Renal Replacement Therapy Population Research Articles

One-year impact of COVID-19 pandemic on renal replacement therapy and kidney transplantation in a tertiary center in Southern Brazil.

Patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT) and kidney transplant recipients (KTR) present multiple factors that may increase the risk of death from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and impact of COVID-19 in RRT patients and KTRs. Between March 2020 and February 2021, we monitored the RRT population of thirteen dialysis facilities that refer patients for transplantation to our center, a tertiary hospital in Southern Brazil. In the same period, we also monitor COVID-19 incidence and mortality in our KTR population. Demographical, clinical, and COVID-19-related information were analyzed. We evaluated 1545 patients in the dialysis centers, of which 267 (17.4%) were infected by COVID-19 and 53 (19.9%) died. Among 275 patients on the kidney transplant waiting list, 63 patients (22.9%) were infected and seven (11.1%) died. COVID-19 was the leading cause of death (29.2%) among patients on the waiting list. Within the population of 1360 KTR, 134 (9.85%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 and 20 (14.9%) died. The number of kidney transplants decreased by 56.7% compared with the same period in the previous twelve months. In the study period, patients on RRT and KTRs presented a high incidence of COVID-19 and high COVID-19-related lethality. The impact on the patients on the transplant waiting list was less pronounced. The lethality rate observed in both cohorts seems to be related to age, comorbidities, and disease severity.

Efficacy and safety of booster vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in dialysis and renal transplant patients: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Patients under renal replacement therapy are at an increased risk of severe infection with SARS-CoV-2, and have been known to have impaired response to standard vaccination. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims at evaluating the efficacy of booster dose vaccination in this population. A systematic review has been conducted to find trials on the booster dose vaccination in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) or patients under dialysis. Data of seroconversion rates at different timepoints, especially 1month prior and post-booster dose vaccination have been collected and analyzed. Effects of different factors including type of renal replacement therapy (RRT), vaccine type and brands, magnitude of response to the standard vaccination, and immunosuppression drugs on the response rates have been investigated. Meta-analyses were performed using software Stata v.17. Overall 58 studies were included. Both RRT patient subgroups represented significant seroconversion, post- (versus pre-) booster dose vaccination, but only in KTRs the booster dose seroconversion surpassed that of the standard protocol. T-cell response was also significantly augmented after booster vaccination, with no difference between the RRT subgroups. mRNA and vector vaccine types had comparable immunogenicity when employed as boosters, both significantly higher than the inactivated virus vaccine, with no significant disparity regarding the vaccine brands. Patients with poor response to standard vaccination had a significant response to booster dose, with dialysis patients having stronger response. The differential effects of vaccine types and brands in the poor responders was similar to that of the overall RRT population. No rejection episodes or graft failure post-booster vaccination was reported. In patients under RRT, booster dose vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is safe and efficacious determined by significant seroconversion, and therefore, it should be considered to be implemented in all these patients. Since in the KTR patients, the third dose vaccination significantly increased the seroconversion rates even beyond that of the standard protocol, three dose vaccine doses is recommended to be recognized as the standard vaccination protocol in this population. The same recommendation could be considered for dialysis patients, due to their augmented risk of breakthrough infection.

Increasing Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccination and Reducing Health Inequalities in Patients on Renal Replacement Therapy-Experience from a Single Tertiary Centre.

