Sex-Specific Obesity Paradox in Critically Ill Patients With Severe Acute Kidney Injury: A Retrospective Analysis.

Objectives: Although obesity is typically correlated with adverse outcomes in various diseases, certain acute critical illnesses exhibit a phenomenon known as the obesity paradox. This study evaluated sex-specific differences in the prognostic implications of the body mass index (BMI) of patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT).

Design: A multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Safety of the reduced fixed dose of mycophenolate mofetil confirmed via therapeutic drug monitoring in de novo kidney transplant recipients.

Background: Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is usually prescribed with a reduced fixed dose in Asian kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). However, the clinical efficacy and safety of the fixed dose have not yet been investigated via therapeutic drug monitoring. We evaluated whether reduced fixed-dose MMF is an optimal dosing strategy to achieve the therapeutic target of mycophenolic acid (MPA) exposure in Korean KTRs.

The impact of shortening patient-doctor contact duration on early peritoneal dialysis-related infections.

Early peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related infection is a severe complication. This study investigated the relationship between patient-doctor contact (PDC) duration and early PD-related infection. In the Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (PDOPPS) Korea, incident dialysis patients receiving PD were divided into two groups based on PDC duration (< 15 min versus ≥ 15 min), which was defined as the duration a nephrologist typically spends with a patient receiving PD during each visit according to the facility practice pattern.

The impact of quality of life on the survival of elderly patients with end-stage renal disease: a prospective multicenter cohort study in Korea.

Background: Quality of life (QOL) is associated with mortality in dialysis patients. However, the impact of QOL index or score on elderly patients undergoing maintenance dialysis is unclear. We analyzed the relationship between QOL domains and survival in elderly end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on dialysis.

Cardioprotective Effect of SGLT2 Inhibitor in Diabetic Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Multicenter Propensity Score Matched Study.

Introduction: Kidney transplantation (KT) improves the cardiovascular outcomes of patients with end-stage kidney disease. However, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of premature death and graft loss in KT recipients (KTRs) with diabetes. We evaluated the cardioprotective effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) in KTRs with diabetes.

Successful treatment with rituximab in anti-phospholipid syndrome nephropathy associated with systemic lupus erythematosus: A case report and literature review.

Anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) nephropathy is an autoimmune disease that is sometimes accompanied by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here, we report the use of rituximab to treat a case of APS nephropathy in a SLE patient with recurrent vascular thrombosis. A 52-year-old woman, who had been diagnosed with SLE 11 years earlier, was referred to a nephrology clinic for evaluation of azotaemia and proteinuria.

4-Color Flow Cytometric Crossmatch Using Whole Blood Lysis.

Background: In lymphocyte crossmatch using flow cytometry (flow cytometric crossmatch, FCXM), the conventional tricolor FCXM protocol requires a mononuclear cell isolation step. To develop a new, more streamlined protocol, we introduced whole blood lysis (WBL) and CD45 fluorescence-triggered acquisition using 4-color flow cytometry.

Methods: A total of 186 donor/recipient pairs for transplantation were classified into donor-specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alloantibody-positive (DSA+, n = 78) and DSA-negative (DSA-, n = 108) groups.

Phosphate level predicts mortality in acute kidney injury patients undergoing continuous kidney replacement therapy and has a U-shaped association with mortality in patients with high disease severity: a multicenter retrospective study.

Background: This study investigated the association between serum phosphate level and mortality in acute kidney injury (AKI) patients undergoing continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT) and evaluated whether this association differed according to disease severity.

Methods: Data from eight tertiary hospitals in Korea were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were classified into four groups (low, normal, high, and very high) based on their serum phosphate level at baseline.

Clinical Outcomes of Solid Organ Transplant Recipients Hospitalized with COVID-19: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study.

Background: Solid-organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) receiving immunosuppressive therapy are expected to have worse clinical outcomes from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, published studies have shown mixed results, depending on adjustment for important confounders such as age, variants, and vaccination status.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively collected the data on 7,327 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from two tertiary hospitals with government-designated COVID-19 regional centers.

