Background and objectives: We studied the relationship between microinflammation and endothelial damage in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients on different dialysis modalities.Design, setting, participants, & measurements: Four groups of CKD stage 5 patients were studied: 1) 14 nondialysis CKD patients (CKD-NonD); 2) 15 hemodialysis patients (HD); 3) 12 peritoneal dialysis patients with residual renal function >1 ml/min (PD-RRF >1); and 4) 13 peritoneal dialysis patients with residual renal function <1 ml/min (PD-RRF <1). Ten healthy subjects served as controls. CD14؉ CD16 ؉ cells and apoptotic endothelial microparticles (EMPs) were measured by flow

One third of patients had bone loss mainly during the first year of follow-up. Bone loss was associated to higher baseline BMD, high steroid dose, and lower calcitriol levels at 1 year. Late administration of calcitriol and calcium supplements did not improve posttransplant osteopenia. More than 50% of patients were osteopenic 4 years after transplantation.

Tacrolimus monotherapy is an effective and safe option for the treatment of MN with stable renal function. Relapses are frequent in patients with PR and can be partially prevented by a longer tapering period.

Background/Aim: The levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) have been related to hypoalbuminemia and the necessity of erythropoietin in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. However, in several studies, the patients’ clinical situation is not taken into account. The aim of the present work was to analyze the relationship between CRP and serum albumin and hemoglobin and the erythropoietin resistance index (ERI) in a population of patients on chronic hemodialysis classified according to their clinical situation. Methods: In a cohort of 53 patients followed for 12 months, we analyzed the CRP level and its association with albumin and hemoglobin levels and the ERI (ratio of total weekly erythropoietin dose in units/weight to hemoglobin concentration in g/dl) at the start of the study and at 6 and 12 months thereafter. The patients were divided into three groups based on the presence of inflammatory/infectious disorders during the 4 weeks prior to CRP determination (group A) or the use of a jugular catheter (group B) or an arteriovenous fistula (group C) as vascular access for hemodialysis. Results: At baseline, the CRP levels (47.1 mg/l in group A, 30.7 mg/l in group B, and 9.4 mg/l in group C) and the ERI (23.9 in group A, 24.6 in group B, and 10.7 in group C) were higher in groups A and B than in group C (p < 0.001 for both parameters). Serum albumin (3.9 g/dl in group A, 4.1 g/dl in group B, and 4.4 g/dl in group C) and hemoglobin (10.4 g/dl in group A, 11.3 g/dl in group B, and 12 g/dl in group C) were lower in groups A and B than in group C (p < 0.05 for serum albumin and p < 0.01 for hemoglobin). In all patients, the baseline CRP level correlated with the albumin level (r = –0.3853, p < 0.01), with the hemoglobin level (r = –0.2950, p < 0.05), and with the ERI (r = 0.4378, p < 0.01). However, if we only considered the group C patients, there was no correlation between baseline CRP and albumin, hemoglobin, and ERI. Similar results were observed at 6 and 12 months. Conclusions: The CRP, albumin, and hemoglobin levels and the ERI mostly depend on the existence of ongoing inflammatory/infectious disorders and the use of a catheter as vascular access. In the absence of these clinical conditions, we could not correlate the CRP level with the other parameters. The relationship between CRP, albumin, and anemia may be an epiphenomenon

Introduction There is an increased risk of thrombotic complications in patients with COVID‐19. Hemodialysis patients are already at an increased risk for thromboembolic events such as stroke and pulmonary embolism. The aim of our study was to determine the incidence of late thrombotic complications (deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke, new‐onset vascular access thrombosis) in maintenance hemodialysis patients after recovery from COVID‐19. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of 200 prevalent hemodialysis patients in our center at the start of the pandemic. We excluded incident patients after the cohort entry date and those who required hemodialysis for acute kidney injury, and excluded patients with less than 1 month follow‐up due to kidney transplantation or death from non‐thrombotic causes. Findings One‐hundred and eighty five prevalent hemodialysis patients finally met the inclusion criteria; 37 patients (17.6%) had SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, out of which 10 (27%) died during the acute phase of disease without evidence of thrombotic events. There was an increased risk of thrombotic events in COVID‐19 survivors compared to the non‐infected cohort (18.5% vs. 1.9%, p = 0.002) after a median follow‐up of 7 months. Multivariate regression analysis showed that COVID‐19 infection increased risk for late thrombotic events adjusted for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, antithrombotic treatment, and previous thrombotic events (Odds Ratio (OR) 26.4, 95% confidence interval 2.5–280.6, p = 0.01). Clinical and laboratory markers did not predict thrombotic events. Conclusions There is an increased risk of late thrombotic complications in hemodialysis patients after infection with COVID‐19. Further studies should evaluate the benefit of prolonged prophylactic anticoagulation in hemodialysis patients after recovery from COVID‐19.