Epidemiology of acute kidney injury (AKI) in developing countries is under-studied. We evaluated the risk and prognosis of AKI in patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) in Egypt. We recruited consecutive adults admitted to ICUs in Alexandria Teaching Hospitals over six months. We used the KDIGO criteria for AKI. We followed participants until the earliest of ICU discharge, death, day 30 from entry or study end. Of the 532 participants (median age 45 (Interquartile range [IQR]: 30–62) years, 41.7% male, 23.7% diabetics), 39.6% had AKI at ICU admission and 37.4% developed AKI after 24 hours of ICU admission. Previous need of diuretics, sepsis and low education were associated with AKI at ICU admission; APACHE II score independently predicted AKI after ICU admission. A total of 120 (22.6%) patients died during 30-day follow-up. Compared to patients who remained AKI-free, mortality was significantly higher in patients who had AKI at study entry (Hazard Ratio [HR] 2.14; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.02–4.48) or developed AKI in ICU (HR 2.74; 95% CI 1.45–5.17). The risk of AKI is high in critically ill people and predicts poor outcomes. Further studies are needed to estimate the burden of AKI among patients before ICU admission.

BackgroundNon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should be avoided among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Till now, limited data are available on NSAID use in Egypt, and we aimed to study the prevalence and pattern of NSAID use among CKD patients.MethodsA cross-sectional study was done among 350 CKD adult patients presented to the Main Alexandria University Hospital. Those with end-stage renal disease and diagnosed with acute renal injury and pregnant women were excluded. Demographic and clinical data were collected by interviewing eligible patients. Data about the pattern, history of drug-drug interactions, and knowledge about the NSAID side effects were also gathered.ResultsOf the enrolled patients, 57.1% were hypertensive, 46% were diabetics, 28% had osteoarthritis, and 18.3% had cardiovascular disease. CKD stages were 3.7%, 40.3%, and 56% in stages 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Almost two thirds (65.7%) were NSAID users. Among them, 82.6% were regular users. Headache was the most reported (68.7%) reason of use. The use of drugs which may have drug-drug interaction with the NSAIDs (as diuretics or renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors) was reported in 36%. In multiple logistic regression, the odds of NSAID use decreased by 4% (odds ratio (OR) = 0.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93–0.99, p = 0.01) for every year increase in the patient’s age and decreased by 3% (OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.95–0.99, p = 0.01) for every 1 ml/min/1.73 m2 increase in glomerular filtration rate.ConclusionDespite the hazards of NSAID use on the kidney, still high proportion of CKD patients are using them for a long period and they are simultaneously using other drugs with possible drug-drug interactions. This study provided important information that would decrease the gap in knowledge about the use of NSAID in Egypt. It is recommended that NSAIDs should be used with caution among CKD patients and patients should be advised about its adverse health consequences.

Long-term endotoxin challenge may promote frequent complications in dialysis patients, namely malnutrition, chronic inflammation, and atherosclerosis, which are recognized as the so-called MIA syndrome. Circulating soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) levels may be used to determine the stage of atherosclerosis. This study aimed to assess endotoxin level in hemodialysis (HD) patients and its role in inducing inflammation. The study was conducted on 50 HD patients, chosen from four dialysis centers in Alexandria. Serum blood samples were collected for the determination of albumin and C-reactive protein (CRP), and whole blood samples were used for the measurement of hemoglobin level. A heparinized whole blood sample was taken postdialysis for endotoxin assay by limulus amebocyte lysate test, and in addition to sVCAM-1 was estimated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The mean endotoxin level was 76.30 pg/mL;80% exhibited values higher than 60 pg/mL. Half the studied patients had CRP values that exceeded the upper limit of the laboratory reference range (<6.0 mg/L). A statistically significant correlation was found between endotoxin and CRP levels (r = 0.47, P = 0.001). The mean pre-HD level of VCAM was 1851.00 ng/mL, while the mean post-HD level was 2829.00 ng/mL with statistically significant correlation (r = 0.354, P = 0.012) and it also correlated significantly with endotoxin as well as CRP levels. Endotoxemia may play an important role in the aggravation of endothelial dysfunction in HD patients as indicated by the post-HD rise in sVCAM-1.

Our study suggests that ESRD/HD patients might have oxidative mitochondrial dysfunction, which may be partially responsible for CKD-related cardiovascular complications. Pharmacological modulation of PGC-1α might be a promising therapeutic tool to reduce oxidative stress-related complications in ESRD/HD patients.

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