Associations of vitamin D levels and clinical parameters with COVID-19 infection, severity and mortality in hemodialysis patients: A cohort study.

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among patients undergoing hemodialysis. This study aimed to investigate the associations between vitamin D levels and clinical parameters with the risk of COVID-19 infection, severity, and mortality in hemodialysis patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 198 hemodialysis patients from a single center.

Spontaneous neck hematoma in a hemodialysis patient: A case report.

We present a 60-year-old maintenance hemodialysis patient who initially presented with neck swelling, which was diagnosed as a thyroid issue. Following a hemodialysis session, the swelling in the neck progressively enlarged, leading to respiratory distress and eventual cardiac arrest. During a life-saving tracheotomy, dark red blood was observed, and endotracheal intubation was urgently performed.

Norcantharidin inhibits renal interstitial fibrosis by downregulating PP2Ac expression.

Norcantharidin (NCTD) has been proven to be able to attenuate renal interstitial fibrosis, but the exact molecular mechanism is still unknown. This study investigated the relationship between the anti-fibrotic effect of NCTD and its inhibition on PP2Ac expression. Here, PP2Ac was found to be positively correlated with extracellular matrix accumulation in the rat unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model.

[Role of protein phosphatase 2A in renal interstitial fibrosis].

Background: To explore the role of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in renal interstitial fibrosis by using rat model of unilateral ureteral obstructive (UUO) or cell model of human kidney proximal tubular epithelial (HK)-2 cells treated with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1).


Methods: 1) A total of 15 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a UUO group and an okadaic acid (OA) treated group (OA group) (n=5 in each group). The OA 
[30 μg/(kg·d)], diluted with 1.

[Role and mechanism of tranilast preventing the progression of tubulointerstilial fibrosis in diabetic kidney diseases].

Objective: To determine the role and mechanism of tranilast preventing the progression of tubulointerstilial fibrosis in diabetic kidney disease (DKD).

Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group (n=6), DKD model group (n=8), low dose tranilast group [200 mg/(kg.d), n=8], and high dose tranilast group [400 mg/(kg.

Norcantharidin inhibits renal interstitial fibrosis by blocking the tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is thought to contribute to the progression of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Norcantharidin (NCTD) is a promising agent for inhibiting renal interstitial fibrosis. However, the molecular mechanisms of NCTD are unclear.