Assessment of renal perfusion with 82-rubidium PET in patients with normal and abnormal renal function.

Background: Noninvasive measurement of renal blood flow (RBF) and renal vascular resistance (RVR) is challenging, yet critical in renal pathologies. This study evaluates the correlation between serum renal function markers and RBF/RVR assessed using rubidium PET.

Methods: Dynamic images from 53 patients who underwent rubidium PET for nonrenal indications were analyzed.

Cardiovascular Risk in Patients With Glomerular Disease: A Narrative Review of the Epidemiology, Mechanisms, Management, and Patient Priorities.

Purpose Of Review: Cardiovascular (CV) disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality for patients with glomerular disease. Despite the fact that mechanisms underpinning CV disease risk in this population are likely distinct from other forms of kidney disease, treatment and preventive strategies tend to be extrapolated from studies of patients with undifferentiated chronic kidney disease (CKD). There is an unmet need to delineate the pathophysiology of CV disease in patients with glomerular disease, establish unique risk factors, and identify novel therapeutic targets for disease prevention.

Bacterial eradication by a low-energy pulsed electron beam generator.

Low-energy electron beams (LEEB) are a safe and practical sterilization solution for in-line industrial applications, such as sterilizing medical products. However, their low dose rate induces product degradation, and the limited maximal energy prohibits high-throughput applications. To address this, we developed a low-energy 'pulsed' electron beam generator (LEPEB) and evaluated its efficacy and mechanism of action.

Unlocking the potential of Tregs: innovations in CAR technology.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) adoptive immunotherapy is emerging as a viable treatment option for both autoimmune and alloimmune diseases. However, numerous challenges remain, including limitations related to cell number, availability of target-specific cells, stability, purity, homing ability, and safety concerns. To address these challenges, cell engineering strategies have emerged as promising solutions.

Kidney Biopsy Findings Among Allogenic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients With Kidney Injury: A Case Series.

Rationale And Objective: The incidence of kidney disease is high in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (aHCT). Although rarely performed, kidney biopsy may be useful to make a precise diagnosis because several mechanisms and risk factors can be involved, and to adjust the treatment accordingly. This case series aimed to report the spectrum of biopsy findings from patients with kidney injury after aHCT.

Regulatory T-cell dysfunction and its implication for cell therapy.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a subtype of CD4+ T cells that can mediate immune tolerance by a multitude of immunomodulatory mechanisms. Treg-based adoptive immunotherapy is currently being tested in multiple phases I and II clinical trials in transplantation and autoimmune diseases. We have learned from the work done on conventional T cells that distinct mechanistic states can define their dysfunctions, such as exhaustion, senescence, and anergy.

Tonic-signaling chimeric antigen receptors drive human regulatory T cell exhaustion.

Regulatory T cell (Treg) therapy is a promising approach to improve outcomes in transplantation and autoimmunity. In conventional T cell therapy, chronic stimulation can result in poor in vivo function, a phenomenon termed exhaustion. Whether or not Tregs are also susceptible to exhaustion, and if so, if this would limit their therapeutic effect, was unknown.

A third SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine dose in people receiving hemodialysis overcomes B cell defects but elicits a skewed CD4 T cell profile.

Cellular immune defects associated with suboptimal responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mRNA vaccination in people receiving hemodialysis (HD) are poorly understood. We longitudinally analyze antibody, B cell, CD4, and CD8 T cell vaccine responses in 27 HD patients and 26 low-risk control individuals (CIs). The first two doses elicit weaker B cell and CD8 T cell responses in HD than in CI, while CD4 T cell responses are quantitatively similar.

Advancing Discovery Research in Nephrology in Canada: A Conference Report From the 2021 Molecules and Mechanisms Mediating Kidney Health and Disease (M3K) Scientific Meeting and Investigator Summit.

Purpose Of Conference: New discoveries arising from investigations into fundamental aspects of kidney development and function in health and disease are critical to advancing kidney care. Scientific meetings focused specifically on fundamental biology of the kidney can facilitate interactions, support the development of collaborative groups, and accelerate translation of key findings. The Canadian fundamental kidney researcher community has lacked such a forum.

Innate Immunity and SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Response in Hemodialysis Patients.

Patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) have more inflammatory monocytes and less plasmacytoid dendritic cells (DCs) compared with healthy controls.Patients on HD who have a poor antibody response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine had fewer monocyte-derived DCs and conventional DCs compared with good responders.The defects in antigen presentation might be possible therapeutic targets to increase vaccine efficacy in HD patients.

