Chloride and lactate as prognostic indicators of calf diarrhea from eighty-nine cases.

IMPORTANCE: Deaths due to neonatal calf diarrhea are still one of the most critical problems of cattle breeding worldwide. Determining the parameters that can predict diarrhea-related deaths in calves is especially important in terms of prognosis and treatment strategies for the disease. OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of this study was to determine mortality rates and durations, survival status, and predictive prognosis parameters based on vital signs, hematology, and blood gas analyses in neonatal diarrheic calves. METHODS: The hospital automation system retrospectively obtained data from 89 neonatal diarrheic calves. RESULTS: It was found that 42.7% (38/89) of the calves brought with the complaint of diarrhea died during hospitalization or after discharge. Short-term and long-term fatalities were a median of 9.25 hours and a median of 51.50 hours, respectively. When the data obtained from this study is evaluated, body temperature (°C), pH, base excess (mmol/L), and sodium bicarbonate (mmol/L) parameters were found to be lower, and hemoglobin (g/dL), hematocrit (%), lactate (mmol/L), chloride (mmol/L), sodium (mmol/L) and anion gap (mmol/L) parameters were found to be higher in dead calves compared to survivors. Accordingly, hypothermia, metabolic acidosis, and dehydration findings were seen as clinical conditions that should be considered. Logistic regression analysis showed that lactate (odds ratio, 1.429) and CI- (odds ratio, 1.232) concentration were significant risk factors associated with death in calves with diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: According to the findings obtained from this study, the determination of lactate and Cl- levels can be used as an adjunctive supplementary test in distinguishing calves with diarrhea with a good prognosis.

Prognostic value of hypochloremia on mortality in patients with heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: Electrolyte imbalances are common in patients with heart failure. Several studies have shown that a low serum chloride level is associated with adverse outcomes in hospitalized patients with acute heart failure and in outpatients with chronic heart failure. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association of hypochloremia with all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure. METHODS: Data search was conducted from inception through 1 February 2023, using the following MeSH terms: ('chloride' OR 'hypochloremia') AND 'heart failure'. Studies evaluating the association between serum chloride and all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure were included. The predefined primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Pooled hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used as effect estimates and calculated with a random-effects model; fixed-effects model and leave-one-out sensitivity analyses were also performed. RESULTS: A total of 15 studies, involving 25 848 patients, were included. The prevalence of hypochloremia ranged from 8.6 to 31.5%. Follow-up time ranged from 6 to 67 months. Hypochloremia as a categorical variable was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio 1.56; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.38-1.75; P  < 0.001]. As a continuous variable, serum chloride was associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio per mmol/l decrease in serum chloride: 1.06; 95% CI 1.05-1.07; P  < 0.001). Results were confirmed by using several sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION: Hypochloremia exhibits a significant prognostic value in patients with heart failure. Serum chloride can be used as an effective tool for risk stratifying in patients with heart failure.

Colorimetric detection of electrolyte ions in blood based on biphasic microdroplet extraction.

BACKGROUND: Timely diagnosis and prevention of diseases require rapid and sensitive detection of biomarkers from blood samples without external interference. Abnormal electrolyte ion levels in the blood are closely linked to various physiological disorders, including hypertension. Therefore, accurate, interference-free, and precise measurement of electrolyte ion concentrations in the blood is particularly important. RESULTS: In this work, a colorimetric sensor based on a biphasic microdroplet extraction is proposed for the detection of electrolyte ions in the blood. This sensor employs mini-pillar arrays to facilitate contact between adjacent blood microdroplets and organic microdroplets serving as sensing phases, with any color changes being monitored through a smartphone's colorimetric software. The sensor is highly resistant to interference and does not require pre-treatment of the blood samples. Remarkably, the sensor exhibits exceptional reliability and stability, allowing for rapid enrichment and detection of K+, Na+, and Cl- in the blood within 10 s (Cl-), 15 s (K+) and 40 s (Na+) respectively. SIGNIFICANCE: The colorimetric sensor based on biphasic microdroplet extraction offers portability due to its compact size and ease of operation without the need for large instruments. Additionally, it is location-independent, making it a promising tool for real-time biomarker detection in body fluids such as blood.

