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SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on transplant activity in our country. Mortality and the risk of complications associated with COVID-19 in kidney transplant recipients (KT) were expected to be higher due to their immunosuppressed condition and the frequent associated comorbidities. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 we have rapidly improved our knowledge about the epidemiology, clinical features and management of COVID-19 post-transplant, resulting in a better prognosis for our patients. KT units have been able to adapt their programs to this new reality, normalizing both donation and transplantation activity in our country.This manuscript presents a proposal to update the general recommendations for the prevention and treatment of infection in this highly vulnerable population such as KT., (© 2022 Sociedad Española de Nefrología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Introduction: SARS CoV2 infection has had a major impact on renal transplant patients with a high mortality in the first months of the pandemic. Intentional reduction of immunosuppressive therapy has been postulated as one of the cornerstone in the management of the infection in the absence of targeted antiviral treatment. This has been modified according to the patient`s clinical situation and its effect on renal function or anti-HLA antibodies in the medium term has not been evaluated., Objectives: Evaluate the management of immunosuppressive therapy made during SARS-CoV2 infection, as well as renal function and anti-HLA antibodies in kidney transplant patients 6 months after COVID19 diagnosis., Material and Methods: Retrospective, national multicentre, retrospective study (30 centres) of kidney transplant recipients with COVID19 from 01/02/20 to 31/12/20. Clinical variables were collected from medical records and included in an anonymised database. SPSS statistical software was used for data analysis., Results: 615 renal transplant recipients with COVID19 were included (62.6% male), with a mean age of 57.5 years.The predominant immunosuppressive treatment prior to COVID19 was triple therapy with prednisone, tacrolimus and mycophenolic acid (54.6%) followed by m-TOR inhibitor regimens (18.6%). After diagnosis of infection, mycophenolic acid was discontinued in 73.8% of patients, m-TOR inhibitor in 41.4%, tacrolimus in 10.5% and cyclosporin A in 10%. In turn, 26.9% received dexamethasone and 50.9% were started on or had their baseline prednisone dose increased.Mean creatinine before diagnosis of COVID19, at diagnosis and at 6 months was: 1.7±0.8, 2.1±1.2 and 1.8±1 mg/dl respectively (p<0.001).56.9% of the patients (N=350) were monitored for anti-HLA antibodies. 94% (N=329) had no anti-HLA changes, while 6% (N=21) had positive anti-HLA antibodies. Among the patients with donor-specific antibodies post-COVID19 (N=9), 7 patients (3.1%) had one immunosuppressant discontinued (5 patients had mycophenolic acid and 2 had tacrolimus), 1 patient had both immunosuppressants discontinued (3.4%) and 1 patient had no change in immunosuppression (1.1%), these differences were not significant., Conclusions: The management of immunosuppressive therapy after diagnosis of COVID19 was primarily based on discontinuation of mycophenolic acid with very discrete reductions or discontinuations of calcineurin inhibitors. This immunosuppression management did not influence renal function or changes in anti-HLA antibodies 6 months after diagnosis., (© 2022 Sociedad Española de Nefrología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Background: Renal failure is one of the main causes of death in patients with Fabry disease (FD). Due to the low prevalence of FD, delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis, often the correct diagnosis is made when organ damage is already present. Early recognition of the disease would allow the prevention of severe complications and the premature death of patients with FD., Objective: We present here the PrEFiNE project, which includes a wide spectrum of activities with the aim of improve knowledge and diagnosis of FD. The project is sponsored by Shire Iberia (http://shireiberica.com/), Methods: From January 2016 to the end of 2017 several activities will be carried out, starting with a survey to evaluate current FD knowledge among nephrologists; in addition some studies to assess prevalence of this disease will be performed. One study will include patients receiving dialysis, another study will cover kidney transplant patients, and a pilot study in chronic kidney disease in stage 3-5 predialysis. Also planned is a pharmacoeconomic study to focus on burden of FD. At the same time medical education activities will be conducted both on line and on site. Plan for dissemination will include medical publications and diffusion to media. PrEFiNE Project will finish with the publication of a compilation book on FD in Nephrology including all planned activities and proposing recommendations based on results and detected unmet needs. PrEfiNE Plan will be coordinated by severa scientific committees, one at national level and 10 other regionals comittees, tha will be responsible to ensure the maximum scientific quality of proposed activities. An advisory board will supervise the project., Discussion: PrEfiNE project will evaluate an action plan focused on improving FD knowledge to make necessary recommendations for an early recognition of the disease. In addition will generate a plan to improve previously undetected needs., (Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Nefrología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is a common complication in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) that is characterised by elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and a series of bone-mineral metabolism anomalies. In patients with SHPT, treatment with paricalcitol, a selective vitamin D receptor activator, has been shown to reduce PTH levels with minimal serum calcium and phosphorus variations. The classic effect of paricalcitol is that of a mediator in mineral and bone homeostasis. However, recent studies have suggested that the benefits of treatment with paricalcitol go beyond PTH reduction and, for instance, it has a positive effect on cardiovascular disease and survival. The objective of this study is to review the most significant studies on the so-called pleiotropic effects of paricalcitol treatment in patients with CKD., (Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Española de Nefrología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

