Micro RNA-155 inhibitor as a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of acute kidney injury (AKI): a nanomedicine perspective.

In this study, we have prepared miR-155 inhibitor-loaded liposome vesicles for the effective treatment of acute kidney injury. The efficacy of liposomal miR-155 inhibitor in the expression of miR-155, mortality in animals, the expression of TNF-α-IL6, and the expression of SOCS1-STAT1 were evaluated. The loading of miR-155 inhibitor into liposomes conferred the much needed colloidal stability and efficient delivery to the renal tissues.

Combination therapy with lamivudine and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker for hepatitis B virus-associated glomerulonephritis with mild to moderate proteinuria: a clinical review of 38 cases.

Purpose: The treatment of HBV-associated glomerulonephritis (HBV-GN) is still a challenge in clinical practice now. The objective of this study was to report the pathological characteristics of HBV-GN presenting with mild to moderate proteinuria and to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of lamivudine (LAM) in combination with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) as compared to ACEI/ARB monotherapy.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study in HBV-GN patients between 2005 and 2014.

Effects of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists on the progression of diabetic nephropathy.

Aims/introduction: We aimed to evaluate the potential benefits and adverse effects of adding a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and/or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), as standard treatment in patients with diabetic nephropathy.

Materials And Methods: We scanned the Embase, PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases for human clinical trials published in English until June 2016, evaluating renal outcomes in patients with diabetic nephropathy.

Results: A total of 18 randomized controlled trials involving 1,786 patients were included.

Whole exome sequencing reveals novel COL4A3 and COL4A4 mutations and resolves diagnosis in Chinese families with kidney disease.

Background: Collagen IV-related nephropathies, including thin basement membrane nephropathy and Alport Syndrome (AS), are caused by defects in the genes COL4A3, COL4A4 and COL4A5. Diagnosis of these conditions can be hindered by variable penetrance and the presence of non-specific clinical or pathological features.

Methods: Three families with unexplained inherited kidney disease were recruited from Shanghai, China.

Increased CD45RA+ FoxP3(low) regulatory T cells with impaired suppressive function in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: The role of naturally occurring regulatory T cells (Treg) in the control of the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has not been well defined. Therefore, we dissect the phenotypically heterogeneous CD4(+)FoxP3(+) T cells into subpopulations during the dynamic SLE development. METHODLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To evaluate the proliferative and suppressive capacities of different CD4(+) T cell subgroups between active SLE patients and healthy donors, we employed CD45RA and CD25 as surface markers and carboxyfluorescein diacetatesuccinimidyl ester (CFSE) dilution assay.

Imbalance of regulatory T cells to Th17 cells in IgA nephropathy.

Background: Dysregulation of CD4 (+) T cell subsets participates in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). FoxP3 (+) regulatory T cells (Treg) and Th17 cells are two novel subsets of CD4 (+) T cells. This study aims to investigate Treg/Th17 balance in IgAN patients.

Combination of maintenance hemodialysis with hemoperfusion: a safe and effective model of artificial kidney.

Objective: To investigate whether the combination of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) with hemoperfusion (HP) could improve the clearance rate of middle and large molecule uremic toxins so as to improve the quality of life of MHD patients and reduce their mortality rate.

Methods: This study was a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial. 100 MHD patients were selected and then randomly divided into two groups after four weeks of run-in period.