Various high-efficiency hemodialysis techniques exist, including different online high- volume hemodiafiltration (HDF) modes and expanded hemodialysis (HDx) utilizing dialyzers with medium cut-off (MCO) membranes. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of uremic toxin removal among four modalities: (I) HDx, (II) pre-dilution HDF (PRE-HDF), (III) mixed-dilution HDF (MIX-HDF), and (IV) post-dilution HDF (POST-HDF), each applied for 1 week in a randomized order. This research was a single-center, prospective, open-label, exploratory crossover study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCardiovascular complications in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) are frequently investigated extrarenal manifestations with contradictory outcomes. The primary goal of this study is to explore the prevalence of cardiovascular abnormalities using echocardiography and analyze their associations with clinical characteristics at different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression in ADPKD patients. We included sixty-eight patients in the study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Gut microbiota generates a series of bioactive metabolites that can be converted into uremic toxins such as trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), p-cresyl sulfate (pCS), and indoxyl sulfate (IS). The aim of the study was to examine the association between diet and the concentrations of the mentioned gut microbiota-derived uremic toxins.
Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted involving 210 participants: 84 hemodialysis (HD) patients, 44 peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, 52 kidney transplant recipients (KTR), and 30 healthy controls.
: The tacrolimus concentration-to-dose (C/D) ratio is valuable for optimizing nephrotoxicity-related renal outcomes. Prospective data on the C/D ratio in kidney transplant recipients newly treated with MeltDose tacrolimus are limited. We analyzed the C/D ratio pattern of MeltDose tacrolimus and its effect on posttransplant renal function, comparing it with the literature data on immediate-release tacrolimus (IR-Tac).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients have an increased risk of infections and infection-related mortality. Therefore, during the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, SLE patients were particularly vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infections. Also, compared to other patients, SLE patients seem to develop more severe manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with higher rates of hospitalization, invasive ventilation requirements, or death.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic kidney disease (CKD) is linked to an elevated risk of malnutrition and sarcopenia, contributing to the intricate network of CKD-related metabolic disorders. Adipokines and myokines are markers and effectors of sarcopenia and nutritional status. The aim of this study was to assess whether the adipokine-myokine signature in patients on kidney replacement therapy could help identify malnutrition and sarcopenia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe diagnosis of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is made when the estimated glomerular filtration rate is less than 15 mL/min/1.73 m2. Most patients with that stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are eligible for renal replacement treatment, which includes kidney transplantation, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitides (AAV) is a group of systemic necrotizing small vessel autoimmune diseases, with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) being the two most common. The co-existence of AAV with different immune-mediated diseases (autoimmune disesases - AID) might affect the clinical presentation of the primary disease. The purpose of the study was to assess the co-existence of AAV with AID and to investigate whether it affects the characteristics and the course of AAV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: May-Thurner syndrome (MTS) is an extrinsic venous compression by the arterial system against bony structures in the iliocaval territory. The most common variant of MTS is due to compression of the left iliac vein between the overlying right common iliac artery and the fifth lumbar vertebrae. The prevalence of MTS is unknown; therefore, there are only a few publications about MTS in kidney transplant recipients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFElevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were found in 139 of 472 kidney donors from our transplant center tested between 2009 and 2022, representing 29%. The mean age of these donors was 47.3 years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The increasing number of highly immunized patients waiting for kidney transplantation is a significant problem in Europe as the proportion of such patients has doubled in the last decade. Transplantation in this group is enabled by desensitization methods, i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The increase in intraocular pressure during hemodialysis challenges nephrologists and ophthalmologists. It most often affects patients with previously diagnosed glaucoma and is particularly dangerous in the setting of diabetic retinopathy. Hypoperfusion and hypoxia of the retina may occur, leading to pathologic neovascularization in the retina and the anterior chamber angle.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The European Renal Association (ERA) Registry collects data on kidney replacement therapy (KRT) in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). This paper is a summary of the ERA Registry Annual Report 2021, including a comparison across treatment modalities.
Methods: Data was collected from 54 national and regional registries from 36 countries, of which 35 registries from 18 countries contributed individual patient data and 19 registries from 19 countries contributed aggregated data.
Background: The long-term success of organ transplantation (Tx) depends on the transplant recipient's ability to self-manage symptoms, treatment, lifestyle changes, and psychosocial consequences. Health behavior (HB) determinants include personality traits such as optimism, self-efficacy, and health locus of control.
Purpose: Assessing the relationship between personal resources and expectations and health behaviors of organ transplant recipients.
Irisin is a myokine with potential effects on glucose metabolism and the development of diabetes in humans. We analysed irisin serum levels (ISL) in 47 patients without diabetes before and 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks after kidney transplantation (KTx). All measurements of irisin before KTx levels were lower than 25 ng/mL (median 8.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground/aim: Tremor is common with tacrolimus treatment and is linked with peak blood drug concentrations. We investigated the effect of switching from immediate-release tacrolimus (IR-TAC) to MeltDose prolonged-release tacrolimus (LCPT) on tremor in kidney transplant recipients experiencing tremor at therapeutic levels of IR-TAC.
Methods: The Activities of Daily Living Subscale (ADL, range 0-48, lower = better) of the Essential Tremor Rating Scale was used to assess the effect of therapy change on speech, occupational impairment and social activities over a 12-month follow-up period.
Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are highly prevalent in CKD, affecting over 80% of hemodialysis (HD) patients and requiring therapeutic intervention. Nephrological societies suggest the administration of cholecalciferol according to the guidelines for the general population. The aim of the observational study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the therapy with a high dose of cholecalciferol in HD patients with 25(OH)D deficiency and insufficiency to reach the target serum 25(OH)D level > 30 ng/mL.
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