Brazilian Dialysis Survey 2023.

Introduction: The annual Brazilian Dialysis Survey (BDS) supports and contributes to the development of national health policies. Objective: To report the 2023 epidemiological data from the BDS of the Brazilian Society of Nephrology (BSN).

Methods: A survey was carried out in a voluntary sample of Brazilian chronic dialysis centers using an online questionnaire covering clinical and epidemiological aspects of patients on chronic dialysis, and characteristics of dialysis centers.

Reflections on the Inclusion of Direct-Care Physicians as Educators in Community Hospitals.

This paper discusses the increasing trend of direct-care physicians taking on teaching roles in community hospitals, both in the United States and Brazil. It highlights the challenges faced by these physicians, who often lack formal pedagogical training and dedicated time for teaching. The text emphasizes the need for structured support, faculty development programs, and collaboration with academic centers to ensure the quality of education in these settings.

Perceptions related to the layout of Visual Abstracts among physicians and medical students.

Introduction: Visual Abstract is a visual summary of the most relevant information from a scientific article, presented as an infographic. Despite the growing use of Visual Abstracts by journals around the world, studies evaluating their components to guide their development remain scarce.

Objective: The primary objective of this study is to identify the aesthetic perceptions of Visual Abstracts components by physicians and medical students.

Caspase-1 Variants and Plasma IL-1β in Patients with Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in the Amazonas.

Leishmaniasis, a disease caused by protozoan spp., exhibits a broad range of clinical manifestations. Host resistance or susceptibility to infections is often influenced by the genetic make-up associated with natural immunity.

Pregnancy in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis.

Women with chronic kidney disease are less likely to become pregnant and are more susceptible to pregnancy complications when compared to patients with normal kidney function. As a result, these are considered high-risk pregnancies, both maternal and fetal. Over the years, there has been an increase in the incidence of pregnancies in dialysis patients, and an improvement in maternal and fetal outcomes.

Safety of Hepatitis B Virus Screening in Blood Donors from the Hospital Foundation of Hematology and Hemotherapy of the State of Amazonas (HEMOAM) in the Brazilian Amazon.

Background: Hepatitis B is an infectious disease of worldwide importance and of great interest to transfusion medicine. The Amazon region has areas of high endemicity, outlining a worrying scenario for transfusion and epidemiological safety.

Objective: To analyze the profiles of serological and molecular markers for HBV of blood donors from HEMOAM.

Cardiovascular Outcomes of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors Therapy in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Updated Meta-Analysis.

Background And Objectives: The efficacy of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) may depend on renal function, and this raises theoretical concern over its effects on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: This systematic review and updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) compared cardiovascular outcomes of patients with T2DM and CKD treated with SGLT2i to placebo. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were systematically searched.

Estimated glomerular filtration rate in clinical practice: Consensus positioning of the Brazilian Society of Nephrology (SBN) and Brazilian Society of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (SBPC/ML).

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents one of today's main public health problems. Serum creatinine measurement and estimation of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) are the main tools for evaluating renal function. There are several equations to estimate GFR, and CKD-EPI equation (Chronic Kidney Disease - Epidemiology) is the most recommended one.

Comparison of 1-year survival between patients initiating chronic hemodialysis under public and private health insurance: register-based data analysis from Brazil.

Purpose: Brazil has one of the world's highest numbers of patients on hemodialysis (HD). Most dialysis centers are private and perform HD for patients with private and public health insurance. We compared 1-year survival between patients initiating chronic HD with public and private health insurance.

Brazilian Dialysis Survey 2022.

Introduction: The Brazilian Dialysis Survey (BDS) is an annual national survey about patients on chronic dialysis that contributes to health policies.

Objective: To report the 2022 epidemiological data from the BDS of the Brazilian Society of Nephrology (BSN).

Methods: A survey was carried out in Brazilian chronic dialysis centers using an online questionnaire that included clinical and epidemiological aspects of patients on chronic dialysis, dialysis therapy data, and dialysis center characteristics.

Influence of titanium and zirconia substrates on the synthesis of inflammatory mediators.

The repair and homeostasis of peri-implant tissues depend on several factors such as the local presence of pathogenic bacteria and their products. Among other events, peri-implant tissue response is also related to the implant material used, which interferes with cells and extracellular matrix interactions, affecting the osseointegration process. In this study, the influence of zirconia (Zr) and titanium (Ti) substrates on the response of preosteoblasts (MC3T3) and murine macrophages (RAW 264.

Association of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitors with Cardiovascular Events and Death in Dialysis Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Anemia is a common finding among patients with advanced chronic kidney disease, especially those on dialysis. The recent introduction of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors (HIF-PHIs) has raised some concerns about the cardiovascular and thrombotic complications of this class of drugs.

Objectives: This meta-analysis aimed to assess the safety of HIF-PHIs in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) versus standard therapy with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs).

Basic biochemical and hematological parameters of structural hemoglobin variants in the postpartum women and their respective newborn from Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.

The present study aimed at estimating the prevalence of structural hemoglobinopathies in newborn and describing the hematological and biochemical characteristics between postpartum women (PW) and their respective newborns (NB) at a public maternity hospital in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil. In total, 825 NB and 820 PW were included in the study. Hematological and biochemical analysis and screening of structural hemoglobinopathies were performed and compared in groups of individuals (NICU or not; hemoglobin genotypes; gestational age and prenatal).

Acute kidney injury and electrolyte disorders in COVID-19.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) and electrolyte disorders are important complications of hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. AKI is thought to occur due to multiple pathophysiological mechanisms, such as multiple organ dysfunction (mainly cardiac and respiratory), direct viral entry in the renal tubules, and cytokine release syndrome. AKI is present in approximately one in every ten hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Preemptive kidney transplantation: why, when, and how?

Among renal replacement therapies, preemptive kidney transplantation (PKT) presents the best clinical, social, and economic results. However, it is still infrequently chosen as first therapy for patients with irreversible kidney failure. Initiatives in different parts of the world were developed to identify the reasons why PKT is still not widely used and to facilitate the access of patients with end-stage kidney disease to the advantages associated with it.

Duffy blood system and G6PD genetic variants in vivax malaria patients from Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.

Background: Over a third of the world's population is at risk of Plasmodium vivax-induced malaria. The unique aspect of the parasite's biology and interactions with the human host make it harder to control and eliminate the disease. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and Duffy-negative blood groups are two red blood cell (RBC) variations that can confer protection against malaria.

Does crossbreeding improve the performance and carcass traits of Berganês sheep?

This study aimed to evaluate the performance and carcass of lambs of different genotypes through univariate and multivariate analysis. Intact male lambs of the Berganês (BG), Berganês x Santa Inês (BSI), and Berganês x Dorper (BD) genotypes and the control group Dorper x Santa Inês (DSI) were used. Eight lambs of each genotype were used, aged between 4 and 5 months, with an average initial weight of 27.

Variants *1, *2, *3 and *17 of CYP2C19 Cytochrome among Helicobacter Pylori Carriers from Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to estimate the frequency of CYP2C19 cytochrome variants *1, *2, *3 and *17 among Helicobacter pylori carriers from Manaus, Amazonas state, who were treated at Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado (FMT-HVD).

Methods: From the 78 recruited individuals who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with biopsy and histopathological test, 50 tested positive for H.