Impact of hypochloremia as a prognostic factor in patients with heart failure, a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: some studies suggest that hypochloremia is a risk factor in the prognosis of heart failure (HF) in patients with recent decompensation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: retrospective cohort study of patients discharged due to HF decompensation who began follow-up in a specialized clinic. Two groups are defined: patients with hypochloremia (chloride < 98 mmol/L) and normochloremic patients (chloride > 98 mmol/L) in the initial assessment within the first month after discharge. The rate of intravenous diuretic rescue, emergency department visits, readmission for HF and cardiovascular (CV) death are compared using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: 165 patients were included (59% women, mean age 85 years), with 60 (36%) having hypochloremia. Both groups were comparable in terms of baseline characteristics, except for female sex, presence of peripheral artery disease, moderate-to-severe liver disease (more prevalent in the hypochloremia group), PROFUND index, and baseline furosemide dose (higher in patients with hypochloremia). The incidence of the primary event was higher in subjects with hypochloremia than in normochloremic subjects (HR: 1.59, 95% CI 0.97-2.62), mainly due to the need for intravenous diuretic rescue (HR: 1.86, 95% CI 1.07-3.24). CONCLUSIONS: hypochloremia following admission for HF decompensation is associated with a greater need for intravenous diuretic rescue therapy and probably worse overall prognosis across the spectrum of the disease, regardless of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

CLSI-based verification and de novo establishment of reference intervals for common biochemical assays in Croatian newborns.

Introduction: This study aimed to examine whether the Canadian Laboratory Initiative on Pediatric Reference Intervals (CALIPER) reference intervals for 19 commonly used biochemical assays (potassium, sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, inorganic phosphorous, glucose, urea, creatinine, direct and total bilirubin, C-reactive protein (CRP), total protein, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LD)) could be applied to the newborn population of one Croatian clinical hospital. Materials and methods: Reference interval verification was performed according to the CLSI EP28-A3c guidelines. Samples of healthy newborns were selected using the direct a posteriori sampling method and analyzed on the Beckman Coulter AU680 biochemical analyzer. If verification wasn't satisfactory, further procedure included de novo determination of own reference intervals by analyzing 120 samples of healthy newborns. Results: After the first set of measurements, 14/19 tested reference intervals were adopted for use: calcium, inorganic phosphorous, glucose, urea, creatinine, total bilirubin, CRP, total protein, albumin, AST, ALT, GGT, ALP and LD. A second set of samples was tested for 5 analytes: potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium and direct bilirubin. The verification results of the additional samples for sodium and chloride were satisfactory, while the results for potassium, magnesium and direct bilirubin remained unsatisfactory and new reference intervals were determined. Conclusions: The CALIPER reference intervals can be implemented into routine laboratory and clinical practice for the tested newborn population for most of the analyzed assays, while own reference intervals for potassium, magnesium and direct bilirubin have been determined.

Predictive value of the prognostic nutritional index combined with serum chloride levels for the prognosis of patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and serum chloride level are related to adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure. However, little is known about the relationship between the PNI and serum chloride level in predicting the poor prognosis of patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: We reviewed 1221 consecutive patients with ADHF admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from January 2017 to October 2021. After excluding patients with in hospital death, missing follow-up data, missing chloride data, missing lymphocyte (LYM) count data, or missing serum albumin data, 805 patients were included. PNI was calculated using the formula: serum albumin (ALB) (g/L) + 5 × LYM count (10^9/L). Patients were divided into 4 groups according to the quartiles of the PNI, and the highest PNI quartile (PNI Q4: PNI ≥ 47.3) was set as the reference group. The patients in the lowest PNI quartile (PNI Q1: PNI < 40.8) had the lowest cumulative survival rate, and mortality risk decreased progressively through the quartiles (log-rank χ2 142.283, P < 0.0001). Patients with ADHF were divided into 8 groups by quartiles of PNI and median levels of serum chloride. After adjustment, the hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality in ADHF patients in Group 1 was 8.7 times higher than that in the reference Group 8. Furthermore, the addition of serum chloride level and PNI quartile to the Cox model increased the area under the Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve by 0.05, and the area under the ROC curve of the new model was higher than that of the original model with traditional risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Both the lowest PNI quartiles and low chloride level indicate a higher risk of all-cause death in patients with ADHF.

