Preeclampsia is a devastating pregnancy-associated disorder characterized by the onset of hypertension, proteinuria, and edema with limited plausible pathophysiology known. Cystatin-C, a novel marker for the detection of renal impairment, is increased in preeclampsia at an early stage. This study was aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of Cystatin-C as an early marker of renal function in preeclampsia comparing it to the traditional renal markers. A hospital based comparative cross-sectional study was performed on 104 women (52 diagnosed cases of preeclampsia and 52 healthy pregnant women). Concentrations of Cystatin-C, creatinine, urea, and uric acid were measured in both the study groups. Mean serum Cystatin-C and uric acid levels were elevated in preeclampsia cases compared to controls (1.15 ± 0.37 versus 0.55 ± 0.12; 5.40 ± 1.44 versus 3.97 ± 0.68, resp.). ROC curve depicted that Cystatin-C had the highest diagnostic efficiency (sensitivity, 88.24%; specificity, 98.04%) compared to creatinine and uric acid. Serum Cystatin-C consequently seemed to closely reflect the renal functional changes, which are believed to lead to increased blood pressure levels and urinary excretion of albumin and may thus function as a marker for the stage of the transition between normal adaptive renal changes at term and preeclampsia.

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Background and Aims: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the commonest cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) due to increased prevalence of traditional and nontraditional CVD risk factors. Our study aimed to evaluate these risk factors in pre-dialysis Nepalese CKD patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Department of Nephrology, Bir hospital. Total 100 consecutive pre-dialysis CKD patients were enrolled. Ten traditional and six nontraditional CVD risk factors were analyzed and compared between CKD stages. Descriptive statistics was used to illustrate the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, chi square test for categorical variables and multiple logistic regression analysis was done to determine the risk factors of CVD in CKD patients. p-value<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Mean patient age was 52.03}13.64 years with majority (60%) of the patients being male. Comparison of traditional risk factors in different stages depicted similar trend except for old age in Stage 3 CKD (p=0.002). Anemia (p<0.001), hyperphosphatemia (p=0.01), hyperparathyroidism (p<0.01) and cumulative nontraditional risk factors were significantly higher (p=0.01) in stage 5 CKD. The predicted CVD events by Framingham risk score showed high risk in 37% with no significant difference among the stages. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed increased body mass index, low serum albumin and increased serum phosphate as the three significant predictors for left ventricular hypertrophy. Conclusion: Our study shows that the CVD risk factors were prevailing along the various stages of CKD. The occurrence of non-traditional risk factors increased with increasing stage of CKD.

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Introduction: Hyperuricemia is a cause and effect of chronic kidney disease (CKD), accelerates its progression and predisposes to acute kidney injury. Present study aimed to find out the outcome of Febuxostat treatment in hyperuricemic pre-dialysis CKD patients. Method: This was a cross sectional study conducted in Nephrology department, Bir hospital, Nepal, during from February 2019 to January 2020, among pre-dialysis CKD stage 3-5 non dialysis (ND) patients with serum uric acid (SUA) >7 mg/d L who were treated with Febuxostat 40 mg once a day and followed up at one, two and three months. The baseline SUA, creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) calculated by the modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) equation compared with values at follow up and according to CKD stages. The adverse effects and liver enzymes were recorded. Result: There were total 50 patients, mean age 54.2±16.5 years, male 31 (62%).There were significant reductions of SUA from baseline of 8.9±1.4to 7.1±1.2 vs 5.9±0.9 vs 4.7±1.0) at one, two and three month respectively, p=0.000 and increment of eGFR (ml/min/1.73m2) from 29.6±15.0 to 31.6±16.0, 33.6±16.6, 34.1±17.1, p=0.000.And 41 (82%) patients achieved uric acid < 6 mg/dl at three month. Significant reduction of uric acid in all CKD stages and increment of eGFR in CKD stage 3 and 4 were observed. Adverse effects were epigastralgia in 5 (10%) and joint pain in 13 (26%). Conclusion: Febuxostat is an effective serum uric acid lowering drug in pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease patients with improvement of kidney function.

Introduction: The use of polyethylene glycol-based solutions is the gold standard for bowel preparation for colonoscopy. However, polyethylene glycol use might be associated with the risk of acute kidney injury. We aim to find out acute kidney injury and risk factors associated with the development of acute kidney injury in patients using polyethylene glycol for colonoscopy.Materials and Methods: This was an observational study conducted in the Department of Nephrology and Gastroenterology, Bir hospital. Patients who underwent colonoscopy using polyethylene glycol were included in the study and assessed for acute kidney injury; its incidence, association of risk factors with acute kidney injury, and outcome (complete recovery or no recovery) of acute kidney injury by 3 months.Results: The mean age of the patients was 45.81 ± 18.60 years with the majority of the patients being male (60%). Out of 48 study participants, 4(8%) develop acute kidney injury. Multivariate regression analysis depicted that chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, congestive cardiac failure, and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, angiotensin receptor blockers, and diuretics drugs were the predictors which significantly influenced the occurrence of acute kidney injury in patients using polyethylene glycol.Conclusions: The evidence strongly suggests that in patients without preexisting renal disease, comorbidities, or use of drugs; the risk of renal impairment is low after colonoscopy using polyethylene glycol as a bowel cleansing agent. In the presence of risk factors for renal dysfunction, polyethylene glycol should be used cautiously.

Introduction: Non diabetic kidney disease (NDKD), a treatable condition, is common in diabetic patients with atypical clinical presentations. Present study aimed to find out histopathological diagnosis of kidney disease in type 2 Diabetes mellitus with such presentations. Method: This was a hospital based cross sectional study conducted in Nephrology department, Bir hospital, Nepal from Aug 2019 to January 2021. Total 29 diabetic patients with atypical presentations, rapid rise of proteinuria alone (n=5), with microscopic hematuria (n=6), with impaired renal function (n=8) and rapid rise of creatinine with (n=8) or without (n=2) microscopic hematuria were included. The baseline information was recorded and kidney biopsy was performed. Result: The mean age of patients was 52.6±10.4 y and 22(75.9%) were male. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) was absent in 24(82.8%) patients. Presence of NDKD alone was in 6(20.7%) and superimposed on diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in 10(34.5%) with total NDKD in 16(55.2%) and isolated DKD in 13(44.8%) patients. Non diabetic kidney disease were glomerulonephritis 12(75%) with membranous nephropathy 4(25%) and IgA nephropathy 4(25%) patients. The significant difference between NDKD and isolated DKD was only the duration of diabetes < 5 y in 8(61.5%) of isolated DKD and ≥5 y in 13(81.2%) patients with NDKD (p=0.018). Diabetic retinopathy was absent in 6(100%) patients with isolated NDKD, 8(80%) of class III and 5(62.5%) of class IV DKD. Conclusion: Glomerulonephritis is the commonest NDKD in type 2 DM with atypical presentation and advance DKD (Class III & IV) is present even in absence of diabetic retinopathy and short duration of diabetes.

Proton Pump Inhibitors serve as the cornerstone of management of Upper Gastrointestinal bleeding. In Nepal, intravenous Pantoprazole is widely used. One of the rare complications of intravenous Pantoprazole is thrombocytopenia which may lead to paradoxical increase in bleeding possibility. Here, we present a 70 year old gentleman who presented with hematemesis and melena and was treated with IV Pantoprazole. The Platelet count started decreasing from the third day onwards following which the patient was switched to Rabeprazole on the fourth day. Platelet count subsequently normalized. Thus, drug induced thrombocytopenia is one of the rare complications that has to be kept in mind with the use of Pantoprazole.