Leisure-time physical activity and the incidence of atrial fibrillation in senior adults: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: Whether physical activity could reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. This study was to investigate the relationship of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) with AF incidence among Chinese older adults.

Methods: A total of 3253 participants aged ≥60 years from the Guangzhou Heart Study were successfully followed between March 2018 and September 2019.

The effect of fibrinoid necrosis on the clinical features and outcomes of primary IgA nephropathy.

Background: To explore the clinicopathologic features and outcomes of IgAN patients who presented with fibrinoid necrosis (FN) lesions or not and the effect of immunosuppressive (IS) treatment in IgAN patients with FN lesions as well.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study with 665 patients diagnosed with primary IgAN from January 2010 to December 2020 in Tianjin Medical University General Hospital and having detailed baseline and follow-up characteristics. Patients were divided into two groups depending on the appearance of FN lesions.

Association of adiposity with risk of obstructive sleep apnea: a population-based study.

Background: Obesity is a crucial risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but the association between adiposity deposition and OSA risk has not reached a consistent conclusion. This study sought to reveal the association of multiple adiposity indicators with OSA risk.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 9,733 participants aged 35-74 years, recruited from an ongoing population-based cohort.

Detection of renal hypoxia configuration in patients with lupus nephritis: a primary study using blood oxygen level-dependent MR imaging.

Background: Renal microstructure and function are closely associated with oxygenation homeostasis. Analyzing renal blood oxygen level‒dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination results will provide information on the biological status of the kidneys. The current study was performed to explore the hypoxia mode of the entire renal parenchyma in patients with lupus nephritis (LN).

Detection of water-molecular-motion configuration in patients with lupus nephritis: a primary study using diffusion-weighted imaging.

Background: Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of most common types of secondary glomerulonephritis, which is characterized by longitudinal pathological changes. Microstructural lesions of LN will impact the motion of water molecules, which can be detected by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). There are few reported measurements of water diffusion in patients with LN, and the nature of water diffusion across the entire depth of the renal parenchyma remains largely unknown.

Re-recognition of the principle of ultrasonic reverberation image artifacts.

The aim of this work was to describe the physical principles behind the reverberation artifacts in ultrasound imaging and list the correct interpretation. This work focuses on the understanding of the principle of reverberation imaging artifacts.

Assessment of Renal Pathological Changes in Lupus Nephritis Using Diffusion Weighted Imaging: A Multiple Correspondence Analysis.

Background/aims: Renal pathological changes affect the motion of water molecules, which can be detected using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). The current study was performed to explore the correlation between renal tissue pathological injuries and DWI iconographical parameters in lupus nephritis (LN).

Methods: Twenty adult patients with LN and 11 healthy volunteers were recruited.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells facilitate the up-regulation of miR-153-3p, whereby attenuating MGO-induced peritoneal fibrosis in rats.

MiRNAs contribute greatly to epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMCs), which is a crucial step in peritoneal fibrosis (PF). In this study, we tried to profile whether miRNA expression differences exist after human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) treatment in PF rats and investigate the possible role of miR-153-3p involved in anti-EMT process. We randomly assigned 34 rats into three groups: control group (Group Control), MGO-induced PF rats (Group MGO) and hUCMSCs-treated rats (Group MGO + hUCMSCs).

Blood oxygen level dependent magnetic resonance imaging for detecting pathological patterns in lupus nephritis patients: a preliminary study using a decision tree model.

Background: Precise renal histopathological diagnosis will guide therapy strategy in patients with lupus nephritis. Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been applicable noninvasive technique in renal disease. This current study was performed to explore whether BOLD MRI could contribute to diagnose renal pathological pattern.

Blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging for detecting pathological patterns in patients with lupus nephritis: a preliminary study using gray-level co-occurrence matrix analysis.

Objective Blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD MRI) is a noninvasive technique useful in patients with renal disease. The current study was performed to determine whether BOLD MRI can contribute to the diagnosis of renal pathological patterns. Methods BOLD MRI was used to obtain functional magnetic resonance parameter R2* values.

Detection of Renal Hypoxia in Lupus Nephritis Using Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent MR Imaging: A Multiple Correspondence Analysis.

Background/aims: Nephrologists have pursued ideal, dynamic and noninvasive methods for assessing renal function and disease progression. Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) imaging is a useful technique for assessing renal disease. This current study was performed to explore the correlation between the hypoxia iconographical index and renal pathological features in lupus nephritis.

Spironolactone promotes autophagy via inhibiting PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway and reduce adhesive capacity damage in podocytes under mechanical stress.

Mechanical stress which would cause deleterious adhesive effects on podocytes is considered a major contributor to the early progress of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Our previous study has shown that spironolactone could ameliorate podocytic adhesive capacity in diabetic rats. Autophagy has been reported to have a protective role against renal injury.

