Comparative Analysis of Vascular Calcification Risk Factors in Pre-Hemodialysis and Prevalent Hemodialysis Adult Patients: Insights into Calcification Biomarker Associations and Implications for Intervention Strategies in Chronic Kidney Disease.

This retrospective study aimed to compare risk factors for vascular calcification (VC) between pre-hemodialysis (HD) and prevalent HD adult patients while investigating associations with calcification biomarkers. Baseline data from 30 pre-HD and 85 HD patients were analyzed, including iPTH, vitamin D, FGF 23, fetuin-A, sclerostin, and VC scores (Adragao method). Prevalence of VC was similar in both groups, but HD patients had more frequent VC scores ≥ 6.

Dual Roles of the Mineral Metabolism Disorders Biomarkers in Prevalent Hemodilysis Patients: In Renal Bone Disease and in Vascular Calcification.

Background: Vascular calcification (VC) is highly prevalent in dialysis (HD) patients, and its mechanism is multifactorial. Most likely that systemic or local inhibitory factor is overwhelmed by promoters of VC in these patients. VC increased arterial stiffness, and left ventricular hypertrophy.

How common is Balkan endemic nephropathy among immigrants in endemic regions?

Purpose: In the early 1970s, a number of authors described the development of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) in immigrants in endemic regions. The aim of this study was to examine whether immigrants in endemic regions are suffering from BEN today.

Methods: The study involved 193 residents of two endemic regions divided into three groups: two groups of native residents-(1) members of BEN families, (2) members of non-BEN families, and (3) immigrants, who had moved from non-affected settlements to the endemic regions of Kolubara (38 years ago) or Semberia (20 years ago).

Consensus statement on screening, diagnosis, classification and treatment of endemic (Balkan) nephropathy.

Currently used diagnostic criteria in different endemic (Balkan) nephropathy (EN) centers involve different combinations of parameters, various cut-off values and many of them are not in agreement with proposed international guidelines. Leaders of EN centers began to address these problems at scientific meetings, and this paper is the outgrowth of those discussions. The main aim is to provide recommendations for clinical work on current knowledge and expertise.

[Different response to human recombinant erythropoietin in patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment].

Introduction: Treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin enabled the correction of anemia in the patients on regular hemodialysis but large individual differences in the dose required to achieve the target hemoglobin level were observed. In this study the erythropoietin resistance index was calculated in patients on hemodialysis in order to examine variations in the response to erythropoietin and factors that influence it.

Material And Methods: The study included 48 patients (25 males) of mean age 67.

Screening of a population at risk of chronic kidney disease: analysis of factors associated with low eGFR and microalbuminuria.

Background And Objective: Numerous screenings of chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been performed all over the world. This screening study was undertaken with the aim of estimating the prevalence of low glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and microalbuminuria (MAU) and/or proteinuria in a population at risk for CKD and to detect factors associated with these CKD markers.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1617 patients without previously known kidney disease who came for regular check-ups to their general practitioners in 13 Belgrade health centers over a 3-month period.

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 in Balkan endemic nephropathy.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to compare plasma and urine transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) levels in patients with different stages of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) with those in patients with primary glomerulonephritis (GN) and healthy controls.

Methods: The study involved 47 patients with BEN (30 with manifest BEN and 17 in the early stage of BEN), 12 patients with GN and 10 healthy controls. Plasma and urine TGF-beta1 was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Factors associated with hyperhomocysteinemia after renal transplantation.

Recent studies show that clinically stable renal transplant recipients have an increased prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (hyperHcy), but the mechanism of this disorder has not yet been elucidated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the factors associated with hyperHcy after a successful renal transplantation. In 106 stable renal transplant recipients, total serum Hcy level (tHcy), folate, total protein, serum creatinine concentration, creatinine clearance, lipid status, body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), and body fat (BF) were determined.

Lupus nephritis: histopathologic features, classification and histologic scoring in renal biopsy.

Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most significant manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), although in some cases there is no direct correlation among clinical, serologic and histologic findings. Therefore, renal biopsy and histopathologic classification by the activity and chronicity assessment of LN are considered necessary before the initiation of the treatment. In this paper 311 renal biopsies in patients with LN were analyzed and classified according to the WHO Classification published in 1974.

Serum cystatin C and beta2-microglobulin as markers of glomerular filtration rate.

Continuous efforts have been made to find out precise and simple method for determination of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Cystatin C (cysteine proteinase inhibitor = CyC) is a low molecular weight (LMW) protein which is produced constantly by all nucleated cells independently of different pathological conditions and eliminated from the blood exclusively by glomeruli. So, CyC closely reflects the GFR.

Survival of Balkan endemic nephropathy patients.

The retrospective cohort study comprised 97 Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) and BEN-suspected patients discovered in 1971 in the field examination in the village of Sopić, one of the regions most frequently affected by the disease. Our aim was to determine the outcome of the disease in patients and to compare the survival of BEN-suspected and BEN-manifested patients and the survival of their kidneys. The mean survival time was 16.

Erythropoietin and improvement of anemia in long-term hemodialysis patients.

Two groups, with 4 patients each were selected for study out of 155 patients on regular hemodialysis (HD): Group I, with hematocrit (PCV) less than 20% and group II, with PCV greater than 30%. The patients in both groups had been anemic at the start of HD treatment, but a significant improvement in their anemia had occurred only among the patients in the Group II. The main difference between the two patient groups, other than the degree of anemia, was found to be in serum erythropoietin (Ep) levels.

Middle molecular weight substances and uremic polyneuropathy.

A group of 25 uremic patients on regular hemodialysis was examined during 12 months after six-hour dialyses twice a week were changed to five-hour dialyses thrice a week. Twelve of the patients suffered from polyneuropathy, while 13 did not show signs of this uremic complication. The effect was studied of the increase of the amount of dialyses on the severity of polyneuropathy, checked by neurological and electromyographic methods, as well as on the serum levels of uremic middle molecular weight substances (MMS).