Nephrology Community Research Articles

Strategies to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission in hemodialysis centres across Europe-lessons for the future.

Early reports on the pandemic nature of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) directed the nephrology community to develop infection prevention and control (IPC) guidance. We aimed to make an inventory of strategies that dialysis centres followed to prevent infection with COVID-19 in the first pandemic wave. We analyzed IPC measures taken by hemodialysis centres treating patients presenting with COVID-19 between 1 March 2020 and 31 July 2020 and that completed the European Renal Association COVID-19 Database centre questionnaire. Additionally, we made an inventory of guidelines published in European countries to prevent spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in dialysis centres. Data from 73 dialysis units located in and bordering Europe were analyzed. All participating centres implemented IPC measures to mitigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 during the first pandemic wave. Measures mentioned most often included triage with questions before entering the dialysis ward, measuring body temperature, hand disinfection, masking for all patients and staff, and personal protective equipment for staff members. These measures were also recommended in most of the 14 guidelines that were identified in the inventory of national guidelines and were also scored as being among the most important measures by the authors of this paper. Heterogeneity existed between centres and national guidelines regarding the minimal distance between dialysis chairs and recommendations regarding isolation and cohorting. Although variation existed, measures to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 were relatively similar across centres and national guidelines. Further research is needed to assess causal relationships between measures taken and spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Preparing European Nephrology for the next pandemic: lessons from the ERACODA collaboration.

Owing to the vulnerability of patients with chronic kidney disease to infectious diseases, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been particularly devastating for the nephrology community. Unfortunately, the possibility of future COVID-19 waves or outbreaks of other infectious diseases with pandemic potential cannot be ruled out. The nephrology community made tremendous efforts to contain the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted several shortcomings in our response to the pandemic and has taught us important lessons that can be utilized to improve our preparedness for any future health crises of a similar nature. In this article we draw lessons from the European Renal Association COVID-19 Database (ERACODA) project, a pan-European collaboration initiated in March 2020 to understand the prognosis of COVID-19 in patients on kidney function replacement therapy. We discuss the challenges faced in generating timely and robust evidence for informed management of patients with kidney disease and give recommendations for our preparedness for the next pandemic in Europe. Limited collaboration, the absence of common data architecture and the sub-optimal quality of available data posed challenges in our response to COVID-19. Aligning different research initiatives, strengthening electronic health records, and involving experts in study design and data analysis will be important in our response to the next pandemic. The European Renal Association may take a leading role in aligning research initiatives via its engagement with other scientific societies, national registries, administrators and researchers.

"Make Me a Match": All-In and Other Trends in the Nephrology Match.

"Make Me a Match": All-In and Other Trends in the Nephrology Match.

SGLT2 Inhibitors in the Management of Chronic Kidney Disease: An Expert Consensus.

Despite the availability of multiple therapies for chronic kidney disease (CKD), there still exists an unmet need for better options to slow down disease progression and prevent complications. The Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse Outcomes in CKD (DAPA-CKD) trial, which demonstrated the renoprotective effects of the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) dapagliflozin, independent of diabetes, with improved survival, even in patients with CKD with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) as low as 25 mL/min/1.73 m2 , has highlighted the potential beneficial role of SGLT2i in patients with CKD. These benefits were also achieved in patients who were already receiving optimal therapies for slowing the progression of CKD. The potential candidature of SGLT2i for CKD therapy is now being widely discussed in the nephrology community. Therefore, a consensus meeting was held in September 2020 with a group of expert nephrologists from India, to discuss the need to improve CKD management and assess the position of SGLT2i, based on compelling evidence from recent studies. This document summarizes the expert opinions and views on the position of SGLT2i in CKD management and aims to enhance the current understanding of the applicability of SGLT2i in patients with CKD. This will aid nephrologists and physicians across the country in decision-making on the management of patients with CKD using SGLT2i. Keywords: Chronic kidney disease, Dapagliflozin, Estimated glomerular filtration rate, SGLT2i inhibitors, Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

An Endorsement of the Removal of Race From GFR Estimation Equations: A Position Statement From the National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative

An Endorsement of the Removal of Race From GFR Estimation Equations: A Position Statement From the National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative

The Potential for Pragmatic Trials to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Kidney Disease.

The well-documented and unacceptable racial and ethnic disparities in the prevalence and outcomes of kidney disease are receiving increased attention within and beyond the nephrology community, with numerous calls for intentional, active approaches to ensure that care is equitable and that

Vitamin D and Secondary Hyperparathyroidism in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Critical Appraisal of the Past, Present, and the Future.