Anuria after kidney transplantation diagnosed as early recurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis combined with acute calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity: a case report and literature review.

Background: Primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a glomerular disease that sometimes recurs in patients after kidney transplantation (KT) and increases the risk of graft loss. Proteinuria is a common early sign of recurrent FSGS, but an abrupt decrease in urine volume is rare. Herein, we report a patient with early recurrence of FSGS with anuria following KT.

Dual Immunoglobulin Domain-Containing Cell Adhesion Molecule Increases Early in Renal Tubular Cell Injury and Plays Anti-Inflammatory Role.

Dual immunoglobulin domain-containing cell adhesion molecule (DICAM) is a type I transmembrane protein that presents in various cells including renal tubular cells. This study evaluated the expression and protective role of DICAM in renal tubular cell injury. HK-2 cells were incubated and treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 30 μg/mL) or hydrogen peroxide (HO, 100 μM) for 24 h.

Factors Associated with Acute Kidney Injury Occurrence and Prognosis in Rhabdomyolysis at the Emergency Department.

This study aimed to analyze patients with rhabdomyolysis who presented to emergency departments and identify their distribution of related disease and prognostic factors. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients with rhabdomyolysis who presented to emergency departments over a 10-year period. Patient data, including patients' demographic variables (sex and age), mode of arrival, final diagnosis, statin use, rhabdomyolysis trigger factors, and levels of serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK), myoglobin, creatinine, sodium, potassium, phosphate, calcium, and lactate, were analyzed.

Impact of Ring Finger Protein 20 and Its Downstream Regulation on Renal Tubular Injury in a Unilateral Nephrectomy Mouse Model Fed a High-Fat Diet.

Abnormal lipid metabolism increases the relative risk of kidney disease in patients with a single kidney. Using transcriptome analysis, we investigated whether a high-fat diet leads to abnormalities in lipid metabolism and induces kidney cell-specific damage in unilateral nephrectomy mice. Mice with unilateral nephrectomy fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks exhibited progressive renal dysfunction in proximal tubules, including lipid accumulation, vacuolization, and cell damage.

The Impact of C-Reactive Protein-To-Albumin Ratio on Mortality in Patients with Acute Kidney Injury Requiring Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Introduction: C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) is a prognostic marker in various diseases that represents patients' inflammation and nutritional status. Here, we aimed to investigate the prognostic value of CAR in critically ill patients with severe acute kidney injury requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT).

Methods: We retrospectively collected data from eight tertiary hospitals in Korea from 2006-2021.

Atomically Ordered PdCu Electrocatalysts for Selective and Stable Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction.

Electrochemical nitrate reduction (NO RR) has attracted attention as an emerging approach to mitigate nitrate pollution in groundwater. Here, we report that a highly ordered PdCu alloy-based electrocatalyst exhibits selective (91% N), stable (480 h), and near complete (94%) removal of nitrate without loss of catalyst. In situ and ex situ XAS provide evidence that structural ordering between Pd and Cu improves long-term catalyst stability during NORR.

Catastrophic rhabdomyolysis following breast reconstruction operation using an abdominal flap: a case report.

Background: Rhabdomyolysis is a potentially fatal clinical syndrome resulting from the damage or breakdown of skeletal muscle, which can also lead to permanent disabilities. Based on our review of studies on rhabdomyolysis after prolonged surgeries, no other cases of rhabdomyolysis caused by muscle injury in the buttock area following breast reconstruction have been reported, making the current report the first to share information related to patient conditions and treatment progress in such cases.

Case Description: Here, we present the case of a 57-year-old Asian patient with left breast cancer.

The impact of severe depression on the survival of older patients with end-stage kidney disease.

Background: Incidence of depression increases in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). We evaluated the association between depression and mortality among older patients with ESKD, which has not been studied previously.

Methods: This nationwide prospective cohort study included 487 patients with ESKD aged >65 years, who were categorized into minimal, mild-to-moderate, and severe depression groups based on their Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) scores.