Background: COVID-19 vaccination has changed the landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, decreased uptake due to vaccine hesitancy has been observed, particularly in patients from minority ethnic backgrounds and socially deprived areas. These patient characteristics are common in patients on Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT), a population at extremely high risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19 and who would thus benefit the most from the vaccination programme. We designed a bespoke COVID-19 vaccination programme for our RRT population with the aim of decreasing health inequalities and increasing vaccination uptake. Methods: Key interventions included addressing vaccine hesitancy by deploying the respective clinical teams as trusted messengers, prompt eligible patient identification and notification, the deployment of resources to optimise vaccine administration in a manner convenient to patients, and the timely collection and analysis of local safety and efficacy data. First, COVID-19 vaccination data in relation to ethnicity and social deprivation in our RRT population, measured by the multiple deprivation index, were analysed and compared to uptake data in the total regional adult clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) population in Greater Manchester (GM). Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the factors associated with not receiving a vaccine. Results: Out of 1156 RRT patients included in this analysis, 96.7% received the first dose of the vaccination compared to 93% in the cohort of CEV patients in the GM. Age, gender, ethnicity, and a lower index of multiple deprivation were not identified as significant risk factors for poor first dose vaccine uptake in our cohort. Vaccine uptake in Asian and Black RRT patients was 94.9% and 92.3%, respectively, compared to 93% and 76.2% for the same ethnic groups in the reference CEV GM. Vaccine uptake was 96.1% for RRT patients in the lowest quartile of the multiple deprivation index, compared to 90.5% in the GM reference population. Conclusion: Bespoke COVID-19 vaccination programmes based on local clinical teams as trusted messengers can improve negative attitudes towards vaccination and reduce health inequalities.

Epidemiology of End-Stage Kidney Disease on Renal Replacement Therapy: 35 Years Analysis Study Nephrologists.

Incidence and prevalence of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) population on renal replacement therapy (RRT) for some of the nations are well published. Oman's publication on this aspect is limited and therefore, this study was conducted. This study analyzed the data obtained from the RRT register in Oman. The main measurements and aim are to identify the incidence and prevalence of Oman's treated RRT population (1983-2018) with a major focus on the hemodialysis (HD) cohort. The year 1983 is the year when renal care was started in Oman. The total number of patients registered on Oman's RRT register of the central renal dialysis center from 1983 to 2010 was 3524, distributed among the following treatment cohorts; HD, 2328 patients (66%); kidney transplant, 1,144 patients (32.5%); peritoneal dialysis, 52 patients (1.5%). However, the treated patients alive on HD by end of 2018 were 2023. The dialysis sub-population increased from 35 patients in 1983 to 2023 patients in 2018. The recorded incidence registered in 1983 was 34 patients, in 1986 was 33, in 2013 was 168, in 2015 was 230, and in 2018 was 350 RRT treated patients per million population of Oman. There is a progressive rise of the incidence and prevalence of Oman's RRT population. This rise is similar to many nations, especially developing countries that are being faced with the rising trend of noncommunicable diseases (NCD). The health system and other stakeholders ought to take various stringent policies to ameliorate the progressive increase of NCD and hence, reduce the burden of chronic kidney disease and ESKD.

Exposure to novel coronavirus in patients on renal replacement therapy during the exponential phase of COVID-19 pandemic: survey of the Italian Society of Nephrology.

BackgroundBetween February and April 2020, Italy experienced an overwhelming growth of the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known, at the country level, where and how patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT) have been mostly affected.MethodsSurvey of the network of Nephrology centers using a simplified 17 items electronic questionnaire designed by Italian Society of Nephrology COVID-19 Research Group. We used spatial epidemiology and geographical information systems to map SARS-CoV-2 spread among RRT patients in Italy.ResultsOn April 9th 2020, all nephrology centers (n = 454) listed in the DialMap database were invited to complete the electronic questionnaire. Within 11 days on average, 365 centers responded (80.4% response rate; 2.3% margin of error) totaling 60,441 RRT patients. The surveyed RRT population included 30,821 hemodialysis (HD), 4139 peritoneal dialysis (PD), and 25,481 transplanted (Tx) patients respectively. The proportion of SARS-CoV-2 positive RRT patients in Italy was 2.26% (95% CI 2.14–2.39) with significant differences according to treatment modality (p < 0.001). The proportion of patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 was significantly higher in HD (3.55% [95% CI 3.34–3.76]) than PD (1.38% [95% CI 1.04–1.78] and Tx (0.86% [95% CI 0.75–0.98]) (p < 0.001), with substantial heterogeneity across regions and along the latitude gradient (p < 0.001). In RRT patients the highest rate was in the north-west (4.39% [95% CI 4.11–4.68], followed by the north-east (IR 2.06% [1.79–2.36]), the center (0.91% [0.75–1.09]), the main islands (0.67% [0.47–0.93]), and the south (0.59% [0.45–0.75]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, among SARS-Cov-2 positive RRT patients the fatality rate was 32.8%, as compared to 13.3% observed in the Italian population as of April 23rd.ConclusionsA substantial proportion of the 60,441 surveyed RRT patients in Italy were SARS-Cov-2 positive and subsequently died during the exponential phase of COVID-19 pandemic. Infection risk and rates seems to differ substantially across regions, along geographical latitude, and by treatment modality.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s40620-020-00794-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

