Vitamin D belongs to the group of liposoluble steroids mainly involved in bone metabolism by modulating calcium and phosphorus absorption or reabsorption at various levels, as well as parathyroid hormone production. Recent evidence has shown the extra-bone effects of vitamin D, including glucose homeostasis, cardiovascular protection, and anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effects. This narrative review provides an overall view of vitamin D’s role in different settings, with a special focus on chronic kidney disease and kidney transplant.
ElastPQ is a noninvasive, reproducible, and sensitive diagnostic tool able to detect moderate/severe chronic lesions. Its routine use during follow-up can identify patients eligible for biopsy, which remains the gold standard exam for detecting chronic allograft dysfunction.
Background
CPFA is an extracorporeal treatment used in severe sepsis to remove circulating proinflammatory cytokines. Limited evidence exists on the effectiveness of bilirubin adsorption by the hydrophobic styrenic resin, the distinctive part of CPFA. The aim of this study is to validate CPFA effectiveness in liver detoxification.
Methods
In this prospective observational study, we enrolled patients with acute or acute-on-chronic liver failure (serum total bilirubin > 20 mg/dL or MELD Score > 20) hospitalized from June 2013 to November 2017. CPFA was performed using the Lynda (Bellco/MedTronic, Mirandola, Italy) or the Amplya (Bellco/MedTronic, Mirandola, Italy) machines. Anticoagulation was provided with unfractionated heparin or citrate. Bilirubin and bile acids reduction ratios per session (RRs) were the main parameters for hepatic detoxification.
Results
Twelve patients with acute (n = 3) or acute-on-chronic (n = 9) liver failure were enrolled. Alcohol was the main cause of liver disease. Thirty-one CPFA treatments of 6 h each were performed, 19 with heparin and 12 with citrate. RRs was 28.8% (range 2.2–40.5) for total bilirubin, 32.7% (range 8.3–48.9) for direct bilirubin, 29.5% (range 6.5–65.4) for indirect bilirubin and 28.9% (16.7- 59.7) for bile acids. One patient received liver transplantation and 8/9 were alive at 1 year of follow-up. Three patients (25%) died: 2 during hospitalization and 1 for a cardiac event at 4 months of follow up with restored liver function.
Conclusions
CPFA resulted to be effective in liver detoxification. Thus, it may be considered as a “bridge technique” both to the liver transplant and to the recovery of the basal liver function.
Coupled plasma filtration and adsorption (CPFA) is a detoxification system that combines a plasma adsorption circuit and a continuous renal replacement therapy circuit. Its main application is for sepsis and septic shock with or without acute renal failure. Several recent studies have suggested that CPFA can reduce the mortality when the volume of plasma absorbed on the styrenic resin is at least >0.18 L/kg/day. At present, new applications for CPFA are under investigation, also in patients without significant kidney failure. We report here a successful case of CPFA use during acute liver failure, with a complete recovery of liver function in a patient after severe cholangitis and relapsing hemolytic anemia. The resin enabled the removal of bilirubin and protein-bound toxins, while the hemofilter removed the hydrophilic toxins such as ammonia and non-protein-bound toxins as free bilirubin. We also describe a second case of CPFA application during thyrotoxicosis to achieve free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxin (FT4) adsorptions. The CPFA efficacy seems to exceed that obtained by plasma exchange (PEX) as to FT3 and FT4 adsorptions. The resin allowed the adsorption of FT3 and FT4. The role of the hemofilter is to enhance the hemodynamic tolerance of the extracorporeal treatment and remove water-soluble toxins. The reduced duration of CPFA treatments, in case of normal renal function, is confirmed by the assessment of the resin cartridge saturation. Thus, multipurpose CPFA can play a role in the case of resistance to current medical therapy or as a bridge to liver transplantation or thyroidectomy.
Background: Sodium prescription in patients with intradialytic hypotension remains a challenge for the attending nephrologist, as it increases dialysate conductivity in hypotension-prone patients, thereby adding to dietary sodium levels. Methods: New sodium prescription strategies are now available, including the use of a mathematical model to compute the sodium mass to be removed during dialysis as a physiological controller. Results: This review describes the sodium load of patients with end-stage renal disease on chronic hemodialysis (HD) and discusses 2 strategies to remove excess sodium in patients prone to intradialytic hypotension, namely, Profiled HD and the hemodiafiltration Aequilibrium System. Conclusion: The Profiled HD and Aequilibrium System trial both proved effective in counteracting intradialytic hypotension.
Background: Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) for hemodialysis integrates outward remodeling with vessel wall thickening in response to drastic hemodynamic changes. Aim of this study is to determine the role of Ki67, a well-established proliferative marker, related to AVF, and its relationship with time-dependent histological morphologic changes. Materials and methods: All patients were enrolled in 1 year and stratified in two groups: (A) pre-dialysis patients submitted to first AVF and (B) patients submitted to revision of AVF. Morphological changes: neo-angiogenesis (NAG), myointimal thickening (MIT), inflammatory infiltrate (IT), and aneurysmatic fistula degeneration (AD). The time of AVF creation was recorded. A biopsy of native vein in Group A and of arterialized vein in Group B was submitted to histological and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. IHC for Ki67 was automatically performed in all specimens. Ki67 immunoreactivity was assessed as the mean number of positive cells on several high-power fields, counted in the hot spots. Results: A total of 138 patients were enrolled, 69 (50.0%) Group A and 69 (50.0%) Group B. No NAG or MIT were found in Group A. Seven (10.1%) Group A veins showed a mild MIT. Analyzing the Group B, a moderate-to-severe MIT was present in 35 (50.7%), IT in 19 (27.5%), NAG in 37 (53.6%); AD was present in 10 (14.5%). All AVF of Group B with the exception of one (1.4%) showed a positivity for Ki67, with a mean of 12.31 ± 13.79 positive cells/hot spot (range 0–65). Ki67-immunoreactive cells had a subendothelial localization in 23 (33.3%) cases, a myointimal localization in SMC in 35 (50.7%) cases. The number of positive cells was significantly correlated with subendothelial localization of Ki67 ( p = 0.001) and with NA ( p = 0.001). Conclusions: Native veins do not contain cycling cells. In contrast, vascular cell proliferation starts immediately after AVF creation and persists independently of the time the fistula is set up. The amount of proliferating cells is significantly associated with MIT and subendothelial localization of Ki67-immunoreactive cells, thus suggesting a role of Ki-67 index in predicting AVF failure.
Chemotherapy and extracorporeal treatment reduce serum free light chains (FLCs) allowing the recovery of acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by myeloma cast nephropathy (MCN). We report the first case of recovery from AKI in a patient with MCN who underwent the removal of FLCs using the PEPA filter, with an undisclosed cut‐off, combined with chemotherapy for multiple myeloma (MM).
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