Polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PVAN) is

The data point to significant differences of BKV and JCV biology regarding replication and disease in KT patients, with important implications for screening and management.

Objective To compare the health related quality of life (HRQOL) of children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to healthy children; to evaluate the association between CKD severity and HRQOL; to identity demographic, socioeconomic and health-status variables associated with impairment in HRQOL in children with mild to moderate CKD. Patients and Methods This is a cross-sectional assessment of HRQOL in children aged 2-16 with mild to moderate CKD using the Varni PedsQL™. Overall HRQOL and PedsQL domain means for parents and youth were compared to previously published norms using independent sample t-tests. Study participants were categorized according to kidney disease stage (measured by iohexol based glomerular filtration rate, iGFR) and group differences in HRQOL were evaluated using ANOVA and Cuzick trend tests. The association between hypothesized predictors of HRQOL and PedsQL scores was evaluated with linear and logistic regression analyses. Results The study sample was comprised of 402 participants (Mean age =11 yrs, 60% male, 70% Caucasian, 40% anemic, median iGFR=42.5 ml/min/1.73m2, median CKD duration= 7 yrs). Youth with CKD had significantly lower physical, school, emotional and social domain scores than healthy youth (p<.001). IGFR was not associated with HRQOL. Longer disease duration and older age was associated with higher PedsQL scores in the domains of physical, emotional and social functioning (p<.05). Older age was associated with lower school functioning domain scores (p<.05). Maternal education ≥16 years was associated with higher PedsQL scores in the domains of physical, school, and social functioning (p<.05). Short stature was associated with lower scores in the physical functioning domain (p<.05). Conclusions Children with mild to moderate CKD, in comparison to healthy children, report poorer overall HRQOL as well as poorer physical, school, emotional and social functioning. Early intervention to improve linear growth and to address school functioning difficulties is recommended.

SummaryBackground and objectives Few data exist on the neurocognitive functioning of children with mild-to-moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD). The primary objectives of this paper are (1) to determine the neurocognitive status in this population and (2) to identify sociodemographic and health-status variables associated with neurocognitive functioning.Design, setting, participants, & measurements This was a cross-sectional study of 368 children, aged 6 to 16 years, from the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) cohort. Median iGFR was 43 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 , and the median duration of CKD was 8.0 years. Approximately 26% had underlying glomerular disease. Measures of intelligence, academic achievement, attention regulation, and executive functioning were obtained at study entry. The prevalence of neurocognitive deficits was determined by comparing participant scores on each measure of neurocognitive functioning with normative data. The association between hypothesized predictors of neurocognitive dysfunction was evaluated using multivariate regression analyses. ResultsNeurocognitive functioning was within the average range for the entire group; however, 21% to 40% of participants scored at least one SD below the mean on measures of intelligence quotient (IQ), academic achievement, attention regulation, or executive functioning. Higher iohexol-based GFR (iGFR) predicted a lesser risk for poor performance on measures of executive function. Participants having elevated proteinuria (i.e., urine protein/creatinine Ͼ2) scored lower on verbal IQ, full-scale IQ, and attention variability than those without elevated proteinuria.Conclusions Whereas most children with mild-to-moderate CKD have no major neurocognitive deficits, a substantial percentage did show neurocognitive dysfunction that places them at risk for poor long-term educational and occupational outcomes.

Objectives To compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of children with CKD and short stature (SS) to children with CKD and normal height (NH), to evaluate the impact of catch up growth and growth hormone use on HRQoL, and to describe the concordance of perceptions of HRQoL between children with SS and NH and their parents. Study design 483 children and/or parents enrolled in the multicenter CKiD study and had completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL, V4.0) on at least two CKiD study visits comprised this sub-study population. Participants were dichotomized into NH or SS groups. The demographic characteristics that varied at baseline (sex, GFR and parent education) were controlled for in the main analysis evaluating the impact of catch up growth and use of growth hormone on HRQoL. Results Multivariate modeling (controlling for confounding variables) revealed a significant association between both catch up growth and growth hormone usage on parent-proxy reports of child physical functioning (p<.05) and social functioning (p<.05). Older children with CKD (15 to 17 years old) had significantly higher ratings than their parents on PedsQL Physical, Emotional, Social and School Functioning scales compared with younger children (8–14 years old). Conclusion The finding that height gains and growth hormone use are associated with increases in physical and social functioning by parent report provides additional support for interventions to improve height in children with CKD. The importance of evaluating both the parent and child perceptions of HRQoL is supported by our results.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in childhood is associated with neurocognitive deficits. Affected children show worse performance on tests of intelligence than their unaffected siblings and skew toward the lower end of the normal range. Here we further assessed this association in 340 pediatric patients (ages 6 to 21) with mild-moderate CKD in The Chronic Kidney Disease in Childhood cohort from 48 pediatric centers in North America. Participants underwent a battery of age-appropriate tests including Conner’s Continuous Performance Test-II (CPT-II), Delis- Kaplan Executive Function System Tower task, and the Digit Span Backwards task from the age-appropriate Wechsler Intelligence Scale. Test performance was compared across the range of estimated GFR and duration of CKD with relevant covariates including maternal education, household income, IQ, blood pressure and preterm birth. Among the 340 patients, 35% had poor performance (below the mean by1.5 or more standard deviations) on at least one test of executive function. By univariate nonparametric comparison and multiple logistic regression, longer duration of CKD was associated with increased odds ratio for poor performance on the CPT-II Errors of Commission, a test of attention regulation and inhibitory control. Thus, in a population with mild to moderate CKD, the duration of disease rather than estimated GFR was associated with impaired attention regulation and inhibitory control.

Given the rise in chronic kidney disease (CKD) in both children and adults, CKD has recently been targeted as a public health priority. Childhood onset kidney disease is generally a noncurable and progressive condition that leads to kidney failure by early adulthood. Fortunately, improved identification of kidney problems allows for early intervention, which is thought to slow progression toward end-stage renal disease. In addition, medical interventions for pediatric end-stage renal disease have also improved, allowing children to take advantage of lifesaving renal replacement treatments such as dialysis and kidney transplantation. In spite of improvements in identification and treatment, CKD causes both direct and indirect insults to a variety of organ systems. This paper reviews recently published studies pertaining to the neurocognitive and psychosocial impact of CKD on children of various ages and at various stages of kidney failure. Specific attention is focused on summarizing peer reviewed research that describes associations between kidney functioning and cognitive functioning, language acquisition, visual spatial abilities, memory, and executive functioning. In addition, peer reviewed research describing psychosocial outcomes associated with CKD related to academic achievement, social-behavioral functioning, and quality of life are summarized. The authors also identified disease-specific factors that likely mediate neurocognitive outcomes (e.g., anemia, hypertension, cardiovascular) and endorse the importance of continued interdisciplinary research collaborations that will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for improved neurocognitive functioning after transplantation. The authors conclude this review by describing a multicenter, prospective, longitudinal, National Institutes of Health funded study that is currently examining the developmental outcomes of children with mild to moderate CKD. The authors speculate that the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children Prospective Cohort Study (CKiD) findings will provide additional evidence-based guidance for clinicians and researchers working with children and adolescents with deteriorating kidney function to improve medical and developmental outcomes.

No abstract