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Background The host-related risk factors for surgical difficulty of partial nephrectomy include the presence of thick and adherent adipose tissue surrounding the kidney (adherent perinephric fat [APF]). The kidney and perirenal fat must be isolated in donor nephrectomy. Thus, APF is an important surgery-related factor. We analyzed whether the Mayo adhesive probability (MAP) score is related to APF and surgical outcomes in laparoscopic single-site donor nephrectomy (LESS-DN). Methods Forty-six donors who underwent LESS-DN were selected. Determination of APF was based on a retrospective review of video-recorded surgical procedures during anterior perinephric fat dissection. The MAP score was evaluated from computed tomography images. Data regarding patient characteristics and operative outcomes were collected. We then examined the MAP score, APF, and related factors. Results Eleven patients (23.9%) had APF. The patients were divided into 2 groups (MAP score of 0 points and ≥ 1 point). The 2 groups showed significant differences in sex, age, body mass index, history of hypertension, and history of dyslipidemia. The operation time was significantly longer and the estimated blood loss volume was higher in patients with a MAP score of ≥ 1. Eight of 9 patients with a MAP score of ≥ 1 had APF. The only significant differences between patients with and without APF were in the body mass index, history of hypertension, and history of dyslipidemia. The operation time was significantly longer and the estimated blood loss volume was larger in patients with APF. Conclusions The MAP score could be useful when predicting surgical difficulty in patients undergoing LESS-DN.

Sarcopenia and osteopenia are highly prevalent in older patients, and are associated with a high risk for falls, fractures, and further functional decline. However, related factors in kidney transplant recipients suffering from osteosarcopenia, the combination of sarcopenia and osteopenia, remain unknown.Fifty-eight transplant recipients (42 men and 16 women), with a mean age of 46.6 ± 12.7 years, were enrolled in this study. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the criteria of the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia. Osteopenia was diagnosed according to World Health Organization criteria using bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine. Patients who met the diagnostic criteria of both diseases were defined as having osteosarcopenia.Ten patients had osteosarcopenia. According to univariate analyses, there were significant differences between osteosarcopenia group and non osteosarcopenia group in age (P = .002), duration of dialysis (P = .013), vitamin D levels (P = .002), and MET (P = .007). There was a significant positive correlation between vitamin D level and MET (r = .464; P .001). The results of the multivariate analysis indicated that only MET was a relevant factor in osteosarcopenia.Duration of dialysis, low vitamin D levels, and physical activity after kidney transplantation were related to osteosarcopenia. These results suggested that osteosarcopenia in kidney transplant recipients is a carryover from the dialysis period.

Although many ureteral stents are commercially available, the actuality of encrustation is yet to be elucidated in humans. This study compared the Tria Ureteral Stent with PercuShield and the Polaris Ultra Ureteral Stent with HydroPlus Coating for short-term encrustation formation. Eighty-four patients, who required ureteral stent placement after ureteroscopy, were randomized into two stent groups. After stent removal on postoperative day 14, the encrustation volume on the stent surface was measured by micro-computed tomography. The primary outcome was the inner luminal encrustation volume. Secondary outcomes were encrustation volume on the outer or total surfaces and occurrence of adverse events. Clinical factors related to encrustation were also assessed as a post-hoc analysis. Finally, of the 82 patients analyzed, 75 (91.5%) had encrustation in the inner lumen of the stent. The difference in median inner encrustation volume between the Tria and Polaris Ultra stents was comparable (0.56 vs. 0.37 mm3, P = 0.183). There was no difference observed in the encrustation volume on the outer/total surfaces and stent-related adverse events. In both ureteral stents, the shaft body showed significant inner luminal encrustation compared to the proximal or distal loop (all, P P = 0.027), elevated urine pH (P = 0.046), and crystalluria (P = 0.010) were associated with encrustation formation. The Tria and Polaris Ultra stents had similar efficacy for preventing encrustation in the short-term. Further studies are required to compare their long-term patency.

