Objective: To determine daily sodium intake in ‘real practice’ in a large group of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients who were under regular follow-up in a nephrology clinic. Methods: A total of 373 consecutive outpatients with CKD stages 1–5 (not on dialysis; men: 52.3%, mean age: 51.6 ± 15.4 years) were included in the study. All patients had at least 3 or more nephrology visits and received information on reducing their sodium intake. Data for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, number of antihypertensive medications and 2 consecutive 24-hour urinary sodium levels were obtained from the patients’ medical records. Results: The mean 24-hour urinary sodium levels of 2 consecutive urine samples were 168.8 ± 70.3 and 169.3 ± 67.4 mEq/day (p > 0.05). Only 14.7% of the patients had a sodium excretion <100 mmol/day. There was no difference in daily sodium intake from stages 1 to 4, but it was significantly lower in stage 5 (126.6 ± 60.5 mEq/day, p < 0.05). No relation was found between 24-hour urinary sodium output, number of antihypertensives or thiazide use. Conclusions: This study showed that almost 85% of CKD patients under regular nephrologic care were consuming more sodium than the recommended level. More robust measures should be devised to increase patient and physician compliance with reducing sodium intake in CKD.

Urinary AGT levels are higher in renal AA amyloidosis patients than in controls. Also, there is a significant positive correlation between urinary AGT and proteinuria in renal AA amyloidosis.

Serum iron parameters were not adequate to detect iron overload and HFE gene mutation was found to be an important risk factor for iron accumulation.

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Although kidney transplantation (KT) is widely used for treating renal amyloidosis secondary to familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), data concerning transplant outcome are limited and inconsistent. The aim of this study was to determine the long-term outcome of KT in patients with amyloidosis secondary to FMF. Kidney transplantation outcome in 24 patients with FMF was compared to that in 72 controls matched for age, gender of recipient, and type of the donor that underwent KT due to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) not caused by FMF. Mean follow-up time was 80.3 ± 55.1 months in the FMF group, vs. 86.5 ± 47.6 months in the control group. Death-censored graft survival at five and 10 yr in the FMF group was 95.8% and 78.4%, respectively, and was comparable to that in the control group. In the FMF group, five- and 10-yr patient survival (87.5 and 65.6%) was shorter than in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant. The findings show that long-term outcome of KT in the patients with amyloidosis secondary to FMF was comparable to that in patients with ESRD not caused by FMF. Recurrence of amyloidosis in the allograft, gastrointestinal intolerance, and fatal infections remain as major complications during the post-transplant period.