Rare STAT3 haplotypes cause a predisposition to developing congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract disorder.

Background/aim: Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) are characterized by renal developmental disorders in the embryonic period. STAT3 is a member of the STAT protein family. The members of this protein family play roles in various cellular mechanisms, such as the early stages of embryonic development, kidney development, and renal diseases.

Invasive Aspergillosis in Kidney and Liver Transplant Recipients From a Pediatric Donor.

Invasive aspergillosis is a rare but serious complication that can occur in solid-organ transplant recipients. This condition arises from an infection caused by Aspergillus, a widespread mold typically transmitted through the inhalation of its spores (conidia). This report presents 3 unique cases of invasive aspergillosis in patients who received either kidney or liver transplants from a 17-year-old deceased pediatric donor.

Advanced Prediction of Glomerular Filtration Rate After Kidney Transplantation Using Gradient Boosting Techniques.

Objectives: Clinicians often face uncertainty when interpreting whether a decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate is within the patient's expected range of fluctuation or if the decline signals a substantial deviation. Thus, accurate predictions of glomerular filtration rate can be an early warning system, prompting timely interventions, such as biopsies to preclude early graft rejection and adjustments in immunosuppression. Traditional models, encompassing linear and conventional methods, typically struggle with variabilities and complexities in posttransplant data.

Comparison of Blood-Gas Hemoglobin and Electrolyte Measurements and Automated Laboratory Values in Pediatric Kidney Transplant Patients.

Objectives: The reliability of blood-gas measurements compared with automated laboratory tests in providing rapid results for pediatric patients is currently under investigation. The compatibility between fast-response blood-gas tests and standard automatic laboratory tests remains a subject of debate. In this retrospective single-center study, our objective was to compare the measurements of hemoglobin and electrolytes obtained through blood-gas analysis with the corresponding values obtained from standard laboratory tests in pediatric renal transplantation, specifically focusing on the immediate pretransplant period.

Immunity Rates of Live Viral Vaccines in Pediatric Renal Transplant Candidates: A Single-Center Experience.

Objectives: Solid-organ transplant recipients are at an increased risk of severe infections due to their immunosuppressed state. Despite the recommendation of routine screening and vaccination before transplant to mitigate this danger, vaccination rates in these patients are still below desirable levels. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of positive antibody rates for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella among children who are candidates for renal transplant.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Infants with Grade III, IV, or V Vesicoureteral Reflux.

Background: The efficacy of continuous antibiotic prophylaxis in preventing urinary tract infection (UTI) in infants with grade III, IV, or V vesicoureteral reflux is controversial.

Methods: In this investigator-initiated, randomized, open-label trial performed in 39 European centers, we randomly assigned infants 1 to 5 months of age with grade III, IV, or V vesicoureteral reflux and no previous UTIs to receive continuous antibiotic prophylaxis (prophylaxis group) or no treatment (untreated group) for 24 months. The primary outcome was the occurrence of the first UTI during the trial period.

Long-term effect of eplerenone treatment in children with chronic allograft nephropathy.

Background: Literature supports the protective role of mineralocorticoid antagonist (MRA) against the renal injury induced by aldosterone in kidney transplant recipients. However, there is limited data available regarding the safety and efficacy of MRAs in pediatric renal transplant patients. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of long-term eplerenone administration in children with chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN).

COVID-19 in pediatric nephrology centers in Turkey.

Background/aim: There is limited data on COVID-19 disease in children with kidney disease. We aimed to investigate the characteristics and prognosis of COVID-19 in pediatric nephrology patients in Turkey.

Materials And Methods: This was a national, multicenter, retrospective cohort study based on an online survey evaluating the data between 11 March 2020 and 11 March 2021 as an initial step of a detailed pediatric nephrology COVID-19 registry.

Can we identify "at-risk" children and adolescents for poor transplant outcomes in the psychosocial evaluation before solid organ transplantation? The reliability and validity study of Pediatric Transplant Rating Instrument (P-TRI) in Turkish pediatric renal transplant patients.

Background: This study aims to translate the Pediatric Transplant Rating Instrument (P-TRI) to conduct a validity and reliability study on Turkish children and define a cutoff value of this scale.

Method: A total of 151 pediatric kidney transplant patients were included in the study. The files of the patients were reviewed by two clinicians, and the scale was filled for inter-rater reliability.

