Kidney international
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Kidney international · Mar 2013
Comparative StudyThe diagnosis and characteristics of renal heavy-chain and heavy/light-chain amyloidosis and their comparison with renal light-chain amyloidosis.
Little is known about the rare entities of heavy- and light-chain amyloidosis (AHL) and heavy-chain amyloidosis (AH). Here, we report the renal and hematological characteristics, pathology, and outcome of 16 patients with renal AH/AHL (5 with AH and 11 with AHL) and compare them with 202 patients with renal light-chain amyloidosis (AL) diagnosed during the same time period. All cases were diagnosed by kidney biopsy that showed Congo red-positive deposits. ⋯ In 42% of patients, AH/AHL could not have been diagnosed without LMD/MS. Thus, renal AH/AHL is an uncommon and underrecognized form of amyloidosis, and its diagnosis is greatly enhanced by the use of LMD/MS for amyloid typing. The accurate histological diagnosis of renal AH/AHL and distinction from AL may have important clinical and prognostic implications.
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Kidney international · Mar 2013
CommentChoices in kidney transplantation in type 1 diabetes: are there skeletal benefits of the endocrine pancreas?
Previously, recipients of a simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant versus a kidney transplant alone were thought to have higher fracture risk. Using a large US registry, Nikkel et al. observed lower rates of fracture hospitalization among patients with type 1 diabetes after simultaneous pancreas-kidney compared with kidney transplantation alone, particularly among men. It is not known whether the apparent benefit of simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation is due to improved bone strength or fewer falls, but these findings may influence transplant decision making.
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Kidney international · Jan 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyAn angiotensin II receptor blocker-calcium channel blocker combination prevents cardiovascular events in elderly high-risk hypertensive patients with chronic kidney disease better than high-dose angiotensin II receptor blockade alone.
The OSCAR study was a multicenter, prospective randomized open-label blinded end-point study of 1164 Japanese elderly hypertensive patients comparing the efficacy of angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) uptitration to an ARB plus calcium channel blocker (CCB) combination. In this prospective study, we performed prespecified subgroup analysis according to baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with chronic kidney disease (CKD) defined as an eGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2). Blood pressure was lower in the combined therapy than in the high-dose ARB cohort in both groups with and without CKD. ⋯ Allocation to the high-dose ARB was a significant independent prognostic factor for primary events in patients with CKD. Thus, the ARB plus CCB combination conferred greater benefit in prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with CKD compared with high-dose ARB alone. Our findings provide new insight into the antihypertensive strategy for elderly hypertensive patients with CKD.
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Kidney international · Jan 2013
CommentAccess to kidney transplantation in Australia: does equal mean equitable?
Sociodemographic gradients have been widely reported in end-stage renal disease treatment, as in the general population. So should we be relieved by the report from Grace et al. of no such gradient in access to deceased donor kidney transplantation in Australia? Although the authors have adjusted for the 'competing risk' of living kidney donor transplantation, which is higher in higher socioeconomic groups, it feels a little early to be reassured.
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Kidney international · Jan 2013
Higher fibroblast growth factor-23 increases the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the community.
Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23), a regulator of mineral metabolism, has been linked to cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney disease. As community-based data of the longitudinal association between FGF23 and cardiovascular events are lacking, we investigated a possible relationship in 727 men of the Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men population-based cohort (mean age 77 years). During a median follow-up of 9.7 years, 110 participants died of cardiovascular causes. ⋯ Participants with a combination of high FGF23 (>60 pg/ml), low GFR (<60 ml/min), and micro-/macro-albuminuria (albumin/creatinine ratio above 3 mg/ml) had an almost eightfold increased risk compared with participants without these abnormalities. Thus, a higher FGF23 level is associated with an increased cardiovascular mortality risk in the community. Clinical trials are needed to determine whether FGF23 is a modifiable risk factor.