Evaluation of complications in urgent start peritoneal dialysis: Single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: Patients who were urgent start peritoneal dialysis (USPD) were evaluated in terms of complications. METHODS: The data from 102 patients (43 males and 59 females, mean age 58.18 ± 15.3 years) who were on peritoneal dialysis with a placed catheter between January 2014 and June 2019 in our Nephrology clinic was evaluated. The patients were divided into three groups according to the starting time of peritoneal dialysis. The development of complications between the groups (peritonitis, leakage, hernia), hemodialysis return time and overall survival times were compared. RESULTS: There was no difference between the groups in terms of survival and complications. Diabetes, advanced age, albumin values were found to be risk factors for mortality, while no differences were found between the groups in terms of complications and mortality. CONCLUSION: USPD can be recommended for both because it provides a permanent dialysis option and because it leads to fewer complications than urgent start HD.

Investigation of the relationship between disease severity and development of amyloidosis and genetic mutation in FMF disease.

BACKGROUND: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease. Amyloidosis is the most important complication of FMF that determines the prognosis of the disease. AIMS: In our study, we have investigated the relationship between the genetic mutations with the disease severity and the frequency of development of amyloidosis inpatients with FMF. METHODS: A total of 148 patients with FMF were included this study. The relationship between disease activity score, clinical findings, response to treatment, and presence of amyloid and genetic mutations were evaluated. RESULTS: One hundred forty-eight patients (80 women (54%), 68 men (46%)) were enrolled over 18 years of age. The mean age of the patients was 30.98 ± 11.18 (18-67) years. In our study, the most frequently seen mutations are M694V, M680I, R202Q, and E148Q, respectively. The most common genotype is M694V/M694V mutation and this mutation has been found in 37 patients (25%). In 25 patients, M694V heterozygous have been found (16.8%). The third frequent mutationis M694V/M680I/R202Q has been found in13 patients (8.7%). In 23 patients, amyloidosis has been developed. Ten patients with amyloidosis have M694V homozygous mutations (27%) and 5 patients with amyloidosis M694V heterozygous (20%) mutations. The both of the two patients who carry the homozygous E148Q mutations have developed amyloidosis. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the distribution of the frequency of mutations is consistent with other similar studies performed in Turkey. We found that patients with M694V mutation had a significantly higher rate of exacerbation, higher drug doses for treatment, and a close relationship with amyloidosis, as compared to patients with other mutations.

ANCA-associated vasculitis after COVID-19.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) are systemic autoimmune diseases that may lead to renal failure due to the infiltration of mononuclear cells and the destruction of small- and medium-sized blood vessels. It has been shown that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may trigger the presentation or exacerbation of autoimmune diseases. Crescentic glomerulonephritis (GN) has rarely been reported in patients with Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). We present rare two cases with AAV after a recent diagnosis of COVID-19. The first case was 26-year-old male patient, who was presented with acute kidney injury after COVID-19. Serum creatinine increased and active urine sediment was seen. Serological evaluation showed anti-myeloperoxidase antibody was at a level of 80.6 U/mL. Kidney biopsy showed necrotizing GN with cellular crescents. Methylprednisolone, cyclophosphamide and plasma exchange were administered. He was discharged with hemodialysis. Second case was a 36-year-old female who was hospitalized because of fever, cough and dyspnea. After she was diagnosed with COVID-19, she had total hearing loss, with cavitary lesions on bilateral lung parenchyma and an acute kidney injury. Serological evaluation showed an elevated anti-proteinase-3 with a level of 1:32. Kidney biopsy showed necrotizing GN with cellular crescents. Renal function improved after methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide treatment. With a systematic review of the literature, we found four cases of new-onset AAV due to COVID-19. Herein, we discuss two cases and provide a literature review on cases of new-onset pauci-immune GN after COVID-19 infection.