Left renal vein entrapment in postural proteinuria: the diagnostic utility of the aortomesenteric angle.

Nutcracker syndrome related to the left kidney vein compression is a cause of orthostatic proteinuria during childhood. Some studies have shown that the ratios between maximum velocities and anterior-posterior diameters of hilar and aortomesenteric segments of the left kidney vein between upright and supine positions must be more than 4 in order to make a Nutcracker syndrome diagnosis. Our aim was to investigate whether the use of a decrease in aortomesenteric angle between upright and supine positions in the presence of isolated orthostatic proteinuria can be a criterion for the diagnosis of Nutcracker syndrome.

Long-Term Outcomes of Kidney Transplant Recipients With Juvenile Nephronophthisis.

Objectives: Nephronophthisis is the most common genetic cause of kidney failure in childhood. Treatment for nephronophthisis is symptomatic, and kidney transplant is a good treatment option when kidney failure has developed. We reported the outcomes of kidney transplant recipients with primary diagnosis of juvenile nephronophthisis who were followed-up in our center.

The Role of Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratio and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio in Predicting the Delayed Graft Function in Pediatric Renal Transplant Patients.

Objectives: Delayed graft function is a common adverse outcome after renal transplant. Attempts for early prediction and prevention of delayed graft function are often challenging and misleading. Herein, we investigated for the first time the correlation between delayed graft function and preoperative noninvasive hematologic parameters to predict the possible adverse outcomes for renal transplant in pediatric patients.

BK Polyomavirus Infection and Risk Factors in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Kidney Transplant.

Objectives: BK polyomavirus infection is a critical complication affecting graft survival after kidney transplant. We aimed to determine the frequency, the effect on graft function, and the risk factors of BK polyomavirus infection in pediatric kidney transplant patients.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data of 144 pediatric patients (female/male: 67/77; 0-18 years of age) who received kidney transplants in the past 10 years at our center.

Use of Eculizumab in Pediatric Patients with Late Antibody-Mediated Rejection After Kidney Transplantation.

Late antibody-mediated rejection triggered by donor-specific antibodies is a leading cause of kidney allograft failure. Effective treatment options for late antibody-mediated rejection are limited in renal transplant recipients. Here, we report 2 pediatric cases of severe late antibody-mediated rejection resistant to conventional immunosuppressive therapy who were successfully treated with eculizumab.

Association Between Vitamin D Deficiency and Anemia in Pediatric Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Objectives: The association between vitamin D deficiency and anemia is known. Vitamin D deficiency and anemia are common in kidney transplant recipients. We examined the relationship between vitamin D levels and anemia in pediatric kidney transplant recipients.

COVID-19 Infections in Pediatric Renal Transplant Recipients.

Objectives: The new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) first appeared in Turkey in March 2020, spread rapidly, and caused many deaths. Although COVID-19 is mostly a respiratory disease, it can cause kidney and multiorgan failure in some cases. We believe that by sharing information about the course and effects of COVID-19 infection in kidney transplant recipients receiving long-term immunosuppressive therapy our understanding will improve.

Primary Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis Recurrence After Pediatric Renal Transplantation.

Objectives: Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis recurrence after renal transplant occurs frequently in pediatric patients and is associated with poor graft survival when patients reach adulthood. We investigated recurrence rates, recurrence risk factors, management strategies, and long-term graft function among pediatric renal transplant recipients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis as primary disease.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated medical records of 34 pediatric patients with primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis who had undergone renal transplant between 2004 and 2019 at our center.

Eculizumab treatment and discontinuation in pediatric patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome: a multicentric retrospective study.

Introduction: Eculizumab is effective treatment of pediatric atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). However, the optimal duration of treatment is not clearly defined. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze the outcome of pediatric patients with aHUS, who started eculizumab treatment but discontinued it during the follow-up period.

Comparison of diagnostic criteria for children with familial Mediterranean fever.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autoinflammatory disease characterized by recurrent attacks of fever and serositis. Diagnosis is made according to clinical findings and supported by genetic analysis. The most commonly used adult diagnostic criteria are the Tel-Hashomer criteria.

Clinical impact of complement deposition findings on biopsies in acute rejection episodes of pediatric renal transplant patients.

Introduction: Rejection is the most important problem for renal graft function and survival. Complement system plays a key role in immune responses from host to graft. It was demonstrated that complement system activation is related with renal fibrosis.