Search

Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) induces muscle wasting and a reduction in the maximum voluntary force (MVF). Little is known about the neuromuscular fatigability in CKD patients, defined as the reduction of muscle force capacities during exercise. Neuromuscular fatigability is a crucial physical parameter of the daily living. The quantification of explosive force has been shown to be a sensitive means to assess neuromuscular fatigability. Thus, our study used explosive force estimates to assess neuromuscular fatigability in elderly CKD patients. Methods Inclusion criteria for CKD patients were age $\ge$ 60 years old and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 45 mL/ min/1.73 m 2 not on dialysis, and those for controls were GFR > 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , age and diabetes matched. The fatigability protocol focused on a handgrip task coupled with surface electromyography (sEMG). Scalars were extracted from the rate of force development (RFD): absolute and normalized time periods (50, 75, 100, 150 and 200 ms, RFD 50 , RFD 75 , RFD 100 , RFD 150 and RFD 200 , respectively), peak RFD (RFD peak in absolute; NRFD peak normalized), timeto-peak RFD (t-RFD peak) and the relative force at RFD peak (MVF-RFD peak). A statistical parametric mapping approach was performed on the force, impulse and RFD-time curves. The integrated sEMG with time at 0-30, 0-50, 0-100 and 0-200 ms time intervals relative to onset of sEMG activity was extracted and groups were compared separately for each sex. Results The cohort of 159 individuals had a median age of 69 (9 IQR) years and body mass index was 27.6 (6.2 IQR) kg/ m 2. Propensity-score-matched groups balanced CKD patients and controls by gender with 66 males and 34 females. In scalar analysis, CKD patients manifested a higher decrement than controls in the early phase of contraction, regarding the NRFD peak (P = 0.009; $η$ 2 p = 0.034) and RFD 75 and RFD 100 (for both P < 0.001; $η$ 2 p = 0.068 and 0.064). The onedimensional analysis confirmed that CKD males manifest higher and delayed neuromuscular fatigability, especially before 100 ms from onset of contraction. sEMG was lower in CKD patients than controls in the 0-100 ms (at rest: P = 0.049, Cohen's d = 0.458) and 0-200 ms (at rest: P = 0.016, Cohen's d = 0.496; during exercise: P = 0.006, Cohen's d = 0.421) time windows. Controls showed greater decrease of sEMG than CKD patients in the 0-30 ms (P = 0.020, Cohen's d = 0.533) and 0-50 ms (P = 0.010, Cohen's d = 0.640) time windows. As opposite to females, males showed almost the same differences between groups. Conclusions Our study is the first to show that CKD patients have higher fatigability than controls, which may be associated with an impaired motor-unit recruitment, highlighting a neural drive disturbance with CKD. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings., Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, In press

The world population is aging, and the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing. Whether this increase is also due to the methods currently being used to assess kidney function in the elderly is still a matter of discussion. We aimed to describe the actual referral pattern of CKD patients in a large nephrology unit and test whether the use of different formulae to estimate kidney function could affect the staging and the need for specialist care in the older subset of our population. In 2019, 1992 patients were referred to our center. Almost 28% of the patients were aged ≥80 and about 6% were ≥90 years old. Among the causes of kidney disease, glomerulonephritis displayed a higher prevalence in younger patients whereas hypertensive or diabetic kidney disease were more prevalent in older patients. The prevalence of referred patients in advanced CKD stages increased with age, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decreased with age regardless of which equation was used (chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI), Lund–Malmö Revised (LMR), modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD), Full Age Spectrum (FAS), or Berlin Initiative Study 1 (BIS)). With CKD-EPI as a reference, MDRD and FAS underestimated the CKD stage while LMR overestimated it. The BIS showed the highest heterogeneity. Considering an eGFR threshold limit of 45 mL/min for defining “significant” CKD in patients over 65 years of age, the variability in CKD staging was 10% no matter which equation was used. Our study quantified the weight of “old” and “old-old” patients on follow-up in a large nephrology outpatient unit and suggested that with the current referral pattern, the type of formula used does not affect the need for CKD care within the context of a relatively late referral, particularly in elderly patients.

International audience; No abstract available

Background and Aims The incidence of venous thromboembolisms (VTE) is greatly increased in patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)- associated vasculitis (AAV). However, its incidence and risk factors in patients with ANCA-glomerulonephritis (ANCA-GN) has been poorly analyzed. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess the frequency, the risk factors and outcomes of patients with VTE after ANCA-GN diagnosis. Method Patients from the Maine-Anjou AAV registry with a biopsy showing pauci-immune glomerulonephritis between 01/01/2000 and 01/01/2019, were included. VTE events, the site and delay from AAV diagnosis were retrieved from patient’s medical records. Results Among the 165 patients, 133 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. After exclusion of arterio-venous fistulae thrombotic events, VTE episodes were diagnosed in 23/133 (17.3%) at a median delay of 3 months from ANCA-GN diagnosis or relapse. As compared to patients that did not developed VTE, patients with VTE had less frequently PR3 ANCAs (p=0.05), tended to be older (p=0.081), had lower serum albumin at AAV diagnosis (p=0.040) and were less frequently on statin therapy (p=0.028). Univariate cox analysis identified age (HR 1.49 for each 10-year increase, p=0.028), serum albumin at diagnosis (HR 2.21 for each 10g/L decrease, p=0.045), lack of statin therapy (HR 5.26, p=0.008) and rituximab treatment (HR 4.10, p=0.026) to be significantly associated with VTE occurrence. However, after adjustment in the multivariate model, only lack of statin therapy (HR 4.80; p=0.039) was significantly associated with VTE, while serum albumin was borderline (HR 2.20 for each 10 g/L decrease, p=0.067). Patients with VTE developed more frequently end-stage renal disease (p=0.040), but AAV relapse rate and mortality were not significantly different as compared to patients without VTE. Conclusion Patients with ANCA-GN are at high risk of VTE, especially within the first months following AAV diagnosis. We identified the lack of statin therapy as an independent risk factors of VTE development in our cohort. Thus, our results suggest that statins may have anti-thrombotic properties in ANCA-GN, which opens new therapeutic perspectives.

Kidney transplantation (KT) is often considered to be the method best able to restore fertility in a woman with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, pregnancies in KT are not devoid of risks (in particular prematurity, small for gestational age babies, and the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy). An ideal profile of the potential KT mother includes “normal” or “good” kidney function (usually defined as glomerular filtration rate, GFR ≥ 60 ml/min), scant or no proteinuria (usually defined as below 500 mg/dl), normal or well controlled blood pressure (one drug only and no sign of end-organ damage), no recent acute rejection, good compliance and low-dose immunosuppression, without the use of potentially teratogen drugs (mycophenolic acid and m-Tor inhibitors) and an interval of at least 1–2 years after transplantation. In this setting, there is little if any risk of worsening of the kidney function. Less is known about how to manage “non-ideal” situations, such as a pregnancy a short time after KT, or one in the context of hypertension or a failing kidney. The aim of this position statement by the Kidney and Pregnancy Group of the Italian Society of Nephrology is to review the literature and discuss what is known about the clinical management of CKD after KT, with particular attention to women who start a pregnancy in non-ideal conditions. While the experience in such cases is limited, the risks of worsening the renal function are probably higher in cases with markedly reduced kidney function, and in the presence of proteinuria. Well-controlled hypertension alone seems less relevant for outcomes, even if its effect is probably multiplicative if combined with low GFR and proteinuria. As in other settings of kidney disease, superimposed preeclampsia (PE) is differently defined and this impairs calculating its real incidence. No specific difference between non-teratogen immunosuppressive drugs has been shown, but calcineurin inhibitors have been associated with foetal growth restriction and low birth weight. The clinical choices in cases at high risk for malformations or kidney function impairment (pregnancies under mycophenolic acid or with severe kidney-function impairment) require merging clinical and ethical approaches in which, beside the mother and child dyad, the grafted kidney is a crucial “third element”.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy on dialysis is increasingly being reported. This study evaluates the behavioural profile of the children of mothers on dialysis and the parental stress their mothers undergo when compared with a group of mothers affected by a different chronic disease (microcythaemia) and a group of healthy control mothers. METHODS: Between 2000 and 2012, 23 on-dialysis mothers gave birth to 24 live-born children in Italy (23 pregnancies, 1 twin pregnancy, one of the twins deceased soon after delivery); of these, 16 mothers and 1 father (whose wife died before the inquiry) were included in the study (1 mother had died and the father was unavailable; 2 were not asked to participate because their children had died and 3 were unavailable; children: median age: 8.5, min-max: 2-13 years). Twenty-three mothers affected by transfusion-dependent microcythaemia or drepanocitosis (31 pregnancies, 32 children) and 35 healthy mothers (35 pregnancies, 35 children; median age of the children: 7, min-max: 1-13 years) were recruited as controls. All filled in the validated questionnaires: 'Child Behaviour Checklist' (CBCL) and the 'Parental Stress Index-Short Form' (PSI-SF). RESULTS: The results of the CBCL questionnaire were similar for mothers on dialysis and healthy controls except for pervasive developmental problems, which were significantly higher in the dialysis group, while microcythaemia mothers reported higher emotional and behavioural problems in their children in 8 CBCL sub-scales. Two/16 children in the dialysis and 3/32 in the microcythaemia group had pathological profiles, as assessed by T-scores (p: ns). PSI-SF indicated a normal degree of parental stress in microcythaemia subjects and healthy controls, while mothers on dialysis declared significantly lower stress, suggesting a defensive response in order to minimize problems, stress or negativity in their relationship with their child. CONCLUSIONS: According to the present analysis, the emotional and behavioural outcome is normal in most of the children from on-dialysis mothers. A 'positive defence' in the dialysis mothers should be kept in mind when tailoring psychological support for this medical miracle.

The recent guideline of the Canadian Society of Nephrology for timing the initiation of chronic dialysis may be seen as a "paradigm shift", meaning, according to the Kuhns theory, the development of a different viewpoint. The guideline is based on a careful review of the literature, with primary emphasis on patient survival and quality of life. Hence, the Authors choose qualitative keywords (intention -to-defer, in place of the intention-to-start-early), but also a qualitative process for deciding the start of dialysis, by providing an intentionally concise list of signs and symptoms not reducible to numbers, such as the presence of uremic symptoms. The recent guideline of the Canadian Society of Nephrology, regarding the timing of the initiation of chronic dialysis, may be seen as a "paradigm shift", that means, according to Kuhns theory, the development of a different viewpoint. The guideline is based on a careful review of the literature, with primary emphasis on patient survival and quality of life. Hence, the Authors choose not only qualitative keywords (intention -to-defer, in place of intention-to-start-early), but also a qualitative process for deciding the start of dialysis, by providing an intentionally concise list of signs and symptoms not reducible to numbers, such as the presence of uremic symptoms. The clinical Nephrologist emerges victorious; the decision to initiate dialysis is in his-her hands; it is not a team-work, or a numeric algorhythm: its a clinical choice. The clinical judgment is the only guide above 6 mL/min of eGFR. Below this limit, dialysis has to be started; however, the Authors state that the optimal management of patients with an eGFR of 6 mL/min per 1.73 m2 or less, it is based on limited data. Hence, numbers are back to haunt us; nevertheless, we should take the best of this paradigm shift: the decision is again in our hands, the clinic is our weapon, the responsibility is not reducible to pretty formulae. If we cannot hide behind a computer screen, we have good reasons to exist, and we are alive.

Obesity is increasingly encountered in dialysis patients, who have difficulty to lose weight. Several Transplant Centres require BMI30-35 Kg/m2 at waiting-list. Thus, losing weight becomes a must for young obese patients, however the best policy to obtain it (if any) is not defined. The aim of the present case report is to suggest that tailored dialysis and intensive diets could be a successful combination, that should be tested on a larger scale. A 56-year-old obese male patient (BMI 37.7 kg/m²) on daily home hemodialysis since 10 months (ESRD due to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis) started a coach-assisted qualitative ad libitum diet. The diet, alternating 8 weeks of rapid weight loss and maintenance phases, was based on a combinations of different foods, chosen on the account of glycaemic index and biochemical properties. It was salt free and olive oil was permitted in liberal quantities. Dialysis duration was increased to allow weight loss, and dialysate Na was incremented to permit a strict low sodium diet. Over a period of 21 months, the patient attained a -18.5 Kg weight loss (50% overweight loss; BMI -6.3 Kg/m²), reaching the goal to be included in a kidney transplant waiting list. Main metabolic data remained stable (pre diet and end of the diet period: albumin 3.5-3.8 g/dL; HCO3 26.1-24.8 mmol/L discontinuing citrate) or improved (haemoglobin 11.4-12.1 g/dL, halving EPO dose; calcium 2.3-2.5 mmol/L; phosphate 1.5-1.5 mmol/L; PTHi 1718-251 pg/mL, reducing chelation).Daily dialysis may allow enrolling obese hemodialysis patients in intensive weight loss programs, under strict clinical control.

