Coronary Artery Disease Assessment and Cardiovascular Events in Middle-Aged Patients on Hemodialysis.

Objective: To explore whether, in younger patients on dialysis with longer life expectancy, assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD) could identify individuals at higher risk of events and revascularization might improve outcomes in selected patients contrary to what had been observed in elderly patients.

Methods: From August 1997 to January 2019, 2265 patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease were prospectively referred for cardiovascular assessment. For this study, we selected 1374 asymptomatic patients aged between 18 and 64 years.

QuantiFERON-CMV as a Predictor of CMV Events During Preemptive Therapy in CMV-seropositive Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background: Prevention of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection after kidney transplantation is costly and burdensome.

Methods: Given its promising utility in risk stratification, we evaluated the use of QuantiFERON-CMV (QFCMV) and additional clinical variables in this prospective cohort study to predict the first clinically significant CMV infection (CS-CMV, ranging from asymptomatic viremia requiring treatment to CMV disease) in the first posttransplant year. A cost-effectiveness analysis for guided prevention was done.

Interdialytic Blood Pressure and Risk of Cardiovascular Events and Death in Hemodialysis Patients.

Introduction: Normal (120-140 mm Hg) systolic peridialysis blood pressure (BP) is associated with higher mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Aim: We explored the relationship between hypertension and BP on outcomes using data collected at the interdialytic period.

Methods: This was a single-center observational cohort study with 2672 HD patients.

Association Between Total Cell Free DNA and SARS-CoV-2 In Kidney Transplant Patients: A Preliminary Study.

Background: Kidney transplant (KT) recipients are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19. Lowering immunosuppression levels in KT recipients with COVID-19 encourages native immune responses but can raise the risk of rejection. Donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA), reported as a fraction of total cfDNA, is a proven biomarker for KT rejection.

Invasive coronary artery disease assessment and myocardial infarction in patients on renal replacement therapy.

Background: The incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) is elevated in patients receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT). We hypothesized that an invasive strategy of assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD) will identify patients more prone to developing MI.

Methods: This was a single-center observational cohort study that included 1678 patients receiving RRT (hemodialysis and renal transplantation) assessed for CAD prospectively and analyzed retrospectively.

Unusual presentation of Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome in kidney transplant patient.

Herpes Zoster (HZ) is caused by reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus (VZV) in craniospinal sensory neurons and is characterized by a painful erythematous rash in the affected dermatome. Although kidney transplant recipients who are chronically maintained on immunosuppressive regimens are considered at risk, there are only a few cases described. We report a well-documented case of a 50-year-old male kidney transplant recipient who presented Ramsay-Hunt syndrome with atypical neurological finds.

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae among kidney transplant recipients - insights on the risk of acquisition and CRE infection.

Background: Kidney transplant recipients are a risk group for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae infection.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify risk factors for CRE acquisition and infection among kidney transplant recipients.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study; we defined the case as kidney transplant recipient with positive culture for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae identified between January 2010 and February 2019.

Characteristics and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU in a university hospital in São Paulo, Brazil - study protocol.

Objectives: We designed a cohort study to describe characteristics and outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in the largest public hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, as Latin America becomes the epicenter of the pandemic.

Methods: This is the protocol for a study being conducted at an academic hospital in Brazil with 300 adult ICU beds dedicated to COVID-19 patients. We will include adult patients admitted to the ICU with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 during the study period.

Cytomegalovirus prophylaxis in seropositive renal transplant recipients receiving thymoglobulin induction therapy: Outcome and risk factors for late CMV disease.

Background: Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) therapy is a risk factor for cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in renal transplant (RTx) recipients and therefore antiviral prophylaxis is commonly used. We evaluated the outcome of our current policy of 90 days of CMV prophylaxis in seropositive recipients given ATG and the risk factors for the occurrence of CMV disease after prophylaxis.

Methods: We studied a retrospective cohort of 423 RTx (2010-2014) CMV-seropositive adults given ATG induction therapy.

Chikungunya in kidney transplant recipients: A series of cases.

Chikungunya (CHIK) is a mosquito-borne virus (CHIKV) infection that recently appeared in the Americas and thousands of confirmed cases have been reported in Brazil since the first autochthonous cases were reported in September 2014. We reported four cases of CHIK in kidney transplant recipients. The diagnosis was confirmed by positive CHIKV real-time polymerase chain reaction in two cases and positive CHIKV-IgM serology in two patients.