BACKGROUND Sarcopenia, or reduced muscle mass, can be an important complication in kidney transplant recipients. The skeletal muscles were recently reported to secrete various myokines, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and myostatin, to regulate their mass, function, or both. The aim of the present study was to analyze the interrelationship between myokines (BDNF and myostatin) and skeletal muscle mass in kidney transplant recipients. METHODS The study population comprised 40 patients who underwent kidney transplantation at Kansai Medical University Hospital. Twenty patients had low skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) values, as measured on dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and were categorized into 2 groups (low SMI and normal). RESULTS Mean serum BDNF levels were 15.7 ng/mL in the low SMI group and 17.8 ng/mL in the normal group (P = .013). Mean serum myostatin levels were 362 pg/mL in the low SMI and 267 pg/mL in the normal group (P = .024). There was a significant positive correlation among metabolic equivalents and serum BDNF levels (r = 0.817; P < .001) and a significant negative correlation among metabolic equivalents and serum myostatin levels (r = -0.541; P < .001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that serum BDNF and level of area under curve was 0.712, and serum myostatin level of area under the curve was 0.690. Serum BDNF and myostatin levels showed no significant difference. CONCLUSION These results suggest that BDNF and myostatin are potential biomarkers of reduced muscle mass in kidney transplant recipients.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether robot-assisted partial nephrectomy compared with laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is effective for renal hilar tumor removal. METHODS This was a prospective, multicenter, single-arm, open-label trial with a 2-year enrollment period. A total of 22 academic hospitals in Japan participated in the present study. Comparison with historical control values from reported studies of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy was carried out. The warm ischemia time and positive surgical margin rate were set as primary perioperative and oncological outcomes. In the historical control group, these were 27.7 min and 13%, respectively. RESULTS The analysis population included 105 participants. The mean warm ischemia time was 20.2 (95% confidence interval 16.7-21.8; P

Aim Optimizing nephron supply to recipient demand is a non-immunologic determinant of renal allograft outcome. Nephron reduction is usually caused by physical donor-recipient mismatch, but its pathologic relevance remains to be determined. Methods: Thirty-one recipients of living donor renal transplants were divided into three subgroups: those who received transplants from the same gender (n = 6, Group 1) and those who underwent male-to-female (n = 8, Group 2) and female-to-male (n = 17, Group 3) transplants. Renal mass was evaluated by three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) volumetry before and one year after transplantation. Glomerular volume was determined from protocol biopsies obtained one hour and one year after transplantation. Results Histologically determined glomerular volume in biopsied tissues showed a significant linear correlation with allograft size on 3D-CT volumetry (p

Sarcopenia is an involuntary decline in skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function that normally proceed with aging but may develop faster under some chronic disease conditions. In this study, we compared the physical activity between sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia subgroups in kidney transplant recipients. Fifty-eight recipients (42 males and 16 females) were enrolled in this study. Mean age of the recipients was 46.6 ± 12.7 years. Mean duration of dialysis was 2.8 ± 4.0 years. Diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia referred to those of the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia. The physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the intensity of physical activity was expressed in metabolic equivalents (MET). Based on the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) as well as functional index (HGS, walking speed), the participants were classified into the three subgroups: 12 patients (20.7%) with sarcopenia (Group 1), 25 (43.1%) with presarcopenia (Group 2), and 21 (36.2%) non-sarcopenia (Group 3). Analysis with ANOVA and pairwise comparisons showed that physical activity measured as total MET-min/week was significantly greater in Group 2 (1292 ± 633) than in Group (1484 ± 262). Moreover, physical activity of Group 3 (2461 ± 1339)-min/week was significantly greater than those of Groups 1 and 2. Our data indicate that physical activity is restricted under presarcopenia and sarcopenia after kidney transplantation. Considering that the recipient age is now increasing, proper management of sarcopenia may become more crucial to improve the kidney survival and lifetime prognosis of the kidney transplant recipients.

