COVID-19 Infection: Viral Clearance and Antibody Response in Dialysis Patients and Renal Transplant Recipients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The coronavirus disease 2019 (CO-VID-19) pandemic is the major current health emergency worldwide, adding a significant burden also to the community of nephrologists for the management of their patients. Here, we analyzed the impact of COVID-19 infection in renal patients to assess the time to viral clearance, together with the production and persistence of IgG and IgM antibody response, in consideration of the altered immune capacity of this fragile population. METHODS: Viral clearance and antibody kinetics were investigated in 49 renal patients recovered from COVID-19 infection: 7 of them with chronic decompensated renal failure, 31 under dialysis treatment, and 11 kidney transplant recipients. RESULTS: The time span between the diagnosis of infection and recovery based on laboratory testing (2 negative nasopharyngeal swabs in consecutive days) was 31.7 ± 13.3 days. Three new positive cases were detected from 8 to 13 days following recovery. At the first serological determination after swab negativization, all the patients developed IgG and IgM antibodies. The semiquantitative analysis showed a progressive increase in IgG and a slow reduction in IgM. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: In subjects with decompensated chronic kidney disease, under dialysis and in transplant recipients, viral clearance is lengthened compared to the general population. However, in spite of their common status of immunodepression, all of them were able to produce specific antibodies. These data might provide useful insights for monitoring and planning health-care activities in the weak category of patients with compromised renal function recovered from COVID-19.

[Renal function performance in CKD stage 5: a sealed fate?]

Introduction and aims: Stages 4 and 5 of chronic kidney disease (CKD) have always been considered hard to modify in their speed and evolution. We retrospectively evaluated our CKD stage 5 patients (from 01/1/2016 to 12/31/2018), with a view to analyzing their kidney function evolution. Material and Methods: We included only patients with longer than 6 months follow-up and at least 4 clinical-laboratory controls that included measured Creatinine Clearance (ClCr) and estimated GFR with CKD-EPI (eGFR). We evaluated: the agreement between ClCr and eGFR through Bland-Altman analysis; progression rate, classified as fast (eGFR loss >5ml/min/year), slow (eGFR loss 1-5 ml/min/year) and non-progressive (eGFR loss <1 ml/min/year or eGFR increase). We also evaluated which clinical-laboratory parameters (diabetes, blood pressure control, use of ACEi/ARBs, ischemic myocardiopathy, peripheral obliterant arteriopathy (POA), proteinuria, hemoglobin, uric acid, PTH, phosphorus) were associated to the different eGFR progression classes by means of bivariate regression and multinomial multiple regression model. Results: Measured CrCl and eGFR where often in agreement, especially for GFR values <12ml/min. The average slope of eGFR was -3.05 ±3.68 ml/min/1.73 m2/year. The progression of kidney function was fast in 17% of the patients, slow in 57.6%, non-progressive in 25.4%. At the bivariate analysis, a fast progression was associated with poor blood pressure control (p=0.038) and ACEi/ARBs use (p=0.043). In the multivariable model, only peripheral obliterative arteriopathy proved associated to an increased risk of fast progression of eGFR (relative risk ratio=5.97). Discussion: Less than one fifth of our patients presented a fast GFR loss (>5 ml/min/year). The vast majority showed a slow progression, stabilisation or even an improvement. Despite the limits due to the small sample size, the data has encouraged us not to consider CKD stage 5 as an inexorable and short journey towards artificial replacement therapy.

Fifteen-Year Analysis of Deceased Kidney Donation: A Single Transplant Center Experience in a Region of Northern Italy.

BACKGROUND The rising number of patients on waiting lists for kidney transplant and the shortage of available organs has intensified efforts to increase the number of potential donors. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study investigated changes in clinical parameters among potential deceased donors in the 15-year period between 1999 and 2013 and their impact on transplantation procedure and outcomes. A total of 1634 potential deceased donors were examined and divided into 2 groups: 707 of them identified from 1999 to 2005 (Group A), and 927 from 2006 to 2013 (Group B). RESULTS The comparison between the potential donors in Group A vs. Group B revealed an increase over time in donor age (54.6±17.2 vs. 58.8±16.3, p<0.001), a reduction in the percentage of standard donors (52.3% vs. 39.8%, p<0.001), a broader utilization of organs from expanded criteria donors, and a greater number of comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular disease and dyslipidemia. However, renal function parameters and the bioptic scores did not change significantly over the years. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest the usefulness of strategies to increase the number of potential donors suitable for organ donation, especially among elderly and marginal donors.