A patient-led survey on information and communication needs of patients with metastatic breast cancer in Ireland and Northern Ireland (CTRIAL-IE 23-05).

Introduction: Although treatment advances have improved survival rates for patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), patient expressed needs have not been evaluated in Ireland to date.

Methods: A 76 item questionnaire was designed by the lead author and a cohort of 41 other MBC patients in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team. The online survey was publicised nationally on all media platforms.

Unilateral renal cortical necrosis.

A 51-year-old woman presented to her local emergency department with acute onset right-sided flank pain and nausea. Her blood results on admission were largely unremarkable aside from leucocytosis and neutrophilia. Two days after admission, she developed the following: stage 3 AKI with oliguria, anaemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute derangement of liver function tests.

The Sleepio After Cancer (SAC) study. Digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (dCBT-I) in women cancer patients - Trial protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

Aims: This study will assess the efficacy of digital CBT for insomnia (dCBT-I) compared to sleep hygiene education (SHE) for the management of insomnia in women with cancer.

Background: 30% of patients with cancer meet insomnia diagnostic criteria and this can be detrimental to health outcomes. Insomnia disorder comprises a dissatisfaction with sleep quantity or quality characterized by difficulty initiating sleep, frequent awakenings, or early morning wakening without the ability to return to sleep, at least 3 nights per week, for at least 3 months, causing significant impairment or distress in areas of functioning.

ANCA-associated vasculitis in Ireland: a multi-centre national cohort study.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a rare multisystem autoimmune disease. There is a need for interoperable national registries to enable reporting of real-world long-term outcomes and their predictors in AAV. The Irish National Rare Kidney Disease (RKD) registry was founded in 2012.

The COMFORT trial: a randomised control trial comparing group-based COMpassion-FOcussed therapy and breathing pattern ReTraining with treatment as usual on the psychological functioning of patients diagnosed with cancer recurrence during COVID.

Background: A cancer diagnosis is a known precipitant of psychological distress, with fear of recurrence being a well-documented distressing consequence of cancer. Cancer recurrence often results in an additional psychological burden, which may exacerbate as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This is a single-centre, prospective, randomised controlled trial.

Using menopausal hormone therapy after a cancer diagnosis in Ireland.

Background: Menopause may cause a constellation of symptoms that affect quality of life. Many women will have menopause induced or exacerbated by treatment for cancer whether that be through surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or anti-endocrine therapy. As treatments advance, the number of people living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis is set to increase over the coming years meaning more people will be dealing with the after effects of cancer and its treatment.

The menopause after cancer study (MACS) - A multimodal technology assisted intervention for the management of menopausal symptoms after cancer - Trial protocol of a phase II study.

Aims: This study will aim to assess if a composite intervention which involves a specific evidence-based intervention for management of insomnia and non-hormonal pharmacotherapy to manage vasomotor symptoms (VMS) of menopause can improve quality of life for patients experiencing troublesome VMS after cancer who are not eligible for standard systemic menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). Participants will be asked to nominate a partner or companion to support them during this process as an additional form of support.

Background: The menopause transition and its symptoms represent a significant challenge for many patients after cancer treatment, particularly those for whom conventional MHT is contraindicated.

Rapid and Laboratory SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Testing in High-Risk Hospital Associated Cohorts of Unknown COVID-19 Exposure, a Validation and Epidemiological Study After the First Wave of the Pandemic.

We aimed to use SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests to assess the asymptomatic seroprevalence of individuals in high-risk hospital cohorts who's previous COVID-19 exposure is unknown; staff, and patients requiring haemodialysis or chemotherapy after the first wave. In a single Center, study participants had five SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests done simultaneously; one rapid diagnostic test (RDT) (Superbio Colloidal Gold IgM/IgG), and four laboratory tests (Roche Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG [RE], Abbott Architect i2000SR IgG [AAr], Abbott Alinity IgG [AAl], and Abbott Architect IgM CMIA). To determine seroprevalence, only positive test results on laboratory assay were considered true positives.

Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Standard Versus a Modified Low-Phosphorus Diet in Hemodialysis Patients.

Introduction: The standard low-phosphorus diet restricts pulses, nuts, and whole grains and other high phosphorus foods to control hyperphosphatemia. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of the modified diet, which introduced some pulses and nuts, increased the use of whole grains, increased focus on the avoidance of phosphate additives, and introduced the prescription of low-biological-value protein such as bread.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, pragmatic, parallel-arm, open-label, randomized controlled trial of modified versus standard diet in 74 adults on hemodialysis with hyperphosphatemia over 1 month.

Doctor-Patient Communication in an Outpatient Setting.

Aim To evaluate doctor patient communication within gynaecological oncology services in Ireland. Methods An anonymous and confidential 20 question survey was designed by the patient advocacy group ISGOPPI and distributed in three gynaecological oncology outpatient clinics in tertiary referral centres. Results A total of 84 patients completed the survey in the 3 Dublin hospitals.

Increased Weight Gain During the Long Interdialytic Period Is Associated with Minor Effects on Blood Pressure Control in Clinically Stable In-Centre Haemodialysis Patients.

Background/aims: Three-day-a-week chronic haemodialysis (cHD) involves 1 long (72 h) and 2 short (48 h) inter-dialytic periods (IDPs). We aimed to determine whether BP control following the long IDP is inferior to the short IDPs.

Methods: All pre- and post-dialysis BP and weight measurements over a 4-week period were retrospectively analyzed among 135 clinically stable cHD patients at 2 academic centres with comparisons between measurements recorded following short and long IDPs.

