Pelvic floor dysfunctions: how to image patients?

Pelvic floor dysfunctions embrace a large series of different conditions in which functional abnormalities of the pelvic floor lead to impairment in urinary and sexual functions and in rectal voiding. A multidisciplinary approach is needed in the evaluation of these patients, as well as the adoption of imaging studies adequate to explore the complex anatomy of the region and its dynamic functionality. Available imaging studies include: endoanal and transperineal ultrasound, X-ray defecography and MR defecography.

Nutritional Therapy Modulates Intestinal Microbiota and Reduces Serum Levels of Total and Free Indoxyl Sulfate and P-Cresyl Sulfate in Chronic Kidney Disease (Medika Study).

In chronic kidney disease (CKD), the gut-microbiota metabolites indoxyl sulfate (IS) and p-cresyl sulfate (PCS) progressively accumulate due to their high albumin-binding capacity, leading to clinical complications. In a prospective crossover controlled trial, 60 patients with CKD grades 3B-4 (GFR = 21.6 ± 13.

Effect of Indoxyl Sulfate on the Repair and Intactness of Intestinal Epithelial Cells: Role of Reactive Oxygen Species' Release.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by an oxidative stress status, driving some CKD-associated complications, even at the gastrointestinal level. Indoxyl Sulfate (IS) is a protein-bound uremic toxin, poorly eliminated by dialysis. This toxin is able to affect the intestinal system, but its molecular mechanism/s in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) remain poorly understood.

Supplementation of Short-Chain Fatty Acid, Sodium Propionate, in Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis: Beneficial Effects on Inflammatory Parameters and Gut-Derived Uremic Toxins, A Pilot Study (PLAN Study).

Background: In end-stage renal disease (ESRD), gut-derived uremic toxins play a crucial role in the systemic inflammation and oxidative stress promoting the excess morbidity and mortality. The biochemical derangement is in part a consequence of an insufficient generation of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) due to the dysbiosis of the gut and an insufficient consumption of the fermentable complex carbohydrates.

Aim Of The Study: The primary end-point was to evaluate the potential efficacy of SCFA (specifically, sodium propionate (SP)) for patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) on systemic inflammation.

Microbiota issue in CKD: how promising are gut-targeted approaches?

In chronic kidney disease (CKD), the progressive decline in the renal excretory function leads to accumulation of urea and toxins in the blood. The CKD-associated dysbiosis of gut microbiota further contributes to uremia by increasing intestinal toxins production. Gut microbiota is involved in a complex network of human organs, mediated by microbial metabolites: in CKD, gut-heart and gut-brain axes may have a role in increased cardiovascular risk and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Reclassification of chronic kidney disease patients for end-stage renal disease risk by proteinuria indexed to estimated glomerular filtration rate: multicentre prospective study in nephrology clinics.

Background: In non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD), absolute proteinuria (Uprot) depends on the extent of kidney damage and residual glomerular filtration rate (GFR). We therefore evaluated, as compared with Uprot, the strength of association of proteinuria indexed to estimated GFR (eGFR) with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) risk.

Methods: In a multi-cohort prospective study in 3957 CKD patients of Stages G3-G5 referred to nephrology clinics, we tested two multivariable Cox models for ESRD risk, with either Uprot (g/24 h) or filtration-adjusted proteinuria (F-Uprot) calculated as Uprot/eGFR ×100.

Epicardial adipose tissue: new parameter for cardiovascular risk assessment in high risk populations.

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is localized between the myocardial surface and visceral layer of the pericardium. It is a metabolically active organ that secretes several cytokines which modulate cardiovascular morphology and function. EAT may interact locally with coronary arteries through paracrine secretion mechanisms.

A strategy to reduce inflammation and anemia treatment's related costs in dialysis patients.

This is a post-hoc analysis evaluating erythropoiesis stimulating agents' (ESA) related costs while using an additional ultrafilter (Estorclean PLUS) to produce ultrapure dialysis water located within the fluid pathway after the treatment with reverse osmosis and before the dialysis machine. Twenty-nine patients (19 treated with epoetin alfa and 10 with darboepoetin alfa) were included in the analysis. We showed to gain savings of 210 € per patient (35 € per patient each month) with epoetin alfa during the experimental period of 6 months, compared to the control period and of 545 € per patient (90 € per patient each month) with darboepoetin alfa.

Urea and impairment of the Gut-Kidney axis in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Gut microbiota can be considered a real organ coordinating health and wellness of our body. It is made of more than 100 trillions of microorganisms, thus about 3 times higher than the number of human body cells and more than 150 times than human genes containing 1000 different microbe species. It has been described a symbiotic relationship between gut and kidney, confirmed by several observations.

Nutritional therapy reduces protein carbamylation through urea lowering in chronic kidney disease.

Background: Protein carbamylation is one of the non-enzymatic reactions involved in protein molecular ageing. We sought to investigate the relationship between urea levels and protein carbamylation, and whether a Mediterranean diet (MD) and a very low protein diet (VLPD) reduce protein carbamylation through reduction in urea levels in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: This is a prospective, randomized, crossover controlled trial that investigated 60 patients with CKD grades 3B-4 (46 males, mean age of 67 years).

Erratum to: Ultrapure dialysis water obtained with additional ultrafilter may reduce inflammation in patients on hemodialysis.