Renal Oxygenation Characteristics in Healthy Native Kidneys: Assessment with Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Objective: To explore the characteristics of blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-MRI) in healthy native kidneys.

Methods: Seventy-nine patients without chronic kidney disease underwent BOLD-MRI with T2* spoiled gradient recalled echo sequences. BOLD images were analyzed using R2*map software to produce an R2* pseudo-color map.

Renal water molecular diffusion characteristics in healthy native kidneys: assessment with diffusion tensor MR imaging.

Background: To explore the characteristics of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in healthy native kidneys.

Methods: Seventy-three patients without chronic kidney disease underwent DTI-MRI with spin echo-echo planar (SE-EPI) sequences accompanied by an array spatial sensitivity encoding technique (ASSET). Cortical and medullary mean, axial and radial diffusivity (MD, AD and RD), fractional anisotropy (FA) and primary, secondary and tertiary eigenvalues (λ1, λ2, λ3) were analysed in both kidneys and in different genders.

Tiopronin-induced membranous nephropathy: a case report.

Background: Tiopronin, a glycine derivative extensively used to treat cystinuria and hepatic cell injury, can give rise to rare complications such as proteinuria and nephrotic syndrome. However, the pathological characteristics of this secondary nephropathy are poorly understood. Here, we report a case of tiopronin-induced nephrotic syndrome.

Curcumin ameliorates Podocytic adhesive capacity damage under mechanical stress by inhibiting miR-124 expression.

Background/aims: Curcumin, a kind of plant polyphenolic compound, has been recently discovered to have renoprotective effects on diabetic nephropathy (DN). Podocyte can respond to various injuries including mechanical stress secondary to DN. Our previous study showed that podocyte miR-124 expression was up-regulated accompanied with podocytic adhesive capacity damage in vitro and in vivo.

MiR-124 is related to podocytic adhesive capacity damage in STZ-induced uninephrectomized diabetic rats.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Podocyte plays a key role in the pathogenesis of DN. Adhesive capacity damage of podocytes is characteristic in DN.

Vitamin D supplementation and mortality risk in chronic kidney disease: a meta-analysis of 20 observational studies.

Background: Vitamin D insufficiency correlates with mortality risk among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The survival benefits of active vitamin D treatment have been assessed in patients with CKD not requiring dialysis and in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis.

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrance Library, and article reference lists were searched for relevant observational trials.

Changes in microRNAs associated with podocytic adhesion damage under mechanical stress.

Introduction: Podocytes can respond to various injuries, including mechanical stress secondary to diabetic nephropathy (DN), which may cause deleterious adhesive effects on podocytes. Integrin α3β1 is the major podocyte adhesion molecule. In this study, we aim to investigate α3β1 expression and identify differentially expressed microRNAs in podocytes under mechanical stress compared with normal cells and podocytes under mechanical stress treated with spironolactone, respectively.

Serum osteoprotegerin measurement for early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder.

Aim: Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) has been proposed to be the replacement of renal osteodystrophy by the Organization of Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes since 2005 because the mineral disorder is not confined to the skeleton in CKD. Accordingly, laboratory and imaging tests have been emphasized for the clinical assessment of patients with CKD besides renal biopsy. The objective of the current study was to investigate whether osteoprotegerin (OPG) could be made a useful biomarker for early diagnosis of CKD-MBD.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of candesartan and losartan in the management of essential hypertension.

Background: Candesartan is a relatively novel antihypertensive agent of the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB). Several clinical trials have compared candesartan with losartan in the management of essential hypertension. However, systematic assessment of efficacy and safety between candesartan and losartan is still lacking.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of aliskiren and angiotension receptor blockers in the management of essential hypertension.

Aliskiren is a novel antihypertensive agent and the first direct renin inhibitor (DRI) in clinical use. Several clinical trials have compared DRI with angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in the management of essential hypertension. However, systematic comparison of efficacy and safety between DRIs and ARBs is still lacking.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of telmisartan versus valsartan in the management of essential hypertension.

This was a systematic assessment of the efficacy and safety of telmisartan and valsartan for the management of blood pressure (BP) in patients with essential hypertension. The authors reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs comparing telmisartan and valsartan for the management of essential hypertension in which the participants were followed for at least 6 weeks. When a metaanalysis was possible, included studies were analyzed by Review Manager 5.

Spironolactone ameliorates podocytic adhesive capacity via restoring integrin alpha 3 expression in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Podocyte responses to various injuries include detachment from the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) with impaired adhesion ability. Growing evidence suggests inappropriately enhanced aldosterone levels in glomeruli may contribute to podocytic injury and subsequently glomerulosclerosis in diabetic nephropathy (DN). In the present study, we aimed to investigate podocytic integrin alpha 3 expression and urinary podocyte excretion in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, and to evaluate their responses to spironolactone (SPL).