Prediction of endogenous mineralocorticoid receptor activity by depressor effects of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in patients with primary aldosteronism.

Patients with primary aldosteronism have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The response to mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists varies among individuals, indicating diverse mineralocorticoid receptor activities in these patients. This study explored the factors linked to the efficacy of blood pressure reduction through mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in patients with primary aldosteronism. We examined the relationship between the reduction in blood pressure and patient characteristics in a group of 41 patients with primary aldosteronism (24 males, mean age 55 ± 13 years, including 34 patients diagnosed with bilateral primary aldosteronism) before and after undergoing treatment with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. Significant reductions in office blood pressure were observed 3 and 6 months after treatment initiation. Single correlation analyses showed that the urinary chloride-to-potassium ratio displayed the strongest positive association with blood pressure reduction, surpassing plasma aldosterone concentration, plasma renin activity, and urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio, at 3 and 6 months. Multiple correlation analyses revealed a consistent and independent positive correlation between the urinary chloride-to-potassium ratio and blood pressure reduction at 3 and 6 months. The optimal threshold for the urinary chloride-to-potassium ratio with respect to its ability to lower blood pressure, was determined as 3.18. These results imply that the urinary chloride-to-potassium ratio may be independently associated with the effectiveness of blood pressure reduction facilitated by mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. Moreover, it could potentially serve as a valuable predictor of the effectiveness of these agents and function as an indicator of endogenous mineralocorticoid receptor activity in patients with primary aldosteronism.

High versus low chloride load in adult hyperglycemic emergencies with acute kidney injury: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Hyperglycemic emergencies frequently lead to acute kidney injury (AKI) and require treatment with large amount of intravenous fluids. However, the effects of chloride loading on this population have not yet been investigated. We conducted a multicenter, retrospective, cohort study in 21 acute-care hospitals in Japan. The study included hospitalized adult patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome (HHS) who had AKI upon arrival. The patients were classified into high and low chloride groups based on the amount of chloride administered within the first 48 h of their arrival. The primary outcome was recovery from AKI; secondary outcome was major adverse kidney events within 30 days (MAKE30), including mortality and prolonged renal failure. A total of 390 patients with AKI, including 268 (69%) with DKA and 122 (31%) with HHS, were included in the study. Using the criteria of Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes, the severity of AKI in the patients was Stage 1 (n = 159, 41%), Stage 2 (n = 121, 31%), and Stage 3 (n = 110, 28%). The analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups in recovery from AKI (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.96; 95% CI 0.72-1.28; P = 0.78) and in MAKE30 (adjusted odds ratio, 0.91; 95% CI 0.45-1.76; P = 0.80). Chloride loading with fluid administration had no significant impact on recovery from AKI in patients with hyperglycemic emergencies.Trial Registration This study was registered in the UMIN clinical trial registration system (UMIN000025393, registered December 23, 2016).

Neurohormonal Activation and Renal Chloride Avidity in Acute Heart Failure: Clinical Evidence Supporting the "Chloride Theory".

