Relationship between plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene alterations and fibrosis in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Peritoneal fibrosis (PF) is a pathological change that occurs mostly long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, as a result of triggering the inflammatory response. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is an important molecule featured in the development of fibrosis. It has been shown in literature that PAI-1 gene alterations are associated with fibrosis in many tissues and organs.

Long-Term Outcomes of Patients With Amyloidosis Following Kidney Transplant.

Objectives: Reported graft and patient survival rates in amyloidosis after renal transplant differ considerably between studies.

Materials And Methods: Group 1 included 24 patients who had end-stage renal disease secondary to amyloidosis. Group 2 (the control group) included 24 consecutive patients who had kidney disease secondary to various causes other than amyloidosis.

Predictors and histopathological characteristics of non-diabetic renal disorders in diabetes: a look from the tubulointerstitial point of view.

Background: Prevalence and characteristics of non-diabetic renal diseases (NDRD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is different between populations, and seems to be largely dependent on biopsy policies.

Aim: To investigate clinical clues for NDRD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and to analyse renal prognosis of patients based on pathological diagnosis.

Methods: We retrospectively searched medical records of 115 patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent a renal biopsy between 2004 and 2018.

Renal tubular P-glycoprotein expression is reduced in plasma cell disorders.

Background: P-glycoprotein (P-gp) transports many chemicals that vary greatly in their structure and function. It is normally expressed in renal proximal tubular cells. We hypothesized that P-gp expression influences light chain excretion.

Clinical significance of mesangial IgM deposition in patients with IgA nephropathy.

Background: Glomerular immunoglobulin G deposition in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) has been shown to be associated with adverse renal outcomes. Clinical significance of mesangial immunoglobulin M (IgM) deposition in these patients remains to be proven.

Methods: One hundred patients who had a diagnosis of IgAN between 2001 and 2017 were enrolled.

Protective effects of taurine against renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats by inhibition of gelatinases, MMP-2 and MMP-9, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling.

Dysregulated expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is closely associated with the pathogenesis of renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R). The production of excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) causes tissue damage. Increased ROS production causes activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, which participates in gene regulation of MMPs, especially MMP-2 and MMP-9 (gelatinases).

Effect of bevacizumab, a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor, on a rat model of peritoneal sclerosis.

Purpose: Peritoneal fibrosis is almost uniform feature encountered in peritoneal dialysis patients. The transition of epithelial cells to mesenchymal phenotype, neovascularization, and consequently development of peritoneal fibrosis occur due to the involvement of peritoneal membrane by various insults such as uremia itself, peritonitis attacks, and exposure to bio-incompatible peritoneal dialysis fluids. Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antihuman antibody developed against vascular endothelial growth factor and can reduce fibrosis by preventing neovascularization.

IgA nephropathy: association of C4d with clinical and histopathological findings and possible role of IgM.

Background: In patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) lectin and alternative pathways of the complement can be activated. Our aim was to analyze the association of glomerular and extraglomerular C4d staining--the representative of lectin pathway-with demographic, clinical and histopathological findings in primary IgAN patients.

Design: Seventy-three patients were enrolled and after re-evaluation 37 of them were included in this study.

Once-monthly continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) for haemoglobin maintenance in haemodialysis patients with chronic renal anaemia.

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of once-monthly continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) for maintenance of stable haemoglobin (Hb) levels in adult chronic renal anaemia patients on dialysis according to local clinical judgment in Turkey.

Methods: This was a prospective, open-label, single-arm, multi-centre study conducted in 20 centres in Turkey. After a 4-week screening period, eligible patients receiving conventional erythropoiesis-stimulating agents were converted to monthly intravenous CERA and entered a 16-week CERA dose-titration period (DTP) followed by an 8-week efficacy evaluation period (EEP) and a 4-week safety follow-up.

Can primary failure of arteriovenous fistulas be anticipated?

Primary failure, early thrombosis, and inadequate maturation are the main complications encountered in arteriovenous fistulas. Doppler ultrasonographic assessment of flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) is currently used for the early diagnosis of atherosclerosis. Clinical experience in the use of FMD for preoperative assessment of vasculature is rather limited; therefore, we sought to elucidate the relationship between preoperative FMD and primary failure of the fistula.

The effects of alpha-lipoic acid on MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities in a rat renal ischemia and re-perfusion model.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are enzymes that are responsible for degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM); they are involved in the pathogenesis of ischemia-re-perfusion (I-R) injury. We investigated the possible preventive effect of alpha-lipoic acid (LA) in a renal I-R injury model in rats by assessing its reducing effect on the expression and activation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 induced by I-R. Rats were assigned to four groups: control, sham-operated, I-R (saline, i.

The impact of diabetes mellitus on peritoneal dialysis: the Turkey Multicenter Clinic Study.