Fabry Disease Prevalence in Renal Replacement Therapy in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder resulting from lack of alpha-galactosidase A (AGALA) activity in lysosomes. OBJECTIVE: In this multicenter study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of FD in renal transplant (Tx) recipients in Turkey. We also screened dialysis patients as a control group. METHODS: All Tx and dialysis patients were screened regardless of the presence of a primary disease. We measured the AGALA activity in all male patients as initial analysis. Mutation analysis was performed in male patients with decreased AGALA activity and in female patients as the initial diagnostic assay. RESULTS: We screened 5,657 patients. A total of 17 mutations were identified. No significant difference was observed between the groups regarding the prevalence of patients with mutation. We found FD even in patients with presumed primary kidney diseases. Seventy-one relatives were analyzed and mutation was detected in 43 of them. We detected a patient with a new, unknown mutation (p.Cys223) in the GLA gene. CONCLUSIONS: There are important implications of the screening. First, detection of the undiagnosed patients leads to starting appropriate therapies for these patients. Second, the transmission of the disease to future generations may be prevented by prenatal screening after appropriate genetic counseling. In conclusion, we suggest screening of kidney Tx candidates for FD, regardless of etiologies of chronic kidney disease.

Catheter-related atrial thrombus: tip of the iceberg?

Although guidelines recommend catheters as a last resort for establishing a vascular access in patients undergoing dialysis, they continue to be used widely for this purpose. Catheter-related atrial thrombus (CRAT) is rarely reported in this group of patients, and it can lead to serious complications. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of CRAT in patients undergoing hemodialysis with permanent-tunneled catheters. A total of 50 patients undergoing hemodialysis with permanent catheters were included in this study. The diagnosis of CRAT was based on transthoracic echocardiography findings. Thrombus was present in nine patients (18%) and related to the tip of the catheter in all cases. Except for one patient with two foci of thrombus, all patients had a single focus. There were no significant associations between the development of thrombus and the duration of catheter use or the location of the catheter. Furthermore, catheter-related atrial thrombus did not appear to have a significant effect on mortality. The asymptomatic character of CRAT can be responsible for the low reporting rates, and its exact role in increased mortality and morbidity related with catheter use remains unknown. While planning management strategies, information on different options for vascular access routes and possible catheter-related complications should be provided to all patients who will undergo dialysis, together with a discussion involving other replacement alternatives for end-stage renal disease.

Effects of tacrolimus and nifedipine, alone or in combination, on gingival tissues.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to compare gingival changes induced by short- and long-term tacrolimus and nifedipine administration, alone or in combination, and evaluate the expression levels of tumor suppressor phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in drug-induced gingival overgrowth. METHODS: Eighty rats were equally divided into eight groups: 1) tacrolimus for 8 weeks; 2) nifedipine for 8 weeks; 3) tacrolimus and nifedipine for 8 weeks; 4) 8-week control; 5) tacrolimus for 24 weeks; 6) nifedipine for 24 weeks; 7) tacrolimus and nifedipine for 24 weeks; and 8) 24-week control. Histomorphometric analyses included measurements of epithelial thickness, connective tissue thickness, and height. Stereologic analyses included measurements of volumetric densities of fibroblasts (Vf), collagen fibers (Vcf), and blood vessels (Vbv). In addition, PTEN expression was analyzed using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Epithelial thickness and connective tissue thickness were significantly increased in groups 5, 6, and 7 compared to group 8 (P <0.05), whereas connective tissue height was significantly increased in groups 5 and 7 (P <0.001). Vf and Vcf were significantly increased in group 7 compared to group 8 (P <0.001). PTEN immunoreactivity was significantly decreased in all experimental groups compared to the control groups (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that duration of drug administration is a more important risk factor than drug combination. The results include a potentially new insight about PTEN's role in the etiology of drug-induced gingival overgrowth.

Renal transplantation in patients with familial Mediterranean fever.