Renal dysfunction and chronic kidney disease in ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack: A population-based study.

Background and purpose The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min per 1.73 m for ≥3 months, chronic kidney disease (CKD)) in ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) is unknown, as estimates have been based on single-point estimates of renal function. Studies investigating the effect of renal dysfunction (eGFR < 60 mL/min per 1.

Renal transplantation outcomes following heart and heart-lung transplantation.

Background: Chronic kidney disease is a frequent complication following heart and combined heart-lung transplantation. The aim of this study was to analyse the outcome of a subsequent renal transplant in heart, lung and heart-lung transplantation recipients.

Methods: All heart, lung and heart-lung transplant recipients who received a subsequent renal transplant over a 27-year period in a national heart and lung transplant centre were included in this study.

Prolyl hydroxylase-1 regulates hepatocyte apoptosis in an NF-κB-dependent manner.

Hepatocyte death is an important contributing factor in a number of diseases of the liver. PHD1 confers hypoxic sensitivity upon transcription factors including the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB). Reduced PHD1 activity is linked to decreased apoptosis.

Serial explantation after parathyroid autotransplant for recurrent hypercalcemia in chronic renal failure.

Introduction: Development of autonomous parathyroid gland function can occur in cases of long standing renal disease, leading to hyperparathyroidism and hypercalcemia. Debate exists over the optimum surgical treatment strategy and the choice lies with the individual surgeon. We illustrated the method of total parathyroidectomy and autotransplantation to the forearm and proposed it to be superior to both total and subtotal parathyroidectomy.

Lipid mediators of inflammation in obesity-related glomerulopathy.

The interplay between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and obesity represents the convergence of two of the most common contemporary clinical issues, and is of particular interest and significance in the context of the burden presented by each at present, and the dismal projections associated with both of these conditions for the future. That obesity leads to CKD through its association with other risks, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis, is well established; however, it is likely that obesity itself is an independent risk factor for the development of CKD. The aetiology of this obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG) is not clear, but it appears to be strongly influenced by chronic inflammation, manifest as a disturbance of the balance between pro-inflammatory and pro-resolving lipid mediators, adipokines and mononuclear cells.

Allelic depletion of grem1 attenuates diabetic kidney disease.

Objective: Gremlin (grem1) is an antagonist of the bone morphogenetic protein family that plays a key role in limb bud development and kidney formation. There is a growing appreciation that altered grem1 expression may regulate the homeostatic constraints on damage responses in diseases such as diabetic nephropathy.

Research Design And Methods: Here we explored whether knockout mice heterozygous for grem1 gene deletion (grem1(+/-)) exhibit protection from the progression of diabetic kidney disease in a streptozotocin-induced model of type 1 diabetes.

A study of tubular potassium secretory capacity in older patients with hyperkalaemia.

Objectives: Sustained hyperkalaemia usually indicates a defect in renal potassium (K+) excretion and can be due to severe impairment of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The major determinants of renal K+ secretion were studied in hyperkalaemic and normokalaemic elderly subjects to probe the major determinants of hyperkalaemia in this setting.

Design: The transtubular potassium gradient (TTKG) provides an index of tubular K+ secretion and normally rises in patients with significant hyperkalaemia.

Expression of gremlin, a bone morphogenetic protein antagonist, in human diabetic nephropathy.

Background: We report the induction of gremlin, a bone morphogenetic protein antagonist, in cultured human mesangial cells exposed to high glucose and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) levels in vitro and kidneys from diabetic rats in vivo.

Methods: Gremlin expression was assessed in human diabetic nephropathy by means of in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and real-time polymerase chain reaction and correlated with clinical and pathological indices of disease.

Results: Gremlin was not expressed in normal human adult kidneys.

Subjective and objective physical limitations in high-functioning renal dialysis patients.

Background: The utility of subjective measures of physical function as discriminative, evaluative and predictive tools in patients with ESRD is accepted, but objective performance tests also provide valuable information on patient status. The aims of this study were to determine what objective physical limitations exist in a select group of dialysis patients, designated as 'high-functioning' on the basis that they had low comorbidity and subjectively perceived themselves to function well, and to examine relationships between the objective and subjective measures.

Methods: Twelve patients (male, 7; female, 5) aged 18-55 years, with scores of > or = 75 points in the Short Form-36 Physical Function scale (PF) and low comorbidity (Charlson score < or = 2) were recruited for comparison with age and sex-matched sedentary controls.

Acute interstitial nephritis: clinical features and response to corticosteroid therapy.

Background: Acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) is a recognized cause of reversible acute renal failure characterized by the presence of an interstitial inflammatory cell infiltrate.

Methods: In order to evaluate the clinical characteristics and management of this disorder, we performed a retrospective study of all cases of AIN found by reviewing 2598 native renal biopsies received at our institution over a 12 year period. Presenting clinical, laboratory and histological features were identified, as was clinical outcome with specific regard to corticosteroid therapy response.

The Short Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey: normative data for the Irish population.

Background: Generic measures of quality of life have a wide application in health research. They measure disease impact by comparing scores in patient groups with a healthy population. They also facilitate comparative studies between different patient groups.

Physical function, employment and quality of life in end-stage renal disease.

Introduction: The impact of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on quality of life (QoL) can be measured in terms of physical, psychological and social consequences, including the ability to work.

Subjects And Methods: This multi-center, cross-sectional study explored relationships between QoL, employment status and physical function in ESRD patients aged 18-65 years, via a customised interviewer-administered questionnaire, which included the SF-36 health survey. The International Labour Office method was applied to describe employment rate.