The association between vitamin D deficiency and especially critical shortage of active vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, calcitriol) with the development of secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) is a well-known fact in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The association between sHPT and important clinical outcomes, such as kidney disease progression, fractures, cardiovascular events, and mortality, has turned the prevention and the control of HPT into a core issue of patients with CKD and on dialysis. However, vitamin D therapy entails the risk of unwanted side effects, such as hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia. This review summarizes the developments of vitamin D therapies in CKD patients of the last decades, from calcitriol substitution to extended-release calcifediol. In view of the study situation for vitamin D insufficiency and sHPT in CKD patients, we conclude that the nephrology community has to solve three core issues: (1) What is the optimal parathyroid hormone (PTH) target level for CKD and dialysis patients? (2) What is the optimal vitamin D level to support optimal PTH titration? (3) How can sHPT treatment support reduction in the occurrence of hard renal and cardiovascular events in CKD and dialysis patients?

Utilization of Cystatin C in the Outpatient Setting

Introduction: Serum creatinine is the traditional biomarker for estimating glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Cystatin C is an alternative biomarker for which estimating equations exist. The use of cystatin C testing, and the interrelationships among the recently revised Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology (CKD-EPI) 2021 estimating equations, was evaluated in a national outpatient laboratory dataset. Methods: Cystatin C results reported on adults between November 2011 and June 2018 by Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings were examined, with classification of ordering providers and diagnostic codes. Updated eGFR results were calculated using the CKD-EPI 2021 equations for each sample with both cystatin C and creatinine values available. The Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated. Reclassification at clinically relevant cut-off values was examined. Results: There were 87,803 serum cystatin C levels among 55,360 patients; mean age 58 ± 17 years; 50% women. Cystatin C usage increased over time and was ordered for many indications. Among 73,367 samples with simultaneous creatinine and cystatin C, r = 0.84 between eGFR-creatinine and eGFR-cystatin. Correlations of eGFR-creatinine, eGFR-cystatin, and the averaged result of the two equations to the new combined equation were r = 0.94, r = 0.97, and r = 0.998, respectively (p < 0.001 for all). Use of combined/averaged equations tended to result in a higher eGFR and upclassification, compared to eGFR-creatinine. Conclusion/Discussion: Use of Cystatin C is increasing and has moved beyond the nephrology community and the original indications from the 2012 KDIGO guidelines. Community utilization of cystatin C measurement is likely to expand, and understanding of the relationships between estimating equations will help clinicians optimize their use in the outpatient setting.

Artificial intelligence and digital health for volume maintenance in hemodialysis patients.

Chronic fluid overload is associated with morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients. Optimizing the diagnosis and treatment of fluid overload remains a priority for the nephrology community. Although current methods of assessing fluid status, such as bioimpedance and lung ultrasound, have prognostic and diagnostic value, no single system or technique can be used to maintain euvolemia. The difficulty in maintaining and assessing fluid status led to a publication by the Kidney Health Initiative in 2019 aimed at fostering innovation in fluid management therapies. This review article focuses on the current limitations in our assessment of extracellular volume, and the novel technology and methods that can create a new paradigm for fluid management. The cardiology community has published research on multiparametric wearable devices that can create individualized predictions for heart failure events. In the future, similar wearable technology may be capable of tracking fluid changes during the interdialytic period and enabling behavioral change. Machine learning methods have shown promise in the prediction of volume-related adverse events. Similar methods can be leveraged to create accurate, automated predictions of dry weight that can potentially be used to guide ultrafiltration targets and interdialytic weight gain goals.

Adriamycin-Induced Nephropathy is Robust in N and Modest in J Substrain of C57BL/6.

Adriamycin (ADR)-induced nephropathy remains the leading model to study human primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a common pathway for podocyte damage and glomerular loss of function that leads to chronic kidney disease. However, the use of this model for reverse genetics is limited by historical categorization of C57BL/6 mice as an ADR-resistant strain, which is also the most common genetically modified strain. Additionally, conflicting reports exist utilizing C57BL/6 for ADR-nephrosis due to lack of understanding of substrain differences (J/N) and variability in ADR dosage, timing, and frequency to induce damage. We have undertaken a systematic approach to elucidate the specifics of ADR-nephrosis in C57BL/6 N and J substrains. We induced nephropathy with 2 doses of ADR, and measured albuminuria for 6 weeks and performed histological evaluations. Our findings revealed induction of robust and modest proteinuria in N and J substrains, respectively. The serum creatinine levels were elevated in N, but not J substrain. Both the substrains showed reduction in body weight with N greater than J, although mortality remained at 0% in both substrains. Histological analysis showed worse renal lesions in the N than the J substrain. Podocyte markers synaptopodin, nephrin, podocin, and WT1 were reduced to a greater extent in the N than the J substrain. In summary, we provide the nephrology community with a reproducible mouse model for FSGS, in a strain otherwise assumed to be ADR-resistant and highlight the differences between J and N substrains. This enables future studies, especially concerning genetically manipulated animal models in C57BL/6.

