American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation
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We congratulate the KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) work group on their comprehensive work in a broad subject area and agreed with many of the recommendations in their clinical practice guideline on the evaluation and management of chronic kidney disease. We concur with the KDIGO definitions and classification of kidney disease and welcome the addition of albuminuria categories at all levels of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), the terminology of G categories rather than stages to describe level of GFR, the division of former stage 3 into new G categories 3a and 3b, and the addition of the underlying diagnosis. We agree with the use of the heat map to illustrate the relative contributions of low GFR and albuminuria to cardiovascular and renal risk, though we thought that the highest risk category was too broad, including as it does people at disparate levels of risk. ⋯ We recognize the absence of evidence on appropriate phosphate targets and methods of achieving them and do not agree with suggestions in this area. In drug dosing, we agree with the recommendation of using absolute clearance (ie, milliliters per minute), calculated from the patient's estimated GFR (which is normalized to 1.73m(2)) and the patient's actual anthropomorphic body surface area. We agree with referral to a nephrologist when GFR is <30mL/min/1.73m(2) (and for many other scenarios), but suggest urine albumin-creatinine ratio > 60mg/mmol or proteinuria with protein excretion > 1g/d as the referral threshold for proteinuria.
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MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are stable in circulation, and their unique expression profiles can serve as fingerprints for various diseases. This study explored whether plasma miRNAs could be used as biomarkers to evaluate disease activity in patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). ⋯ Plasma miR-186 may be a biomarker for FSGS with nephrotic proteinuria.
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Hospital-acquired acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with increased mortality and resource consumption. Little is known about the association of AKI with short-term hospital readmissions. ⋯ Our results suggest that survivors of hospital-acquired AKI experience higher odds of early hospital readmission. Transitions of care services may be warranted for such patients to prevent readmissions and reduce health care costs.
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Kidney injury is a complication of intravascular hemolysis associated with many forms of hemolytic disease. Reports of kidney biopsy findings in patients with hemolysis-related kidney injury have focused primarily on the accumulation of hemosiderin pigment within proximal tubular epithelial cells (hemosiderosis), a feature of chronic hemolysis. The nephrotoxic effects of hemoglobin include direct cytotoxicity to tubular cells, but hemoglobin also can precipitate in distal nephron segments, forming obstructive casts. We present a case of hemolysis-associated tubular injury, characterized by acute onset of intravascular hemolysis followed by acute kidney injury with acute tubular injury and abundant intratubular casts containing hemoglobin.