P0772CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UK CHINESE POPULATION WITH KIDNEY FAILURE: A UK RENAL REGISTRY ANALYSIS

Abstract Background and Aims Data from the UK Renal Registry (UKRR) has shown that 0.5% of those in the UK with kidney failure are of Chinese ethnicity. The UK Chinese population is growing. Ethnic differences in cause of renal disease and dialysis rates have been described in UK individuals of White, South Asian, and Black ethnicity. However, the clinical demographics of the UK Chinese population with renal disease have not previously been investigated. The China Kidney Disease Network and the Hong Kong Renal Registry have reported the main cause of chronic kidney disease in their populations is diabetes, but the causes of renal disease in other Chinese diaspora have not been well described. We investigated the clinical characteristics of the UK Chinese population on renal replacement therapy (RRT) as compared with the UK White RRT population in this UKRR analysis. Method Data on all adult patients &amp;gt;=18 years who started RRT between 1/1/97 and 31/12/16 were extracted from the UKRR. Patients with ethnicity recorded as anything other than “Chinese” or “White” were excluded from analysis. Patients with ethnicity data missing were also excluded. Socioeconomic status was measured using country-specific Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintiles derived from patients’ postcodes (1= most deprived, 5= least deprived). The Chi-square (*) and Mann-Whitney U (**) tests were used to compare baseline characteristics between Chinese and White ethnic groups. Results The dataset comprised of 92,857 incident RRT patients, of which 0.5% (n=501) were of Chinese ethnicity and 76% (n=70,575) were White. Clinical characteristics of the UK Chinese population as compared to the UK White population are presented in Table 1. UK Chinese patients were younger at start of RRT than white patients (61.4 years vs 65.6 years, p&amp;lt;0.001**). Any difference in the proportion of male patients (60.7% vs 63.0%, p=0.29*) or socioeconomic status (p=0.75*) between the two groups was consistent with chance. There were marked differences in the causes of renal disease: UK Chinese patients had more diabetic renal disease (29% versus 20%, p&amp;lt;0.001*) and glomerulonephritis that white patients (21% vs 13%, p&amp;lt;0.001*) There was modest evidence that more UK Chinese patients started RRT on peritoneal dialysis (PD) compared to the White population (26% vs 23%, p=0.01*) Conclusion We found evidence that the UK Chinese RRT population differs from the UK White RRT population. To our knowledge, this is the first study describing renal disease in the UK Chinese population, and one of the first to describe disease in the Chinese diaspora. Our finding of a greater burden of diabetes in the UK Chinese RRT population compared to the White RRT population may reflect the high prevalence of diabetes in the UK Chinese, as in mainland China and Hong Kong. Further investigation is needed to understand the causes behind the higher burden of glomerulonephritis in the UK Chinese population. The increased rates of PD in UK Chinese patients may be associated with lower average Body Mass Index (BMI) in the Chinese population. The quantity of missing BMI data in the UKRR dataset prevented investigation of this association. Hong Kong has had a successful “PD first” policy for &amp;gt;30 years. Familiarity with this as a mode of dialysis may have led to higher rates of PD in the UK Chinese population. Studies from Hong Kong have also suggested that lower dialysis volumes are required for Chinese PD patients, and that high transporter status is less common in their population. It would be beneficial to elucidate whether this is also the case in UK Chinese patients.

