The fibroblast hormone Endotrophin is a biomarker of mortality in chronic diseases.

Fibrosis, driven by fibroblast activities, is an important contributor to morbidity and mortality in most chronic diseases. Endotrophin, a signaling molecule derived from processing of type VI collagen by highly activated fibroblasts, is involved in fibrotic tissue remodeling. Circulating levels of endotrophin have been associated with an increased risk of mortality in multiple chronic diseases.

Dairy consumption and incident prediabetes: prospective associations and network models in the large population-based Lifelines Study.

Background: Evidence on associations between dairy consumption and incident prediabetes is inconsistent. One potential explanation for heterogeneity is that health behavior and food intake covary with the consumption of various high-fat and low-fat dairy types.

Objective: The objective was to investigate the associations of total dairy and dairy types with incident prediabetes and to assess how dairy intake is linked with metabolic risk factors, lifestyle behaviors, and foods, as potential explanations for these associations.

Effect of Intravenous Ferric Carboxymaltose on Exercise Capacity After Kidney Transplantation (EFFECT-KTx): rationale and study protocol for a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Introduction: Iron deficiency (ID) is common and has been associated with an excess mortality risk in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). In patients with chronic heart failure and ID, intravenous iron improves exercise capacity and quality of life. Whether these beneficial effects also occur in KTRs is unknown.

Rationale and design of the CORE (COrticosteroids REvised) study: protocol.

Introduction: Corticosteroids are an important pillar in many anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive treatment regimens and are available in natural and synthetic forms, which are considered equipotent if clinical bioequivalence data are used. Current clinical bioequivalence data are however based on animal studies or studies with subjective endpoints. Furthermore, advancement in steroid physiology with regard to metabolism, intracellular handling and receptor activation have not yet been incorporated.

Using a novel concept to measure outcomes in solid organ recipients provided promising results.

Objectives: Efforts to evaluate the health of solid organ transplant recipients are hampered by the lack of adequate patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) targeting this group. We developed the Transplant ePROM (TXP), which is based on a novel measurement model and administered through a mobile application to fill this gap. The main objective of this article is to elucidate how we derived the weights for different items, and to report initial empirical results.

Meat intake and risk of mortality and graft failure in kidney transplant recipients.

Background: It is unknown whether meat intake is beneficial for long-term patient and graft survival in kidney transplant recipients (KTR).

Objectives: We first investigated the association of the previously described meat intake biomarkers 1-methylhistidine and 3-methylhistidine with intake of white and red meat as estimated from a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Second, we investigated the association of the meat intake biomarkers with long-term outcomes in KTR.

A novel haemocytometric COVID-19 prognostic score developed and validated in an observational multicentre European hospital-based study.

COVID-19 induces haemocytometric changes. Complete blood count changes, including new cell activation parameters, from 982 confirmed COVID-19 adult patients from 11 European hospitals were retrospectively analysed for distinctive patterns based on age, gender, clinical severity, symptom duration, and hospital days. The observed haemocytometric patterns formed the basis to develop a multi-haemocytometric-parameter prognostic score to predict, during the first three days after presentation, which patients will recover without ventilation or deteriorate within a two-week timeframe, needing intensive care or with fatal outcome.

Body fat estimates from bioelectrical impedance equations in cardiovascular risk assessment: The PREVEND cohort study.

Aims: To investigate prospectively the association of body fat percentage (BF%) estimates using various equations from bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) with cardiovascular events, compared with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.

Methods And Results: We used data of 34 BIA-BF%-equations that were used for estimation of BF% in 6486 (men = 3194, women = 3294) subjects. During a median follow-up of 8.

Urinary creatinine excretion is related to short-term and long-term mortality in critically ill patients.

Purpose: Patients with reduced muscle mass have a worse outcome, but muscle mass is difficult to quantify in the ICU. Urinary creatinine excretion (UCE) reflects muscle mass, but has not been studied in critically ill patients. We evaluated the relation of baseline UCE with short-term and long-term mortality in patients admitted to our ICU.

Excessive dietary lipid intake provokes an acquired form of lysosomal lipid storage disease in the kidney.

Obesity and dyslipidaemia are features of the metabolic syndrome and risk factors for chronic kidney disease. The cellular mechanisms connecting metabolic syndrome with chronic kidney disease onset and progression remain largely unclear. We show that proximal tubular epithelium is a target site for lipid deposition upon overnutrition with a cholesterol-rich Western-type diet.

Plasma copeptin and chronic kidney disease risk in 3 European cohorts from the general population.

Background: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing worldwide. The identification of factors contributing to its progression is important for designing preventive measures. Previous studies have suggested that chronically high vasopressin is deleterious to renal function.

Functional vitamin B-6 status and long-term mortality in renal transplant recipients.

Low plasma concentrations of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) are common in renal transplant recipients (RTRs) and confer increased risk of long-term mortality. To our knowledge, it is not known whether low plasma PLP concentrations have functional (i.e.

Vitamin C Depletion and All-Cause Mortality in Renal Transplant Recipients.

