role in cyst development.

Pregnancy and its outcomes in hemodialysis patients in Turkey.

BACKGROUND/AIM: This study aimed to investigate pregnancy frequency and evaluate the factors affecting live births in hemodialysis (HD) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Female HD patients whose pregnancy was retrospectively reported between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2019. The duration of HD, primary disease, whether the pregnancy resulted in abortion, stillbirth, or live birth, whether the HD duration was prolonged after diagnosing the pregnancy and whether it accompanied preeclampsia were recorded. RESULTS: In this study, we reached 9038 HD female patients? data in the study. A total of 235 pregnancies were detected in 145 patients. The mean age was 35.42 (35 ± 7.4) years. The mean age at first gestation was 30.8 ± 6.5 years. The average birth week was 32 (28 - 36) weeks. 53.8% (no = 78) of the patients had live birth, 51.7% (no = 70) had at least one abortion in the first 20 weeks, and 13.1% (no = 19) had at least one stillbirth after 20 weeks. The rate of patients' increased numbers of dialysis sessions during pregnancy was 71.7%. The abortion rate was 22.4% in those with increased HD sessions, whereas 79.3% in those not increased HD sessions (p < 0.001). Live birth frequency was 67.2% in the increased HD sessions group and 3.4% in those who did not differ in HD sessions (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: For the first time, we reported pregnancy outcomes in HD female patients, covering all regions of Turkey. It has been observed that; increasing the number of HD sessions in dialysis patients will decrease fetal and maternal complications and increase live birth rates.

The relationship of soluble klotho level with uremic cardiomyopathy and ecocardiographic parameters in hemodialysis patients.

There are studies reporting that soluble kltho (sKlotho) deficiency plays a role in cardiovascular disease in addition to traditional risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, anemia, smoking, and excessive volume burden. Our aim in this study was to investigate the relationship of sKlotho with uremic cardiomyopathy and echocardiographic parameters in patients receiving hemodialysis treatment. According to the median value, the sKlotho value was divided into two groups as ≥1.24 and <1.24 ng/ml. Ventricular wall thicknesses, ejection fractions, left atrium, M mode aorta systole, and diastole diameter measurements were taken. The left ventricular mass (LVM) was calculated using the Devereux formula. There were significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, number of patients with diabetes mellitus, comorbidity, dialysis time, sKlotho, phosphorus, parathormone, and albumin parameters. No significant difference was found between the two groups that were separated according to the median sKlotho value, when the echocardiographic parameters of interventricular septum thickness, left ventricular posterior wall thickness, left atrial diameter, left ventricular ejection fraction, and LVM index were compared. In conclusion, sKlotho is not a marker for showing and predicting uremic cardiomyopathy in hemodialysis patients.

The effect of rituximab on encapsulated peritoneal sclerosis in an experimental rat model

Background/aim: Peritoneal sclerosis may be observed in varied manifestations. However, the most serious form is the encapsulated peritoneal sclerosis. We researched the effect of rituximab on peritoneal fibrosis in an experimental rat model. Materials and methods: Twenty-four Wistar Albino rats were divided into 4 equal groups. During weeks 0­3; group I received isotonic saline (IS) solution, group II, group III, and group IV received chlorhexidine gluconate (CG) via intraperitoneal (i.p.) route. In the next 3 weeks nothing adminestred to both group I and group II but IS solution was adminestred to group III via i.p. route and 375 mg/m2/week rituximab was applied intravenously on days 21, 28, and 35 to group IV. Fibrosis, peritoneal thickness, and inflammation were evaluated. Immunohistochemical methods used for the detection of matrix MMP-2, TGF-ß1, and VGEF expressions. Results: The rituximab (group IV) had significantly lower fibrosis and peritoneal thickness scores than the group II and III (P < 0.001). TGF-ß1 and VEGF expressions were significantly lower in the rituximab group than in the group II and III (P < 0.001). Conclusion: We found that rituximab had a significant effect on the peritoneal thickness, total fibrosis, TGF-ß1 and VGEF scores which were induced by CG.

Factors Influencing Hemoglobin Variability and Its Association with Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients.