Tuberculosis en pacientes en diálisis en Uruguay

Objectives: this study aims to estimate the risk of tuberculosis in patients with renal replacement therapy (RRT) and to analyse the variation of its incidence, clinical presentation and prognosis.Method: retrospectve study from 1995 to 2013. Data was drawn from the Uruguayan Dialysis Registry and the Honorary Commission for the Fight against Tuberculosis and Prevalent Diseases (CHLA-EP). We analysed diagnosis, clinical presentation, tuberculin tests, evolution and mortality. Likewise, variations in incidence, risk and temporary relation of replacement therapy were studied.Results: in 18 years, 10,516 patients received chronic dialysis in Uruguay and 13,083 cases of tuberculosis were diagnosed. 1.4% (n= 119) of all cases of tuberculosis during that period were patients in renal replacement theraphy (RRT).The incidence of tuberculosis in the general population during the period studied was 21 every 100,000 patients/year (cp105) vs. 212 cp105 in RRT. The risk of tuberculosis was 8 times greater in RRT (SIR: 8 IC 95% (6.5; 9.3) patients. Average time of RRT at the time of diagnosis was 4 years (0 a 20), 37.8% of cases occurred in the first two years of RRT. However, incidence increased significantly after 9 years of RRT. Mortality in connection with tuberculosis in the general population was 10.3%, this figure being double in the RRT population (23.5%).Conclusions: the risk of tuberculosis in RRT is greater and its mortality doubles that of the general population.

SUN-221 RATES OF HOSPITALISATION IN THE FIRST YEAR AFTER COMMENCEMENT OF RENAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY- SINGLE CENTRE EXPERIENCE

Renal replacement therapy (RRT) patients are known to have large number of comorbidities and hence, have high hospitalisation rates. The primary aim of the present study was to compare rates of hospitalisation in year one of incident dialysis patients treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD) or with haemodialysis (HD). We performed retrospective review of all the patients who commenced RRT during April 2013 to March 2016. We collected demographic data, date of commencement of RRT, starting modality, first contact date with renal services, type of access, Charlson’s comorbidity score (CCS) and the details regarding hospital admission within the first year of starting RRT including data about switching modality from electronic patient records. Data was analysed using SPSS V24. 200 patients commenced RRT over 3 year from April 2013-March 2016. Median age of starting RRT was 61.7 years (IQR: 21), 66% (n=132) were males and majority were whites (83.5%). Median CCS was 5 (IQR: 3) and 41.5% were diabetics. 107 patients commenced RRT on HD and rest of 93 on PD. During the one-year follow up period after starting RRT, there were 434 admissions in 130 (65%) patients. 70 (65.4%) of 107 HD and 60 (64.5%) of 93 PD patients were admitted atleast once during the first year of RRT. Median number of admissions were 2.5 (IQR: 3) and cumulative in-patient days in 1 year were 12 (IQR: 27). On comparison of patients groups by starting modality, HD patients were older (65 years; IQR 23 years) as compared to PD patients (58.7 years; IQR 16 years) (P=0.003). There were 236 admissions in HD group and 198 in PD group, however there were more admissions related to medical issues (32% in HD vs 19 % in PD) in HD group vs more admissions related to dialysis issues (9% in HD vs 13% in PD) in PD group. CCS was higher in HD at 6 (IQR 3) as compared to PD patients which was 5 (IQR 3) (P= 0.017). Median number of admission HD vs PD were 2 (IQR: 2) vs 3 (IQR: 3) (P = 0.801) and cumulative days of admission in HD vs PD were 13 (IQR: 27) vs 10.5 (IQR: 23) (P=0.504). Burden of hospitalisation is high in renal replacement therapy population. Even though there was significant difference in the age and comorbidity index of the patients in both admitted HD and PD groups, there was no difference in the number of admission and the hospital days between groups. Further work is required to explore factors contributing the above.

A020 Characteristics, Trends and Outcomes in Acute Coronary Syndromes in the Renal Replacement Therapy Population: A 10-Year Retrospective Analysis in the Waikato

A020 Characteristics, Trends and Outcomes in Acute Coronary Syndromes in the Renal Replacement Therapy Population: A 10-Year Retrospective Analysis in the Waikato

Declining comorbidity-adjusted mortality rates in English patients receiving maintenance renal replacement therapy