A Histology-Guided Approach to the Management of Patients with Lupus Nephritis: Are We There Yet?

Renal involvement is a frequent complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It occurs in up to two-thirds of patients, often early during the disease course, and is the most important predictor of the morbidity and mortality of SLE patients. Despite tremendous improvements in the approach of the lupus nephritis (LN) therapy, including the recent approval of two new disease-modifying therapies, up to 50% of patients do not obtain a renal response and up to 25% will eventually progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) within 10 years of diagnosis. Given the lack of correlation between clinical features and histological lesions, there is an increasing need for a histology-guided approach to the management of patients with LN. Apart from the initial diagnosis of type and severity of renal injury in SLE, the concept of a repeat kidney biopsy (either in a for-cause or a per-protocol scenario) has begun to gain increasing popularity in the nephrology community. Herein, we will provide a comprehensive overview of the most important areas of utility of the kidney biopsy in patients with LN.

Clinical performance, intermediate and long-term outcomes of high-volume hemodiafiltration in patients with kidney failure.

Hemodiafiltration (HDF), in which both convective and diffusion methods are combined, yields an increased overall solute clearance compared with hemodialysis (HD), specifically for medium and larger molecular weight uremic toxins. Due to uncertainty in the treatment effects, the nephrology community still perceives the implementation of HDF and the achievement of high convective volume as complex. In this article, we review practical aspects of the implementation of HDF that can effectively deliver a high-volume HDF therapy and assure clinical performance to most patients. We also present an overview of the impact of high-volume HDF (compared to HD) on a series of relevant biochemical, patient-reported, and clinical outcomes, including uremic toxin removal, phosphate, Inflammation and oxidative stress, hemodynamic stability, cardiac outcomes, nutritional effects, health-related quality of life, morbidity, and mortality.

Changing the Trajectory of Heart Failure and Kidney Disease: A Call for Action.

Changing the Trajectory of Heart Failure and Kidney Disease: A Call for Action.

In Memoriam: Dr Jerry Yee

The Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease (ACKD) journal is mourning the loss of Dr Jerry Yee, an established leader in the nephrology community, and editor emeritus of the ACKD journal (Editor-in-Chief 2009 to 2020).

Addressing the Ethical Challenges of Providing Kidney Failure Care for Children: A Global Stance.

Children with kidney failure require kidney replacement therapy (KRT), namely maintenance dialysis and kidney transplant. Adequate kidney failure care consists of KRT or conservative treatment with palliative care. In the context of kidney failure, children depend on parents who are their surrogate decision-makers, and the pediatric nephrology team for taking decisions about KRT or conservative care. In this paper, we discuss the ethical challenges that arise relating to such decision-making, from a global perspective, using the framework of pediatric bioethics. While many ethical dilemmas in the care of children with KRT are universal, the most significant ethical dilemma is the inequitable access to KRT in low & middle income countries (LMICs) where rates of morbidity and mortality depend on the family's ability to pay. Children with kidney failure in LMICs have inadequate access to maintenance dialysis, timely kidney transplant and palliative care compared to their counterparts in high income countries. Using case vignettes, we highlight how these disparities place severe burdens on caregivers, resulting in difficult decision-making, and lead to moral distress among pediatric nephrologists. We conclude with key action points to change this status-quo, the most important being advocacy by the global pediatric nephrology community for better access to affordable kidney failure care for children.