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the factors influencing hemoglobin variability with inflammatory and nutritional parameters and its associations with all-cause mortality among hemodialysis patients. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-nine patients during the entire 12 months were enrolled into the study. Fasting plasma glucose, creatinine, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone (PTH), C-reactive protein (CRP), serum iron, serum iron-binding capacity, and transferrin saturation were analyzed. We defined six groups: low, target range, high, low-amplitude fluctuation with low hemoglobin levels, low-amplitude fluctuation with high hemoglobin levels, and high-amplitude fluctuation. Body mass index (BMI), malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS), and Charlson Comorbidity Index were evaluated. RESULTS: Hemoglobin variability was significantly correlated with age, platelet count, and number of hospitalization instances and inversely correlated with erythropoietin dose per body surface area. The coefficient of variation of hemoglobin showed a correlation with MIS and ferritin. The absolute level of hemoglobin showed a negative correlation between PTH, CRP, MIS, number of hospitalization instances and a positive correlation with albumin and BMI. High, low, and target-range groups showed survival advantage compared to the other three groups. In regression analysis, age, CRP levels, MIS, and BMI were the predictors of mortality. CONCLUSION: Inflammation and duration of anemia were the major predictors of hemoglobin variability. High-amplitude fluctuation predicts high mortality; on the contrary low-amplitude fluctuations is related to better survival. MIS was independently associated with mortality. This trial is registered with NCT03454906.

Association of ADAMTS4 and ADAMTS9 levels with cardiovascular risk in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

PURPOSE: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) has been associated with increased incidence of morbidity and mortality of the cardiovascular system. The pathogenetic mechanisms underlying this association are still not completely clear. A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin-like motifs (ADAMTS) play a critical role in atherosclerosis. This study aimed to investigate the levels of ADAMTS4 and ADAMTS9 and relationship between these proteoglycanases and cardiometabolic abnormalities in PHPT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study was performed in a training and research hospital. Fifty-six patients with PHPT and 61 healthy volunteers were recruited. The Framingham score was used to calculate cardiovascular risk (CVR). Serum ADAMTS levels were determined by a human enzyme-linked immunoassay in all subjects. RESULTS: The ADAMTS9 concentration was significantly higher in patients with PHPT than in the control group (p < 0.05); however, there were no significant differences in ADAMTS4 levels between the groups (p > 0.05). In ROC curve analysis, PHPT can be predicted by the use of ADAMTS9 at a cut-off value of 30.7 pg/mL (69% sensitivity, 65% specificity). CVR score was significantly increased in the PHPT than controls (p < 0.05). ADAMTS4 and ADAMTS9 levels had positive correlations with CVR score (r = 0.322, p = 0.017; r = 0.275, p = 0.044 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of the present study, cardiovascular risk is increased in PHPT and associated with ADAMTS4 and ADAMTS9. Further efforts are needed to establish the function of ADAMTS proteases in both PHPT and atherosclerosis.

Abatacept as a therapeutic option in the treatment of encapsulated peritoneal sclerosis: an experimental rat model.

PURPOSE: Encapsulated peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a rare complication of long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD) and is usually associated with mortality. Inflammation is a leading factor for developing EPS. This study aimed to investigate the effect of abatacept on peritoneal fibrosis and inflammation using the EPS rat model. METHODS: Twenty-four Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four equal groups. Group I (control group) was administered isotonic saline (IS) via the intraperitoneal (ip) route during weeks 0-3. Chlorhexidine gluconate (CG) ip was administered to group II (CG group) during weeks 0-3. Group III (CG + IS group) received CG for the first 21 days and IS solution for the following 3 weeks. Group IV (abatacept group) received CG during weeks 0-3, and subsequently, 50 mcg/day abatacept during weeks 4-6. Peritoneal thickness, fibrosis, and inflammation were examined using light microscopy. Expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-ß1) were detected by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Lesser peritoneal thickness and lower inflammation score were observed in the abatacept group than in the CG and CG + IS groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the abatacept group had a lower fibrosis score than the CG + IS group (p < 0.05). MMP-2 and TGF-ß1 scores were lower in the abatacept group than in the CG + IS group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that abatacept had a histopathological beneficial effect on peritoneal fibrosis, inflammation, MMP-2, and TGF-ß1 scores, which were induced by CG. Abatacept could be a new therapeutic option for treating EPS.

The impact of parathyroidectomy on serum ADAMTS1, ADAMTS4 levels, insulin resistance, and subclinical cardiovascular disease in primary hyperparathyroidism.