INTRODUCTION: Heart failure (HF) progression according to changes in the serum chloride concentration ([sCl-]) was recently proposed as the "chloride (Cl) theory" for HF pathophysiology. The present study examined the association of neurohormones and renal Cl avidity to determine their contribution to acute HF and their involvement to the "Cl theory." METHODS: Data from 29 patients with acute HF (48% men; 80.3 ± 12 years) were analyzed. Blood and urine samples were obtained before decongestive therapy. Clinical tests included peripheral blood, serum and spot urinary electrolytes, b-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and plasma neurohormones. RESULTS: In the 29 patients, urinary Cl concentrations ([uCl-]) inversely correlated with log (plasma renin activity [PRA]) (r = -0.64, p = 0.0002) and log (plasma aldosterone concentration) (r = -0.50, p = 0.006). The [sCl-]‒[uCl-] difference positively correlated with log PRA (r = 0.63, p = 0.0002) and log (plasma aldosterone concentration) (r = 0.49, p = 0.008). Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the [sCl-]‒[uCl-] difference, an excretion (low renal Cl avidity) group and an absorption (high renal Cl avidity) group. Compared with the excretion group (-77 to ‒5 mEq/L; n = 14), the absorption group (1-84 mEq/L; n = 15) exhibited greater renal impairment (serum creatinine; 1.45 ± 0.63 vs. 1.00 ± 0.38 mg/d, p = 0.029) and cardiac burden (log BNP; 2.99 ± 0.3 vs. 2.66 ± 0.32 pg/mL, p = 0.008), higher log PRA (0.20 ± 0.58 vs. -0.25 ± 0.35 ng/mL/h, p = 0.018), and lower fractional urinary Cl excretion (1.34 ± 1.3 vs. 5.33 ± 4.1%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Renal Cl avidity differs in acute HF, i.e., excretion (low renal Cl avidity) versus absorption (high renal Cl avidity) types, involving renin-aldosterone-angiotensin activity as the underlying mechanism, which provides the neurohormonal background for the "Cl theory." A version of this study was presented in part at the annual international scientific assembly (ACC.23) of the American College of Cardiology, March 4-6, 2023.

Effects of serum sodium and chloride levels in the outcome of critically ill pediatric patients in the post-operative period of liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Sodium and chloride disturbances have attracted increasing attention in recent years. Many pathophysiological effects are associated with hyperchloremia, including reduction in mean arterial pressure and acute renal disease. Pediatric patients undergoing liver transplantation are at risk of developing various electrolyte and biochemical abnormalities, with an impact on their postoperative outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impacts of serum sodium and chloride levels on prognosis of Pediatric Liver Transplant receptors. METHODS: This was a retrospective analytical observational study performed in a single transplant reference center in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Included patients were pediatric patients who underwent liver transplantation between January 2015 and July 2019. Statistical regression analysis and General Estimating Equations analysis were performed to evaluate the impacts of sodium and chloride disturbances on the development of acute renal failure and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 143 patients were included in this study. The main diagnosis was Biliary Atresia (62.9%). Twenty-seven patients died (18.9%), and graft dysfunction was the main cause of death (29.6%). The only variable individually associated with 28-days mortality was PIM-3 score (HR 1.59, CI 95% 1.165-2.177, p = 0.004). Forty-one patients (28.6%) developed moderate or severe AKI. PIM-3 score (OR 3.052, 95% CI 1.56-5.97, p = 0.001), hypernatremia (OR 3.49, 95% CI 1.32-9.23, p = 0.012), and hyponatremia (OR 4.24, 95% CI 1.52-11.85, p = 0.006) were independently associated with the development of moderate/severe AKI. CONCLUSIONS: In pediatric patients after liver transplantation, PIM-3 score, and abnormal serum sodium levels were correlated with AKI development.

[Predictive value of serum chlorine and interleukin-6 combined with coagulation indexes on severity of severe acute pancreatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the predictive value of combined detection of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), chloride (Cl-), D-dimer and fibrin degradation products (FDP) for severity of acute pancreatitis (AP). METHODS: From December 2020 to March 2022, 132 AP patients who met the criteria for inclusion were screened for retrospective analysis from 292 AP patients admitted in emergency surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and they were divided into severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) group and non-SAP group, with 63 in SAP group and 69 in non-SAP group, according to classification criteria. The data including lab results, abdominal doppler ultrasound and chest and abdominal CT, etc. The bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP) score was calculated. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was carried out to find the risk factors for the severity of AP patients. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) was drawn to judge the clinical predictive value of each factor. RESULTS: A total of 132 AP patients were enrolled. The serum IL-6, D-dimer, FDP levels and the BISAP score in SAP group were significantly higher than those in non-SAP group [serum IL-6 (ng/L): 62.73 (21.54, 187.47) vs. 8.22 (4.13, 14.70), D-dimer (mg/L): 5.36 (2.94, 8.25) vs. 0.94 (0.42, 2.21), FDP (mg/L): 13.54 (6.76, 22.45) vs. 3.20 (2.50, 6.10), BISAP score: 2.00 (1.00, 3.00) vs. 1.00 (0, 2.00), all P < 0.05], while the serum Cl- level was significantly lower than that of non-SAP group (mmol/L: 97.90±4.86 vs. 101.73±4.32, P < 0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that increased levels of IL-6 [odds ratio (OR) = 1.02, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.01-1.04], D-dimer (OR = 1.21, 95%CI was 1.05-1.40) and decreased Cl- level (OR = 0.88, 95%CI was 0.79-0.98) were risk factors for SAP (all P < 0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of IL-6, Cl-, D-dimer and FDP combined to predict the severity of AP patients was larger (0.89), and the sensitivity (82.50%) and specificity (85.50%) were higher. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with single index, the combined detection of serum IL-6, Cl-, D-dimer and FDP is more precise in determining the condition of AP.

