Two kinds of rare light chain cast nephropathy caused by multiple myeloma: case reports and literature review.

Background: Light chain cast nephropathy (LCCN) is the most common renal disease caused by multiple myeloma (MM). In addition to ordinary light chain protein casts, there are a few rare casts with unique shapes, including light chain amyloid casts (LCAC) and light chain crystal casts (LCCC).

Case Presentations: Here, we report two patients.

SMRT sequencing revealed to be an effective method for ADTKD-MUC1 diagnosis through follow-up analysis of a Chinese family.

We reported a large Chinese family diagnosed with autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease caused by MUC1 mutation (ADTKD-MUC1). Cytosine duplication within a string of 7 cytosines in the variable-number tandem repeats (VNTR) region of the MUC1 gene was detected by long-read single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing. MUC1 frameshift protein (MUC1fs) was found to be expressed in renal tubules and urinary exfoliated cells by pathological examination.

IgG4-related sialadenitis complicated with type III mixed cryoglobulinemia: A case report.

Rationale: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a systemic autoimmune disease and mixed cryoglobulinemia may be caused by autoimmune diseases. However, so far only 1 case of IgG4-RD complicated with mixed cryoglobulinemia is reported. Our case further confirms the close relationship between these 2 diseases.

Cryoglobulinemic vasculitis and glomerulonephritis: concerns in clinical practice.

Objective: Cryoglobulinemia often causes systemic vasculitis, thereby damaging to skin and internal organs including kidneys, even life-threatening. This review aimed to introduce the advances in understanding, detection, and treatment of this disease in recent years, with a particular concern to clinical practice.

Data Sources: All the data in this review were from the English or Chinese literature in the PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases as of March 2019.

Derivation and validation of a prediction score for acute kidney injury secondary to acute myocardial infarction in Chinese patients.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major complication of acute myocardial infarction(AMI), which can significantly increase mortality. This study is to analyze the related risk factors and establish a prediction score of acute kidney injury in order to take early measurement for prevention.

Methods: The medical records of 6014 hospitalized patients with AMI in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2010 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed.

Artificially Cultivated Alleviates Diabetic Nephropathy and Its Podocyte Injury via Inhibiting P2X7R Expression and NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation.

Background/aims: It is known that chronic low-grade inflammation contributes to the initiation and development of both diabetes and diabetic nephropathy (DN), so we designed this study to investigate the role of P2X7R and NLRP3 inflammasome in DN pathogenesis and the antagonistic effects of artificially cultivated (ACOS).

Methods: A rat model of DN caused by high-fat-diet feeding and low-dose streptozotocin injection and a mouse podocyte injury model induced by high-glucose (HG) stimulation were established, and the intervention effects of ACOS on them were observed. The biological parameters of serum and urine and the pathological manifestations of kidney tissue were examined.

Purinergic 2X7 Receptor is Involved in the Podocyte Damage of Obesity-Related Glomerulopathy via Activating Nucleotide-Binding and Oligomerization Domain-Like Receptor Protein 3 Inflammasome.

Background: The nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome composed of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD (ASC), and caspase-1 is engaged in the inflammatory response of many kidney diseases and can be activated by purinergic 2X7 receptor (P2X7R). This study was conducted to explore whether P2X7R plays a pathogenic role in the podocyte damage of obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG) and whether this role is mediated by the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome.

Methods: A mouse model of ORG was established by high-fat diet feeding.

Aldosterone is involved in the pathogenesis of obesity-related glomerulopathy through activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in podocytes.

Obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG) is morphologically characterized by glomerulomegaly with or without observable focal segmental glomerulosclerosis under light microscope, with decreased podocyte density and number, and with increased foot‑process width observed under electron microscope. The severity of podocyte injury is correlated with the degree of proteinuria and renal dysfunction. However, the pathogenesis of ORG is not well understood.