Vitamin C may reduce inflammation and is inversely associated with mortality in the general population. We investigated the association of plasma vitamin C with all-cause mortality in renal transplant recipients (RTR); and whether this association would be mediated by inflammatory biomarkers. Vitamin C, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), soluble intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1), and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1) were measured in a cohort of 598 RTR.

Vitamin B-6 deficiency is common and associated with poor long-term outcome in renal transplant recipients.

Previous studies have reported low circulating concentrations of pyridoxal-5-phospate (PLP) in renal transplant recipients (RTRs). It is unknown whether this is because of low intake or altered handling, and it is also unknown whether variation in circulating concentrations of PLP influences long-term outcome. We compared vitamin B-6 intake and circulating PLP concentrations of RTRs with those of healthy controls and investigated long-term clinical implications of vitamin B-6 deficiency in stable outpatient RTRs.

Intake of Marine-Derived Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Mortality in Renal Transplant Recipients.

The effect of marine-derived omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (-3 PUFA) on long-term outcome in renal transplant recipients (RTR) remains unclear. We investigated whether marine-derived -3 PUFA intake is associated with all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality in RTR. Intake of eicosapentaenoic acid plus docosahexaenoic acid (EPA-DHA) was assessed using a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire.

Plasma potassium, diuretic use and risk of developing chronic kidney disease in a predominantly White population.

Objective: Both hypokalemia and hyperkalemia are associated with disease progression in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is unclear whether similar associations are present in the general population. Our aim was to examine the association of plasma potassium with risk of developing CKD and the role of diuretics in this association in a population-based cohort.

Dried blood spot validation of five immunosuppressants, without hematocrit correction, on two LC-MS/MS systems.

Aim: Hematocrit (Ht) effects remain a challenge in dried blood spot (DBS) sampling. The aim was to develop an immunosuppressant DBS assay on two LC-MS/MS systems covering a clinically relevant Ht range without Ht correction.

Results: The method was partially validated for tacrolimus, sirolimus, everolimus, cyclosporin A and fully validated for mycophenolic acid on an Agilent and Thermo LC-MS/MS system.

Effects of long-term magnesium supplementation on endothelial function and cardiometabolic risk markers: A randomized controlled trial in overweight/obese adults.

Long-term magnesium supplementation improves arterial stiffness, a cardiovascular disease risk marker. Effects on endothelial function may be another mechanism whereby increased magnesium intakes affect cardiovascular risk. Therefore, a 24-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed to examine effects of magnesium supplementation on endothelial function and cardiometabolic risk markers.

Physical inactivity: a risk factor and target for intervention in renal care.

Regular physical activity is associated with an increased quality of life and reduced morbidity and mortality in the general population and in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and muscle mass decrease even in the early stages of CKD, and continue to decrease with disease progression; notably, full recovery is generally not achieved with transplantation. The combined effects of uraemia and physical inactivity drive the loss of muscle mass.

Genome-wide association analysis identifies novel blood pressure loci and offers biological insights into cardiovascular risk.

Elevated blood pressure is the leading heritable risk factor for cardiovascular disease worldwide. We report genetic association of blood pressure (systolic, diastolic, pulse pressure) among UK Biobank participants of European ancestry with independent replication in other cohorts, and robust validation of 107 independent loci. We also identify new independent variants at 11 previously reported blood pressure loci.

Mediterranean style diet is associated with low risk of new-onset diabetes after renal transplantation.

Objective: The incidence of new-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) and premature mortality is high in renal transplant recipients (RTR). We hypothesized that a Mediterranean Style diet protects against NODAT and premature mortality in RTR.

Research Design And Methods: A prospective cohort study of adult RTR with a functioning graft for >1 year.

Urine Concentrating Capacity, Vasopressin and Copeptin in ADPKD and IgA Nephropathy Patients with Renal Impairment.

Background: Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) patients have an impaired urine concentrating capacity. Increased circulating vasopressin (AVP) concentrations are supposed to play a role in the progression of ADPKD. We hypothesized that ADPKD patients have a more severely impaired urine concentrating capacity in comparison to other patients with chronic kidney disease at a similar level of kidney function, with consequently an enhanced AVP response to water deprivation with higher circulating AVP concentrations.

Plasma N-terminal Prosomatostatin and Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality in a Prospective Observational Cohort: the PREVEND Study.

Background: Somatostatin is a component of the well-known insulin-like growth factor-1/growth hormone (GH) longevity axis. There is observational evidence that increased GH is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to investigate the potential association of plasma N-terminal fragment prosomatostatin (NT-proSST) with incident CVD and all-cause mortality in apparently healthy adults.

Copeptin, a surrogate marker for arginine vasopressin, is associated with disease severity and progression in IgA nephropathy patients.

Background: Besides its essential role for water homeostasis, arginine vasopressin (AVP) may have deleterious effects on the kidney. Copeptin, a surrogate marker for AVP, has been shown to be related to renal outcome in patients with diabetic nephropathy and polycystic kidney disease. We investigated the association of copeptin with disease severity and progression in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN).