Predictors of long-term prognosis in acute kidney injury survivors who require continuous renal replacement therapy after cardiovascular surgery.

The long-term prognosis of patients with postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) after cardiovascular surgery is unclear. We aimed to investigate long-term renal outcomes and survival in these patients to determine the risk factors for negative outcomes. Long-term prognosis was examined in 144 hospital survivors.

Calcium channel blockers suppress daily variations of blood pressure in hypertensive patients with end-stage renal diseases.

Hypertension is a well-known cardiovascular risk. Patients with end-stage renal diseases frequently suffer hypertension. Furthermore, daily variations of blood pressure are relatively large in patients treated with hemodialysis, partly due to ultrafiltration.

Aliskiren reduces morning blood pressure in hypertensive patients with diabetic nephropathy on hemodialysis.

Our previous study indicated that the exchange from an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) to aliskiren reduced morning blood pressure and albuminuria in hypertensive patients with diabetic nephropathy. We extended the above study and assessed the effects of exchanging from an ARB to aliskiren on home blood pressure in hypertensive patients with diabetic nephropathy on chronic hemodialysis. The patients who were persistently hypertensive despite antihypertensive therapy, including ARB, were considered as candidates for the exchange from the ARB to aliskiren.

Continuous ambulatory Peritoneal dialysis beyond a decade: cases from a single center.

A broad consensus has not been reached on the appropriate timing for cessation of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Decreasing urine volume, repeated and refractory peritonitis, and deterioration of the peritoneal membrane are major reasons to stop PD. Also, the link between length of time on PD and encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) should be an additional concern.

Aging is an important risk factor for peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis.

Peritonitis remains a leading complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD). The aim of this observational retrospective cohort study, conducted at our single center, was to determine the risk factors for peritonitis. A Cox proportional hazards model was used for the multivariate analysis.

Aliskiren reduces morning blood pressure in hypertensive patients with diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a leading disease that requires renal replacement therapy. The progression of renal dysfunction in DN is faster than the other renal diseases. While antihypertensive therapy reduces albuminuria, a good indicator for the progression, hypertension in DN is treatment resistant.

Long-term effects of calcium antagonists on augmentation index in hypertensive patients with chronic kidney disease: a randomized controlled study.

Background: Our previous retrospective study showed that benidipine was superior to amlodipine (AM) for reducing proteinuria and preserving the augmentation index (AI) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: The present study enrolled CKD patients whose blood pressure was not well controlled by an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) and a calcium channel blocker other than AM or azelnidipine (AZ). Either AM (5 mg) or AZ (16 mg) was prescribed randomly.

Removal of the peritoneal dialysis catheter because of gastrointestinal disease in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: a single-center case series.

We previously reported that peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis is a major cause of PD catheter removal. Another major cause is disease of the gastrointestinal tract, including neoplasm and perforation. In the present study, we reviewed the records of patients who underwent catheter removal at our hospital for reasons other than peritoneal infection--and for gastrointestinal disease in particular.

Clinical presentation in patients more than 80 years of age at the start of peritoneal dialysis.

The age of new dialysis patients is rapidly increasing. In the present study, we examined clinical presentation in new peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients 80 years of age or older at our hospital. Data were collected from the records of patients newly starting continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD) therapy between January 2005 and July 2010.

Height constitutes an important predictor of mortality in end-stage renal disease.

Aim. Height is an important determinant of augmentation index (AI) that anticipates cardiovascular prognosis. There is a scanty of the data whether short height predicts survival in patients with end-stage renal diseases, a high risk population.

[Association between long-term smoking and hypertension and early-onset nodular glomerulosclerosis].

Diabetic nodular glomerulosclerosis, also known as Kimmelstiel-Wilson syndrome, is a specific pathological variant of diabetic nephropathy ; however, histological findings similar to diabetic nephropathy are observed occasionally without glucose intolerance. Therefore, such nodular glomerulosclerosis is called idiopathic nodular glomerulosclerosis. Several case reports that have been published recently indicate that smoking and hypertension, which are classical renal risk factors, may be attributed to this form of glomerular degeneration.

Granulomatous interstitial nephritis in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

We present a case of granulomatous interstitial nephritis (GIN) associated with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). GIN is a rare pathological finding noted in renal biopsy specimens. Furthermore, CLL does not usually cause GIN.

Seasonal variations of daily changes in blood pressure among hypertensive patients with end-stage renal diseases.

Hypertension is a well-known cardiovascular risk. Patients with end-stage renal diseases frequently suffer hypertension, and their blood pressure elevates in winter. However, seasonal changes in daily variations of blood pressure are poorly assessed in patients treated with hemodialysis.

Zigzagged augmentation index in diabetes.

Although the patients with diabetic nephropathy suffered high cardiovascular risk, augmentation index (AI) in diabetic nephropathy has been poorly characterized. Cross-sectional studies were performed on 26 diabetic and 27 nondiabetic nephropathic patients. Home blood pressure was examined.