Unveiling renal pathology's potential: exploring a rare subtype of amyloid - apolipoprotein CII amyloidosis in the youngest patient: a case report and literature review.

In this clinical case report, we present a rare subtype of amyloidosis, apolipoprotein CII (apo CII), which was diagnosed through a renal biopsy and subsequently confirmed by identifying the p.K41T mutation via germline DNA sequencing. Upon reviewing the literature, five patients exhibiting identical mutation were identified via renal biopsy, while an additional patient was diagnosed through biopsies of the fat pad and bone marrow. Notably, our patient is the youngest recorded case. We pioneered the application of immunofluorescence and immunogold electron microscopy techniques for apo CII evaluation. Our report provides a detailed description of this case, supplemented by an extensive review encompassing apo CII, documented instances of apo CII amyloidosis with renal or systemic involvement, and potential underlying mechanisms.

Associations Between Albuminuria and Mortality Among US Adults by Demographic and Comorbidity Factors.

Background Albuminuria is a known marker of mortality risk. Whether the association between albuminuria and mortality differs by demographic and comorbidity factors remains unclear. Therefore, we sought to determine whether albuminuria is differentially associated with mortality. Methods and Results This study included 49 640 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2018). All-cause mortality through 2019 was linked from the National Death Index. Multivariable-adjusted Poisson regression models were used to determine whether levels of urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) were associated with mortality. Models were adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and clinical factors. Mean age in the population was 46 years, with 51.3% female, and 30.3% with an ACR ≥10 mg/g. Over a median follow-up of 9.5 years, 6813 deaths occurred. Compared with ACR <10, ACR ≥300 was associated with increased risk of mortality by 132% overall (95% CI, 2.01-2.68), 124% among men (95% CI, 1.84-2.73), 158% among women (95% CI, 2.14-3.11), 130% among non-Hispanic White adults (95% CI: 1.89-2.79), 135% among non-Hispanic Black adults (95% CI, 1.82-3.04), and 114% among Hispanic adults (95% CI, 1.55-2.94). Compared with ACR <10, ACR ≥300 was associated with increased risk of mortality by 148% among individuals with neither hypertension nor hypercholesterolemia (95% CI, 1.69-3.64), 128% among individuals with hypertension alone (95% CI, 1.86-2.79), and 166% among individuals with both hypertension and hypercholesterolemia (95% CI, 2.18-3.26). Conclusions We found strong associations between albuminuria and mortality risk, even at mildly increased levels of albuminuria. Associations persisted across categories of sex, race or ethnicity, and comorbid conditions, with subtle differences.

Novel Therapies for Alport Syndrome.

Alport syndrome (AS) is a hereditary kidney disease associated with proteinuria, hematuria and progressive kidney failure. It is characterized by a defective glomerular basement membrane caused by mutations in type IV collagen genes COL4A3/A4/A5 which result in defective type IV collagen α3, α4, or α5 chains, respectively. Alport syndrome has three different patterns of inheritance: X-linked, autosomal and digenic. In a study of CKD of unknown etiology type IV collagen gene mutations accounted for the majority of the cases of hereditary glomerulopathies which suggests that AS is often underrecognized. The natural history and prognosis in patients with AS is variable and is determined by genetics and environmental factors. At present, no preventive or curative therapies exist for AS. Current treatment includes the use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors which slow progression of kidney disease and prolong life expectancy. Ramipril was found in retrospective studies to delay the onset of ESKD and was recently demonstrated to be safe and effective in children and adolescents, supporting that early initiation of Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System (RAAS) blockade is very important. Mineralocorticoid receptor blockers might be favorable for patients who develop "aldosterone breakthrough." While the DAPA-CKD trial suggests a beneficial effect of SGLT2 inhibitors in CKD of non-metabolic origin, only a handful of patients had Alport in this cohort, and therefore conclusions can't be extrapolated for the treatment of AS with SGLT2 inhibitors. Advances in our understanding on the pathogenesis of Alport syndrome has culminated in the development of innovative therapeutic approaches that are currently under investigation. We will provide a brief overview of novel therapeutic targets to prevent progression of kidney disease in AS. Our review will include bardoxolone methyl, an oral NRf2 activator; lademirsen, an anti-miRNA-21 molecule; sparsentan, dual endothelin type A receptor (ETAR) and angiotensin 1 receptor inhibitor; atrasentan, oral selective ETAR inhibitor; lipid-modifying agents, including cholesterol efflux transporter ATP-binding cassette A1 (ABCA1) inducers, discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) inhibitors and osteopontin blocking agents; the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine; the antiglycemic drug metformin and the active vitamin D analog paricalcitol. Future genomic therapeutic strategies such as chaperone therapy, genome editing and stem cell therapy will also be discussed.

