We report a case of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) with marked eosinophilia. A 79-year-old woman was admitted due to diarrhoea and weight loss. Cervical lymphadenopathy, bilateral submandibular glands swelling, anaemia (Hb8.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: BK polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (BKPyVAN) has become a major cause of kidney dysfunction and graft loss in kidney transplant recipients. On rare occasion, polyomavirus has also been known to affect native kidneys of immunocompromised individuals. Only a small number of opportunistic infections have been reported in the carrier phase of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Although the number of elderly patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) has increased, few studies have examined their prognosis.
Methods: The study design was a retrospective cohort study at a single centre. We evaluated 301 patients aged ≥75 years old with CKD stage G3a to G5.
Background: Lower blood pressure (BP) levels are linked to a slower decline of kidney function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) without kidney replacement therapy. However, there are limited data on this relation in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Here we evaluated the association of BP levels with the decline of residual kidney function (RKF) in a retrospective cohort study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a life-threatening disease that leads to end-stage kidney disease if only a poor response to plasma exchanges (PEs) or eculizumab therapy is achieved.
Case Presentation: A 58-year-old Japanese man presented with thrombocytopenia, anemia, and kidney failure requiring dialysis without any underlying disease. A kidney biopsy revealed marked mesangiolysis in all glomeruli, compatible with thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA).
On 31 December 2019, cases of pneumonia whose cause was later identified as SARS-CoV-2 were detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China, and now COVID-19 has spread worldwide. On March 1, 2020, a 69-year-old Japanese man who had been on hemodialysis for 3 years was diagnosed as having COVID-19 pneumonia and hospitalized at our Medical Center. Pulmonary CT revealed bilateral multiple consolidation with bilateral pleural effusion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe accumulation of glucose degradation products (GDPs) can lead to tissue damage in patients with diabetes and those undergoing long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD). Angiogenesis is occasionally observed in the peritoneal membrane of patients undergoing PD, where it is associated with failure of ultrafiltration. To investigate the mechanism underlying the influence of angiogenesis on fluid absorption, we evaluated the effects of accumulation of the glucose degradation product methylglyoxal (MGO) on angiogenesis in vitro, and analyzed the association with angiogenesis in the peritoneal membrane.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Deposition of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) is frequently found in the peritoneum of patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Angiogenesis is also observed in the peritoneum. However, the clinical significance of AGEs and angiogenesis in the peritoneum is not fully understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Phosphate level is a potent independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. The association between hypophosphatemia and kidney function in kidney transplant patients is uncertain.
Methods: In total, 90 kidney transplant recipients were divided into two groups: one group of patients with hypophosphatemia and the other group without hypophosphatemia.
The tryptophan metabolite, kynurenic acid (KYNA), is a preferential antagonist of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor at endogenous brain concentrations. Recent studies have suggested that increases of brain KYNA levels are involved in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression, and regulation of KYNA production has become a new target for treatment of these diseases. Kynurenine (KYN), the immediate precursor of KYNA, is transported into astrocytes via large neutral amino acid transporters (LATs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe develop detachable "Cavitas sensors" to apply to the human oral cavity for non-invasive monitoring of saliva glucose. A salivary biosensor incorporating Pt and Ag/AgCl electrodes on a mouthguard support with an enzyme membrane is developed and tested. Electrodes are formed on the polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) surface of the mouthguard.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report a case of probable light- and heavy-chain deposition disease (LHCDD) in a diabetic patient, a rare and educational case. The patient was a 71-year-old man having a long history of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus with retinopathy. He showed heavy proteinuria and renal insufficiency, and did not have paraproteins.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Brain atrophy has been reported in patients with end-stage renal disease receiving hemodialysis, although its mechanism is unknown. However, little is known regarding brain atrophy in patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD). Therefore, we examined brain volume and its annual change over 2 years in PD patients compared with patients with non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (NDD-CKD).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The peritoneum begins to undergo morphologic changes before the start of peritoneal dialysis (PD), particularly in diabetic patients. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of diabetes on the peritoneum.
Methods: This study involved 17 patients who began receiving PD and had diabetes as an underlying disease (DM group), and 30 patients without diabetes who served as a control group (nonDM group).
A 42-year-old man noted decreased urine output and visited our emergency department. He said that 3 days previously, he had gotten drunk and fallen down a set of stairs. Blood tests and abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed no abnormalities.
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