Quality of Life in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease Patients Treated With Tolvaptan.

Rationale & Objective: The impact of tolvaptan on health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we studied patient-reported HRQoL in patients enrolled in the Bern ADPKD registry.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Urinary Lithogenic Risk Profile in ADPKD Patients Treated with Tolvaptan.

Background And Objectives: Nephrolithiasis is a common health problem in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and significantly contributes to patient morbidity. Recently, Tolvaptan has been introduced for the treatment of ADPKD, but whether it is associated with alterations of the urinary lithogenic risk profile remains unknown.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: We conducted an analysis of participants enrolled in the Bern ADPKD registry, a prospective observational cohort study.

Short-term fully closed-loop insulin delivery using faster insulin aspart compared with standard insulin aspart in type 2 diabetes.

We evaluated the efficacy and safety of short-term fully closed-loop insulin delivery using faster versus standard insulin aspart in type 2 diabetes. Fifteen adults with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes underwent 22 hours of closed-loop insulin delivery with either faster or standard insulin aspart in a double-blind randomized crossover design. Basal-bolus regimen was replaced by model predictive control algorithm-directed insulin delivery based on sensor glucose levels.

Fully closed-loop insulin delivery improves glucose control of inpatients with type 2 diabetes receiving hemodialysis.

Inpatient diabetes management of those on hemodialysis poses a major challenge. In a post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled clinical trial, we compared the efficacy of fully automated closed-loop insulin delivery vs. usual care in patients undergoing hemodialysis while in hospital.

Elbasvir/Grazoprevir, an Alternative in Antiviral Hepatitis C Therapy in Patients under Amiodarone Treatment.

A sofosbuvir/ledipasvir combination is part of a first-line treatment of hepatitis C. However, in patients concurrently treated with amiodarone, cardiac side effects have been described, resulting in an official warning in 2015 by the American Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency when combining those substances. This deprived numerous hepatitis C patients with concurrent cardiovascular problems of receiving this highly effective treatment.

Elevated levels of endocannabinoids in chronic hepatitis C may modulate cellular immune response and hepatic stellate cell activation.

The endocannabinoid (EC) system is implicated in many chronic liver diseases, including hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection. Cannabis consumption is associated with fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC), however, the role of ECs in the development of CHC has never been explored. To study this question, anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) were quantified in samples of HCV patients and healthy controls by gas and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.

The TRPP subfamily and polycystin-1 proteins.

It has been exciting times since the identification of polycystic kidney disease 1 (PKD1) and PKD2 as the genes mutated in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Biological roles of the encoded proteins polycystin-1 and TRPP2 have been deduced from phenotypes in ADPKD patients, but recent insights from vertebrate and invertebrate model organisms have significantly expanded our understanding of the physiological functions of these proteins. The identification of additional TRPP (TRPP3 and TRPP5) and polycystin-1-like proteins (PKD1L1, PKD1L2, PKD1L3, and PKDREJ) has added yet another layer of complexity to these fascinating cellular signalling units.

Genome-wide association study for serum urate concentrations and gout among African Americans identifies genomic risk loci and a novel URAT1 loss-of-function allele.

Serum urate concentrations are highly heritable and elevated serum urate is a key risk factor for gout. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of serum urate in African American (AA) populations are lacking. We conducted a meta-analysis of GWAS of serum urate levels and gout among 5820 AA and a large candidate gene study among 6890 AA and 21 708 participants of European ancestry (EA) within the Candidate Gene Association Resource Consortium.

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and treatment with arginine vasopressin receptor antagonists (vaptans) in congestive heart failure, liver cirrhosis and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH).

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is the major physiological regulator of renal water excretion and blood volume. The AVP pathways of V(1a)R-mediated vasoconstriction and V(2)R-induced water retention represent a potentially attractive target of therapy for edematous diseases. Experimental and clinical evidence suggests beneficial effects of AVP receptor antagonists by increasing free water excretion and serum sodium levels.