Association of hyperchloremia with all-cause mortality in patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Serum chloride (Cl-) is one of the most essential extracellular anions. Based on emerging evidence obtained from patients with kidney or heart disease, hypochloremia has been recognized as an independent predictor of mortality. Nevertheless, excessive Cl- can also cause death in severely ill patients. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between hyperchloremia and high mortality rate in patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). METHODS: We enrolled 2131 patients from the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care III database version 1.4 (MIMIC-III v1.4) from 2001 to 2012. Selected SICU patients were more than 18 years old and survived more than 72 h. A serum Cl- level ≥ 108 mEq/L was defined as hyperchloremia. Clinical and laboratory variables were compared between hyperchloremia (n = 664) at 72 h post-ICU admission and no hyperchloremia (n = 1467). The Locally Weighted Scatterplot Smoothing (Lowess) approach was utilized to investigate the correlation between serum Cl- and the thirty-day mortality rate. The Cox proportional-hazards model was employed to investigate whether serum chlorine at 72 h post-ICU admission was independently related to in-hospital, thirty-day and ninety-day mortality from all causes. Kaplan-Meier curve of thirty-day and ninety-day mortality and serum Cl- at 72 h post-ICU admission was further constructed. Furthermore, we performed subgroup analyses to investigate the relationship between serum Cl- at 72 h post-ICU admission and the thirty-day mortality from all causes. RESULTS: A J-shaped correlation was observed, indicating that hyperchloremia was linked to an elevated risk of thirty-day mortality from all causes. In the multivariate analyses, it was established that hyperchloremia remained a valuable predictor of in-hospital, thirty-day and ninety-day mortality from all causes; with adjusted hazard ratios (95% CIs) for hyperchloremia of 1.35 (1.02 ~ 1.77), 1.67 (1.28 ~ 2.19), and 1.39 (1.12 ~ 1.73), respectively. In subgroup analysis, we observed hyperchloremia had a significant interaction with AKI (P for interaction: 0.017), but there were no interactions with coronary heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus (P for interaction: 0.418, 0.157, 0.103, respectively). CONCLUSION: Hyperchloremia at 72 h post-ICU admission and increasing serum Cl- were associated with elevated mortality risk from all causes in severely ill SICU patients.

Usefulness of Incorporating Hypochloremia into the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Risk Model in Patients With Acute Heart Failure.

Although hypochloremia is strongly associated with adverse prognosis in acute heart failure (AHF), it is unknown whether incorporating hypochloremia into the preexisting risk model improves the model performance. We calculated the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) risk score in 1,428 patients with AHF (derivation cohort) and developed 2 risk scores incorporating brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) into the GWTG-HF risk score (GWTG-BNP risk score) and incorporating both BNP and hypochloremia (GWTG-BNP-Cl risk score). Hypochloremia was defined as <98 mmol/L. The external validation and comparison of model performance were performed in an independent group of 1,256 patients with AHF (validation cohort). All models were tested for in-hospital mortality. Hypochloremia was observed in 9.4% and 12.2% of the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. Hypochloremia was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in the derivation cohort (odds ratio 2.02; p = 0.028). In the validation cohort, the GWTG-HF, GWTG-BNP, and GWTG-BNP-Cl risk scores demonstrated good discrimination (area under the curve: 0.742, 0.749, and 0.763, respectively). However, the GWTG-BNP-Cl risk score was more reliable than the GWTG-HF and GWTG-BNP risk scores in risk reclassification (net reclassification improvement: 0.491 and 0.408, respectively; p <0.01 for both). Moreover, this score demonstrated a good calibration of the GWTG-BNP-Cl model (Hosmer-Lemeshow test: p = 0.479). In conclusion, incorporating hypochloremia into the preexisting risk model improves the model performance.