Amyloidosis is the most common and devastating complication of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). Renal transplantation is the choice of treatment of in most end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We report our experience on the outcomes in eight patients who underwent renal transplantation for ESRD due to FMF secondary to amyloidosis, and we provide a discussion on the current evidence on this topic of study. The clinical charts of eight renal transplant patients (seven male, one female) who underwent ESRD due to FMF-related amyloidosis were investigated. Five patients underwent living-donor renal transplantation and three patients underwent deceased-donor renal transplant. The mean follow-up period was 35 months (range 3-72). All patients were on triple immunosuppressive treatment and received colchicine. All allografts are currently functioning well with a mean serum creatinine level of 1.4 (range 0.7-2.6) mg/dL. Posttransplantation complications included acute rejection (n = 4), chronic rejection (n = 1), severe gastroenteritis (n = 2), and erythrocytosis (n = 5). None of the patients had proteinuria. During follow-up, we did not observe clinically severe FMF attack, septicemia, rhabdomylosis, symptoms related to vasculitis, and clinical neuropathy. The clinical outcome of the patients in this cohort was similar to that of other renal transplant patients with ESRD due to other causes. This study shows favorable prognosis of eight ESRD patients due to amyloidosis caused by FMF after renal transplantation. Renal transplantation is a safe procedure for ESRD patients having amyloidosis due to FMF. Regular use of colchicine after transplantation should be mentioned.

Evidence of left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction by color tissue Doppler imaging despite normal ejection fraction in patients on chronic hemodialysis program.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for about half of deaths and are the major cause of mortality in hemodialysis patients. The aim of this study is to assess left ventricular (LV) longitudinal myocardial functions by color tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in patients with chronic renal failure on a regular hemodialysis program. METHODS: Thirty-one patients on a regular hemodialysis program (mean age 47 +/- 12 years; 17 males, 14 females) were included into the study. Twenty-three healthy subjects (mean age 44 +/- 8 years; 15 males, 8 females) were studied as a control group. The patients had been on maintenance hemodialysis for at least 1 month and hemodialysis sessions were three times per week. For color TDI, apical two- and four-chamber views of left ventricle were used. Sample volumes were placed on the mid-left ventricle in the inner half of the myocardium at the septum, lateral, inferior, and anterior walls. Peak LV strain, peak systolic strain rate, peak early diastolic strain rate, peak late diastolic strain rate, peak systolic tissue velocity, peak early diastolic tissue velocity, and peak late diastolic tissue velocity values were measured. RESULTS: Mean peak LV strain, mean peak systolic strain rate, and mean peak systolic tissue velocity values were all lower in the hemodialysis group. Although mean peak late diastolic strain rate and mean peak late diastolic tissue velocity values were similar between the groups, mean peak early diastolic strain rate and mean peak early diastolic tissue velocity values were lower in the hemodialysis group. CONCLUSION: Patients with chronic renal failure on regular hemodialysis program show significant alterations at LV longitudinal myocardial function parameters assessed by color TDI.

A rare complication of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Brown tumor of the maxilla and mandible.

Brown tumors are focal bone lesions caused by increased osteoclastic activity and fibroblastic proliferation encountered in primary or more rarely secondary hyperparathyroidism. Ninety-two percent of the patients undergoing dialysis develop secondary hyperparathyroidism. Of these, approximately 1.5% develops brown tumors. Brown tumors of hyperparathyroidism may appear in any bone but are frequently found in the facial bones and jaws, particularly in long-standing cases of the disease. As it becomes common for hyperparathyroidism to be detected earlier during the disease, the bony manifestations of the disease are rarely seen. The following report describes a case of brown tumor of the maxilla and mandible in a patient with renal insufficiency. This patient presented multiple skeletal lesions, which are uncommonly seen nowadays.

Leptin might be a regulator of serum uric acid concentrations in humans.

