Frailty status improvement after kidney transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: Frailty is a clinical syndrome characterized by a decrease in strength, resistance and body physiological condition, making the individual more vulnerable, and increasing his/her risk of dependence and death. Kidney transplant (KT) is currently the best end-stage renal disease therapeutic alternative for certain individuals. Frailty status occurs in approximately 20% of KT patients. Thus, it was evaluated if there would be any change in frailty status level in a population of adult patients on chronic HD after receiving KT. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a population of adult hemodialysis patients (n: 57), with the objective of evaluating if there was a significant change in their clinical frailty score (CFS) after 6 months of KT. For the statistical analysis, the Student's t-test, and the test of statistical significance between two proportions were applied. RESULTS: Mean CFS before KT was 4 (vulnerable), and after KT was 3 (robust). CFS value was significantly lower after KT (p value < 0.01). CONCLUSION: A significant improvement was found between pre- and post-transplant clinical frailty scores in hemodialysis adult patients.

Kidney-placenta crosstalk in health and disease.

Organ crosstalk allows the interaction between systems to adapt to a constant changing environment, maintaining homeostasis. The process of placentation and the new hormonal environment during pregnancy trigger physiological changes that modulate kidney function to control extracellular volume, acid-base balance and filtration of metabolic waste products. The bidirectional communication means that acute or chronic dysfunction of one organ can compromise the other. Abnormal placentation in pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders such as pre-eclampsia and HELLP (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count) syndrome leads to the release of antiangiogenic factors that may cause kidney injury (thrombotic microangiopathy, glomeruloendotheliosis, mesangiolysis and vasoconstriction of peritubular vessels). These hypertensive disorders are a key cause of kidney injury in gestation, which increases maternal morbimortality and adverse foetal outcomes. Conversely, prior kidney injury or causes of kidney injury (diabetes, lupus, glomerulonephritis or other forms of chronic kidney disease) increase the risk of developing hypertensive pregnancy disorders, providing a baseline higher risk. Inherited kidney diseases are a special concern, given the potential for genetic predisposition to kidney disease in the foetus. Understanding the bidirectional potential for compromise from placenta to kidney and vice versa provides a better framework to limit damage to both organs and improve maternal and foetal outcomes.

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome in the Colombian Caribbean: its particular characteristics.

INTRODUCTION: Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare and genetically mediated systemic disease most often caused by uncontrolled and chronic complement activation that leads to systemic thrombotic microangiopathy, renal and extra-renal damage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is descriptive, retrospective and multicenter study, which reports demographic, clinical, laboratory, and genetic characteristics, as well as their treatment response and outcome of 20 aHUS patients diagnosed between 2014 and 2018. RESULTS: Most patients were female adults (75%) and 30% were associated to pregnancy/postpartum, 15% to autoimmune disease, and 65% to infections. Gastrointestinal involvement (75%) was the most frequent extra-renal organ damage. Antenatal mortality and mortality rate were 5% and 10%, respectively. 25% of the patients progressed to end-stage renal disease. In 4/8 of patients treated within 1 week of presentation, eculizumab treatment restored multi-organ function after 4 weeks of treatment. CFH (37%) and CFI (25%) mutations were the most frequent. CONCLUSION: This is the first series of aHUS cases of Colombian Caribbean region which reports the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of this condition in this region.

Glomerulonefritis proliferativa extracapilar como espectro clínico inusual en un paciente con glomerulonefritis posestreptocócica / Crescentic glomerulonephritis as an unusual clinical spectrum in a patient with post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis

Resumen La glomerulonefritis posestreptocócica puede ser desencadenada por virus, bacterias hongos o parásitos, pues estos agentes son capaces de provocar una respuesta inflamatoria no controlada sobre el glomérulo y túbulo renal, en la cual participan la formación de inmunocomplejos y la activación de la vía alterna del complemento. Se han planteado múltiples mecanismos que involucran la generación de anticuerpos contra proteínas que hacen parte de la estructura del estreptococo y son conocidos como antígenos nefritogénicos, de los cuales los más estudiados recientemente son la exotoxina pirogénica B del estreptoco y la gliceraldehido-3-fosfato deshidrogenasa. Por su parte, la glomerulonefritis posestreptocócica suele tener un curso benigno con complicaciones que pueden ser controladas mediante manejo de soporte y es infrecuente en los adultos; sin embargo, en esta población tiene peor pronóstico que en los niños. Las lesiones proliferativas extracapilares son inusuales en la glomerulonefritis posestreptocócica. Se reporta el caso de un paciente adulto que presentó glomerulonefritis rápidamente progresiva secundaria a una infección por estreptococo.

Abstract: Post-infectious glomerulonephritis can be triggered by viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites. These agents can trigger an uncontrolled inflammatory response on the glomerulus and renal tubule, where the formation of immunocomplexes and the activation of the alternative complement pathway participate. Multiple mechanisms have been proposed that involve the generation of antibodies against proteins that are part of the structure of streptococcus and are known as nephrytogenic antigens of which the most recently studied are pyrogenic exotoxin B of streptococcus and glyceraldehyde 3 phosphate dehydrogenase. Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis usually has a benign course with complications that can be controlled with supportive management. It is rare in adults, however, when it occurs, it has a worse prognosis compared to children. Extracapillary proliferative lesions are unusual in post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. The case of an adult patient who debuted with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis secondary to a strep infection is presented.

Enfermedad de FAHR una causa infrecuente de calcificaciones cerebrales / Fahr disease an infrequent cause of brain calcifications

Se ilustra el caso de una paciente con episodios convulsivos, movimientos anormales y déficit cognitivo de varios meses de evolución. En la tomografía axial computarizada se evidenciaron lesiones ganglio basales, paraventriculares, sustancia blanca y cerebelo; clínicamente presentó síntomas típicos de la enfermedad de Fahr y con estudios de laboratorio complementarios se descartaron otras causas.

This is the case of an patient with convulsive episodes, abnormal movements and cognitive deficit of several months of evolution. The axial computed tomography demonstrated injuries ganglion basal, paraventriculares,white substance and cerebellum; presenting clinical symptoms of Fahr’s disease and with laboratory studies thatreject other pathologies of similar characteristics.