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Introduction :Drug-induced acute kidney injury (DI-AKI) is a common renal event with long-term sequelae. However, pathological profile and recovery rate are scarcely reported from north-east India. Thus, we evaluated the commonly implicated nephrotoxic drugs, pathological findings on renal biopsy, and recovery following treatment in patients with DI-AKI. Materials and MethodsThis retrospective, observational study involved the review of Nephrology AKI registry of a tertiary care institute. The review involved data of the adult patients diagnosed with DI-AKI over a period of 24 months (August 2020 to July 2022). Results :During the study period, a total of 182 patients developed DI-AKI. AKI was predominantly caused by antimicrobials (33.52%), alternative medicine (15.38%), and NSAIDs (11.54%).The younger and elderly patients were involved in significantly higher consumption of NSAIDs and alternative medicine, respectively (p-values Conclusion :Antimicrobials, alternative medicine, and NSAIDs were predominantly implicated in DI-AKI. AIN, ALIN, and ATN were the most common biopsy findings with absence of any correlation with the offending agents. Around three quarters of the patients recovered completely. &nbsp

This study was conducted to retrospectively investigate the indications for renal biopsy in the native kidneys of children and to analyze the pathological findings in a single tertiary care hospital in North-East India for the past 12 years. All children (≤18 years) who underwent renal biopsy at our hospital from March 2007 to April 2018 were included. Renal tissue specimens were studied under light and immunofluorescence microscopy. The study group included 254 patients (female 57%). The median age was 15 years (range 6-18 years). The most frequent indications for renal biopsy were nephrotic syndrome (NS) (53.9%), urinary abnormality in systemic disease (22.1%), nephritic syndrome (15.4%), asymptomatic hematuria (4.7%), significant proteinuria (3.1%), and unexplained renal failure (0.8%). On histopathological examination, primary glomerular diseases were the most frequent (68.9%) followed by secondary glomerular diseases (30.3%) and tubulointerstitial diseases (0.8%). The most common primary glomerular diseases were minimal change disease (26.8%), focal segmental glomerular sclerosis (12.2%), diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis (9.1%), membranous nephropathy (8.7%), IgA nephropathy (8.3%), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (2%), and mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (2%). Lupus nephritis (LN) (29.5%) was the most common secondary glomerular disease. NS was the most common indication of renal biopsy, and LN was the most common histopathological diagnosis in children ≤18 years.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Prevention of catheter related blood stream infection (CRBSI) is a major challenge in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Efficacy of 70% ethanol as a catheter lock solution for the treatment of tunnelled cuff catheter's (TCC's) CRBSI is widely studied [1, 2]. Prophylactic use of ethanol lock was limited to small number of studies especially involving paediatric and home parenteral nutrition (HPN) patients [3] and studies in chronic HD patients with TCCs [4, 5]. But its role in prophylaxis of CRBSI for non-tunnelled catheter (NTC's) is less explored. METHOD We conducted a single centre prospective study from May 2019 to May 2020. A total of 62 patients of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring NTC's for the initiation of HD in emergency or maintenance of HD while waiting for the creation or maturation of an already created arteriovenous fistula (AVF) or for TCC insertion were included. The study population was divided into two groups, Group A (n = 31) received 70% ethanol with heparin 2000 IU as a catheter lock solution. Group B (n = 31) received standard heparin 2000 IU as a catheter lock. RESULTS The primary endpoint of the study was the rate of CRBSI, in group A 6.5% (n = 2) it was significantly lower compared with group B 25.8% (n = 8), (P = 0.038) and when the CRBSI rate/1000 days was calculated, for group A it was 2.2/1000 catheter days and for group B it was 9.6/1000 catheter days (P = 0.04). The mean duration of catheter survival was not significantly different for group A (29.97 ± 6.7) days and group B (26.42 ± 8.04) days. CONCLUSION 70% ethanol lock along with heparin may be safe and effective as a catheter lock for prophylaxis of CRBSI.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and renal allograft recipients (RARs) are at increased risk for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Acute kidney injury (AKI) can develop in a patient with COVID-19 infection. Data regarding the outcome of COVID-19 patients affected with renal disease are scarce, especially from northeastern part of India. METHOD We conducted a single-centre, retrospective, observational study, involving hospitalized COVID-19 affected patients with renal disease in Gauhati Medical College, Guwahati between 1 July 2020 and 30 June 2021. Patients with various forms of kidney disease including AKI, CKD, RAR and glomerulonephritis were included. The main aim of the study was to describe the outcome (in-hospital mortality) in this group of patients. RESULTS The study included a total of 384 patients with most patients in the elderly age group (73.7% above 45 years). Most of the patients were male (n = 288, 75%). Those with renal disease were grouped under AKI, CKD, RAR, systemic lupus erythematosus with lupus nephritis (LN) and rapidly progressive GN (RPGN) (20.3%, 75%, 3.4%, 1% and 0.3%, respectively). The mean duration of stay at the hospital was 8.1 days with maximum duration for RAR patients with a mean of 11.2 days. A total of 199 patients (51.8%) died. Mortality data were not available for 19 patients who got transferred to various other departments after recovering from COVID-19. Mortality rates for AKI, CKD, RAR and LN were 37.2%, 55.2%, 53.8% and 75%, respectively. One patient with RPGN also died. CONCLUSION COVID-19 affects patients of all age and sex. CKD patients and those on immunosuppressive agents are at higher risk for mortality.

