The current categorization of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is based on biomarkers of the glomerular function (estimated glomerular filtration rate, eGFR) and injury (urinary albumin creatinine ratio, UACR) and provides information on the risk of death and of progression of kidney disease. However, there are gaps in knowledge regarding the risk stratification of elderly patients with eGFR 45-60 ml/min/1.73 m² and of younger patients with higher eGFR but physiological albuminuria. In this regard, most of the kidney cell mass is composed of tubules. Recent studies have explored whether biomarkers derived from the acute kidney injury literature, which are mainly tubular injury markers, may improve the information provided by eGFR and UACR. We now review the potential role of kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1), hepatitis A virus cellular receptor 1, T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-1 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL)/lipocalin 2 as biomarkers for kidney or cardiovascular outcomes in CKD patients. In general, neither urinary KIM-1 nor urinary NGAL (uNGAL) outperform or add relevant information to eGFR or UACR. However, promising results were obtained for circulating KIM-1 prediction of renal outcomes in type 1 diabetes. Additionally, uNGAL may have some value in non-proteinuric patients and increased values have been observed in persons at risk for Mesoamerican nephropathy. Further studies are warranted in these niche populations.

<b><i>Background:</i></b> CKD is a risk factor for severe COVID-19. However, the clinical spectrum of COVID-19 in hemodialysis patients is still poorly characterized. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To analyze the clinical spectrum of COVID-19 on hemodialysis patients. <b><i>Method:</i></b> A retrospective observational study was conducted on 66 hemodialysis patients. Nasopharyngeal swab PCR and serology for SARS-CoV-2, blood analysis, chest radiography, treatment, and outcomes were assessed. <b><i>Results:</i></b> COVID-19 was diagnosed in 50 patients: 38 (76%) were PCR-positive and 12 (24%) were PCR-negative but developed anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. By contrast, 17% of PCR-positive patients failed to develop detectable antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Among PCR-positive patients, 5/38 (13%) were asymptomatic, while among PCR-negative patients 7/12 (58%) were asymptomatic (<i>p</i> = 0.005) for a total of 12/50 (24%) asymptomatic patients. No other differences were found between PCR-positive and PCR-negative patients. No differences in potential predisposing factors were found between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients except for a lower use of ACE inhibitors among asymptomatic patients. Asymptomatic patients had laboratory evidence of milder disease such as higher lymphocyte counts and oxygen saturation and lower troponin I and interleukin-6 levels than symptomatic patients. Overall mortality was 7/50 (14%) and occurred only in symptomatic PCR-positive patients in whom mortality was 7/33 (21%). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection is common in hemodialysis patients, especially among patients with initial negative PCR that later seroconvert. Thus COVID-19 mortality in hemodialysis patients may be lower than previously estimated based on PCR tests alone.

Background The COVID pandemic has resulted in a major disruption in healthcare that has affected several medical and surgical specialties. European and American Vascular Societies has proposed deferring the creation of an elective vascular access (VA) (autologous or prosthetic arteriovenous fistula (AVF or AVG) in incident patients on hemodialysis (HD) in the era of a COVID pandemic. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of COVID pandemic on VA creation and the CVC-related hospitalizations and complications in HD patients dialyzed in 16 Spanish HD units of 3 different regions. Methods We compared retrospectively two periods of time: the pre-COVID (January 1th 2019-March 11th 2020) and the COVID era (March 12th 2020-June 30th 2021) in all HD patients (prevalent and incident) dialyzed in our 16 HD centers. The variables analyzed were: type of VA (central venous catheter-CVC, AVF and AVG) created, percentage of CVC in incident and prevalent HD, CVC-related hospitalizations and complications (infection, extrusion, disfunction, catheter removal) and percentage of CVC-HD sessions that did not reach the goal of KT(KT&gt; 45) as marker of HD adequacy. Results 1791 VA for HD were created and 905 patients started HD during the study period. Patients who underwent vascular access surgery during COVID period compared to those who did not were significantly younger and a significant decrease of surgical activity to create AVFs and AVGs in older HD patients (&gt; 75 and &gt; 85 years) was observed in COVID period compared to Pre-COVID period. There was a significant increase in CVC placement (from 59.7% to 69.5%) (p&lt;0.001) from the pre-COVID to the COVID time-period. During COVID pandemic a significantly higher number of patients started HD through a CVC (80.3% vs. 69.1%, p&lt;0.001) The percentage of CVC in prevalent HD patients has not decreased 19 months after the start of the pandemic (414 CVC/1058 prevalent patients (39.4%). No significant changes were detected in CVC-related hospitalizations between the pre-COVID and COVID periods. In COVID period a significant increase in catheter replacement and in the percentage of HD session that not reach the HD dose objective (KT&gt; 45) was observed. Conclusions COVID has presented a public health system crisis that has influenced VA for HD with an increase of CVC relative to AVF. A decrease in HD session that not reach the HD dose objective was observed in COVID period compared to preCOVID period.

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