Plasma ascorbic acid concentrations in prevalent patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of vitamin C (ascorbic acid [AA]) deficiency in patients with end-stage renal disease, the effect of supplemental AA on plasma AA concentrations, and the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that affect plasma AA concentrations in this patient population.

Design: In study 1, we compared the effect of hemodialysis (HD) on plasma AA concentrations between patients with low and high pre-HD AA concentrations. In study 2, we analyzed kinetic and nonkinetic factors for their association with increased plasma AA concentrations in patients on maintenance HD.

Work-up of hematuria.

Hematuria is a common clinical manifestation of diseases affecting the urinary system. Sometimes it may not represent any underlying disease and is of no clinical significance, especially when it is transient in young adult patients. However, it may represent underlying intrinsic kidney disease or malignancy in patients, even if transient.

Immunoglobulin M nephropathy in a patient with systemic lupus.

Immunoglobulin M (IgM) nephropathy is an uncommon glomerular disease characterized by IgM deposits in the mesangium. This case report describes a 52-year-old woman with a 10-year history of underlying systemic lupus erythematosus with minimal proteinuria who developed sudden onset of nephrotic syndrome. Renal biopsy revealed IgM nephropathy, with no clear evidence of lupus nephritis.

An update on the controversies in anemia management in chronic kidney disease: lessons learned and lost.

Background. Erythropoietin deficiency and anemia occur in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and may be treated with Erythropoietin Stimulating Agents (ESAs). The optimal hemoglobin, in non-End Stage Renal Disease CKD, is controversial.

Beneficial hematologic effects of daily oral ascorbic acid therapy in ESRD patients with anemia and abnormal iron homeostasis: a preliminary study.

Aim: To determine the efficacy and effects of the oral administration of ascorbic acid on anemia management in ESRD patients with hyperferritinemia.

Methods: Twenty-one anemic hemodialysis patients with ferritin levels greater than 350 ng/mL had received oral daily ascorbic acid at a dose of 500 mg/day and were retrospectively studied. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, EPO dose, ferritin, and transferrin saturation were recorded at baseline and after three months of treatment.

A randomized study of extended dosing regimens for initiation of epoetin alfa treatment for anemia of chronic kidney disease.

Background And Objectives: Although epoetin alfa is commonly initiated weekly (QW) in anemic chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, recent evidence indicates that it can be initiated every 2 wk (Q2W) and used in maintenance therapy every 4 wk (Q4W). This study examined the feasibility of initiating epoetin alfa Q4W in anemic CKD patients not receiving dialysis.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: This open-label study randomized subjects (1:2:2:2) to treatment with epoetin alfa 10,000 IU QW, 20,000 IU Q2W, 20,000 IU Q4W, or 40,000 IU Q4W for 16 wk.

Epoetin alfa once every 2 weeks is effective for initiation of treatment of anemia of chronic kidney disease.

There are limited data suggesting that initiation of epoetin alfa at extended dosing intervals of every 2, 3, or 4 wk may be efficacious for treating anemia in patients who have chronic kidney disease and are not on dialysis (CKD-NOD). This open-label, multicenter, single-arm study investigated the efficacy of administration of 20,000 IU of epoetin alfa once every 2 wk as initiation therapy in these patients. Adults with CKD-NOD were eligible when they had hemoglobin (Hb) <11 g/dl, GFR of 10 to 60 ml/min per 1.

Disseminated Nocardia otitidiscaviarum infection in a woman with sickle cell anemia and end-stage renal disease.

Nocardia otitidiscaviarum is an uncommon human pathogen and a rare cause of pulmonary infection and bacteremia. We report a case of N. otitidiscaviarum bacteremia and pulmonary infection in a patient with end-stage renal disease (chronic kidney disease, stage 5) and sickle cell anemia.

Hemodialysis timing, survival, and cardiovascular outcomes in the Hemodialysis (HEMO) Study.

Background: The timing of medical therapies has been shown to influence the outcomes and side effects of treatments for disease. This report examines the extent to which hemodialysis treatment time of day was associated with cardiovascular mortality and morbidity and all-cause mortality in a secondary analysis of the Hemodialysis Study.

Methods: Dialysis start time defined dialysis shift: morning beginning between 0400 and 0930 hours (n = 822); midday, between 0930 and 1530 hours (n = 851); and evening, between 1530 and 2200 hours (n = 172).

Development and application of a quantitative RT-PCR potency assay for a pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RotaTeq).

A sensitive and reproducible method to determine the in vitro infectious potency of a pentavalent reassortant rotavirus vaccine (RotaTeq) has been developed as an alternative to classical potency assays. Potency was determined based on cell-based viral replication followed by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-QPCR) analysis. In the assay, confluent Vero cell monolayers in 96-well plates were inoculated with serial dilutions of test samples, a pentavalent reassortant rotavirus reference standard and assay controls, followed by incubation for 24h.

Effects of hemodialysis dose and membrane flux on health-related quality of life in the HEMO Study.

Background: It has been widely supposed that high dose and high flux hemodialysis would affect the quality as well as the length of life of patients treated by maintenance hemodialysis. The HEMO Study examined changes in health-related quality of life as a secondary study outcome. Specific hypotheses were that study interventions would affect physical functioning, vitality, Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) physical and mental component summary scores, symptoms and problems associated with kidney disease, and sleep quality.

Racial differences in health-related quality of life among hemodialysis patients.

Unlabelled: BACKGROUND; Despite technical progress in therapy, hemodialysis patients continue to report health-related quality of life (HRQOL) substantially lower than that of the general population. While African Americans with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) survive longer than members of other races, few studies have compared the HRQOL of African Americans with that of non-African Americans.

Methods: We examined differences in sociodemographic, clinical, and HRQOL variables by race.

Bias in assessment of health-related quality of life in a hemodialysis population: a comparison of self-administered and interviewer-administered surveys in the HEMO study.

ABSTRACT. Examined is the relationship of patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) to the mode of survey administration in the Hemodialysis Study. In addition to self-administered surveys to assess HRQOL, interviewer-administered surveys were made available to include patients with poor vision, decreased manual dexterity, or strong preference.

Dorsal horn-enriched genes identified by DNA microarray, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry.

Background: Neurons in the dorsal spinal cord play important roles in nociception and pain. These neurons receive input from peripheral sensory neurons and then transmit the signals to the brain, as well as receive and integrate descending control signals from the brain. Many molecules important for pain transmission have been demonstrated to be localized to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.