The Oxford Classification of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) includes the following four histologic components: mesangial (M) and endocapillary (E) hypercellularity, segmental sclerosis (S) and interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (T). These combine to form the MEST score and are independently associated with renal outcome. Current prediction and risk stratification in IgAN requires clinical data over 2 years of follow-up. Using modern prediction tools, we examined whether combining MEST with cross-sectional clinical data at biopsy provides earlier risk prediction in IgAN than current best methods that use 2 years of follow-up data. We used a cohort of 901 adults with IgAN from the Oxford derivation and North American validation studies and the VALIGA study followed for a median of 5.6 years to analyze the primary outcome (50% decrease in eGFR or ESRD) using Cox regression models. Covariates of clinical data at biopsy (eGFR, proteinuria, MAP) with or without MEST, and then 2-year clinical data alone (2-year average of proteinuria/MAP, eGFR at biopsy) were considered. There was significant improvement in prediction by adding MEST to clinical data at biopsy. The combination predicted the outcome as well as the 2-year clinical data alone, with comparable calibration curves. This effect did not change in subgroups treated or not with RAS blockade or immunosuppression. Thus, combining the MEST score with cross-sectional clinical data at biopsy provides earlier risk prediction in IgAN than our current best methods.

Complex interactions between tumor and host cells regulate systemic tumor dissemination, a process that begins early at the primary tumor site and goes on until tumor cells detach themselves from the tumor mass and start migrating into the blood or lymphatic vessels. Metastatic cells colonize the target organs and are capable of surviving and growing at distant sites. In this context, osteopontin (OPN) appears to be a key determinant of the crosstalk between cancer cells and the host microenvironment, which in turn modulates immune evasion. OPN is overexpressed in several human carcinomas and has been implicated in inflammation, tumor progression, and metastasis. Thus, it represents one of the most attracting targets for cancer therapy. Within the tumor mass, OPN is secreted in various forms either by the tumor itself or by stroma cells, and it can exert either pro- or antitumorigenic effects according to the cell type and tumor microenvironment. Thus, targeting OPN for therapeutic purposes needs to take into account the heterogeneous functions of the multiple OPN forms with regard to cancer formation and progression. In this review, we will describe the role of systemic, tumor-derived, and stroma-derived OPN, highlighting its pivotal role at the crossroads of inflammation and tumor progression.

A surgical approach aiming at clear margins is presently the best treatment option. When this cannot be accomplished without severe disfigurement or function impairment, partial resection is an acceptable alternative, but one associated with a high risk of regrowth. Whether adjuvant strategies should be used in this situation remains to be addressed.

Risk assessment demonstrates that renal biopsy is a useful procedure with a low incidence of serious complications. Platelet function is the only modifiable factor significantly related to bleeding complications, suggesting the need for a more standardized alternative to the BTT. Platelet function should be evaluated to select low-risk patients for renal biopsy as 'a day case procedure', in order to build adequate risk management strategies.

BackgroundA cyclic corticosteroid-cyclophosphamide regimen is the first-line therapy for membranous nephropathy. Compared with this regimen, rituximab therapy might have a more favorable safety profile, but a head-to-head comparison is lacking.MethodsWe randomly assigned 74 adults with membranous nephropathy and proteinuria >3.5 g/d to rituximab (1 g) on days 1 and 15, or a 6-month cyclic regimen with corticosteroids alternated with cyclophosphamide every other month. The primary outcome was complete remission of proteinuria at 12 months. Other outcomes included determination of complete or partial remission at 24 months and occurrence of adverse events.ResultsAt 12 months, six of 37 patients (16%) randomized to rituximab and 12 of 37 patients (32%) randomized to the cyclic regimen experienced complete remission (odds ratio [OR], 0.4; 95% CI, 0.13 to 1.23); 23 of 37 (62%) receiving rituximab and 27 of 37 (73%) receiving the cyclic regimen had complete or partial remission (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.23 to 1.63). At 24 months, the probabilities of complete and of complete or partial remission with rituximab were 0.42 (95% CI, 0.26 to 0.62) and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.65 to 0.95), respectively, and 0.43 (95% CI, 0.28 to 0.61) and 0.82 (95% CI, 0.68 to 0.93), respectively, with the cyclic regimen. Serious adverse events occurred in 19% of patients receiving rituximab and in 14% receiving the cyclic regimen.ConclusionsThis pilot trial found no signal of more benefit or less harm associated with rituximab versus a cyclic corticosteroid-cyclophosphamide regimen in the treatment of membranous nephropathy. A head-to-head, pragmatic comparison of the cyclic regimen versus rituximab may require a global noninferiority trial.Clinical Trial registry name and registration number:Rituximab versus Steroids and Cyclophosphamide in the Treatment of Idiopathic Membranous Nephropathy (RI-CYCLO), NCT03018535