Diabetes mellitus is the most common cause of chronic kidney disease worldwide. The prevalence of nondiabetic renal disease (NDRD) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) varies widely. This study aimed to evaluate the renal biopsies performed on type 2 diabetic patients for suspicion of NDRD and to correlate clinicopathological findings. All T2DM patients aged > 18 years were included in this study, who had renal biopsy performed for the following reasons: recent-onset nephrotic syndrome, unexplained rapid deterioration of renal function, proteinuria not accompanied by retinopathy, and unexplained hematuria. Renal biopsy was analyzed by light microscopy and immunofluorescence. Based on biopsy findings, the patients were grouped into three: (i) isolated NDRD, (ii) NDRD ± diabetic nephropathy (DN), and (iii) isolated DN. A total of 140 patients were enrolled in this study. Recent-onset nephrotic syndrome was the most common indication for biopsy, followed by the presence of active urine sediment. Forty-two percent of the patients had isolated DN, while NDRD was seen in 34% and DN ± NDRD in 24%. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and IgA nephropathy were the most common causes of isolated NDRD, while chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis (CTIN) was common in NDRD plus DN. Short duration of diabetes, absence of diabetic retinopathy, and lower glycated hemoglobin were predictive of NDRD. NDRD was seen in 58% of the patients with atypical presentations. FSGS and CTIN were common in NDRD diseases. Judicious use of biopsy in diabetic patients with atypical presentation may help in the diagnosis of NDRD.

Background Preeclampsia is an important cause of pregnancy-related acute kidney injury (AKI). The objective of our study was to determine the incidence, characteristics, and maternal and neonatal outcomes of AKI in pregnant women with preeclampsia. Materials and methods A prospective, observational, single-center study from January 2019 to January 2020. Patients admitted with preeclampsia were included. Patients with obstetric complications were excluded. AKI was defined according to Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2012 criteria. Results Total number of patients with preeclampsia was 104, out of which 25% developed AKI. Among those with AKI, nulliparity (61.5%) was the most common risk factor for preeclampsia followed by prior history of preeclampsia (15.4%), pregestational hypertension (11.5%), pregestational diabetes mellitus (3.8%), and chronic kidney disease (3.8%). There was no significant difference in maternal mortality between those with AKI (15.4%) and without AKI (7.7%). Intermittent hemodialysis was needed in 15.4%. At the end of 90 days follow-up, complete recovery of renal function occurred in 53.8%, partial recovery in 23.1% and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in 7.7%. Perinatal death occurred in 26.9%, preterm birth in 23.1% and stillbirth in 7.7% of those with AKI and was not significantly different from those without AKI. The mean of birth weight in newborns delivered by patients with AKI (2.53 ± 0.73 kg) was significantly lower compared to those without AKI (2.82 ± 0.58 kg). Conclusion AKI was associated with a lower mean birth weight of newborns. Complete recovery of renal function was seen in 53.8% of patients with AKI and preeclampsia.

