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Peritonitis is a severe complication in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, contributing to technique failure and patient mortality. Tunisia lacks a national dialysis registry, making the incidence of peritonitis unclear. The International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) published guidelines from 2016 to 2022, outlining effective strategies for preventing infections in PD patients. This study was conducted between June and July 2022 to assess Tunisian nephrologists’ knowledge and practices for preventing infections. Using an online questionnaire, 44 participants (67.69% response rate) provided insights. Findings revealed an average score of 4.45 out of 7, indicating significant confusion among respondents. Many incorrectly believe that protecting the catheter under the skin until renal replacement therapy is initiated reduces infections. Questions also addressed nasal Staphylococcus aureus screening, antibiotic prophylaxis, surgical techniques, timing of dressing changes, and local antibiotic use. Responses varied, with 59.1% supporting systematic nasal screening but differing concerning eradication strategies. The study highlights discrepancies between current practices and ISPD guidelines among young Tunisian nephrologists. Recommendations include establishing a national dialysis registry to enhance surveillance and developing tailored national guidelines. A working group from the Tunisian Society of Nephrology, Dialysis, and Transplantation is already developing protocols to address identified gaps and improve PD patient outcomes.

Abstract Unexplained deep vein thrombosis may justify screening for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody‐associated vasculitis as it can be an unusual presentation of this disease.

Abstract Proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin deposits is a new disorder with undefined treatment modalities. We propose cyclophosphamide‐bortezomib‐dexamethasone and autologous stem cell transplantation as a therapeutic protocol.

Abstract Renal involvement in Niemann‐Pick disease type B is very rare. Kidney check‐up and renal biopsy should be performed in any patient presented with hypertension and kidney disease. Histology identifies the lesion, the prognosis, and guide treatment.

Light-chain deposition disease (LCDD) reoccurs almost invariably after renal transplantation, leading to early graft loss. We report a case of LCDD with monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance diagnosed in the post-transplant period in a 28-year-old male and we discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in the clinical course.

BackgroundPrimary membranous nephritis (PMN) is an autoimmune disease induced by the deposit of antibodies (Ab) to the phospholipase receptor A2 receptor (PLA2R) on podocytes. In this context, we aimed to assess the relationships between anti-PLA2R Ab, PLA2R rs4664308 SNP, PLA2R mRNA levels and PMN susceptibility and outcome.MethodsSixty-eight PMN patients, 30 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with secondary MN and 30 healthy control subjects served for anti-PLA2R Ab measurement by ELISA and PLA2R rs4664308 SNP genotyping by a commercial real-time PCR. Twenty patients with tubulo-interstitial nephritis (TIN) were used as controls for renal PLA2R mRNA quantification in PMN patients from kidney biopsies. PLA2R mRNA quantification was carried-out by real-time PCR after RNA extraction.ResultsForty-three (63.2%) PMN patients received initial therapy consisting of alternating monthly cycles of corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide. Twelve (17.6%) patients had resistant PMN to initial therapy and were consecutively treated by cyclosporine or tacrolimus. Anti-PLA2R Ab were positive in 54 (79.4%) PMN patients, while all SLE patients and controls were negative, pConclusionAnti-PLA2R Ab and renal PLA2R mRNA could be useful markers for PMN outcome predicting. The PLA2R rs6446308 SNP is associated with PMN susceptibility in Tunisians.

Background Primary membranous nephritis (PMN) is an autoimmune disease induced by the deposit of antibodies (Ab) to the phospholipase receptor A2 receptor (PLA2R) on podocytes. In this context, we aimed to assess the relationships between anti-PLA2R Ab, PLA2R rs4664308 SNP, PLA2R mRNA levels and PMN susceptibility and outcome. Methods Sixty-eight PMN patients, 30 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with secondary MN and 30 healthy control subjects served for anti-PLA2R Ab measurement by ELISA and PLA2R rs4664308 SNP genotyping by a commercial real-time PCR. Twenty patients with tubulo-interstitial nephritis (TIN) were used as controls for renal PLA2R mRNA quantification in PMN patients from kidney biopsies. PLA2R mRNA quantification was carried-out by real-time PCR after RNA extraction. Results Forty-three (63.2%) PMN patients received initial therapy consisting of alternating monthly cycles of corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide. Twelve (17.6%) patients had resistant PMN to initial therapy and were consecutively treated by cyclosporine or tacrolimus. Anti-PLA2R Ab were positive in 54 (79.4%) PMN patients, while all SLE patients and controls were negative, p

We report a case of lercanidipin-induced chylous peritonitis (CP) occurring in a patient undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), a 22-year-old male with chronic renal failure with indeterminate nephropathy.. The patient presented a turbid drainage fluid at the start of peritoneal dialysis (PD). The chyloperitoneum resolved after stopping lercanidipin without recurrence. Lercanidipin induced-chyloperitoneum is a rare complication in PD. It is a benign form of non-infectious peritonitis that can be confused with an infectious peritonitis. The most common causes of CP are infectious, obstructive and abdominal malignancy. This paper discusses the possible causes of CP, the physiopathology and the management of lercanidipin-induced chyloperitoneum.

Disturbed kidney function is a common complication after bone marrow transplantation. Recently, attention has been given to immune-mediated glomerular damage related to graft versus host disease (GVHD). We describe a 19-year-old woman who developed membranous glomerulonephritis after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Six months later, she developed soft palate, skin and liver lesions considered to be chronic GVHD. Fifteen months after undergoing BMT, this patient presented with nephrotic syndrome. A renal biopsy showed mem-branous glomerulonephritis associated with a focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. She was started on corticosteroid treatment with good outcome.

Abstract Background Karyomegalic interstitial nephritis (KIN) is a rare disease entity first described by Burry in 1974. The term KIN was introduced by Mihatsch et al. in 1979. KIN is characterized by chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis associated with enlarged tubular epithelial cell nuclei, which leads to a progressive decline of renal function. The prevalence of this disease is less than 1% of all biopsies, and its pathogenesis is unclear. KIN results from mutations in FAN1 (FANCD2/FANCI-Associated Nuclease 1), a gene involved in the DNA damage response pathway, particularly in the kidney. In this study, we report two Tunisian consanguineous families with KIN caused by mutations in the FAN1 gene. Methods Direct sequencing of the coding regions and flanking intronic sequences of the FAN1 gene was performed in three affected members. Three prediction programs (Polyphen-2 software, SIFT, and MutationTaster) were used to predict the functional effect of the detected variations. Results Two causative frameshift variants in the FAN1 gene were identified in each family: The previously described frameshift mutation c.2616delA (p.Asp873ThrfsTer17) and a novel mutation c.2603delT (p.Leu868ArgfsTer22) classified as "pathogenic" according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines. Conclusion To our best knowledge, this is the first Tunisian study involving familial cases of KIN with mutations in the FAN1 gene. We hypothesize that these findings can expand the mutational spectrum of KIN and provide valuable information on the genetic cause of KIN.