High prevalence of occult hepatitis C infection in predialysis patients.

Background: Occult hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (OCI) may be associated with extrahepatic diseases and it is known that the patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are on hemodialysis (HD) present a higher prevalence of this type of infection than the general population, with a worse clinical outcome. However, there are no data in the literature to assess the presence of OCI in patients prior to the initiation of renal replacement therapy (RRT). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the occurrence and epidemiological aspects of OCI in patients with Predialysis CKD.

Metabolic and volume status evaluation of hemodialysis patients with and without residual renal function in the long interdialytic interval.

Introduction: It is unclear whether residual renal function (RRF) in dialysis patients can attenuate the metabolic impact of the long 68-hour interdialytic interval, in which water, acid, and electrolyte accumulation occurs.

Objective: to evaluate serum electrolyte levels, water balance, and acid-base status in dialytic patients with and without RRF over the long interdialytic interval (LII).

Methodology: this was a single-center, cross-sectional, and analytical study that compared patients with and without RRF, defined by diuresis above 200 mL in 24 hours.

The reduction of serum aminotransferase levels is proportional to the decline of the glomerular filtration rate in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Objective: This study sought to determine the serum aminotransferase levels of patients with predialysis chronic kidney disease and establish their relationships with serum creatinine levels and glomerular filtration rate.

Methods: Patients with chronic kidney disease were evaluated between September 2011 and May 2012. Aminotransferase and creatinine serum levels were measured using an automated kinetic method, and glomerular filtration rates were estimated using the Cockroft-Gault and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formulas to classify patients into chronic kidney disease stages.

Liver enzymes serum levels in patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis: a comprehensive review.

We reviewed the literature regarding the serum levels of the enzymes aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase in patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis with and without viral hepatitis. Original articles published up to January 2013 on adult patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis were selected. These articles contained the words "transaminases" "aspartate aminotransferase" "alanine aminotransferase" "gamma glutamyl transferase," "liver enzymes", AND "dialysis" OR "hemodialysis".

Tuberculosis-associated collapsing glomerulopathy: remission after treatment.

Collapsing glomerulopathy (CG) is a severe form of nephrotic syndrome and has been mostly associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Treatment response is poor, and the disease frequently leads to end-stage renal disease. More recently, CG has been described in association with other conditions, such as drug exposure and other infections, but renal prognosis remains unfavorable.

Serum alanine aminotransferase levels, hematocrit rate and body weight correlations before and after hemodialysis session.

Purpose: To evaluate alanine aminotransferase levels before and after a hemodialysis session and to correlate these values with the hematocrit rate and weight loss during hemodialysis.

Patients And Methods: The serum alanine aminotransferase levels, hematocrit rate and body weight were measured and correlated before and after a single hemodialysis session for 146 patients with chronic renal failure. An receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the serum alanine aminotransferase levels collected before and after hemodialysis was plotted to identify hepatitis C virus-infected patients.

The potential role of C-reactive protein in distinguishing cytomegalovirus from tuberculosis and bacterial infections in renal transplant recipients.

Introduction: The delay in the diagnosis of infections can be deleterious in renal transplant recipients. Thus, laboratory tests leading to an earlier diagnosis are very useful for these patients.

Purpose: To assess the behavior of C-reactive protein (CRP) in renal transplant recipients with a diagnosis of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, tuberculosis (TB) and bacterial infection (BI).