PURPOSE: Primary hyperparathyroidism has been associated with increased incidence of morbidity and mortality of the cardiovascular system. The etiopathogenetic mechanisms underlying this association are still not completely clear. Accumulating evidence suggested that a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin-like motifs (ADAMTS) has a role in the development of inflammation and atherosclerosis. In this study, we aimed to determine whether there is a change in serum levels of ADAMTS1, ADAMTS4, carotid intima-media thickness, and cardiovascular risk score after the surgery and also whether there is a relationship between ADAMTS levels and cardiovascular risk score in hypercalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism patients. METHODS: The study included the 48 consecutive newly diagnosed patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. The patients were evaluated before and six months after parathyroidectomy. The Framingham score is used to calculate cardiovascular risk. Serum ADAMTS levels were determined by a human enzyme-linked immunoassay in all subjects. RESULTS: The fasting glucose, fasting insulin levels and HOMA values were decreased significantly in all patients after surgery compared to the pretreatment values (p < 0.05). ADAMTS1, ADAMTS4, and carotid intima-media thickness levels were significantly lower after surgical correction of primary hyperparathyroidism compared to the preoperative values (p < 0.05). cardiovascular risk score was decreased after parathyroidectomy however, the difference were not statistical significant (p > 0.05). There were statistically significant relationship between cardiovascular risk score and waist/hip ratio, calcium, LDL-cholesterol, carotid intima-media thickness, ADAMTS4 values. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the present study, fasting glucose, fasting insulin levels, ADAMTS1, ADAMTS4, and carotid intima-media thickness might be an additional parameters during the management of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, since these factors might improve after surgery.

Diagnostic value of the JAK2 V617F mutation for latent chronic myeloproliferative disorders in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome and/or portal vein thrombosis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The diagnosis of an underlying myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) is often problematic in patients with Budd Chiari syndrome (BCS) or portal vein thrombosis (PVT). This study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of the JAK2 gene V617F gain-of-function mutation for MPN in splanchnic vein thrombosis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred eleven patients (80 with PVT, 27 with BCS, and 4 with BCS and PVT) were investigated. The control group included 56 volunteers without any known diseases. LightCycler SNP genotyping was performed to detect the JAK2 V617F mutation in DNA extracted from peripheral blood. RESULTS: The JAK2 V617F mutation was identified in six of 28 patients (21.4%) with idiopathic PVT or BCS and in eight of 45 patients (17.8%) with PVT or BCS secondary to a known prothrombotic factor, but in only one of 38 patients (2.6%) with PVT and cirrhosis (p=0.049). CONCLUSION: The JAK2 V617F mutation is a noninvasive molecular marker for occult MPNs and can be used for the diagnosis of latent MPNs presenting with thrombotic events. Analysis of JAK2 mutation in the patients with idiopathic PVT or BCS showed that 20% had latent MPNs. In addition to this JAK2 mutation, prothrombotic events were observed in a significant number of patients with splanchnic vein thrombosis. JAK2 gene analysis should be included in the research panel for BCS and PVT patients without cirrhosis.

TLR2 and TLR4 gene expression levels and associated factors during acute attack and attack-free periods in familial Mediterranean fever.

The purpose of this clinical study was to determine if the expression of the TLR2 and/or TLR4 genes is involved in triggering the auto-inflammatory attacks in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Thirty patients with FMF and 20 healthy control subjects were recruited. Comparisons were made in TLR2 and TLR4 gene expression levels during FMF attack episodes and attack-free periods, as well as with baseline levels in healthy control subjects. There was no significant difference in TLR2 and TLR4 gene expression between the attacks and attack-free periods in the entire group of FMF patients. However, among female patients, expression level of TLR4 gene was significantly higher during the attack than in the attack-free period (TLR2 Log 2.04 ± 0.14 vs. 2.52 ± 0.10, respectively, P = 0.02). There was not a significant difference between FMF patients and healthy subjects. The patients who had higher levels of TLR2 expression during the acute attack experienced their first attacks at an earlier age (r = -0.571; P = 0.001). The frequency of attacks, acute-phase response, MEFV mutations, and colchicine response were not associated with TLR2 and TLR4 levels. We conclude that changes in the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 genes do not appear to be involved in triggering FMF attacks. A higher level of TLR2 expression during acute attack may be related to the early onset of the disease. Further studies using specific cell populations such as neutrophils, monocytes, and dendritic cells may be useful to explore any changes in the sensitivity of toll-like receptors to their agonists, such as lipopolysaccharides, in the onset of attacks.

Hypothyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis with scintigraphic and color flow doppler sonography features mimicking a hot nodule.

We report a 59-year-old woman who had Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) with hypothyroidism. A solid hypervascularized nodule in the right lobe was detected by color flow doppler sonography (CFDS). Thyroid (99m)Tc pertechnetate scintigraphy revealed a hot area in the right lobe. After three months, thyroid function tests also revealed hypothyroidism and (131)I scintigraphy was similar to the previous scintigraphy. No nodular or hypervascularized lesion in the right lobe could be identified at the sixth month of L-T4 substitution therapy. In conclusion, HT may present as a single hot nodule and hypothyroidism. Imaging findings of HT should be carefully evaluated for the precise diagnosis.