Background and Aims: End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is a global health problem. It necessitates renal replacement therapy via renal transplantation, peritoneal dialysis, or hemodialysis. Vascular access is mandatory for every patient maintained on hemodialysis. It is a prerequisite for adequate hemodialysis (HD). Platelets play the most important role in securing vascular access function. Patients and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 87 patients who underwent intermittent HD via arteriovenous fistula (AVF). Patients were divided into two groups. Group1 (Study group): patients with recent thrombosed AVF within a week of laboratory investigation. Group2 (Control group): patients with well-functioning AVF Evaluation of patients: Results:  The mean platelet volume (MPV), Plateletcrit (PCT), and platelet diameter width (PDW) were 10.43, 0.222, and 13.56 in the study group respectively while in the control group they were 10.11067, 0.201944 and 12.9. MPV/PL count was significant between the two groups. Conclusion: The study found that the larger the platelet indices, the more vascular access malfunctions. The MPV/PL ratio can be used to examine the function of vascular access and estimate its lifespan that continuous monitoring of that ratio might be effective in detecting the risk of AVF in patients receiving regular hemodialysis.

Background: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the benchmark in diagnosing of corona virus disease. It takes at least 4 hours. Multiple studies reported that rapid antigen test could be used. Their role in diagnosing corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is questionable. This study was conducted to assess the accuracy of rapid antigen test in

No abstract

Background and Aims Primary membranous nephropathy (PMN), a common form of the nephrotic syndrome, is an antibody-mediated autoimmune glomerular disease. Autoimmunity is driven by circulating autoantibodies that bind to one or more antigens on the surface of glomerular podocytes. PLA2R antigen is the most common and prevalent one among these antigens. Anti-PLA2R antibodies are measured in serum and detected within biopsies of primary membranous nephropathy patients. Up to the moment, no clear data about the prevalence of AntiPLA2R antibodies associated PMN in Egyptian patients. The aim of this work was to study the prevalence of antiPLA2R antibodies in Egyptian patients with nephrotic syndrome underwent renal biopsy. Method In this cross-sectional study we recruited 70 adult patients presented with nephrotic range proteinuria to Ain-shams university hospital and a private nephrology center in Cairo during a period of 20 months (from March 2020 to October 2021). All patients first presentation for whom laboratory investigations including serum anti-PLA2R antibodies titer by indirect immunofluorescence and kidney biopsy were done. Anti-PLA2R antibodies were measured in serum, checked in biopsies and correlated with biopsy findings. Results Membranous nephropathy (primary and secondary) was found by biopsy finding in 25 of 70 patients (35.7%) presenting with nephrotic range proteinuria. 21 patients (84%) of the cases of membranous nephropathy had been diagnosed with primary membranous nephropathy and 4 (16%) had been diagnosed with secondary membranous nephropathy. Circulating anti-PLA2R antibodies were detected within serum in 9 (42.85%) of primary MN cases while detection of anti-PLA2R antibodies within the glomerular extracts of primary MN cases was much higher; 17 patients (80.95%). There was positive correlation between serum AntiPLA2R Antibodies titer and U PCR (r = 0.839, P = 0.005) (Fig. 1). Conclusion A we may conclude that, most patients with primary membranous nephropathy have anti-PLA2R antibodies. Detection of anti-PLA2R antibodies within the biopsy has higher sensitivity than serum (80.95% versus 42.85%). Specificity of PLA2R to primary membranous nephropathy is 100%. Patients with high anti-PLA2R titer had higher baseline proteinuria than patients with lower anti-PLA2R titer.

Background: Generally end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients are more prone to infection, especially patients maintained on Hemodialysis because of frequent attendance to hemodialysis units. Due to their impaired immune response, patients with ESRD are more likely to develop severe complications of any infectious disease.Objectives: to study and analyze all available patients´data and find out the correctable predictors for mortality to overcome them. Patients and methods:Our study is a retrospective cohort one, done in urology and nephrology center, Mansoura University, Egypt. We have ninety-eight patients scheduled for hemodialysis; most of them have three sessions per week.