Hypertension is both an important cause and consequence of chronic kidney disease. Evidence from numerous clinical trials has demonstrated the benefit of blood pressure control. However, it remains unclear whether available results could be extrapolated to patients with chronic kidney diseases because most studies on hypertension have excluded patients with kidney failure. In addition, chronic kidney disease encompasses a large group of clinical disorders with heterogeneous natural history and pathogenesis. In this paper, we review current evidence supporting treatment of hypertension in various forms of chronic kidney disease and highlight some of the gaps in the extant literature.

Introduction: The outcomes of patients who fail their kidney transplant and return to dialysis (RTD) has not been investigated in a nationally representative sample. We hypothesized that variations in management of transplant chronic kidney disease stage 5 leading to kidney allograft failure (KAF) and RTD, such as access, nutrition, timing of dialysis, and anemia management predict long-term survival. Methods: We used an incident cohort of patients from the United States Renal Data System who initiated hemodialysis between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2008, after KAF. We used Cox regression analysis for statistical associations, with mortality as the primary outcome. Results: We identified 5,077 RTD patients and followed them for a mean of 30.9 ± 22.6 months. Adjusting for all possible confounders at the time of RTD, the adjusted hazards ratio (AHR) for death was increased with lack of arteriovenous fistula at initiation of dialysis (AHR 1.22, 95% CI 1.02-1.46, p = 0.03), albumin <3.5 g/dL (AHR 1.33, 95% CI 1.18-1.49, p = 0.0001), and being underweight (AHR 1.30, 95% CI 1.07-1.58, p = 0.006). Hemoglobin <10 g/dL (AHR 0.96, 95% CI 0.86-1.06, p = 0.46), type of insurance, and zip code-based median household income were not associated with higher mortality. Glomerular filtration rate <10 mL/min/1.73 m² at time of dialysis initiation (AHR 0.83, 95% CI 0.75-0.93, p = 0.001) was associated with reduction in mortality. Conclusions: Excess mortality risk observed in patients starting dialysis after KAF is multifactorial, including nutritional issues and vascular access. Adequate preparation of patients with failing kidney transplants prior to resuming dialysis may improve outcomes.

Patients with PVD have inferior allograft and patient survival versus those without PVD. Caution should be exercised when placing patients with symptomatic PVD or amputation on the wait-list.

Background: Nonadherence to immunosuppressant medication is a prevalent practice among kidney transplant recipients and has been associated with increased risk for graft failure and economic burden. The aim of this pilot study was to test whether a culturally sensitive cognitive-behavioral adherence promotion program could significantly improve medication adherence to tacrolimus prescription as measured by telephone pill counts among kidney transplant recipients. Methods: Thirty-three adult transplant recipients were less than 98% adherent to tacrolimus prescription based on 3 telephone pill counts and were randomized either to the 2-session cognitive-behavioral adherence promotion program or to standard care. The curriculum was developed from an iterative process with transplant recipients into a 2-session group program that provided psychoeducation, addressed barriers to adherence, fostered motivation to improve adherence behavior, and discussed cultural messages on adherence behavior. Results: The intervention group displayed significantly higher levels of adherence when compared to the control group (t = 2.2, p = 0.04) and. similarly, when the amount of change was compared between the groups, the intervention group showed more change than the control condition (F (22,1) = 12.005, p = 0.003). Tacrolimus trough concentration levels were used as a secondary measure of adherence and, while there were no significant between-group differences for mean trough concentration levels, the variability in the trough levels did significantly decrease over time indicating more consistent pill-taking behavior in the intervention group. Conclusions: There is preliminary support for the pilot program as a successful intervention in helping patients with their immunosuppressant medication.

The influence of patient characteristics and immunosuppression management on COVID-19 outcomes in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) remains uncertain. We performed a single-center, retrospective review of all adult KTRs admitted to the hospital with confirmed COVID-19 between 03/15/2020 and 05/15/2020. Patients were followed from the date of admission up to 1 month following hospital discharge or study conclusion (06/15/2020). Baseline characteristics, laboratory parameters, and immunosuppression were compared between survivors and patients who died to identify predictors of mortality. 38 KTRs with a mean baseline eGFR of 52.5 ml/ min/1.73 m 2 were hospitalized during the review period. Maintenance immunosuppression included tacrolimus (84.2%), mycophenolate (89.5%), and corticosteroids (81.6%) in the majority of patients. Eleven patients (28.9%) died during the hospitalization. Older age (OR = 2.05; 1.04-4.04), peak D-dimer (OR = 1.20; 1.04-1.39), and peak white blood cell count (OR = 1.11; 1.02-1.21) were all associated with mortality among KTRs hospitalized for COVID-19. Increased mortality was also observed among KTRs with concomitant HIV infection (87.5% vs. 36.1%; p < .01). Conversely, immunosuppression intensity and degree of reduction following COVID-19 diagnosis were not associated with either survival or acute allograft rejection. Our findings potentially support a strategy of individualization of immunosuppression targets based on patient-specific risk factors, rather than universal immunosuppression reduction for KTRs at risk from COVID-19.

In this population, the prevalence of central vein stenosis was 10% and was clustered among those with tunneled hemodialysis catheters, cardiac rhythm device, and previous history of dialysis access or transplant.

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a high prevalence of sleep disorders. The association between sleep duration and self-reported CKD was examined in a population of Americans who participated in a national survey over a 3-year period. Study Design: A cross-sectional study using survey data from theNational Health Interview Survey (NHIS) from the year 2004-2006 was carried out. A retrospective examination of data from acommunity-based survey of 128,486 noninstitutionalized US civilian residents over the age of 18 years was conducted. Self-reportedCKD was defined as having ‘weak or failing kidneys'. The sleep duration was defined by a self-reported estimate of habitual sleep duration. Results: The prevalence of participants self-reporting kidney disease was higher in those with short (≤6 h per night) and long (≥8 h per night) sleep durations when compared to those sleeping 7 h per night. Self-reported information about sleep, demographic information, and information on comorbidities were assessed using standardized validated questionnaires which reported no kidney disease. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed increased odds of self-reported kidney disease in study participants with both short and long sleep durations compared to healthy sleepers (sleeping >7-8 h per night). Observational data do not permit examination of causality, although possible confounders in observations of interest can be adjusted. Conclusion: AmongAmericans surveyed in the NHIS (2004-2006), those with short or long sleep duration had higher odds of reporting that they had CKD. i 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel

Recent discoveries expand our understanding of the mechanism of action of IVIG. Future research is expected to clarify the relevance of these findings to humans and could lead to the development of novel immunomodulatory agents.