Background and Aims SLE patients have 40% to 70% life time risk of developing lupus nephritis (LN). In LN patients rate of end-stage renal disease is 10%, remaining constant in the last 30 years, even after the emergence of various immunosuppressive therapy. SLE is an example of classical antibody-mediated disease and hence treatment with B cell depleting agent (like the use of Rituximab ) appears to be a promising approach for this unwinnable disease from the Roman era. The aim of this study was to analyze the outcome in terms of - no renal response (NRR), complete renal response (CRR) or partial renal response (PRR) at week 24 after rituximab treatment initiation in refractory LN. CRR considered, if serum creatinine (S Cr) level returned to baseline, with a decline in the 24 hour urinary protein to < 500 mg/day. PRR defined as stabilization (+/-25%), or improvement of S Cr, plus a 50% decrease in 24 hour urinary protein (which was < 3.5 gm/day). NRR considered, if participant did not achieve either a CRR or PRR. Method It is a single center prospective observational study, comparing short term (24 week) outcomes in resistant lupus nephritis patients of >18 year age group with weekly (total 4) dose of rituximab therapy. The study was conducted on 25 refractory lupus nephritis patients admitted in Nephrology Department (not responding to conventional immunosuppressive drugs like cyclophosphamide, MMF). Repeat renal biopsy was performed, all baseline investigations were done. Injection Rituximab 375 mg/m2 weekly 0,1,2,3 week along with premedication treatment were given to every patient. The clinical outcome was assessed monthly post-treatment. Results In the study maximum patients were of class IV, n=21 (84 %). Sustained (6 months post treatment) CRR was achieved in n=6 (24%) patients, n=7 (28%) patients achieved PRR, rest n=12 (48%) patients had NRR. Mean blood absolute CD-19 count was significantly negatively correlated with response to rituximab treatment ( p< 0.001) .Mean absolute CD-19 count was 2.33/microliter in CRR, 2.14/microliter in PRR group and 21.25 / microliter in NRR group . No significant side effects of rituximab were observed. Limitations –Small sample size, single center study, long term follow up not considered. Conclusion In refractory LN patients, 24 weeks after Rituximab treatment

Background and Aims Acute kidney injury (AKI) is rare in women during pregnancy and puerperium. Although sepsis remains the predominant cause of AKI in pregnancy in developing countries, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are important causes and can be life threatening. The primary focus of this study was to analyze the clinical profile as well as maternal and fetal outcomes of AKI in pregnant females with pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Method A prospective study of patients admitted with pre-eclampsia or eclampsia and AKI in Gauhati Medical College Hospital from June 2018 to June 2019. Clinical profiles and outcome data were recorded. AKI was defined according to the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Results A total of 26 cases were recorded. The mean maternal age at delivery was 27.5 ± 5.1 years. At least one recorded preexisting medical condition, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or chronic kidney disease was present in 5 cases (19.2%). Cesarean section was performed in 9 cases (34.6%). Eighteen patients (69.2%) developed AKI in third trimester and 6 (23.1%) within 12 weeks postpartum. Four patients (15.4%) were treated with dialysis. Four women (15.4%) died and 2 (7.7%) remained dialysis dependent 12 weeks after delivery. Low birth weight ( Conclusion AKI in pregnancies with pre-eclampsia or eclampsia can not only lead to maternal mortality and morbidity but also poor perinatal outcomes. Preeclampsia or eclampsia presenting with AKI early during gestation had worse fetal outcomes.

To avoid temporary hemodialysis, urgent initiated PD (UIPD) has been designed. In these patients, PD is initiated within 3 days after PD catheter placement. In this study, we evaluated the outcomes of UIPD in end-stage renal disease patients compared with the conventional start of PD.This is a single-center observational study, comparing outcomes of UIPD to conventional initiation of PD. All patients diagnosed with ESRD from March 2013 to February 2019 and were willing for CAPD were recruited. In UIPD group treatment was initiated at day 2 of catheter insertion with a dialysate volume of 1000 mL per dwell for 2 hours gradually increased to 2000 mL per dwell volume by 8 to 10 days.During the study period, 98 patients were started on peritoneal dialysis in our hospital: 35 UIPD, 63 conventional PD. The mean age was 60.81 ± 13.04 years. 67% of patients were males with diabetes mellitus (32%) being the most common cause of CKD. Among the patients in UIPD, the mean age was 58.49 ± 16.1 years, while as in conventional group mean age was 62.10 ± 10.9 years. The Median follow-up time was 381 days. Technique survival was seen in 95 patients (96.9%). There was no difference in technique failure between UIPD vs conventional group. Total complications in our study occurred in 16 patients out of 98 patients during this period. There was no significant difference in the complication rates between the UIPD group and the conventional group.Our study showed that catheter patency, technique survival, and catheter-related complications were comparable between UIPD and conventional start peritoneal dialysis.

