Deep learning imaging features derived from kidney ultrasounds predict chronic kidney disease progression in children with posterior urethral valves.

BACKGROUND: We sought to use deep learning to extract anatomic features from postnatal kidney ultrasounds and evaluate their performance in predicting the risk and timing of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression for boys with posterior urethral valves (PUV). We hypothesized that these features would predict CKD progression better than clinical characteristics such as nadir creatinine alone. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of boys with PUV treated at two pediatric health systems from 1990 to 2021. Features of kidneys were extracted from initial postnatal kidney ultrasound images using a deep learning model. Three time-to-event prediction models were built using random survival forests. The Imaging Model included deep learning imaging features, the Clinical Model included clinical data, and the Ensemble Model combined imaging features and clinical data. Separate models were built to include time-dependent clinical data that were available at 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years. RESULTS: Two-hundred and twenty-five patients were included in the analysis. All models performed well with C-indices of 0.7 or greater. The Clinical Model outperformed the Imaging Model at all time points with nadir creatinine driving the performance of the Clinical Model. Combining the 6-month Imaging Model (C-index 0.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.6, 0.79) with the 6-month Clinical Model (C-index 0.79; 95% CI 0.71, 0.86) resulted in a 6-month Ensemble Model that performed better (C-index 0.82; 95% CI 0.77, 0.88) than either model alone. CONCLUSIONS: Deep learning imaging features extracted from initial postnatal kidney ultrasounds may improve early prediction of CKD progression among children with PUV. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.

End Point Considerations for Clinical Trials in Enteric Hyperoxaluria.

Enteric hyperoxaluria is a medical condition characterized by elevated urinary oxalate excretion due to increased gastrointestinal oxalate absorption. Causative features include fat malabsorption and/or increased intestinal permeability to oxalate. Enteric hyperoxaluria has long been known to cause nephrolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis, and, more recently, an association with CKD and kidney failure has been shown. Currently, there are no US Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies for enteric hyperoxaluria, and it is unclear what end points should be used to evaluate the efficacy of new drugs and biologics for this condition. This study represents work of a multidisciplinary group convened by the Kidney Health Initiative to review the evidence supporting potential end points for clinical trials in enteric hyperoxaluria. A potential clinical outcome is symptomatic kidney stone events. Potential surrogate end points include ( 1 ) an irreversible loss of kidney function as a surrogate for progression to kidney failure, ( 2 ) asymptomatic kidney stone growth/new stone formation observed on imaging as a surrogate for symptomatic kidney stone events, ( 3 ) urinary oxalate and urinary calcium oxalate supersaturation as surrogates for the development of symptomatic kidney stone events, and ( 4) plasma oxalate as a surrogate for the development of the clinical manifestations of systemic oxalosis. Unfortunately, because of gaps in the data, this Kidney Health Initiative workgroup was unable to provide definitive recommendations. Work is underway to obtain robust information that can be used to inform trial design and medical product development in this space.

Pathophysiology and Treatment of Enteric Hyperoxaluria.

Enteric hyperoxaluria is a distinct entity that can occur as a result of a diverse set of gastrointestinal disorders that promote fat malabsorption. This, in turn, leads to excess absorption of dietary oxalate and increased urinary oxalate excretion. Hyperoxaluria increases the risk of kidney stones and, in more severe cases, CKD and even kidney failure. The prevalence of enteric hyperoxaluria has increased over recent decades, largely because of the increased use of malabsorptive bariatric surgical procedures for medically complicated obesity. This systematic review of enteric hyperoxaluria was completed as part of a Kidney Health Initiative-sponsored project to describe enteric hyperoxaluria pathophysiology, causes, outcomes, and therapies. Current therapeutic options are limited to correcting the underlying gastrointestinal disorder, intensive dietary modifications, and use of calcium salts to bind oxalate in the gut. Evidence for the effect of these treatments on clinically significant outcomes, including kidney stone events or CKD, is currently lacking. Thus, further research is needed to better define the precise factors that influence risk of adverse outcomes, the long-term efficacy of available treatment strategies, and to develop new therapeutic approaches.

The new epidemiology of nephrolithiasis.

Historically nephrolithiasis was considered a disease of dehydration and abnormal urine composition. However, over the past several decades, much has been learned about the epidemiology of this disease and its relation to patient demographic characteristics and common systemic diseases. Here we review the latest epidemiologic studies in the field.