Identification of glomerular and podocyte-specific genes and pathways activated by sera of patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) accounts for about 40% of all nephrotic syndrome cases in adults. The presence of several potential circulating factors has been suggested in patients with primary FSGS and particularly in patients with recurrent disease after transplant. Irrespectively of the nature of the circulating factors, this study was aimed at identifying early glomerular/podocyte-specific pathways that are activated by the sera of patients affected by FSGS. Kidney biopsies were obtained from patients undergoing kidney transplantation due to primary FSGS. Donor kidneys were biopsied pre-reperfusion (PreR) and a subset 1-2 hours after reperfusion of the kidney (PostR). Thirty-one post reperfusion (PostR) and 36 PreR biopsy samples were analyzed by microarray and gene enrichment KEGG pathway analysis. Data were compared to those obtained from patients with incident primary FSGS enrolled in other cohorts as well as with another cohort to correct for pathways activated by ischemia reperfusion. Using an ex-vivo cell-based assay in which human podocytes were cultured in the presence of sera from patients with recurrent and non recurrent FSGS, the molecular signature of podocytes exposed to sera from patients with REC was compared to the one established from patients with NON REC. We demonstrate that inflammatory pathways, including the TNF pathway, are primarily activated immediately after exposure to the sera of patients with primary FSGS, while phagocytotic pathways are activated when proteinuria becomes clinically evident. The TNF pathway activation by one or more circulating factors present in the sera of patients with FSGS supports prior experimental findings from our group demonstrating a causative role of local TNF in podocyte injury in FSGS. Correlation analysis with clinical and histological parameters of disease was performed and further supported a possible role for TNF pathway activation in FSGS. Additionally, we identified a unique set of genes that is specifically activated in podocytes when cultured in the presence of serum of patients with REC FSGS. This clinical translational study supports our prior experimental findings describing a potential role of the TNF pathway in the pathogenesis of FSGS. Validation of these findings in larger cohorts may lay the ground for the implementation of integrated system biology approaches to risk stratify patients affected by FSGS and to identify novel pathways relevant to podocyte injury.

Malformación linfática del omento menor / Lymphatic malformation of the lesser omentum

Introducción: Las malformaciones linfáticas se originan a partir de malformaciones de los vasos linfáticos durante el periodo embrionario, lo que condiciona sus características histopatológicas, el calibre de los vasos que lo componen, así como el sitio donde se localizan. Caso clínico: Se presenta el caso de un paciente masculino de un año 2 meses de edad, quien se diagnostica con una malformación linfática localizada en el omento menor. Esta localización es una de las menos frecuentes en este grupo de malformaciones. Conclusiones: Se expuso el abordaje diagnóstico y la resolución quirúrgica de una malformación linfática del omento menor, con resección completa del mismo, sin recidivas ni complicaciones.

Introduction: Lymphatic malformations are caused by malformations of the lymphatic vessels during embryonic life, conditioning their histopathological characteristics, the caliber of the vessels that compose it, and the site where they are located. Case report: We report the case of a male patient of 1 year and 2 months old who was diagnosed with a lymphatic malformation located in the lesser omentum, this localization being one of the least frequent of this group of malformations. Conclusion: We describe the diagnostic approach and surgical resolution of a lesser omentum lymphatic malformation with its complete removal and without complications or recurrence.

Quiste de colédoco tipo I: Diagnóstico por imagen y anastomosis hepático-duodenal como medida terapéutica / Type I choledocal cyst: imaging diagnosis and an hepaticoduodenostomy as a therapeutic measure

Introducción. El quiste de colédoco es una dilatación quística congénita de la vía biliar. Puede afectar exclusivamente a la vía biliar extrahepática (tipo I, II y III), intrahepática (tipo V) o ambas (tipo IVa). El diagnóstico se realiza principalmente con estudios de imagen, con el ultrasonido (USG) abdominal como primera modalidad. Sin embargo, puede utilizarse la colangiogammagrafía 99mTc-HIDA (ácido iminodiacético hepatobiliar) -la cual tiene una sensibilidad del 100% en los quistes tipo I (sacciformes)- para confirmar el diagnóstico. Puede ser útil para distinguir entre quistes de colédoco y atresia de la vía biliar. Igualmente se ha utilizado la tomografía contrastada como complemento diagnóstico. Caso clínico. Lactante mayor femenino de 2 años de edad que ingresó al Servicio de Urgencias por presentar dolor abdominal. El USG abdominal reportó colecistitis aguda y una imagen quística adyacente al conducto cístico, compatible con un quiste de colédoco. Conclusiones. El tratamiento de elección del quiste de colédoco tipo I es la resección del mismo y una anastomosis hepático-yeyunal en Y de Roux o la anastomosis hepático-duodenal. Esta última se ha considerado una alternativa útil y confiable en nuestro medio, que aunque en un principio se dejó de utilizar por la presentación de colangitis ascendente, actualmente no se ha documentado esta complicación.

Background. Choledochal cyst is a congenital cystic dilatation of the intra- or extrahepatic biliary tree. It may affect only the extrahepatic bile duct (type I, II and III), intrahepatic (type V) or both (type IVa). Diagnosis is primarily made with imaging, abdominal ultrasound being the first modality used. However, in case of a diagnostic doubt using this means, a technectium-99 HIDA scan, which has a sensitivity of 100% for type I cysts (sacciform), may be performed. It may be useful for distinguishing between choledochal cyst and biliary atresia. Computed tomography scan with contrast can also be used. Case report. We present the case of a 2-year-old lactating female who was admitted to the Emergency Department because of abdominal pain. She underwent abdominal USG, which reported acute cholecystitis and a cystic image adjacent to the cystic duct fibrosis consistent with a choledochal cyst. Conclusions. The elective treatment for type I choledochal cyst is resection of the cyst with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy or hepaticoduodenostomy. The latter is considered a useful and reliable alternative in our context, although initially it fell into disuse due to reports of ascending cholangitis. However, this has not been recently documented.