Background Adherence of patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) to Hemodialysis (HD), prescribed medications, diet and fluid restrictions is essential to get the desirable outcome and prevent complications. During COVID-19 pandemic, ESRD patients became more concerned with attending the HD sessions and following the protective measures because of the potential for increased susceptibility to COVID-19. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on patients' adherence to HD and medical regimens. Methods Two hundred five ESRD patients on HD were interviewed with the ESRD Adherence Questionnaire (ESRD-AQ) and the Fear-of-COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Clinical and laboratory correlates of adherence were retrieved from patients' records. Results Self-reported adherence to HD showed that 19.5% were not adherent to HD during the pandemic compared to 11.7% before the pandemic (p < 0.001), with a significant agreement with the actual attendance of HD sessions (Kappa = 0.733, p < 0.001). Twenty-five patients (12.2%) had a history of COVID-19. The FCV-19S had a mean score of 18.8 and showed significant positive correlations with the pre-dialysis phosphorus and potassium. Multivariate analysis showed that the main predictors of non-adherence were the history of COVID-19, understanding and perception scores, and the Fear-of-COVID score. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the adherence of ESRD patients to HD and medical regimen. Strategies to mitigate patients' fears of COVID-19 and improve their understanding and perceptions of adherence to HD and medical regimen should be adopted in HD centers during the pandemic.

Background and Aims Vascular calcification (VC) plays a major role in cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is one of the main causes of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The study aims at early detection of breast arterial calcification (BAC) in different stages of CKD (stage 2, 3& 4) patients as an indicator of systemic VC. Method A case control study was conducted targeting CKD women, aged 18- 60 years old. The sample was divided into 3 groups; A,B,C (representing stage 2, 3 & 4 of CKD) from women who attended nephrology and Internal medicine clinics and admitted in inpatient ward in Suez Canal University Hospital. A 4th group (D) was formed as a control group and included women with normal kidney functions (each group (A, B, C, D) include 22 women). The selected participants were subjected to history taking, mammogram to detect BAC and biochemical assessment of lipid profile, Serum creatinine (Cr), Mg, P, Ca, PTH and FGF23. Results Our study detected presence of BAC in about 81.8% of hypertensive stage 4 CKD patients compared with 50% in stage 3 CKD, also in the majority of stage 4 CKD patients who had abnormal lipid profile parameters and electrolyte disturbance. Most of the variables had statistical significance regarding the presence of BAC. Conclusion Although it is difficult to determine the definite stage at which the risk of VC begins but in our study, it began late in stage 2 CKD, gradually increased prevalence through stage 3 and became significantly higher in stage 4. These results suggest that preventive strategies may need to begin as early as stage 2 CKD.

Urokinase receptors regulate the interplay between inflammation, immunity, and blood clotting. The soluble urokinase plasminogen activator system is an immunologic regulator affecting endothelial function and its related receptor; the soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) has been reported to impact kidney injury. This work aims to measure serum levels of suPAR in COVID-19 patients and correlate the measurements with variable clinicolaboratory parameters and patient outcomes. In this prospective cohort study, 150 COVID-19 patients and 50 controls were included. The circulating suPAR levels were quantified by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Routine COVID-19 laboratory assessments, including CBC, CRP, LDH, serum creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rates, were performed. The need for oxygen therapy, CO-RAD score, and survival rates was assessed. Bioinformatic analysis and molecular docking were run to explore the urokinase receptor structure/function and to characterize molecules as potential anti-suPAR therapeutic targets, respectively. We found higher circulating suPAR levels in COVID-19 patients vs. controls (p < 0.001). Circulating suPAR levels positively correlated with COVID-19 severity, the need for O2 therapy, the total leukocytes count, and the neutrophils to lymphocyte ratio, while they were negatively correlated with the O2 saturation level, albumin, blood calcium, lymphocytic count, and GFR. In addition, the suPAR levels were associated with poor prognostic outcomes such as a high incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and mortality rate. Kaplan–Meier curves showed a lower survival rate with higher suPAR levels. The logistic regression analysis confirmed the significant association of suPAR levels with the occurrence of AKI related to COVID-19 and with increased mortality probability within three months of COVID-19 follow-up. Some compounds that can act similarly to uPAR were discovered and tested by molecular docking to identify the possible ligand–protein interactions. In conclusion, higher circulating suPAR levels were associated with COVID-19 severity and could be considered a putative predictor of AKI development and mortality.