We aimed to compare long-term mortality trends in end-stage renal disease versus general population controls after accounting for differences in age, sex and comorbidity. Cohorts of 45,000 patients starting maintenance renal replacement therapy (RRT) and 5.3 million hospital controls were identified from two large electronic hospital inpatient data sets: the Oxford Record Linkage Study (1965-1999) and all-England Hospital Episode Statistics (2000-2011). All-cause and cause-specific three-year mortality rates for both populations were calculated using Poisson regression and standardized to the age, sex, and comorbidity structure of an average 1970-2008 RRT population. The median age at initiation of RRT in 1970-1990 was 49 years, increasing to 61 years by 2006-2008. Over that period, there were increases in the prevalence of vascular disease (from 10.0 to 25.2%) and diabetes (from 6.7 to 33.9%). After accounting for age, sex and comorbidity differences, standardized three-year all-cause mortality rates in treated patients with end-stage renal disease between 1970 and 2011 fell by about one-half (relative decline 51%, 95% confidence interval 41-60%) steeper than the one-third decline (34%, 31-36%) observed in the general population. Declines in three-year mortality rates were evident among those who received a kidney transplant and those who remained on dialysis, and among those with and without diabetes. These data suggest that the full extent of mortality rate declines among RRT patients since 1970 is only apparent when changes in comorbidity over time are taken into account, and that mortality rates in RRT patients appear to have declined faster than in the general population.

Symptomatic fracture risk in the renal replacement therapy population.

Bone fractures are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT). The aim of this multicentre observational study was to quantify the incidence of radiologically proven bone fracture by anatomical site in prevalent RRT groups and study its relationship to potential risk factors. We performed a retrospective analysis of electronic records of all 2096 adults prevalent on RRT in the West of Scotland on 7 July 2010 across all hospitals (except one where inception was 1 August 2011) to identify all subsequent radiologically proven fractures during a median 3-year follow-up. There were 340 fractures, with an incidence of 62.8 per 1000 patient-years. The incidences were 37.6, 99.2 and 57.6 per 1000 patient-years in the transplant, haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) groups, respectively (P < 0.05). In the multivariable model, age and HD (relative to transplant or PD) were independently associated with increased risk of fractures, while primary glomerular disease, increasing serum albumin and taking alfacalcidol or lanthanum were associated with decreased risk. In a multivariable model of only HD patients, age was independently associated with an increased risk of fractures, while glomerular disease, high serum albumin and being on alfacalcidol and lanthanum were associated with decreased risk. In a multivariable model in transplant patients, there were no significant independent predictors of fracture. The risk of symptomatic bone fracture is high in RRT patients and is ∼2.5 times higher in HD than in renal transplant patients, with the increased risk being independent of baseline factors. Fracture risk increases with age and lower serum albumin and is reduced if the primary renal diagnosis is glomerular disease. The possible protective role of alfacalcidol and lanthanum in HD patients deserves further exploration.

Assessment of physical activity in patients with chronic kidney disease and renal replacement therapy.

This study aimed to create a unique assessment tool to investigate the physical activity levels of patients suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD). Previous studies have documented a lack of physical activity within patients living with CKD and patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT). Physical activity plays a key role in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Patients with CKD are at high risk of developing CVD. Physical inactivity can be considered as a major modifiable risk factor for CVD in CKD patients. In this study 100 patients completed the 20 item questionnaire which produced a total activity score (TAS) and activity loss score for each patient. Bio-chemical markers, haemoglobin, erythropoietin therapy and co-morbidities were documented for each patient. Results were compared against 50 age, sex-matched controls. Results showed a significant difference in TAS between in-centre haemodialysis (ICHD) patients and the healthy control group. A significant difference was also seen with the home haemodialysis (HD) and ICHD patients against the transplant group (TX). Our quick assessment tool identified the ICHD patients as the most physically inactive group within the CKD and RRT population compared to a healthy control group. We therefore recommend that doctors encourage physical activity within this high risk group and start ‘prescribing exercise’ to their patients.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40064-015-1338-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Renal replacement therapy for rare diseases affecting the kidney: an analysis of the ERA-EDTA Registry.