Possibility of Venous Serum Cl- Concentration ([Cl-]s) as a Marker for Human Metabolic Status: Correlation of [Cl-]s to Age, Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), and Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c).

The HCO3- concentration in venous serum ([HCO3-]s) is a factor commonly used for detecting the body pH and metabolic conditions. To exactly detect [HCO3-]s, the venous CO2 pressure should be kept as it is in the vein. The [HCO3-]s measurement is technically complicated to apply for huge numbers of almost heathy persons taking only basic medical examinations. The summation of [HCO3-]s and the venous serum Cl- concentration ([Cl-]s) is approximately constant; therefore, we studied if [Cl-]s could be a marker detecting metabolic conditions instead of [HCO3-]s. Venous blood was obtained from persons taking basic medical examinations (the number of persons = 107,630). Older persons showed higher values of [Cl-]s, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) than younger ones. [Cl-]s showed positive correlation to age and negative correlation to FBS and HBA1c. The negative correlation of [Cl-]s to FBS/HbA1c was obvious in persons with high FBS/HbA1c, leading us to an idea that persons with high FBS/HbA1c show high [HCO3-]s, which might be caused by low activity of carbonic anhydrase in the lung observed in persons with diabetes mellitus under acidotic conditions. Taken together, an easily measured serum electrolyte, [Cl-]s, could be a useful marker estimating metabolic conditions.

Hyperchloremia is associated with poor renal outcome after coronary artery bypass grafting.

BACKGROUND: Hyperchloremia is associated with the risks of several morbidities and mortality. However, its relationship with acute kidney injury (AKI) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains unresolved. METHODS: A total of 2977 patients undergoing CABG between 2003 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed from two tertiary hospitals. Patients were categorized by serum chloride levels into normochloremia (95-105 mmol/L), mild hyperchloremia (106-110 mmol/L), and severe hyperchloremia (> 110 mmol/L). The odds ratios (ORs) for AKI and hazard ratios (HRs) for ESRD were calculated after adjustment for multiple covariates. The death-adjusted risk of ESRD was additionally evaluated. RESULTS: Postoperative AKI occurred in 798 patients (26.5%). The hyperchloremia group had a higher risk of AKI than the normochloremia group, wherein the risk was incremental depending on the severity of hyperchloremia, as follows: ORs were 1.26 (1.06-1.51) and 1.95 (1.52-2.51) in the mild and severe hyperchloremia groups, respectively. During a median period of 7 years (maximum 15 years), 70 patients (2.3%) had ESRD. The severe hyperchloremia group was at an elevated risk of ESRD compared with the normochloremia group, with an HR of 2.43 (1.28-4.63). Even after adjusting for the competing risk of death, hyperchloremia was associated with the risk of ESRD. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative hyperchloremia is associated with poor renal outcomes such as AKI and ESRD after CABG. Accordingly, serum chloride should be monitored in patients undergoing CABG.

Effects of salinity on gills' chloride cells, stress indices, and gene expression of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer, Bloch, 1790).