Aristolochic Acid-Induced Autophagy Promotes Epithelial-to-Myofibroblast Transition in Human Renal Proximal Tubule Epithelial Cells.

Autophagy plays an essential role in cellular homeostasis in kidney. Previous studies have found that aristolochic acid (AA) can induce autophagy of renal tubular epithelial cells and epithelial-to-myofibroblast transition (EMT). However, the relationship between AA-induced autophagy and EMT is unclear.

Retrospective Study of Phospholipase A2 Receptor and IgG Subclasses in Glomerular Deposits in Chinese Patients with Membranous Nephropathy.

Background And Objectives: The research work in the past years showed that detection of phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antigen and its dominant IgG4 autoantibody in glomerular deposits of patients with membranous nephropathy (MN) was useful for the differentiation between primary MN (PMN) and secondary MN (SMN), but so far such research data from large Chinese patient series is little. Here, we are going to report a research work in a Chinese cohort.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: This study enrolled 179 patients with PMN, 40 patients with membranous lupus nephritis (LN-MN), 26 patients with hepatitis B virus-associated MN (HBV-MN), 2 patients with malignancy-associated MN (M-MN) and one patient with IgG4-related MN (IgG4-MN).

Hirsutella sinensis Attenuates Aristolochic Acid-Induced Renal Tubular Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition by Inhibiting TGF-β1 and Snail Expression.

Objective: To investigate the inhibitory effect of Hirsutella sinensis (HS) on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of renal tubular epithelial cells induced by aristolochic acid (AA) and its possible mechanism.

Methods: 18 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and equally divided into the following 3 groups: AA group, AA+HS group and control group. Urinary protein excretion and creatinine clearance (CCr) were measured.

[Application of Immunohistochemistry and Immunofluorescence Staining in Detection of Phospholipase A2 Receptor on Paraffin Section of Renal Biopsy Tissue].

Objective: To evaluate the application of immunohistochemistry and fluorescence staining method in the detection of phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) on paraffin section of renal biopsy tissue,and to find an accurate and fast method for the detection of PLA2R in renal tissue.

Methods: The PLA2R of 193 cases were detected by immunohistochemical staining,and the antigen was repaired by the method of high pressure cooker (HPC) hot repair plus trypsin repair. The 193 samples including 139 cases of idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN), 15 cases of membranous lupus nephritis, 8 cases of hepatitis B virus associated membranous nephropathy, 18 cases of IgA nephropathy, and 13 cases of minimal change diseases.

The Protective Effects of Curcumin on Obesity-Related Glomerulopathy Are Associated with Inhibition of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Activation in Podocytes.

The present study investigated the effects of curcumin, one of the most important active ingredients of turmeric, on podocyte injury in vitro and obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG) in vivo. Cellular experiments in vitro showed that curcumin significantly antagonized leptin-induced downregulation of the mRNA and protein expression of podocyte-associated molecules including nephrin, podocin, podoplanin, and podocalyxin. Animal experiments in vivo showed that curcumin significantly reduced the body weight, Lee's index, abdominal fat index, urinary protein excretion, and average glomerular diameter and significantly upregulated the mRNA and protein expressions of the above podocyte-associated molecules in ORG mice.

Clinical prediction scores for type 1 cardiorenal syndrome derived and validated in chinese cohorts.

Type 1 cardiorenal syndrome is one of the major diseases threatening human life in China. The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) associated with acute heart failure (AHF), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), cardiac surgery, and coronary angiography has been reported to be 32.2, 14.

Inhibition of local aldosterone by eplerenone reduces renal structural damage in a novel model of chronic cyclosporine A nephrotoxicity.

Background And Objective: The fact that mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists reduce structural and functional alterations induced by cyclosporine A (CsA) indicates that aldosterone plays a key role in chronic CsA nephrotoxicity. We and other researchers have reported local renal aldosterone synthesis. To investigate local renal aldosterone's role in chronic CsA nephrotoxicity, we evaluated the effect of eplerenone (Epl) on renal structural damage and renal dysfunction in adrenalectomized (ADX) rats, and assessed whether the therapeutic benefit was associated with reduction of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) and collagen I (COL-I) expression.

