Clinical significance of amphiregulin in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Amphiregulin (AREG) is a ligand of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which plays an important role in injury-induced kidney fibrosis. However, the clinical significance of serum soluble AREG in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unclear. In this study, we elucidated the clinical significance of serum soluble AREG in CKD by analyzing the association of serum soluble AREG levels with renal function and other clinical parameters in patients with CKD.

Data on mitochondrial respiratory function in skeletal muscle of adult male mice in response to 3-weeks heat stress.

Chronic heat stress induces mitochondrial adaptation in skeletal muscle. However, the effect of chronic heat stress on the respiratory function per mitochondria in skeletal muscle has not been well studied. Here, the present study reports on the effect of 3-weeks heat stress on muscle mitochondrial respiration using male C57BL/6JJ mice at age 21 weeks.

Knockout of Zeb2 ameliorates progression of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis in a mouse model of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Background: Zeb2, a zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox transcription factor, regulates transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling pathway. However, its role in the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury (AKI) and AKI-to-chronic kidney disease (CKD) transition is unclear.

Methods: We evaluated Zeb2 function in a bilateral renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI)-induced AKI model using proximal tubule-specific Zeb2 conditional knockout (Zeb2-cKO) and wild-type (WT) mice, and in renal biopsy samples.

Long-term continuous use of proton-pump inhibitors is associated with renal function decline in patients without acute kidney injury.

Background: Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely used to treat gastroesophageal reflex disease, peptic ulcer disease, and stress ulcer prophylaxis. This study estimated the progress rate of renal dysfunction in patients taking PPIs in clinical settings and compared the results with those of patients taking histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients' data collected from Kochi Medical School Hospital's information system between 2001 and 2019.

Effects of transient acute kidney injury, persistent acute kidney injury and acute kidney disease on the long-term renal prognosis after an initial acute kidney injury event.

Aim: To clarify the effects of the duration of acute damage and/or loss of renal function following an acute kidney injury event on the renal prognosis after recovery.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data collected between 1995 and 2016 from the Kochi Medical School Hospital. Patients were stratified according to the time required for recovery with fluid therapy (expected to reflect the presence of renal dysfunction): ≤2 days after onset, transient injury group (n = 491); 3 to 7 days after onset, persistent injury group (n = 1076); and ≥ 8 days after onset, acute kidney disease group (n = 1046).

Influence of hyperuricemia treatment on postoperative acute kidney injury among hyperuricemia patients: a single-center retrospective database analysis.

Objective: Hyperuricemia has been reported to be associated with the development of postoperative acute kidney injury (pAKI). However, it remains underdetermined whether hyperuricemia treatment could decrease the potential risk of pAKI. Here, we investigated this hypothesis among hyperuricemia patients with previously normal renal function by performing a retrospective database analysis.

Transition from acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease: a single-centre cohort study.

Background: The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) is increasing. AKI is currently recognised as an inducer of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and this is known as the 'AKI-CKD transition'. This study aimed to evaluate the rate of decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) associated with AKI events in individuals with and without pre-existing CKD.

A case of neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease associated with lupus nephritis-like nephropathy.

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a relatively new entity identified as a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterised by eosinophilic hyaline intranuclear inclusions widely observed in neuronal and somatic cells. Renal biopsy from one of our patients with NIID showed lupus nephritis-like pathology. He was treated with steroids and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and his proteinuria improved.

Knockout of the interleukin-36 receptor protects against renal ischemia-reperfusion injury by reduction of proinflammatory cytokines.

IL-36, a newly named member of the IL-1 cytokine family, includes 3 isoforms, IL-36α, IL-36β, and IL-36γ, all of which bind to a heterodimer containing the IL-36 receptor (IL-36R). Little is known about the role of the IL-36 axis in acute kidney injury (AKI) pathogenesis. Therefore, we evaluated IL-36 function in the bilateral renal ischemia-reperfusion injury model of AKI using IL-36R knockout and wild-type mice.

Bilateral striopallidodentate calcinosis associated with Sjögren's syndrome and IgDλ monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.

We presented the first case of bilateral striopallidodentate calcinosis secondary to Sjögren's syndrome. Further consideration should be given to the association between Sjögren's syndrome and bilateral striopallidodentate calcinosis, because Sjögren's syndrome is latent, but more frequent than other autoimmune diseases.