When the field of transplantation was first developing, physicians worried about the teratogenicity of immunosuppressive medications and considered pregnancy ill-advised. The purpose of this study is to analyze pregnancy after kidney transplantation and their consequences on mother, graft and child. We review ten pregnant women with kidney transplantation, average of 29 years old and 44 months post-kidney transplantation. The mean glomerular filtration rate was 64 ml/min and the immunosuppression was with prednisone and tacrolimus. We analyze outcomes of different variables before and during pregnancy, and after labour. Pregnancy finished in nine of ten patients. Three patients needed cesarean section and only one patient had a miscarriage on the first term. Blood arterial pressure increased at the end of pregnancy and the creatinine level was stable with a few increase of proteinuria at the third term. We increased the tacrolimus dose to obtain the correct blood levels and any rejection was detected. We had only one patient with preeclampsia that we solved with a cesarean section. Labours were a mean of 37.2 weeks and the mean birth weight of infant was 2,809 grams. Two newborns had prematurity without structural malformations. Pregnancy after kidney transplantation is safe with prednisone and tacrolimus when the renal function is good, proteinuria doesn't exist and blood pressure is controlled.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its related complications have become an important health and social problem. Very expensive resources are required in end-stage renal disease, and both complications of CKD as well as the important associated cardiovascular risk demand for interventions long before renal substitution therapies are needed. Thus, early diagnosis of CKD is currently considered of paramount importance, and it is based essentially upon the estimation of the glomerular filtration rate by formulae such as the abbreviated equation of the MDRD study. Nevertheless, in spite of international published recommendations, an automatic calculation to estimate the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) from serum creatinine is not reported by most laboratories yet and the need for creatinine assay standardisation is far from being implemented. Thus, we have designed some tables to show the creatinine value corresponding to different GFR for ages between 20 and 90 y/o, at 5 years intervals and in both sexes with both the MDRD-4 and MDRD-IDMS equations (Modification of Diet in Renal Disease-Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry). Moreover, we have created a global table including an estimation of GFR from plasma creatinine, age and sex by the MDRD-IDMS formula, the recommended for those laboratories which measure serum creatinine with assays aligned to the reference method. These tables aim to increase the awareness of the different assays for serum creatinine and to facilitate the diagnosis of CKD converting serum creatinine into GFR. This action should allow not only the early detection but also the possibility to establish the appropriate medical actions recommended after CKD detection.

Proximal calciphylaxis with skin ulcerations has a very poor survival and infection is the main cause of the high mortality rate. We present the case of a diabetic obese hemodialysis woman diagnosed of severe calciphylaxis with extensive ulcers in the abdomen and left thigh. After a first ineffective debridement attempt, systemic medical treatment was associated with daily wet cures with enzymatic ointments and maggot therapy resulting in spectacular granulation and healing of these ulcers. We want to underline the great properties of sterile maggots to selectively dissolve necrotic tissue, to disinfect the wound and to stimulate healing. Thus, sterile-maggot debridement may constitute a very good adjuvant treatment even in proximal ulcers of calciphylaxis, preventing systemic infection.

The goal of the donor evaluation is to ensure the suitability, safety and well being of the donor. In order to avoid important omissions, the evaluation of potential living kidney donors should be carried according to a protocol that includes a logical sequence of complementary explorations. Old age alone is not an absolute contraindication to donation but the evaluation should be more rigorous, because increased age may be associated with more post-operative complications after nephrectomy and renal function and long term graft survival could be shorter than the ones obtained from younger living donors. A body mass index of more than 35 kg/m2 should be an absolute contraindication to renal donation. Between 30 and 35 kg/m2 the donor evaluation should be more rigorous and it should be recommended to lose weight before nephrectomy. Hypertension is one of the most common reasons to declare a potential kidney donor unsuitable. Evidence of organ damage is an absolute contraindication to kidney donation. The donation is only reasonable when hypertension is well controlled with less than two drugs. To excluded diabetes mellitus all donors should have a fasting plasma glucose measurement. Diabetes mellitus is an absolute contraindication to living donation such as an impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose with a family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Another contraindication to living donation is malignant disease, and the same standards should be adopted for cadaveric donors. The exceptions are low-grade non-melanoma skin cancer and carcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix. The presence of active infection usually precludes donation. It is very important to perform a routine test for viral infections. HIV, hepatitis B and C infection of the donor are usually a contraindication to living donor. CMV donor and recipient status should be taken into account before transplantation, and the recipients at risk for CMV disease should recieve prophylactic treatment according to the transplant unit policy.

A 46-year-old male, smoker of half a packet a day and an alcohol intake of 80 grams a day, with an unremarkable medical history, was referred to our service in the year 1988 for a study of nephrotic syndrome. He presented normal renal function, without either microhematuria nor hypertension. In blood analysis an albuminemia of 10 g/l and proteinuria of 22 g/d was observed. A first renal biopsy was carried out which indicated minimal change disease. Steroid treatment was started, as a result the nephrotic syndrome disappeared and the blood analysis normalized. Later he had 4 new outbreaks, all of them steroid-responsive. In 1992 a second renal biopsy was performed after the fourth outbreak and the presence of mild renal failure, that this time indicated a IgA nephropathy. Steroid treatment was tried again, and this time cyclophosphamide was added to try to reduce steroid doses. This result in normalization of renal function and decrease of proteinuria to 2 g/d. The patient remained stable until 1996 when the fifth outbreak occurred, again with mild renal failure and proteinuria in nephrotic range. Therefore a third renal biopsy was performed, that confirmed the presence of IgA nephropathy, but now with signs of histological progression of the disease. Following this, he presented five outbreaks in 3 years, all of them steroid-responsive, with decrease of proteinuria although without renal function normalization. In the year 2000, at his tenth outbreak of nephrotic syndrome it was decided to add cyclosporine to the steroid treatment, achieving the stability of the patient, without further outbreaks until now, with proteinuria of 1.6 g/d and C. creat. 59 ml/min.