Derivation and validation of a risk score for contrast-induced nephropathy after cardiac catheterization in Chinese patients.

Background: To derive and validate a risk score for prediction of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in the Chinese patients undergoing cardiac catheterization.

Methods: The hospital medical records of 3945 patients undergoing coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention were reviewed. Patients were randomly assigned into two cohorts: one was for derivation of risk score (n = 2764) and another for validation (n = 1181).

Relation between the interval from coronary angiography to selective off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting and postoperative acute kidney injury.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there are effects of intervals between elective off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) and coronary angiography (CAG) on postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI). The clinical data of patients undergoing OPCABG and CAG from June 2010 to December 2011 in Beijing Anzhen Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients were divided into AKI and non-AKI groups.

Derivation and validation of a prediction score for acute kidney injury in patients hospitalized with acute heart failure in a Chinese cohort.

Aims: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication among patients hospitalized for acute heart failure (AHF), and is associated with increased mortality. The goal of this study was to derive and validate a prediction score for AKI in AHF patients.

Methods: The hospital medical records of 1709 patients with AHF were reviewed.

Determination of normal value of glomerular size in Chinese adults by different measurement methods.

Aim:   Identification of glomerulomegaly is a prerequisite for diagnosis of obesity-related glomerulopathy, so measurement of glomerular size is of critical importance.

Methods:   A total 100 cases pathologically diagnosed as minor glomerular abnormalities or thin basement membrane nephropathy with normal body mass index and blood glucose level were selected as the normal value measurement group of glomerular size. The mean value of diameters of capillary tuft on the glomerular maximum profile was determined using the direct method and indirect method with the Motic Med 6.

JNK-dependent AP-1 activation is required for aristolochic acid-induced TGF-β1 synthesis in human renal proximal epithelial cells.

Chronic aristolochic acid nephropathy (CAAN) is a chronic and progressive tubulointerstitial nephropathy characterized by extensive interstitial fibrosis. Aristolochic acid (AA) could induce overexpression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in a human renal proximal tubule epithelial cells line (HKC), which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of CAAN. The present studies in HKC cells showed 1) AA could activate JNK in time- and dose-dependent manners and JNK inhibitor SP600125 could inhibit AA-induced TGF-β1 promoter activity and TGF-β1 synthesis; 2) AA-induced JNK activation and TGF-β1 synthesis were significantly inhibited by kinase-inactive mutants of MEKK4, MKK4, or MKK7; 3) AA could upregulate luciferase activity derived by a wild-type TGF-β1 promoter, but not by an AP-1 binding-deficient TGF-β1 promoter; and 4) AA could upregulate expression of c-Fos, phospho-c-Jun, and phospho-ATF2.

A case report of varicella-zoster virus infection associated glomerulonephritis and encephalitis.

15-year-old boy was admitted with nephritic and nephrotic syndrome, renal dysfunction and decreased serum C3, who suffered from varicella for two months. His renal histopathology revealed endocapillary proliferative glomerulonephritis with podocytes proliferation and severe tubular injury by light microscopy. Direct immunofluorescence showed global granular deposition of IgG, IgA, IgM, C3, C1q and fibrinogen in mesangium and along glomerular capillary wall.

Colorimetric detection of Fe3+ ions using pyrophosphate functionalized gold nanoparticles.

A sensitive, selective colorimetric Fe(3+) detection method has been developed by using pyrophosphate functionalized gold nanoparticles (P(2)O(7)(4-)-AuNPs). Gold nanoparticles were prepared by reducing HAuCl(4) with sodium borohydride, in the presence of Na(4)P(2)O(7). IR spectra suggested that pyrophosphates were capped on the surface of the gold nanoparticles.