Background Children with nephrotic syndrome (NS) are at risk for the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) through a variety of mechanisms.The frequency of NS hospitalizations complicated by AKI has almost doubled in the last decade. Children with AKI have longer hospital length of stay and increased need for intensive care unit admission. The main objectives of this study were to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, risk factors and short-term outcome of AKI in children hospitalized with NS. Methods In this retrospective study, 355 children ≤18 years of age with a clinical diagnosis of NS admitted in the Department of Nephrology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital from January 2012 to December 2015 were reviewed. Results The incidence of AKI in children with NS was found to be 23.66%, 11.24%, 7.95% and 4.48% of children entered Pediatric Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-Stage Renal Disease (pRIFLE) Stages R, I and F, respectively. Infection {odds ratio [OR] 2.53 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.52–4.22]} and nephrotoxic medication exposure [OR 7.8 (95% CI 4.06–15.01)] were common factors associated with AKI. Children with steroid-dependent NS (SDNS) and steroid-resistant NS (SRNS) were more likely to develop AKI compared with children with steroid-sensitive NS (SSNS). The mean time to recovery for groups pRIFLE Stages R, I and F were 15 ± 2 , 22 ± 3 and 28 ± 5 days, respectively. Children with NS who were hypertensive, had higher urinary protein excretion and low serum albumin were more prone to develop AKI. Conclusions AKI is not uncommon in children with NS. Infection and exposure to nephrotoxic drugs are common factors associated with AKI. AKI is more frequent in SDNS and SRNS compared with SSNS. The mean time to recovery is prolonged with more severe AKI.

Background Pulmonary hypertension is a disorder which worsens systemic diseases. One of the important underlying pathology is end stage chronic kidney disease The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of unexplained PHT, and to relate this to the cardiovascular status and arteriovenous fistula characteristics in ESKD patients on maintenance hemodialysis Methods: 159 patients with end stage kidney disease on maintenance hemodialysis were evaluated, 103 were excluded. Clinical, laboratory parameters were recorded. Systolic Pulmonary artery pressure and cardiac functions were evaluated by echocardiography. Flow across arteriovenous fistula was assessed by Doppler sonography. Patients were divided between the group with and without pulmonary hypertension. It was a cross sectional study. Result: Out of 159 patients, 56 patients who fulfilled inclusion criteria were evaluated, 36% had systolic pulmonary artery pressure of 35 mm Hg, mean age was 52.42 ± 9.12 years, 71.4% were males, and mean duration of end stage kidney disease was 33.66 ±11.56 months. Pulmonary hypertension patients were exposed to longer duration of hemodialysis therapy (p=0.0001) as compared to the patients with no pulmonary hypertension group, they also had a longer duration of functional Arterio venous fistula (p=0.0001), and flow across Arterio venous fistula was significantly more in pulmonary hypertension group (p=0.022), and these also had higher cardiac output (p=0.0001). Patients with Pulmonary hypertension were significantly more anemic, had more hypoalbuminemia and more interdialytic weight gain. Conclusions: Pulmonary hypertension is frequent in end-stage kidney disease patients on maintenance hemodialysis. It appears to be a late complication of hemodialysis with surgically created AVF with implications on cardiovascular status. Keywords: Arterio venous fistula (AVF), End-stage kidney disease (ESKD), Maintenance hemodialysis (MHD), pulmonary hypertension (PHT).Systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP)

Lupus nephritis (LN) is an immune-complex glomerulonephritis that is usually manifested by proteinuria, active urinary sediment, hypertension, and renal failure. The objective of this study is to study the clinical and histopathological profile of LN and the response to treatment with cyclophosphamide. This was a retrospective study conducted in a tertiary care center in Assam, India, where 176 LN patients who underwent renal biopsy were included. The presenting features, laboratory parameters such as proteinuria, hematuria, and the histopathological class of the patients were studied. Among the 176 patients, 89.8% were female and 10.2% were male and maximum patients (61.3%) were in the age group of 20–40 years. Pedal edema was present in 100% of the patients, decreased urine output in 43.7%, malar rash in 38%, joint pain in 42%, hair loss in 63%, hypertension in 41.4%, oral ulcers in 31.8%, seizures in 17%, psychosis in 13%, hematuriain 78.4%, anemia in 72.1%, thrombocytopenia in 51.1%, and leukopenia in 31.7% of patients. The anti-nuclear antibody was positive in all patients and anti-dsDNA was positive in 70.5% of the patients. The most common histopathological type was class IV (50%), followed by class III (17.6%). One hundred and two patients received intravenous cyclophosphamide as initial treatment of whom, 40 received the Eurolupus regimen and 62 received the NIH regimen. The number of patients who underwent remission in both the regimen was compared. The response rate of initial treatment with cyclophosphamide in the Eurolupus group was 62.5% and in the NIH group was 64.5% (P >0.05). Majority of the patients had proliferative LN in this study, of which class IV was the most common. Proliferative LN, if not detected and treated early, leads to poor outcome in terms of patient and renal survival. Hence, patients with systemic lupus erythematosus should be evaluated for kidney involvement and treated accordingly for better outcome.

