COVAN Leading to ESKD Despite Minimal COVID Symptoms.

We report a case of dialysis dependence in a patient with COVID-19-associated nephropathy (COVAN) who had minimal respiratory manifestations. A 25-year-old man with a history of multiple sclerosis in remission presented with mild dyspnea due to COVID-19 pneumonia and was found to have rapidly worsening kidney function. He only required nasal cannula and was able to be weaned off within a few days.

A Case of IgG4-Related Kidney Disease Developing While on Steroid Treatment for Autoimmune IgG4 Pancreatitis.

IgG4 (immunoglobulin G4)-related systemic disease is an autoimmune process affecting multiple organ systems. This inflammatory process can present as but not limited to pancreatitis, cholangitis, or unspecified kidney disease. In this case, our patient developed IgG4-related kidney disease while already on a prolonged steroid course for IgG4-related pancreatitis.

A Case of Refractory Myxedema Coma.

We present a case of myxedema coma refractory to traditional treatments. Morbidity and mortality from myxedema coma are frequently due to a missed or delayed diagnosis. It tends to respond very well to intravenous levothyroxine replenishment as long as this treatment is initiated early.

Predicting Long Term Outcome in Patients Treated With Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device: The Penn-Columbia Risk Score.

Background: Predicting which patients are unlikely to benefit from continuous flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) treatment is crucial for the identification of appropriate patients. Previously developed scoring systems are limited to past eras of device or restricted to specific devices. Our objective was to create a risk model for patients treated with continuous flow LVAD based on the preimplant variables.

A novel patient-centered "intention-to-treat" metric of U.S. lung transplant center performance.

Despite the importance of pretransplantation outcomes, 1-year posttransplantation survival is typically considered the primary metric of lung transplant center performance in the United States. We designed a novel lung transplant center performance metric that incorporates both pre- and posttransplantation survival time. We performed an ecologic study of 12 187 lung transplant candidates listed at 56 U.

Serum exosomal protein profiling for the non-invasive detection of cardiac allograft rejection.

Background: Exosomes are cell-derived circulating vesicles that play an important role in cell-cell communication. Exosomes are actively assembled and carry messenger RNAs, microRNAs and proteins. The "gold standard" for cardiac allograft surveillance is endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), an invasive technique with a distinct complication profile.

Recovery of Serum Cholesterol Predicts Survival After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

Background: Advanced systolic heart failure is associated with myocardial and systemic metabolic abnormalities, including low levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein. Low cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein have been associated with greater mortality in heart failure. Implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) reverses some of the metabolic derangements of advanced heart failure.