In recent years, increased efforts have been undertaken to address the needs of patients with rare diseases by international initiatives and consortia devoted to rare disease research and management. However, information on the overall prevalence of rare diseases within the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) population is limited. The aims of this study were (i) to identify those rare diseases within the ERA-EDTA Registry for which renal replacement therapy (RRT) is being provided and (ii) to determine the prevalence and incidence of RRT for ESRD due to rare diseases, both overall and separately for children and adults. The Orphanet classification of rare disease was searched for rare diseases potentially causing ESRD, and these diagnosis codes were mapped to the corresponding ERA-EDTA primary renal disease codes. Thirty-one diagnoses were defined as rare diseases causing ESRD. From 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2011, 7194 patients started RRT for a rare disease (10.6% children). While some diseases were exclusively found in adults (e.g. Fabry disease), primary oxalosis, cystinosis, congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) and medullary cystic kidney disease affected young patients in up to 46%. On 31 December 2011, 20 595 patients (12.4% of the total RRT population) were on RRT for ESRD caused by a rare disease. The point prevalence was 32.5 per million age-related population in children and 152.0 in adults. Only 5.8% of these patients were younger than 20 years; however, 57.7% of all children on RRT had a rare disease, compared with only 11.9% in adults. CAKUT and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis were the most prevalent rare disease entities among patients on RRT. More than half of all children and one of nine adults on RRT in the ERA-EDTA Registry suffer from kidney failure due to a rare disease, potentially with a large number of additional undiagnosed or miscoded cases. Comprehensive diagnostic assessment and the application of accurate disease classification systems are essential for improving the identification and management of patients with rare kidney diseases.

End-stage renal disease associated with prophylactic lithium treatment

The primary aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lithium associated end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and to compare the relative risk of ESRD in lithium users versus non-lithium users. Second, the role of lithium in the pathogenesis of ESRD was evaluated. We used the Swedish Renal Registry to search for lithium-treated patients with ESRD among 2644 patients with chronic renal replacement therapy (RRT)—either dialysis or transplantation, within two defined geographical areas in Sweden with 2.8 million inhabitants. The prevalence date was December 31, 2010. We found 30 ESRD patients with a history of lithium treatment. ESRD with RRT was significantly more prevalent among lithium users than among non-lithium users (p<0.001). The prevalence of ESRD with RRT in the lithium user population was 15.0‰ (95% CI 9.7–20.3), and close to two percent of the RRT population were lithium users. The relative risk of ESRD with RRT in the lithium user population compared with the general population was 7.8 (95% CI 5.4–11.1). Out of those 30 patients, lithium use was classified, based on chart reviews, as being the sole (n=14) or main (n=10) cause of ESRD in 24 cases. Their mean age at the start of RRT was 66 years (46–82), their mean time on lithium 27 years (12–39), and 22 of them had been on lithium for 15 years or more.We conclude that lithium-associated ESRD is an uncommon but not rare complication of lithium treatment.

Do biologic markers predict cardiovascular end points in diabetic end-stage renal disease? A prospective longitudinal study.

BackgroundDiabetic patients on hemodialysis are at high risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and research has suggested that various biologic markers of inflammation, oxidative stress and hemostasis may give added value to clinical information for predicting cardiovascular event (CVE)-free survival. This information could be particularly important in evaluating this population for renal transplant, given the scarcity of organs. We hypothesized that in diabetic patients undergoing renal replacement therapy (RRT) these biologic markers would prove useful in predicting event-free follow-up in a prospective study.MethodsOne hundred and fifty diabetic (76 type 1, 74 type 2) and 27 non-diabetic stable RRT patients were followed for 0.04–13.69 years for CVE (myocardial infarction, coronary arterial intervention, peripheral arterial bypass or amputation, cerebrovascular accident or carotid artery intervention), cardiac and all-cause mortality. Measured biologic markers of inflammation included the following: Il-6, C reactive protein, fibrinogen; of hemostasis: fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI), fibrinolytic activity, von Willebrand factor VII (vWF), platelet-selectin, viscosity and of oxidative stress: advanced glycated end products and antibody to oxidized low-density lipoprotein. For each, upper versus lower tertiles were compared for duration of event-free follow-up.ResultsCardiovascular events prior to study entry occurred in 51.3% of DM1, 54.0% of DM2 and 25.9% of DM0 patients. Subsequent cardiovascular events were noted in 31.6% of DM1, 45.9% of DM2 and 11.1% of DM0 patients. All mean levels of biologic markers at baseline were abnormal (P < 0.05).ConclusionsIn this RRT population, all biologic marker levels except PAI did not improve clinical prediction of events.

