De Novo Biopsy-Proven Glomerular Disease Following COVID-19 Vaccination.

There is still no consensus about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine-associated glomerular disease (CVAGD). Given the large number of vaccinations administered and the variations in glomerulopathy observed across different countries and regional environments, CVAGD remains an important area of concern. We aimed to elucidate the findings of CVAGD within a Taiwanese cohort using biopsy data.

Reducing Waiting Times and Admission Periods through Pre-Admission Testing: A Quality Improvement Study on In-Hospital Renal Biopsy.

Admission for renal biopsy is considered the gold standard for diagnosing kidney disease. However, prolonged waiting times for admission can lead to delayed diagnosis. Despite this issue, there are currently no studies demonstrating how to improve the efficiency of renal biopsy procedures.

Pseudohyperkalemia in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed hematological malignancies.

Patients with newly diagnosed hematological malignancies often present with a considerable cellular burden, leading to complications including hyperkalemia. However, pseudohyperkalemia, arising from cell lysis, can pose challenges in clinical practice. Although pseudohyperkalemia is frequently reported in adult hematological malignancies, its occurrence in pediatric patients is underreported, and its incidence in this demographic remains unclear.

Dialysate cyclophilin A as a predictive marker for historical peritonitis in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

Introduction: No markers have been used to diagnose historical peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis. Cyclophilin A (CypA) is associated with glucose toxicity and inflammation. We hypothesize that dialysate CypA can be a marker for historical peritonitis (at least 3 months free from peritonitis).

Effects of down-regulated carbonic anhydrase 8 on cell survival and glucose metabolism in human colorectal cancer cell lines.

Carbonic anhydrase 8 (CA8) is a member of the α-carbonic anhydrase family but does not catalyze the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide. In the present study, we examined the effects of CA8 on two human colon cancer cell lines, SW480 and SW620, by suppressing CA8 expression through shRNA knockdown. Our results showed that knockdown of CA8 decreased cell growth and cell mobility in SW620 cells, but not in SW480 cells.

Safety of midodrine in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: a retrospective cohort study.

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) poses significant health risks. Midodrine for maintaining blood pressure in HFrEF, requires further safety investigation. This study explores midodrine's safety in HFrEF through extensive matched analysis.

The association between bone density of lumbar spines and different daily protein intake in different renal function.

Background: Low protein intake (LPI) has been suggested as a treatment for chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, protein intake is essential for bone health.

Methods: We studied the database of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005-2010.

Effects of AST-120 on mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease modeled by artificial intelligence or traditional statistical analysis.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) imposes a substantial burden, and patient prognosis remains grim. The impact of AST-120 (AST-120) on the survival of CKD patients lacks a consensus. This study aims to investigate the effects of AST-120 usage on the survival of CKD patients and explore the utility of artificial intelligence models for decision-making.

Exploring knowledge, attitude, and intention towards advance care planning, advance directive, and the patient self-determination act among hemodialysis patients.

Background: Hemodialysis holds the highest incidence and prevalence rate in Taiwan globally. However, the implementation of advance care planning (ACP), advance directives (AD), and patient self-determination acts (PSDA) remains limited. Our objective was to examine the current status of ACP, AD and PSDA and potential opportunities for enhancement.

Validating the association of Oxford classification and renal function deterioration among Taiwanese individuals with Immunoglobulin A nephropathy.

Validation of the Oxford classification (MEST and MEST-C) for Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) in the Taiwanese population is lacking. Our study aimed to validate this classification and assess individual lesion impact. We conducted a retrospective cohort study at Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan (Jan 2011-Jul 2023).

The Feasibility of Japanese Histological Grade Classification for Predicting Renal Function Deterioration among Taiwanese Individuals with IgA Nephropathy.

Background: We aimed to validate the Japanese histological grading classification (JHGC) in our population of IgA immunoglobulin (IgAN) cases.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan from January 2011 to December 2023. The process involved assessing JHGC's clinical, histological, and merged grading system.

Safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in patients with IgA nephropathy: a retrospective cohort study from the TriNetX global collaborative networks.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the renal safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN).

Methods: We conducted a global and retrospective collaborative network analysis using TriNetX data from September 11, 2018 to September 11, 2023, to address this question. The study recorded diagnoses of IgAN, COVID-19 vaccinations, and outcomes of effectiveness using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification codes and procedure codes.

Trace Elements Status and Their Associations With Related Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in Patients Receiving Peritoneal Dialysis and Hemodialysis.