Severity of COVID-19 among solid organ transplant recipients in Canada, 2020-2021: a prospective, multicentre cohort study.

Background: Severe COVID-19 appears to disproportionately affect people who are immunocompromised, although Canadian data in this context are limited. We sought to determine factors associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes among recipients of organ transplants across Canada.

Methods: We performed a multicentre, prospective cohort study of all recipients of solid organ transplants from 9 transplant programs in Canada who received a diagnosis of COVID-19 from March 2020 to November 2021.

Outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Unvaccinated Compared With Vaccinated Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: A Propensity Matched Cohort Study.

Background: Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are at high risk for complications from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Vaccination may mitigate this risk; however, immunogenicity appears to be significantly impaired, with reports of increased risk of breakthrough infection. It is unknown if vaccine breakthrough infections are milder or as severe as infections in unvaccinated patients.

Qualitative and Quantitative Dosage of the Anti M-Type Phospholipase A2 Receptor Autoantibody: One-Year Experience in Quebec's Reference Center.

Background: Quantification of the M-type phospholipase A2 receptor antibodies (anti-PLA2R) is now an essential tool for diagnosis and management of primary membranous nephropathy (MN). Since October 2018, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (HMR) has been designated as Quebec's reference center for serum anti-PLA2R antibody testing by the (INESSS), the regulatory body on drugs and tests usage in Quebec.

Objectives: To describe the 2-step method of serum qualitative and quantitative anti-PLA2R antibody testing during its first year of use in Quebec and analyze its diagnostic value in the province's population.

Social Network Search for Solving Engineering Optimization Problems.

In this paper, a new metaheuristic optimization algorithm, called social network search (SNS), is employed for solving mixed continuous/discrete engineering optimization problems. The SNS algorithm mimics the social network user's efforts to gain more popularity by modeling the decision moods in expressing their opinions. Four decision moods, including imitation, conversation, disputation, and innovation, are real-world behaviors of users in social networks.

Cellular therapies in kidney transplantation.

Purpose Of Review: Current immunosuppressive regimens used in kidney transplantation are sometimes ineffective and carry significant risks of morbidity and mortality. Cellular therapies are a promising alternative to prolong graft survival while minimizing treatment toxicity. We review the recently published breakthrough studies using cell therapies in kidney transplantation.

Minimal Change Disease With Severe Acute Kidney Injury Following the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine: A Case Report.

We report a case of minimal change disease (MCD) with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) following the first injection of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine from Oxford-AstraZeneca against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A 71-year-old man with a history of dyslipidemia and a baseline serum creatinine of 0.7mg/dL presented with nephrotic syndrome, AKI, and severe hypertension 13 days after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Splenic Injury After a Colonoscopy: Threading the Scope Carefully in Heritable Connective Tissue Disorders.

Colonoscopies have reduced colorectal cancer (CRC) burden in the United States, and their utility has expanded to include various diagnostic and therapeutic indications. Complications are seen in up to 1% and increase with age and polypectomy. As colonoscopies become widespread, specific populations seem to be at a much higher risk; notably patients with heritable connective tissue disorders (HCTD).

Short-term antibody response after 1 dose of BNT162b2 vaccine in patients receiving hemodialysis.

Background: Patients receiving in-centre hemodialysis are at high risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and death if infected. One dose of the BNT162b2 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is efficacious in the general population, but responses in patients receiving hemodialysis are uncertain.

Methods: We obtained serial plasma from patients receiving hemodialysis and health care worker controls before and after vaccination with 1 dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine, as well as convalescent plasma from patients receiving hemodialysis who survived COVID-19.

Low-energy electron beam sterilization of solid alginate and chitosan, and their polyelectrolyte complexes.

Polysaccharidic scaffolds hold great hope in regenerative medicine, however their sterilization still remains challenging since conventional methods are deleterious. Recently, electron beams (EB) have raised interest as emerging sterilization techniques. In this context, the aim of this work was to study the impact of EB irradiations on polysaccharidic macroporous scaffolds.

Biomarker implementation: Evaluation of the decision-making impact of CXCL10 testing in a pediatric cohort.

Background: Children are at high risk for subclinical rejection, and kidney biopsy is currently used for surveillance. Our objective was to test how novel rejection biomarkers such as urinary CXCL10 may influence clinical decision-making to indicate need for a biopsy.

Methods: A minimum dataset for standard decision-making to indicate a biopsy was established by an expert panel and used to design clinical vignettes for use in a survey.