Could incremental haemodialysis be a new standard of care? A suggestion from a long-term observational study.

The term incremental haemodialysis (HD) means that both dialysis dose and frequency can be low at dialysis inception but should be progressively increased, to compensate for any subsequent reduction in residual kidney function. Policy of the Matera Dialysis Center is to attempt an incremental start of HD without a strict low-protein diet in all patients choosing HD and with urine output (UO) >500 ml/day. The present study aimed at analyzing the results of this policy over the last 20 years.

The lacking equation that estimates the protein catabolic rate in patients on once-weekly haemodialysis.

Background: The normalized protein catabolic rate (PCRn) is one of the key indices derived from the urea kinetic model (UKM) in haemodialysis (HD) patients. Ideally, it should be assessed using the double pool UKM (KDOQI clinical practice guidelines, AIKD, 2015), as the web-based software Solute-Solver (SS) does (Daugirdas et al., AJKD, 2009).

[Identification of a new mutation of the NPHP1 gene].

Kidney cystic diseases are inherited disorders causing chronic renal failure. According to the genetic defect they are classified as diseases of the primary ciliary complex and uromodulin-associated diseases. Mutations in genes coding for ciliary proteins are the basis of a broad category of genetic diseases, called ciliopathies.

Altered p53 and pRb expression is predictive of response to BCG treatment in T1G3 bladder cancer.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of p53 and retinoblastoma protein (pRb) expression in patients with stage T1 grade 3 (T1G3) bladder cancer (BC) treated by transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT) and intravesical instillations of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG).

Materials And Methods: p53 and pRb expression were independently recorded within a homogeneous series of 27 patients. Fisher exact test and the log-rank test were carried out, along with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

Early assessment of renal resistance index after kidney transplant can help predict long-term renal function.

Background: Color Doppler ultrasonography of intrarenal arterial resistance index (RI), performed early after kidney transplant, has proven to reliably predict short-term allograft function. The aim of this study was to assess whether it could also predict long-term renal function.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed 76 kidney transplant patients who underwent RI assessment within 1 month after the transplant, subdivided into two groups according to RI values, lower (group A) or higher (group B) than its median value (0.

LDL-apheresis accelerates the recovery of nonarteritic acute anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.

Nonarteritic acute anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is a disabling disease which impairs visual function. It is presumed to result from disturbances of microcirculation in the anterior portion of the optic nerve head due to hemodynamic factors derived from excessive blood viscosity, or restriction of the vasal lumen in hypertensive, hypercholesterolemic, diabetic patients. We aimed to determine whether acute reduction of plasma fibrinogen and serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is effective for treatment of NAION.

Renal vascular resistance and renin-angiotensin system in the pathogenesis of early hypertension in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been proposed to increase renal vascular resistance (RVR) and to play a role in the development of hypertension in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship among RVR, RAS and blood pressure (BP) profile in patients without renal impairment. Thirty-four ADPKD patients underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) over a 24-h period and were divided into two groups: 17 hypertensive (group A, day-systolic BP > or = 135 mmHg and/or day-diastolic BP > or = 85 mmHg) and 17 normotensive (group B, day-BP < 135/85 mmHg) patients.