Home hemodialysis

Heimhämodialyse (HHD) ist der Grundstein der Nierenersatztherapie in Deutschland. Sie ermöglichte ab 1969 das Überleben mit einer bis dahin tödlichen Diagnose. Mit dem Ausbau eines guten Netzes von Dialysezentren gingen das Wissen und die Erfahrung der HHD jedoch zunehmend verloren. In der Ausbildung kommt die HHD heute praktisch nicht mehr vor. Ungenügende Aufklärung und fehlendes Angebot der HHD sind die Folge. Aktuell werden in Deutschland weniger als 0,8 % der Patienten mit HHD behandelt. Die Industrie orientierte sich bei der Entwicklung von Dialysegeräten auf Standgeräte für die Zentren. Diese Form der Therapie behindert die Mobilität und schränkt die Aktivitäten von Patienten mit dialysepflichtiger Niereninsuffizienz ein. Ausgehend von der Advancing American Kidney Health Initiative hat sich eine erfreuliche Dynamik in der Entwicklung innovativer, tragbarer und implantierbarer künstlicher Nieren entwickelt. Damit kann die Lebensqualität verbessert und die Sterblichkeitsrate gesenkt werden. Auch in Deutschland und Europa sind erste Initiativen entstanden. Diese innovativen Geräte und der damit zusammenhängende Wandel in der Nierenersatztherapie werden viele Probleme der nephrologischen Community, wie Personalmangel oder den Mangel an Spenderorganen und Tod auf der Warteliste lösbar machen und den Patienten Unabhängigkeit und Mobilität schenken. Die Kostenbelastung der Gesundheitssysteme kann reduziert werden. Darüber hinaus werden der immense Wasser- und Stromverbrauch durch die regenerativen Techniken der neuen Geräte dramatisch verringert.

The Next Evolution of HemoDialysis eXpanded: From a Delphi Questionnaire-Based Approach to the Real Life of Italian Dialysis Units

Introduction: Impact assessment of new technologies in chronic hemodialysis (HD) is challenging due to HD patient frailty, the complexity of HD clinical trials and practice variability among countries. Among the most recent HD innovations, medium cut-off (MCO) dialyzers present an optimized membrane geometry that provides enhanced clearances for middle and large molecular weight uremic toxins (UT). These toxins are poorly cleared by available HD techniques and largely contribute to patient morbidity and mortality. The aim of this paper is to assess the available clinical evidence about MCO membranes and to identify the next steps needed to generate conclusive data on their use in HD. Methods: With this purpose, we first reviewed and compared the current HD technologies aimed to improve the clearance of middle and large UT; subsequently, we used a Delphi questionnaire to identify and discuss the consensus about MCO efficacy within a large sample of the Italian Nephrology community. Results and Conclusions: Our investigation gathered a significant degree of consensus on the beneficial role of MCO membrane and expanded HD. Finally, we used our results to propose future trial designs and clinical investigations aimed to improve evidence quality about the use of these membranes in the present clinical scenario of dialysis units.

POS-302 GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE PREVALENCE OF KIDNEY DISEASE AND DISTRIBUTION OF RISK FACTORS FOR KIDNEY DISEASE IN RURAL NIGERIANS

Men and women differ from each other at a physiological level and this difference can influence the risk exposure of each sex to kidney disease (KD). Recently, there is an increasing awareness of the interaction between gender and KD within the nephrology community. Relative to men, premenopausal women have a lower risk of developing hypertension while postmenopausal women have a sharply increased risk. The relationship between gender and the prevalence of kidney disease in Nigerians has not been fully explored.

POS-986 TWITTER AS EDUCATIONAL TOOL IN NEPHROLOGY: A GLOBAL WEB BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY ON SOCIAL MEDIA BEHAVIOUR OF NEPHROLOGISTS

Twitter is most popular social media platform among medical community. NephTwitter allows discussions on new research, exchange experiences and indulge in scientific debates with experts in respective medical fields. It helps in building professional and educational environment. With such impact of social media, expected participation in the nephrology community is less than ideal. We designed this study to determine the acceptance of Twitter among nephrologists globally to determine its impact on their clinical practice and ascertain reasons for low acceptance by nephrologists

Do the high-protein recommendations for athletes set some on a path to kidney injury and dialysis?

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts are often encouraged to follow high-protein diets to optimize muscle protein synthesis, modify body composition, and enhance performance, yet the safety of these higher protein intakes has been debated. Many people with kidney dysfunction are unaware of their condition, and the potential harm of excess protein intake on the kidneys may not be adequately reported in the sports nutrition literature. Studies suggesting that high-protein intake may be associated with incident kidney disease have led the nephrology community to make conservative recommendations. In contrast, the fitness community suggests that high dietary protein intake is safe and poses no risk of kidney injury. These claims often fail to acknowledge limitations in the internal validity and generalizability of the study results, despite many studies not being adequately powered to support such claims. It is essential to make dietary recommendations that consider the totality of the data and follow the ethical norm of "do no harm." Studies that evaluate the use of high-protein diets among athletes must consider the balance of efficacy with safety. While an intervention may be safe in one population, it does not mean that safety can be assumed for all groups.