Underweight, overweight and obesity in paediatric dialysis and renal transplant patients

The prevalence of childhood overweight is rising worldwide, but in children on renal replacement therapy (RRT) a poor nutritional status is still the primary concern. We aimed to study the prevalence of, and factors associated with, underweight and overweight/obesity in the European paediatric RRT population. Moreover, we assessed the evolution of body mass index (BMI) after the start of RRT. We included 4474 patients younger than 16 years from 25 countries of whom BMI data, obtained between 1995 and 2010, were available within the European Society for Paediatric Nephrology/European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association Registry. Prevalence estimates for under- and overweight/obesity were calculated using age and sex-specific criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO, 0-1 year olds) and the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs (2-15 year olds). The prevalence of underweight was 3.5%, whereas 20.8% of the patients were overweight and 12.5% obese. Factors associated with being underweight were receiving dialysis treatment and infant age. Among transplanted recipients, a very short stature (OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.40-1.92) and glucocorticoid treatment (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.03-1.47) were associated with a higher risk of being overweight/obese. BMI increased post-transplant, and a lower BMI and a higher age at the start of RRT were associated with greater BMI changes during RRT treatment. Overweight and obesity, rather than underweight, are highly prevalent in European children on RRT. Short stature among graft recipients had a strong association with overweight, while underweight appears to be only a problem in infants. Our findings suggest that nutritional management in children receiving RRT should focus as much on the prevention and treatment of overweight as on preventing malnutrition.

End stage renal disease in Brunei Darussalam – report from the first Brunei Dialysis Transplant Registry (BDTR)

The Brunei Dialysis and Transplant Registry (BDTR) was established in 2011 to collect data from patients undergoing renal replacement therapy (RRT) in Brunei Darussalam. The chief aims of the registry are to obtain general demographic data for RRT patients and to determine disease burden attributable to End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). The registry population comprises of all ESRD patients treated in Brunei Darussalam. Data domains include general demographic data, medical history, ESRD etiological causes, laboratory investigations, dialysis treatment and outcomes. There were 545 prevalent RRT patients in Brunei at the end of 2011. The incidence and prevalence of ESRD were 265 and 1250 per million population. Hemodialysis (HD), Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) and Transplant comprised of 83%, 11% and 6% of the RRT population, respectively. Diabetes mellitus accounted for 57% of all new incident cases. The mean serum hemoglobin, phosphate, calcium and iPTH were 11.0 ± 1.6 g/dL, 1.9 ± 0.5 mmol/L, 2.3 ± 0.2 mmol/L and 202.5 ± 323.4 ng/mL. Dialysis adequacy for HD and PD were 65.1 (urea reduction ratio) and 2.0 ± 0.3 (Kt/v). 71 % of all prevalent HD had functioning AV fistulae and the peritonitis incidence was one in 24.5 patient-month/episode. The first BDTR has identified some deficiencies in the renal services in Brunei. However, it signals an important milestone for the establishment of benchmarked renal practice in the country. We hoped to maintain and improve our registry for years to come and will strive to align our standards to acceptable international practice.

The Comparison of the Relationship Between Sociocultural‐Economic Features and Sexual Dysfunction Frequency in Sexually Active Premenopausal Female Patients on Renal Replacement Therapy

Many studies determine different risk factors for sexual dysfunction (SD) in women, but little is known about the influence of socioeconomic and cultural factors, medical and psychological features on female SD frequency in patients under renal replacement therapy (RRT). This study aimed to compare the relationship between medical, psychological, sociocultural-economic factors, and SD frequency in patients on RRT with the diagnosis of end-stage renal disease. The 115 RRT patients (hemodialysis [HD] 39, peritoneal dialysis [PD] 43, kidney transplant [KT] 33) and 103 healthy premenopausal female volunteers (control) without any known health problems were included in the study. The questionnaire forms containing sociodemographic data, the hospital anxiety depression scale, and Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale were completely filled by subjects who were included in the study. There was no significant difference about mean age, dialysis duration, and body mass index between the groups. While there were significant differences among participants training period and employment conditions, socioeconomic status scores were similar. Significant differences were found in marriage type, marital duration, husband's age, training period and working time per week, spending time with each other, weekly sexual intercourse frequency, the number of children, mothers' and fathers' education. RRT groups were more depressed than control, but no significant differences were observed among the RRT groups. PD and HD groups were more anxious than the KT and control groups. It was identified that SD rates were higher in KT and dialysis patients compared with the control. SD rates were significantly high in the HD group. Multivariate analysis showed that marital duration and being an HD patient are independent SD risk factors for RRT population. Successful KT may improve SD. Differences in sociocultural, economic, medical, and psychological factors among individuals with SD should be taken into consideration in their treatment management.