Our results demonstrate the importance of the interaction among genetic and clinical factors in conditioning tacrolimus disposition, with corticosteroid weight-based dose being the only modifiable risk factor for tacrolimus requirement. As the tacrolimus dosing requirement increases with increasing tacrolimus clearance through concomitant steroid use, undesirable changes in tacrolimus levels may occur when steroid doses are tapered, predominantly in slow metabolizers. This often neglected drug interaction has to be monitored to optimize tacrolimus exposure in kidney transplant patients.

The aim of this study was to determine whether detection of b-HPV gene products, as defined in epidermodysplasia verruciformis skin cancer, could also be observed in lesions from kidney transplant recipients alongside the viral DNA. A total of 111 samples, corresponding to 79 skin lesions abscised from 17 kidney transplant recipients, have been analyzed. The initial PCR analysis demonstrated that b-HPV-DNA was highly present in our tumor series (85%). Using a combination of antibodies raised against the E4 and L1 proteins of the b-genotypes, we were able to visualize productive infection in 4 out of 19 actinic keratoses, and in the pathological borders of 1 out of 14 squamous cell carcinomas and 1 out of 31 basal cell carcinomas. Increased expression of the cellular proliferation marker minichromosome maintenance protein 7 (MCM7), that extended into the upper epithelial layers, was a common feature of all the E4-positive areas, indicating that cells were driven into the cell cycle in areas of productive viral infections. Although the present study does not directly demonstrate a causal role of these viruses, the detection of E4 and L1 positivity in actinic keratosis and the adjacent pathological epithelium of skin cancer, clearly shows that b-HPV are actively replicating in the intraepidermal precursor lesions of kidney transplant recipients and can therefore cooperate with other carcinogenic agents, such as UVB, favoring skin cancer promotion. Modern Pathology (2014) 27, 1101-1115; doi:10.1038/modpathol.2013.240; published online 3 January 2014Keywords: b-HPV; immunosuppression; kidney transplant recipients; skin cancer; viral life cycle Solid organ transplantation is a treatment offered to an increasing number of patients with end-stage organ diseases. Although lifesaving, organ transplantation is associated with an overall three-to fivefold increased risk of malignancies. 1-4 Most of these cancers are caused by reactivated viruses whose oncogenic potential is suppressed by immunological reactions in healthy individuals, like Epstein-Barr virus-associated B-cell lymphomas, Kaposi's sarcoma, caused by the reactivation of human herpesvirus type 8, and Merkel cell carcinoma of the skin, associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus. [5][6][7][8][9] Of the cancers presenting in organ transplant recipients that have no established infectious etiology, skin cancer is the most frequent form (95%), including squamous and basal cell carcinomas. [10][11][12][13] The incidence of skin cancer, the most common cancer in fair-skinned populations, is at least 50-fold higher in organ transplant recipients. 14-16 Large numbers of skin tumors (often more than 10) tend to develop over time in these at-risk subjects, thus

In the present study, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on published data to examine the impact of CYP3A5 6986A>G and ABCB1 3435C>T polymorphisms on tacrolimus dose-adjusted trough levels (C0/D) and acute rejection rates in adult renal transplant patients. Despite the presence of significant heterogeneity in all comparisons, random-effects model showed significantly higher tacrolimus C0/D in CYP3A53/3 compared with CYP3A51 allele carriers, either in the overall analysis and when stratifying for ethnicity or time of post-transplantation (≤1, 3-6, 12-24 months). In contrast, no consistent evidence of an effect of the ABCB1 3435C>T variant was detected on tacrolimus C0/D, except for a modest effect limited to the first month after renal transplantation. In addition, from the current evidence available, CYP3A5 6986A>G and ABCB1 3435C>T polymorphisms seem to have little or no effect on the acute rejection rates in renal transplant patients under immunosuppressive therapy with tacrolimus.