In a moment of particular attention to the health care costs, of global crisis and of concerns not only for the economic future of our Society, but also for the precarious health of our Planet, it is worth reading an Australian article entitled Personal viewpoint: hemodialysis-water, power, and waste disposal: rethinking our environmental responsibilities, by Agar, one of the spokesman of the "ecological dialysis". The article describes, with some irony, some paradoxes of the ecological and economic costs of dialysis. Among these, 156 billion of liters of water per year and a minimum of 625000 tons of waste products, at least partly potentially reusable. With regards to his battle for a planet friendly dialysis, Agar comments that perseverance is not a diffused virtue. Keeping in mind the cost of waste disposal, reading this paper can be an invitation to an intelligent saving policy that directs attention to the economy and to the world around us.

In the medical field, the attention to the environmental impact of industrial processes and products is still limited. In recent years there has been an increased sensitivity towards the environment; meanwhile, the economic burden of hazardous waste disposal is becoming evident. Dialysis is a "big producer" of waste and it has been estimated that disposal costs can be up to 10-40% of the cost of disposables. So there are several reasons of interest on "ecodialysis": the high amount of waste defined as "potentially hazardous", which requires a very expensive management and the recyclability potential of the non-contaminated waste, that has not yet been fully explored in dialysis. This primary study has been performed in collaboration with the Politecnico di Torino. Its aim has been to define a schedule of activities by a few brainstorming sessions. This schedule is to be readily performed or it should be developed in detail to optimize, by reducing and recycling, the waste production during the dialysis session. The discussion identified seven basic points for the eco-sustainability of haemodialysis to: [1] reduce packaging; [2] facilitate separation of materials, and [3] their discharge; [4] differentiate materials; [5] clearly highlight the potentially hazardous materials; [6] improve the recyclability of plastic products; [7] propose a path of recovery and reuse. Although a full optimization requires a close cooperation with the manufacturers and is achievable only in the long term, the reduction of one pound of potentially contaminated materials could presently lead, on a national scale, to a saving of several million euros, which can be better employed in investments to improve our treatments.

Background A successful pregnancy is an exceptional event on dialysis. Few data are available comparing pregnancy rates on dialysis, transplantation and the overall population. The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of live births from mothers on chronic dialysis compared with the overall population and with kidney transplant patients. Methods The setting of the study is in Italy between 2000-12. Data on dialysis was aquired by phone inquiries that were carried out between June and September, 2013, involving all the public dialysis centres in Italy; the result was a 100% response rate. The date included was end-stage renal disease, type of dialysis, residual glomerular filtration rate, changes in dialysis and therapy, hospitalization; week of birth, birth weight, centile; and outcome of mother and child. Information on transplantation was acquired by inquiry by the kidney and pregnancy study group who were contacted by phone or e-mail; the result was a 60% response rate. Data concerning prevalence of women in childbearing age (20-45) were obtained from the Italian Dialysis and Transplant Registries (2010-11 update). Official site of the Italian Ministry of Health. Results During the study period, 23 women on dialysis (three on peritoneal dialysis) delivered live-born babies and one woman delivered twins (24 babies). Three babies died in the first weeks-months of life (including one twin); 19 of 21 singletons with available data were pre-term (33.3%

The increase in the incidence of elderly patients starting dialysis has been as sharp, during the 1980s-1990s, as an epidemic (+70%, +150% in different settings). According to this study, performed in Piemonte, northern Italy, the process is still ongoing. During the period 1981-93, according to the Regional Registry of Dialysis and Transplantation (RPDT: data on 100% of centres and patients), the cohort on treatment increased by 79.5% and the annual incidence by 48.3%; the increase is limited to older people and is greater in males. Nephroangiosclerosis/ischaemic renal disease and diabetes mellitus are the main diagnoses. Since the increase of elderly patients is still ongoing, forecasts are difficult; according to a computer simulation, a plateau of patients on treatment is reached only if incidence is stabilized, While it is impossible to exclude a decrease in hidden selection or an increase in referral, complex modifications at the overall population level are presumably at the basis or the increase of elderly patients on dialysis. Despite the increase in average age, however, survival improved throughout the period; this confirms the interest towards the open dialysis system adopted in Piemonte, which is characterized by easy shifts among treatments and by the widespread use of high tolerance techniques.