Quantifying the benefit of early living-donor renal transplantation with a simulation model of the Dutch renal replacement therapy population

Early living-donor transplantation improves patient- and graft-survival compared with possible cadaveric renal transplantation (RTx), but the magnitude of the survival gain is unknown. For patients starting renal replacement therapy (RRT), we aimed to quantify the survival benefit of early living-donor transplantation compared with dialysis and possible cadaveric transplantation and to estimate the population benefit from increasing the early transplantation rate. We used a decision-analytic computer-simulation model, with a lifetime time horizon, simulating patients starting RRT, using data from the Dutch End-Stage Renal Disease Registry and published data. We compared the (quality adjusted) life expectancy (LE) of 'early living-donor RTx' and 'dialysis' (with possible cadaveric RTx if available). LE and quality-adjusted LE benefits of the early living-donor RTx compared with the dialysis strategy for 40-year-old patients ranged from 7.5 to 9.9 life years (LYs) [6.7-8.8 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs)] depending on the primary renal disease. For 70-year-old patients, the benefit was 4.3-6.0 LYs (4.3-6.0 QALYs). Increasing the early transplantation rate from currently 5.8 to 22.2% (the highest in Europe) would increase average LE by 1.2 LYs and total LE for annual incident cases in the Netherlands by >1800 LYs. Efforts to increase early living-donor RTx could potentially substantially increase LE for patients starting RRT, especially in younger patients.

Deceased donor transplantation in the elderly--are we creating false hope?

Increasing numbers of older patients are developing established renal failure and considering kidney transplant as a renal replacement therapy (RRT) option. The probability of older patients actually receiving a deceased donor kidney transplant is unclear, preventing informed choice about pursuing the option of transplantation. We sought to analyse our RRT population to determine the probability of receiving a deceased donor kidney transplant in patients commencing RRT categorized by age and for whom there was no suitable living kidney donor. Patients commencing dialysis in our centre between 1992 and 2009 were identified. Time to listing on the deceased donor transplant waiting list and time to first deceased donor transplant were determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis for patients, categorized by age, with censoring at the date of first living donor kidney transplant, death or last dialysis. One-thousand-five-hundred-and-thirteen patients were categorized into groups by age in years [1: <35 (n = 134), 2: 35-49.9 (n = 207), 3: 50-64.9 (n = 415), 4: >65-74.9 (n = 438) and 5: ≥ 75 (n = 319)]. The probability of being listed for deceased donor transplant within 1 year of commencing RRT was 75, 54, 27, 4 and 0.8% in Groups 1-5, respectively. If listed, the probability of receiving a deceased donor transplant within 5 years of starting RRT was 81, 48, 26, 8 and 0% in Groups 1-5, respectively. In Groups 1-4, 93% (n = 63), 87% (n = 65), 76% (n = 45) and 100% (n = 7) of the patients, respectively, who received a deceased donor transplant were alive and off dialysis 1 year after transplant. The reason patients who were listed did not receive a transplant was usually death on the waiting list. The likelihood of being listed for transplant falls with increasing age at the time of starting RRT. Even for patients listed for transplant, the probability of older patients actually receiving a transplant is much lower than for younger patients, with only 8% of listed patients aged 65-74.9 years being transplanted within 5 years. This is partly the result of death on the waiting list but may also be related to organ allocation policies. Assessment for possible deceased donor transplantation involves a considerable investment in time and effort for the patient, as well as in health care resources, and a patient's decision whether to proceed with assessment should be informed by the kind of information we have produced. As there may be regional and national variations in practice, each centre should generate such data for use locally.