Introduction Sarcopenia is characterized by an involuntary loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function. Previous studies suggest that it is generally associated with aging and chronic kidney diseases. The focus of this study was on the association between sarcopenia and pre-sarcopenia in kidney transplant recipients. Methods Fifty-one patients who underwent kidney transplantation at Kansai Medical University Hospital were enrolled, and their sarcopenia status was evaluated between April and July 2016. Sarcopenia was defined according to the criteria for the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia. Skeletal muscle mass index was measured by using dual-energy radiograph absorptiometry; the cutoff points were Results Fifty-one recipients (36 men and 15 women) who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. The mean age of the recipients was 46.2 ± 12.8 years, and the mean duration of dialysis was 2.72 ± 3.61 years. Overall, 6 recipients (11.8%) had sarcopenia, and 25 recipients (49.0%) had pre-sarcopenia; 20 (39.2%) did not have sarcopenia. There were significant differences in age, duration of dialysis, body mass index, and triglyceride levels between the subgroups of recipients with and without sarcopenia. Multivariate regression analysis showed that age and duration of dialysis were independent variables for sarcopenic status. Conclusions Our observations indicate that age and duration of dialysis before transplantation were independent determinants of sarcopenia and pre-sarcopenia in these kidney transplant recipients.

Measuring muscle mass is an important step in detecting sarcopenia. The evaluation of sarcopenia is also important for kidney transplant recipients. Methods for estimating muscle mass have been established using computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, which are considered the gold standards. But these methods are invasive and costly, and there is a need for a more practical and simple method using blood samples from kidney transplant recipients. The study population was 62 patients who underwent kidney transplantation at Kansai Medical University Hospital, and were evaluated from August to October 2017. Muscle mass was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum creatinine and cystatin C levels were measured by immunoassay. We analyzed 62 transplant recipients who met the inclusion criteria (20 females and 42 males, mean age of 45.6 ± 12.7 years). The creatinine/cystatin C ratio in the male group was > 1, whereas the creatinine/cystatin C ratio in the female group was

Computed tomography (CT) is considered the gold standard method for the diagnosis and characterization of sarcopenia. The aim of the present study was to determine the correlation between the volume of psoas muscle measured using CT and the measurement of muscle mass with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and bioimpedance analysis (BIA) in kidney transplant recipients.Fifty-eight recipients (42 males and 16 females) were enrolled. Diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia were according to those of the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia. The volume of psoas muscle was extracted using image recognition software from three-dimensional CT images.The volume of psoas muscle was 227.2 ± 61.3 mL in Group 1 (sarcopenia), 283.9 ± 75.3 mL in Group 2 (presarcopenia), and 363.7 ± 138.0 mL in Group 3 (without sarcopenia). Muscle mass measured using DXA was 15.80 ± 3.19 kg in Group 1, 16.36 ± 2.49 kg in Group 2, and 21.21 ± 4.14 kg in Group 3. Additionally, muscle mass assessed using BIA was 17.22 ± 4.11 kg in Group 1, 17.86 ± 3.30 kg in Group 2, and 21.48 ± 5.39 kg in Group 3. There were significant differences in the mean volume of psoas muscle between the 3 groups. There was a significant positive correlation between the volume of psoas muscle and the muscle mass assessed using DXA (r = 0.797; P .001) and BIA (r = 0.761; P .001). Furthermore, there was a significant positive correlation between DXA and BIA (r = 0.900; P .001).It was suggested that estimating muscle mass using DXA and BIA is a preferred method for diagnosis of sarcopenia in kidney transplant recipients.

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between sexual activity and sexual function using questionnaires distributed to middle-aged Japanese patients with localized prostate cancer.A total of 145 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy were enrolled in the survey reported on herein. Sexual activity and sexual function were investigated via the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) and an original self-reported questionnaire.Of participants, 24.1% and 20.7% had sexual activity within a month period as investigated via the EPIC and original questionnaire, respectively. However, 29.7% of all those who reported sexual activity rate reported "about once every 2 months to a year," as shown in the original questionnaire. Regarding sexual function as addressed through EPIC, no results within that questionnaire's measure of sexual function showed significant differences among patients with a rate of actual sexual activity.The present survey showed that more than quarter of preoperative middle-aged Japanese prostate cancer patients surveyed had actual sexual activity, though not within the preceding 4 weeks. To precisely evaluate sexual function of middle-aged Japanese patients, it is necessary to consider actual sexual activity.