In original publication, the Table 4 was incorrect. The correct Table has been given below.

Ultrapure dialysis water obtained with additional ultrafilter may reduce inflammation in patients on hemodialysis.

Background: Patients on standard dialysis, in particular those on high-flux and high-efficiency dialysis, are exposed to hundreds of liters of dialysis-water per week. The quality of dialysis-water is a factor responsible for inflammation in dialysis patients. Inflammation is a potent trigger of atherosclerosis and a pathogenetic factor in anemia, increasing mortality and morbidity in dialysis patients.

Pathophysiology of the cardio-renal syndromes types 1-5: An uptodate.

According to the recent definition proposed by the Consensus conference on Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative Group, the term cardio-renal syndrome (CRS) has been used to define different clinical conditions in which heart and kidney dysfunction overlap. Type 1 CRS (acute cardio- renal syndrome) is characterized by acute worsening of cardiac function leading to AKI (5, 6) in the setting of active cardiac disease such as ADHF, while type - 2 CRS occurs in a setting of chronic heart disease. Type 3 CRS is closely link to acute kidney injury (AKI), while type 4 represent cardiovascular involvement in chronic kidney disese (CKD) patients.

Very Low-Protein Diet (VLPD) Reduces Metabolic Acidosis in Subjects with Chronic Kidney Disease: The "Nutritional Light Signal" of the Renal Acid Load.

Background: Metabolic acidosis is a common complication of chronic kidney disease; current guidelines recommend treatment with alkali if bicarbonate levels are lower than 22 mMol/L. In fact, recent studies have shown that an early administration of alkali reduces progression of CKD. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of fruit and vegetables to reduce the acid load in CKD.

Vascular calcification and subendocardial ischemia in hemodialysis patients: a new morpho-functional score to assess cardiovascular risk: the Solofra score.

Background: ESRD (end-stage renal disease) patients have a high cardiovascular mortality risk. A morphofunctional approach of vascular calcifications and myocardial perfusion is needed for the management of ESRD patients. We used SEVR (sub-endocardial viability ratio) and Kauppila score from the dialysis population of the Independent study to create a new morpho-functional score to assess cardiovascular risk in this population (the Solofra score).

Parathyroid hormone may be an early predictor of low serum hemoglobin concentration in patients with not advanced stages of chronic kidney disease.

Background: Parathyroid hormone (PTH) has been associated with anemia only in dialysis patients with severe hyperparathyroidism. Whether an association between PTH and hemoglobin also exists in patients with chronic kidney disease not on dialysis (CKD-patients) is still unclear. In this study we evaluated the association between PTH and hemoglobin in CKD-patients without severe secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Does brachial blood pressure need to predict cardiovascular outcomes in end stage renal disease? An update.

Hypertension is responsible for a significantly increased burden of cardiovascular events and it is cause and a consequence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and a determinant factor in its progression to End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD). Therefore, nephrologists have been focusing their attention on hypertension control to prevent CKD progression, delaying it but with poor results on cardiovascular mortality reduction. An important effect is the difficulty to adequately reduce BP levels in CKD patients and especially in dialysis patients despite the polipharmacological therapy.

Subendocardial viability ratio predicts cardiovascular mortality in chronic kidney disease patients.

Background: The subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR), calculated by pulse wave analysis, is an index of myocardial oxygen supply and demand. Here we analyze the relation between SEVR and cardiovascular mortality in the chronic kidney disease (CKD) population of a post hoc analysis of a multicenter, prospective, randomized, nonblinded study.

Methods: We studied 212 consecutive asymptomatic outpatients receiving care at 12 nephrology clinics in south Italy.

QT interval in CKD and haemodialysis patients.

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Although about half of the deaths are due to CV causes, only a minority are directly linked to myocardial infarction and it is estimated that cardiac arrest or cardiac arrhythmias account for about a quarter of all deaths registered in dialysis patients. Thus, simple non-invasive tools such as electrocardiogram (ECG) may detect those patients at increased risk for arrhythmias.

Phosphate attenuates the anti-proteinuric effect of very low-protein diet in CKD patients.

Background: High phosphate levels attenuate nephroprotection through angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in patients with proteinuric chronic kidney disease (CKD). Whether this phenomenon holds true for other nephroprotective interventions like very-low-protein diet (VLPD) is unknown.

Methods: We tested the hypothesis that phosphate interferes with the anti-proteinuric response to VLPD in a non-randomized, sequential study in 99 proteinuric CKD patients who sequentially underwent low-protein diet (LPD; 0.

Variability of blood pressure in dialysis patients: a new marker of cardiovascular risk.

Background: Hemodialysis patients have a high cardiovascular mortality, and hypertension is the most prevalent treatable risk factor. We aimed to assess the predictive significance of dialysis-to-dialysis variability in blood pressure in hemodialysis patients.

Methods: We performed a historical cohort study in 1,088 prevalent hemodialysis patients, followed up for 5 years.

Acute effects of very-low-protein diet on FGF23 levels: a randomized study.

Background And Objectives: High levels of fibroblast growth factor 23 are associated with mortality, CKD progression, and calcification in CKD patients. The aim of this pilot study is to assess whether a very-low-protein diet (0.3 g/kg per day) with a consequent low intake of phosphorus would reduce fibroblast growth factor 23 compared with a low-protein diet (0.