Phosphate may promote the onset and progression of chronic nephropathies. Here we evaluated the relationships between baseline serum phosphate levels, disease progression, and response to ACE inhibition in 331 patients with proteinuric nephropathies in the prospective Ramipril Efficacy In Nephropathy (REIN) trial. Independent of treatment, patients with phosphate levels in the highest two quartiles progressed significantly faster either to ESRD or to a composite endpoint of doubling of serum creatinine or ESRD compared with patients with phosphate levels below the median (P < 0.001). Results were similar when we analyzed phosphate as a continuous variable (P ≤ 0.004). The renoprotective effect of ramipril decreased as serum phosphate increased (P ≤ 0.008 for interaction); this modification of the treatment effect by phosphate persisted despite adjusting for potential confounders such as GFR and urinary protein. In summary, these data suggest that phosphate is an independent risk factor for progression of renal disease among patients with proteinuric CKD, and high levels of phosphate may even attenuate the renoprotective effect of ACE inhibitors. Future trials should test whether reducing serum phosphate improves renal outcomes and optimizes the renoprotective effect of ACE inhibition.

Living kidney donation is an important clinical option, encountering different fortunes in the world.To analyse the opinions of a large subset of older teenagers attending high school (7999 students, median age 18) on different aspects of living kidney transplantation.Analysis of semistructured questionnaires submitted within an educational campaign on dialysis and transplantation in the high schools of Torino and its county (about 2,000,000 inhabitants).Over 90% of the students had already heard of transplantation, mainly via television (88.4% county, 84.5% city). 80% would donate a kidney to a family member (3.5% wouldn't, 16.5% uncertain); answers were correlated with sex (females more than males p0.0001), school type (istituti tecnici versus licei p=0.007), interest (yes versus other p0.0001). A lower percent of individuals would receive a kidney (58.4% county, 59.4% city), only 10% would ask for donation. Over 40% of students consider legally buying a kidney a patient's right, only 26.6% would discourage this choice. The answers were correlated with the reverse pattern as for non-mercenary donation with type of school (licei more than istituti tecnici: p0.0001), sex (males versus females p0.0001), interest (not versus yes: p=0.002).Teenagers are favourable towards all forms of living kidney donation. The lower prevalence of positive answers on acceptance versus donation suggests that fears of endangering the donor's health may be one of the causes for a low living donation rate in our setting. The mixed answers on mercenary donation suggest discussing this complex issue in future educational programs.

The history of the nephrological care of diabetic patients may be started with the beginning of the dialysis treatment, when the diabetic population personified the limits of dialysis treatment, a role still played at present. While diabetic patients shifted from being the exception to being the rule on renal replacement therapy (diabetes is the main cause of uraemia in the USA, and one of the most important in Europe), attention was progressively focused on earlier stages of renal failure, following a pathway common to most nephropathies. Presently, the main advantages of an early diagnosis of renal disease in diabetic patients, strictly linked to an early multidisciplinary follow-up, mainly regard: the timing of pancreas-kidney and of isolated pancreas graft in the smaller, albeit complex population of type 1 diabetic patients and, in the growing cohort of type 2 diabetics,, the optimization of low protein diets, the management of the anti-hypertensive polytherapy and the choice of the dialysis treatment, whenever possible in out-of-hospital settings, to reduce the costs and to favour patients' empowerment. These are demanding tasks: to face the needs of this cohort requires time and human resources, a hard and possibly anachronistic goal in a time, such as the present one, of costs restrains. However, if the costs of one year of dialysis (25-30,000 Euros) are considered, the benefit cost ratio appears as highly favourable, not only in terms of quantity and quality of life but also in economical terms.