Pattern of glomerulonephritis in the Kashmir valley.

Glomerulonephritis (GN) is a common cause of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) that can affect patients at any age. With respect to ESKD, there are significant global variations in the percentage of the incident and prevalent patients secondary to GN. The present study was therefore conducted to know the pattern of GN in the Kashmir valley. Retrospective study was conducted in the tertiary center Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences of Kashmir valley which included cases of different types of GN diagnosed on histopathology over a period of three years. Basic demographic profile including age, sex, clinical presentation, relevant investigations, and the histopathological type of GN was noted for each patient. Histopathological examination due to various nonneoplastic renal diseases was done in 336 cases and out of these, glomerular diseases were diagnosed in 298 cases. Proteinuria and edema was the most common presentation. Primary GN was observed in 81% of cases and secondary GN in 16% of cases. IgA nephropathy was the most common primary GN 42% and nephropathy due to lupus was the most common secondary GN. The study concluded that primary GN is the most common primary renal disease with IgA as the most common primary GN and most presented as renal failure, highest until date recorded in India and lupus nephritis as the most common secondary GN which is similar to other studies from India and other regions of the world. This study may be useful to pathologists, nephrologists, and health care providers to formulate a basic platform for effective diagnostic, therapeutic, and research base for glomerular diseases so as to prevent its complications.

Acute kidney injury due to overcorrection of hypovitaminosis D: A tertiary center experience in the Kashmir Valley of India.

Vitamin D deficiency state is endemic in the Kashmir valley of the Indian subcontinent. Clinicians frequently treat patients with Vitamin D for diverse clinical symptoms to improve the general health and to reduce the frailty of elderly and these doses may at times be inappropriately high. Vitamin D toxicity-induced acute kidney injury (AKI), often considered rare, can be life-threatening and associated with substantial morbidity if not identified promptly. We aimed to describe clinical and biochemical features, risk factors, and management of AKI patients with Vitamin D toxicity seen at a single tertiary care centre in Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, India, between January 2014 and January 2016. Evaluation included detailed clinical history and biochemical tests including serum calcium, phosphorus, creatinine, intact parathyroid hormone, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. Nineteen patients with Vitamin D toxicity-induced AKI could be identified. Clinical manifestations included nausea, vomiting, altered sensorium, constipation, pancreatitis, AKI, acute on chronic kidney disease, and weight loss. Median (range) age was 64 (45-89) years. Median (range) serum 25(OH)D level and median (range) total serum calcium level were 99 (190-988) ng/mL and 139 (119-152) mg/dL, respectively. Overdose of Vitamin D caused by prescription of megadoses of Vitamin D was the cause of AKI in all cases. Median (range) cumulative Vitamin D dose was 6,000,000 (3,600,000-9,000,000) IU. On three- and six-month follow-up, the creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate normalized and returned to baseline in all patients except three cases who had underlying chronic kidney disease. Three patients needed rehospitalization for another episode of AKI. Our data demonstrate an emergence of Vitamin D toxicity as a cause of AKI in this part of the world. Irrational use of Vitamin D in megadoses resulted in AKI in all cases. Persistence of Vitamin D in the body for longer time resulted in rehospitalization of patients with AKI. Awareness among health-care providers regarding the toxic potential of high doses of Vitamin D and cautious use of Vitamin D supplements can have immense value to prevent this AKI.