Background Information regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in haemodialysis (HD) patients is limited and early studies suggest a poor outcome. We aimed to identify clinical and biological markers associated with severe forms of COVID-19 in HD patients. Methods We conducted a prospective, observational and multicentric study. Sixty-two consecutive adult HD patients with confirmed COVID-19 from four dialysis facilities in Paris, France, from 19 March to 19 May 2020 were included. Blood tests were performed before diagnosis and at Days 7 and 14 after diagnosis. Severe forms of COVID-19 were defined as requiring oxygen therapy, admission in an intensive care unit or death. Cox regression models were used to compute adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs). Kaplan–Meier curves and log-rank tests were used for survival analysis. Results Twenty-eight patients (45%) displayed severe forms of COVID-19. Compared with non-severe forms, these patients had more fever (93% versus 56%, P < 0.01), cough (71% versus 38%, P = 0.02) and dyspnoea (43% versus 6%, P < 0.01) at diagnosis. At Day 7 post-diagnosis, neutrophil counts, neutrophil:lymphocyte (N:L) ratio, C-reactive protein, ferritin, fibrinogen and lactate dehydrogenase levels were significantly higher in severe COVID-19 patients. Multivariate analysis revealed an N:L ratio >3.7 was the major marker associated with severe forms, with an aHR of 4.28 (95% confidence interval 1.52–12.0; P = 0.006). After a median follow-up time of 48 days (range 27–61), six patients with severe forms died (10%). Conclusions HD patients are at increased risk of severe forms of COVID-19. An elevated N:L ratio at Day 7 was highly associated with the severe forms. Assessing the N:L ratio could inform clinicians for early treatment decisions.

Background Intradialytic hypotension (IDH), a common complication in hemodialysis (HD) patients, is associated with multiple risk factors including cardiac dysfunction and alterations of the peripheral autonomic nervous system. To what extent dysautonomia may contribute to the occurrence of IHD remains elusive. We sought to investigate the clinical utility of Sudocan®, a device that quantifies dysautonomia, in the prediction of IDH. Methods We conducted a prospective monocentric study in adult HD patients from July 2019 to February 2020. Dysautonomia was assessed by the measurements of hand and foot Electrochemical Skin Conductance (ESC) using Sudocan®, before HD. The primary end point was the incidence of IDH (NKF/K-DOQI definition), according to the presence of a pathological hand and/or foot ESC value, during the 3-month study period. Results A total of 176 HD patients (64 ± 14 years old) were enrolled. Mean pre-dialysis hand and foot ESC were 45 ± 20 µS and 54 ± 22 µS, respectively. Thirty-five and 40% of patients had a pathological ESC at the hand and foot, respectively. IDH occurred in 46 patients. Logistic regression showed that pathologic pre-HD hand ESC was associated with an increased risk of IDH [OR = 2.56, IC95% (1.04-6.67), p = 0.04]. The cumulative risk incidence of IHD during the study was 5.65 [IC95% (2.04-15.71), p = 0.001] and 3.71 [IC95% (1.41-9.76), p = 0.008], with a pathological hand and foot ESC, respectively. Conclusions A pathological hand ESC, as assessed by a non-invasive Sudoscan® test is associated with an increased risk of IDH.

Background Hemodialysis patients are at risk of intradialytic hypotension ( IDH ), which is associated with mortality and cardiovascular and neurological events. The use of biomarkers of volemia such as relative change in protidemia and BNP (B‐natriuretic peptide) levels to predict IDH remains unknown. Methods and Results We conducted a prospective observational study, which enrolled 170 chronic hemodialysis patients in a single center from September 2015 to March 2016. BNP and the relative change of protidemia level (Δprotidemia=postdialysis protidemia−predialysis protidemia) were measured monthly over 6 months. A logistic mixed regression model was used to define the best biomarkers that predict the 30‐day risk of IDH . Receiver operating characteristic analysis area under the curve was used to define the cutoff values of Δprotidemia that predict IDH A logistic mixed model reveals that Δprotidemia predicts the 30‐day risk of IDH but not BNP or age; odds ratio=1.12, 95% CI 1.08‐1.17), odds ratio=0.81, 95% CI (0.64; 1.07) and odds ratio =0.015 95% CI (0.99; 1.03), respectively. Adding the ultrafiltration rate did not improve the model. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that Δprotidemia of 10 g/L allowed for discrimination of the patients with IDH (area under the curve= 0.67; 95% CI 0.62‐0.72, P <0.05). There was an increase in area under the curve to 0.71 (95% CI 0.63‐0.76) in a subgroup of hemodialysis with BNP <300 ng/L, for a cutoff value of 11 g/L, especially for the nondiabetic patients. Conclusions Relative change in protidemia level (Δprotidemia) outperforms BNP and ultrafiltration rate as a predictor for 30‐day risk of IDH . These results should be confirmed by a prospective study.

rHU-EP free patients seem to restore the EPO-hepcidin axis that is critical for erythropoiesis. A specific combination of clinical and biological parameters may help to detect future rHU-EPO free patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

No abstract