Objective: It remains ambiguous as to whether the status of trace elements would affect their related enzyme activities toward defending a possible higher oxidative stress in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD) or hemodialysis (HD) treatment. We investigated copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se) status in patients receiving PD or HD treatments and further determined the association of these trace elements with their related antioxidant capacities in those patients.

Methods: Sixty PD and 80 HD patients before and after HD treatment had their blood drawn.

Efficacy and Safety of a High-Energy, Low-Protein Formula Replacement Meal for Pre-Dialysis Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

High-energy, low-protein formulas (HE-LPFs) are commonly used as oral nutritional supplements (ONSs) to help provide extra calories to patients who are adhering to a low-protein diet (LPD) after diagnosis with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an HE-LPF as either a partial or a total replacement for one meal in pre-dialysis CKD patients. Stage 4-5 CKD patients received either a once-daily HE-LPF (HE-LPF group) or normal food (control group) for a period of 4 weeks while following an LPD.

A quality improvement initiative for patients with chronic kidney disease to promote their smoking cessation.

Cigarette smoking is a critical issue in caring for patients of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, there is no routine care program designed for combining both smoking cessation and CKD care. The process of our quality improvement (QI) collaboration used data under our routine payment-for-performance for pre-end-stage renal disease (P4P Pre-ESRD) in Taichung Veterans General hospital from 2020 to 2022.

Medical malpractice in hospitals-how healthcare staff feel.

Introduction: Literature is limited on quantified acute stress reaction, the impact of event scale on medical staff when facing medical malpractice (MMP), and how to individually care for staff.

Methods: We analyzed data in the Taichung Veterans General Hospital from October 2015 to December 2017, using the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire (SASRQ), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the medical malpractice stress syndrome (MMSS).

Results And Discussion: Of all 98 participants, most (78.

Effects of patient support group on health literacy: a study using the Multidimensional Health Literacy Questionnaire.

Health literacy is important for patient care. Patient support group (PSG) is also crucial for patient education. Little is known about the effect of PSG on health literacy.

Diagnosis and Management of Fabry Disease in High-Risk Renal Disease Patients in Taiwan: A Single Center Study.

Background: Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked inborn error of lysosomal storage disorder, a deficiency in lysosomal hydrolase α-galactosidase A activity due to pathogenic variants in the GLA gene. Accumulation of globotriaosylceramide in multiple organs contributes to end-stage kidney disease, heart failure, and cerebrovascular accidents.

Methods: We began the FD screening program by involving male patients older than 20 years of age who were on chronic dialysis, had a post-kidney transplantation, and were part of the Pre-End Stage Renal Disease Program in our hospital.

Outcomes and Effects of Vaccination on Sars-Cov-2 Omicron Infection in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background: Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) are at high risk of COVID-19. Vaccination is significantly effective at preventing infection and reducing infection severity. Omicron infections are less severe than infections by previous strains, but breakthrough disease is more common.

Outcome of Brain Lymphoma in a High Epstein-Barr Virus-Prevalence Country After Kidney Transplantation.

Background: The incidence of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) in adult kidney transplant (KTx) recipients is less common in Taiwan. In our institute, we observed that brain lymphoma was the most notorious type.

Methods: The study describes the clinical, histologic, and radiological features of primary central nervous lymphoma (PCNSL) and the outcomes and associations with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in our center.

Development and validation of an insulin resistance model for a population without diabetes mellitus and its clinical implication: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Insulin resistance (IR) is associated with diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease (CV), and mortality. Few studies have used machine learning to predict IR in the non-diabetic population.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we trained a predictive model for IR in the non-diabetic populations using the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, from JAN 01, 1999 to DEC 31, 2012) database and the Taiwan MAJOR (from JAN 01, 2008 to DEC 31, 2017) database.

Adverse Effects of Denosumab in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A 20-Year Retrospective Single-Center Observation Study in Central Taiwan.

Background: Bone loss can be noted in kidney transplantation recipients (KTRs) and can be related to fracture events. Denosumab, a potent monoclonal antibody to RANK ligand, increases lumbar bone mineral density. However, safety data for denosumab remain limited regarding transplant recipients.

A retrospective study of differences in patients' anxiety and satisfaction between paper-based and computer-based tools for "Shared Decision-Making".

We aimed to investigate differences in patients' anxiety and satisfaction between patients undergoing paper-based patient decision aid (PDA) for shared decision-making (SDM) and those receiving computer-based PDA. We retrospectively collected questionnaires before and after SDM. Basic demographic data as well as anxiety, satisfaction, knowledge acquisition, and participation in SDM were recorded.