Increased serum urate concentration is a frequent finding in patients with hypertension. Since hyperuricemia is associated with obesity, renal disease, hyperlipidemia, and atherosclerosis, whether or not serum urate is a cardiovascular risk factor per se has remained elusive. The subjects were 210 Turkish male and 210 female adults over 20 years of age. None had diabetes mellitus, endocrine diseases, or renal or hepatic disease, and those receiving antihypertensive drugs, systemic corticosteroids, or lipid-lowering drugs were excluded. Height, weight, blood pressure, serum glucose, lipid profiles, serum insulin, DHEA-SO4, and leptin were measured in the morning after an overnight fast. Women had significantly higher mean leptin (20.3 +/- 0.88 ng/mL vs 5.78 +/- 0.39 ng/mL, P < 0.001) and lower mean uric acid (248.03 +/- 4.76 micromol/L vs 311.6 +/- 5.35 micromol/L, P < 0.001), triglyceride (1.42 +/- 0.06 mmol/L vs 1.61 +/- 0.06 mmol/L, P < 0.001), and DHEA-SO4 (3.02 +/- 0.17 micromol/L vs 4.43 +/- 0.19 micromol/L, P < 0.001) concentrations than men, even when adjusted for BMI. On univariate correlation analysis, leptin showed the strongest association with BMI in both sexes and also correlated significantly with BMI, insulin, uric acid, glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides in males and BMI, insulin, uric acid, total cholesterol, apo B, and creatinine in females after adjustment for age and BMI. A statistical model containing creatinine, leptin, insulin, and triglycerides accounted for 34% of the variance in serum uric acid levels in men, whereas another consisting of creatinine, triglycerides, leptin, SBP, and insulin explained 42% of the variance in serum uric acid in women. The present study suggests that leptin could be one of the possible candidates for the missing link between obesity and hyperuricemia. Our study may also suggest that hyperuricemia is not only a metabolic end product but also a marker of a major pressor or pathogenic mechanism underlying the hypertension in obesity.

Evaluation of the patients with renovascular hypertension after percutaneous revascularization by Doppler ultrasonography.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the effectiveness of percutaneous revascularization is based primarily on clinical criteria, and laboratory findings rather than direct investigation of luminal width. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the success of endovascular revascularization with serial Doppler ultrasound (US) examinations. METHODS AND MATERIAL: 19 patients (14 were atherosclerotic, five were with fibromuscular dysplasia) with suspected renovascular hypertension treated by percutaneous revascularization were included in a prospective study. Patients had 23 renal artery stenoses reducing the diameter by more than 50%. Doppler US examinations were performed before intervention, and 1 day, 3 and 6 months after intervention. RESULTS: Initial revascularization was technically successful in 21 of 23 stenoses (91.3%) (18 PTRA, three stent placement). Hypertension was cured in five atherosclerotic and in five fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) patients, and improved in four atherosclerotic patients. Residual stenosis was determined in six patients and the others were evaluated as normal by initial postprocedure Doppler US. As based on Doppler US, restenosis (>60%-narrowing) was depicted in four of six (66.6%) renal arteries with residual stenosis, and one of 15 (6.6%) normal renal arteries at 1 year. This difference in restenosis rates (residual stenosis vs. normal) was significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Positive predictor for recurrence was a residual renal artery stenosis documented by Doppler US 1 day after percutaneous revascularization in atherosclerotic cases.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Turkey.

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Turkey, and to investigate their association with age, gender, and blood pressure. A crosssectional population-based study was performed. A total of 20,119 inhabitants (4975 women and 15,144 men, age > 20 years) from 11 Anatolian cities in four geographic regions were screened for body weight, height, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the years 1999 and 2000. The overall prevalence rate of overweight was 25.0% and of obesity was 19.4%. The prevalence of overweight among women was 24.3% and obesity 24.6%; 25.9% of men were overweight, and 14.4% were obese. Mean body mass index (BMI) of the studied population was 27.59 +/- 4.61 kg/m(2). Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure for women were 131.0 +/- 41.0 and 80.2 +/- 16.3 mm Hg, and for men 135.0 +/- 27.3 and 83.2 +/- 16.0 mm Hg. There was a positive linear correlation between BMI and blood pressure, and between age and blood pressure in men and women. Obesity and overweight are highly prevalant in Turkey, and they constitute independent risk factors for hypertension.