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Controversial data have been reported on the prognostic value of C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). This prospective, single-center, observational study aimed to evaluate the role of CXCR4 in the pathophysiology of CLL and its prognostic role. A total of 158 patients of CLL were enrolled, and CXCR4 expression on CLL cells was detected by flow cytometry (FCM) at initial diagnosis. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the CXCR4 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) median. Also, four patient specimens from the CXCR4lowand CXCR4highgroups were selected for RNASeq analysis. The progression-free survival (PFS) of CLL patients in the CXCR4highgroup was significantly shorter than the CXCR4lowgroup, with a median follow-up time of 27 months (log-rank P< 0.001). Moreover, CXCR4 overexpression (MFI > 3376) was an independent marker of poor PFS in CLL patients (P< 0.001). Analysis of RNASeq results revealed that CXCR4 plays an important role in the migration of CLL. Collectively, CXCR4 expression levels on leukemia cells can be detected rapidly by FCM. CXCR4 overexpression was significantly associated with poorer prognosis in CLL patients within a shorter follow-up time.

Iron deficiency is common in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Platelet count changes may reflect iron status, but the relationship between platelet count and iron indices is unclear in patients with ESRD.

The aim of this study is to compare the prognostic effects of visceral fat area (VFA) with coronary artery calcification score (CACs) in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

Background: Reports on COVID-19 in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients are scarce in China. This study aimed to describe the characteristics and outcomes of PD patients with COVID-19 after China abandoned the ‘zero-COVID’ policy.Methods: This single-centre retrospective study included patients receiving PD who underwent testing for COVID-19 infections between 7 December 2022 and 7 January 2023. Outcomes of interest included factors associated with positive COVID-19 testing result and clinical outcomes including COVID-19-related hospitalisation and severe COVID-19, which were analysed using logistic regression analyses.Results: A total of 349 PD patients (male 53.6%, age 49 ± 13 years old) were included, and 235 patients (67.3%) were infected. There were no significant differences between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients other than higher proportion of vaccinated patients and slow transporters in the patients who tested positive for COVID-19 (44.7% vs. 28.1%, p= 0.003; 8.7% vs. 1.8%, p= 0.03, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed COVID-19 was associated with vaccination (odds ratio (OR): 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02–2.86) and slow transport type (compared with average transport type, OR: 4.52, 95% CI: 1.01–20.21). Among the patients with infection, 38 (16.2%) patients were hospitalised, 18 (7.7%) patients had severe disease and 9 (3.8%) patients died. In multivariate logistic analysis, both age (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01–1.07; OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02–1.11) and hyponatremia (OR: 5.44, 95% CI: 1.63–18.13; OR: 6.50, 95% CI: 1.77–23.85) were independent risk factors for COVID-19-related hospitalisation and severe disease.Conclusions: Although vaccinated patients were more likely to have tested positive for COVID-19 infection, they appeared to have less severe infection and less need for hospitalisation. Patients who were older with a history of hyponatremia were more likely to experience adverse outcomes from COVID-19.

Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) strategy has been recommended in clinical guidelines for a long time due to the survival benefits associated with it. However, the underlying mechanism still needs to be explored. This retrospective cohort study included 611 patients who received hemodialysis in West China Hospital Medical Center between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014. Patient characteristics, dialysis parameters, and 1-year blood pressure records were collected at baseline. Echocardiographic changes and clinical outcomes were assessed during the 59-month follow-up. Our study showed that fistulas were associated with lower long-term systolic blood pressure (SBP) standard deviation (SD) (P< 0.0001), lower long-term SBP residual metric (P< 0.0001), and lower intradialytic SBP residual (P= 0.001). Fistulas were also associated with a higher but non-significant proportion of the newly developed left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (8.29% vs. 6.78%, P= 0.116) and increased LV volume (8.29% vs. 4.52%, P= 0.139), as well as a lower proportion of the newly developed left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) dysfunction (1.62% vs. 2.82%, P= 0.586). After a median of 59-month follow-up, catheter group showed a higher risk of cardiovascular events (hazard ratio [HR] 1.21; 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.01–1.52), all-cause infection (HR 1.25; 95%CI 1.07–1.47), and access-related infection (HR 2.88; 95%CI 1.76–4.68). However, the advantage of fistulas only retained in low-albumin subgroup (serum albumin < 40 g/l) except for access-related infections. Our results suggested the possible attribution of BPV and other patient factors to fistula-associated survival benefits.

•Higher Adiposity Index (VAI) tertile shows higher rates of Abdominal Aortic Calcification (AAC).•Each unit increase in VAI was associated with 4% higher likelihood of severe AAC.•Increased visceral adiposity evaluating by VAI associated with a higher AAC score.•This positive relationship was more significant in normal weight population.