A 2-week research was carried out to assess water salinity (WS) effects including 0, 15, 35, and 50‰ on osmoregulatory mechanisms and stress indices in Asian sea bass (34.4 g) juveniles. Except for fish reared at 50‰, in the other treatments, it gradually decreased to the prescribed WS during a 10-day period (- 5‰ a day). After a 10-day acclimation period, fish were reared at the prescribed WS for 2 weeks. Fish reared at 15 and 35‰ had higher chloride cell (CC) counts in the interlamellar region. The number of CC in the interlamellar region elevated with increment of WS up to 35‰, but they were pronouncedly reduced in 50‰ group. The diameter of CC in the interlamellar region was not affected by WS. The smallest nucleus diameter of CC in the interlamellar region was observed in fish reared at 15‰ (P < 0.05). The largest and the smallest amounts of serum aspartate aminotransferase were observed in fish reared at freshwater and 15‰, respectively. Fish reared at 35‰ had the highest serum sodium and potassium contents. Serum chloride content and total osmolality increased with increment of WS (P < 0.05). Serum cortisol and glucose contents gradually increased with elevation of WS up to 35‰; then, their contents remarkably decreased. The relative expression of insulin like growth factor-1 in the liver of fish reared at 35‰ was strikingly higher than that in the other groups. The relative expression of HSP70 gene in fresh water group was pronouncedly elevated compared to other treatments. The relative expression of interleukin-1ß in 15 and 35‰ groups was higher than that in the other groups; however, the relative expression of lysozyme gene in the liver of fish reared at fresh water was pronouncedly lower than that in the other treatments. The results of this study suggested rearing L. calcarifer at 15‰ closer to the isosmotic point and better provide its welfare.

Clinically Distinct Subtypes of Acute Kidney Injury on Hospital Admission Identified by Machine Learning Consensus Clustering.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to cluster patients with acute kidney injury at hospital admission into clinically distinct subtypes using an unsupervised machine learning approach and assess the mortality risk among the distinct clusters. METHODS: We performed consensus clustering analysis based on demographic information, principal diagnoses, comorbidities, and laboratory data among 4289 hospitalized adult patients with acute kidney injury at admission. The standardized difference of each variable was calculated to identify each cluster's key features. We assessed the association of each acute kidney injury cluster with hospital and one-year mortality. RESULTS: Consensus clustering analysis identified four distinct clusters. There were 1201 (28%) patients in cluster 1, 1396 (33%) patients in cluster 2, 1191 (28%) patients in cluster 3, and 501 (12%) patients in cluster 4. Cluster 1 patients were the youngest and had the least comorbidities. Cluster 2 and cluster 3 patients were older and had lower baseline kidney function. Cluster 2 patients had lower serum bicarbonate, strong ion difference, and hemoglobin, but higher serum chloride, whereas cluster 3 patients had lower serum chloride but higher serum bicarbonate and strong ion difference. Cluster 4 patients were younger and more likely to be admitted for genitourinary disease and infectious disease but less likely to be admitted for cardiovascular disease. Cluster 4 patients also had more severe acute kidney injury, lower serum sodium, serum chloride, and serum bicarbonate, but higher serum potassium and anion gap. Cluster 2, 3, and 4 patients had significantly higher hospital and one-year mortality than cluster 1 patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated using machine learning consensus clustering analysis to characterize a heterogeneous cohort of patients with acute kidney injury on hospital admission into four clinically distinct clusters with different associated mortality risks.

Risk factors for recurrent positive results of the nucleic acid amplification test for COVID-19 patients: a retrospective study.

Positive retests of COVID-19 represent a public health concern because of the increased risk of transmission. This study explored whether factors other than the nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) contribute to positive retest results. Patients with COVID-19 admitted to the Guanggu district of the Hubei Maternal and Child Health Hospital between February 17 and March 28, 2020, were retrospectively included. The patients were grouped into the negative (n = 133) and positive (n = 51) retest groups. The results showed that the proportion of patients presenting with cough was higher (P < 0.001) and the proportion of patients with dyspnea was lower (P = 0.018) in the positive than in the negative retest group. The positive retest group showed shorter durations between symptom onset and hospitalization (P < 0.001) and symptom onset and the first positive NAAT (P = 0.033). The positive retest group had higher basophil counts (P = 0.023) and direct bilirubin (P = 0.032) and chlorine concentrations (P = 0.023) but lower potassium concentrations (P = 0.001) than the negative retest group. Multivariable regression analysis showed that coughing (OR = 7.59, 95% CI 2.28-25.32, P = 0.001) and serum chloride concentrations (OR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.08-1.77, P = 0.010) were independently associated with a positive retest result. Coughing and serum chloride concentrations were independent risk factors for positive NAAT retest results. Patients with a hospital stay of < 2 weeks or a short incubation period should stay in isolation and be monitored to reduce transmission. These results could help identify patients who require closer surveillance.