The aim of this study is to investigate the distinctive clinicopathological characteristics of acute kidney injury (AKI) in immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy and identify the possible risk factors for AKI in IgA nephropathy. This study was a hospital-based retrospective analysis of clinicopthological data of IgA nephropathy. The study was conducted in the Department of Nephrology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Assam, India from the period from January 2012 to December 2016. A total of 169 patients who met the inclusion or exclusion criteria were included in the study. Patient data (clinical/demographic and laboratory data including renal biopsy) were collected and were analyzed to assess the risk factors for AKI in IgA nephropathy. For the purpose of analyses, the patients were divided into two groups, AKI (n = 28) and non-AKI group (n = 141). Twenty-eight patients out of 169 developed AKI. The prevalence of AKI in IgA nephropathy patients in our center was 16.5% (28/169). Most AKI patients were hypertensive, hyperlipidemic, had pre-existing impaired kidney function, and higher baseline serum creatinine, higher serum uric acid, and proteinuria, with lower serum albumin and hemoglobin (P

Background: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is one of the most common glomerular diseases with varied presentations. We aimed to study clinical presentation and outcome of IgAN and correlate with histopathology at the time of presentation. Methods: This is a retrospective study in which we analyzed kidney biopsy data, clinical manifestations and outcome of 137 patients with a diagnosis of primary IgAN from 2012 to 2016. Kidney biopsies were reviewed as per Oxford classification assessing mesangial hypercellularity, endocapillary hypercellularity, segmental sclerosis/adhesion, tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis. Correlation analysis was done for biopsy findings and clinical presentation/outcome. P score less than 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Mean age for presentation was 27.35 years with 83 males and 54 females. Asymptomatic urinary abnormality was the most common clinical presentation (28.5%). Mean serum creatinine was 2.23 ± 2.06mg/dl with mean proteinuria of 1.49 ± 1.43g/day. Mesangial hypercellularity (M) and Endocapillary hypercellularity (E) lesions were significantly associated with proteinuria at the time of biopsy (p=0.02& 0.04 respectively). Segmental glomerulosclerosis (S) and tubular atrophy (T) were significantly associated with eGFR and mean arterial pressure at the time of biopsy. Mean time of follow up was 1.6 years. M1, E0, S1, T0 were the most common lesions. M, S and T lesions in biopsy were significantly associated with decrease in GFR at the end of follow up. Conclusion: In our study, most common presentation of IgAN was AUA with rarity of macroscopic hematuria. M, S and T lesions were associated with decreased GFR on follow up. Key words: IgA Nephropathy, Nephrotic Syndrome, Oxford MEST classification

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the leading causes of chronic diseases globally, with rising incidence and prevalence. It is a major risk factor for cerebrovascular disease and coronary artery disease, which are the main causes of death in this population. The etiology of CKD is varied. This study was performed to evaluate the various etiologies of CKD among patients presenting to the Department of Nephrology, Guwahati Medical College, a tertiary referral center. A total of 5718 CKD patients were evaluated to identify the cause of CKD. The most common cause was found to be diabetes mellitus in 42.2%, followed by chronic glomerulonephritis in 21.4%, hypertension in 19.5%, obstructive uropathy in 6.9%, chronic interstitial nephritis in 3.6%, and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease in 1.5% of the patients. Nearly 2.7% of the patients had CKD of unknown etiology. Most of the common causes of CKD are potentially treatable and initiating appropriate treatment early may prevent the development of CKD or progression to end-stage renal disease.

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is a progressive disorder which has been seen only in patients with chronic kidney disease. It is associated with fibrosis of the skin and connective tissue throughout the body. The skin thickens and becomes hard, rigid, and coarse, which severely restricts movement of the joints. It can also lead to widespread fibrosis of internal organs involving lungs, heart, diaphragm, esophagus, and skeletal muscle, and in some cases may lead to death. Based on case series reports and skin biopsy showing gadolinium (Gd) ions, NSF has been directly linked to Gd contrast exposure given during MRI/MRA. There are over 250 reported cases of NSF worldwide with hundreds still not reported or remaining undiagnosed. Symptoms of NSF appear within 2-75 days, with a mean of 25 days after exposure to Gd contrast. This disorder is not well understood, and more research is needed to obtain information about how Gd causes this condition. Currently there is no effective treatment, so prevention is the only way to avoid this serious illness.