Purpose: It is well established that diabetic peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients have a higher mortality rate than the other PD population. This study was designed to determine the overall predictors of survival and compared mortality and morbidity between diabetic and non-diabetic Turkish PD patients.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study with 915 PD patients [217 had diabetes mellitus (DM)].

Kidney transplant recipients with functioning grafts for more than 15 years.

Background: Renal transplantation is the best renal replacement therapy because it significantly improves patient survival. The developments in transplantation and increasing number of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have unmasked long-term complications secondary to immunosuppressive drugs and chronic renal failure.

Methods And Results: Eighty-six renal transplant recipients with grafts that have functioned more than 15 years were included in the study.

Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in adults with chronic kidney disease in Turkey: results from the CREDIT study.

Background: In the Chronic REnal Disease in Turkey-CREDIT Study, a large populationbased study on 10,748 adults, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and relationship between CKD and other cardiovascular risk factors had been studied.

Methods: This report presents the results of CREDIT study on the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension among CKD patients.

Results: The prevalence and awareness of hypertension in CREDIT population was 32.

Arm circumference: its importance for dialysis patients in the obesity era.

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to investigate the association between arm circumference and body mass index (BMI) and to discuss problems, mainly arm circumference and cuff size mismatch, that could affect the reliability of home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) among peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods: 525 PD and 502 HD patients from 16 centers were included in the study. A two-part questionnaire was used to gather information from the participants.

Unusual case of severe late-onset cytomegalovirus-induced hemorrhagic cystitis and ureteritis in a renal transplant patient.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is common in solid organ transplant recipients and accounts for the majority of graft compromise. Major risk factors include primary exposure to CMV infection at the time of transplantation and the use of antilymphocyte agents such as OKT3 (the monoclonal antibody muromonab-CD3) and antithymocyte globulin. It most often develops during the first 6 months after transplantation.

Pioglitazone reduces peritoneal fibrosis via inhibition of TGF-β, MMP-2, and MMP-9 in a model of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis.

Objective: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) were increased in peritoneal dialysis patients with encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) and in chlorhexidine gluconate (CG)-induced peritoneal sclerosing animal models. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are the major regulators of key metabolic pathways of various inflammatory responses in fibrosing processes in most tissues. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of pioglitazone (Pio), a synthetic PPAR-γ ligand, on the development of peritoneal fibrosis in CG-induced EPS rats.

Results of 4-year analysis of conversion from calcineurin inhibitors to mTOR inhibitors in renal transplant patients: single-center experience.

In this retrospective study, 83 patients were accepted. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) group consisting of 37 patients were converted from calcineurin inhibitors (CNI), and the control group included 46 patients (initially CNI-receiving patients). As a control-match of each mTOR inhibitor patient, the succeeding patient with transplantation who continued CNI therapy was chosen.

Tuberculosis in renal transplant recipients.

Background: Renal transplant recipients should be considered at high risk for development of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (tuberculosis, TB). TB is relatively more frequent among transplant recipients than general population, depending on its epidemicity in the geographic region. Clinical manifestations in this group of patients may be atypical and deserve aggressive investigations for diagnosis.

Quantification of immune deposits in renal diseases.

In this series of renal diseases, in addition to semiquantitative scoring of direct immunofluorescein images, the immune deposits were quantified by image analysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate quantitative measurements for diagnosis and prognosis of renal immune complex diseases. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy (n=27, 54%), membranous nephropathy (n=8, 16%), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (n=8, 16%), and systemic lupus erithematosus nephritis cases (n=7, 14%) were evaluated by semiquantitative scores (SS) for IgG, IgA, IgM, C3, C1q, λ, and κ.

A population-based survey of Chronic REnal Disease In Turkey--the CREDIT study.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing health problem worldwide that leads to end-stage kidney failure and cardiovascular complications. We aimed to determine the prevalence of CKD in Turkey, and to evaluate relationships between CKD and cardiovascular risk factors in a population-based survey.

Methods: Medical data were collected through home visits and interviews.

Decrease in cell proliferation by an matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor, doxycycline, in a model of immune-complex nephritis.

Aim: Renal expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and tissue inhibitors of MMP (TIMP) contribute to the development of tubulointerstitial fibrosis characteristic of progressive forms of primary glomerulonephritis (GN). The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of MMP inhibitor, doxycycline, administration in an experimental rat model of immune-complex nephritis (ICN).

Methods: The induction of immune-complex glomerulonephritis was carried out by the administration of an i.

A rare cause of renovascular hypertension: Takayasu arteritis with only renal artery involvement.

Takayasu arteritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects mainly the aorta, main branches of aorta, and pulmonary arteries with unknown etiology. Disease affecting solely the renal arteries is rare. We will present a case that had hypertension, hypokalemia, and metabolic alkalosis where the etiology was type 2 Takayasu arteritis, affecting renal arteries.