Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in children. They can lead to hypertension and end stage renal disease (ESRD). Ghrelin is a regulatory hormone that maintains fat tissues and body composition. Ghrelin is mainly produced in the stomach and in smaller amounts in kidneys. It stimulates release of growth hormone (GH), increases food intake, and causes weight gain.

There are few publications reporting adverse effects of metformin for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although some of these reports have made big claims about the adverse effects of metformin in patients with renal failure, the majority of studies showed a superior safety profile for metformin compared with other antidiabetic medications in these patients. Further, metformin use is not contributing to an increased incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI). In conclusion, we suggest that a low dose of metformin is safe to use in patients with or without CKD. Multicenter randomized trials are required to further discover the benefits of the risk of metformin therapy in different stages of CKD and its effect on progression of CKD.

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Introduction: The most common complications of the nephrotic syndrome (NS) are the frequent relapses, steroid resistance, and long-term steroid administration. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the therapeutic effect of rituximab versus cyclophosphamide in the prevention of relapses and the complications of treatment in children with steroid-resistant NS. Patients and Methods: This clinical trial study was performed on 50 patients with resistant steroidal NS referred to Masoumeh hospital in Qom, Iran. Patients were randomly divided into the two groups including intervention (n=20) and control groups (n=30). In addition to the prednisolone, the intervention group received 375 mg/m2/weekly rituximab intravenously for 4 weeks. The control group received oral doses of cyclophosphamide 2 mg/kg/d for 3 months. During treatment, the frequency of relapses, the mean dose of steroid and the complications of treatment were compared with a paired t-test, independent t-test, and chi-square test. Results: A significant decrease in the mean dose of steroids and the mean number of relapses were seen in patients after administration of rituximab and cyclophosphamide (P<0.001). However, rituximab reduced the dose of steroid administration by 12.25 mg/d, while cyclophosphamide reduced only 2.83 mg/d (P<0.001). Rituximab reduced the relapse rate two times on average, while cyclophosphamide reduced only 0.5 times (P<0.001). The incidence of complications in the cyclophosphamide group was found to be more severe than the rituximab group. Conclusion: To compare rituximab versus cyclophosphamide regarding lower the frequency of recurrence after treatment, we found rituximab is a more suitable drug for the treatment of steroid-resistant NS than cyclophosphamide.

Background Given the importance of the function of the remnant kidney in children with unilateral renal agenesis and the significance of timely diagnosis and treatment of reflux nephropathy to prevent further damage to the remaining kidney, we aimed to determine the prevalence of reflux nephropathy in this subgroup of pediatric patients. Methods In general, 274 children referred to pediatric nephrologists in different parts of Iran were evaluated, of whom 199 had solitary kidney and were included in this cross-sectional study. The reasons for referral included urinary tract infection (UTI), abnormal renal ultrasonography, being symptomatic, and incidental screening. Demographic characteristics, including age and gender were recorded. History of UTI and presence of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) were evaluated. Results Of the 274 children evaluated in this study with the mean age (SD) of 4.71 (4.24) years, 199 (72.6%) had solitary kidney. Among these, 118 (59.3%) were male and 81 (60.7%) were female, 21.1% had a history of UTI, and VUR was present in 23.1%. The most common cause of referral was abnormal renal ultrasonography (40.2%), followed by incidental screening (21.1%), being symptomatic (14.1%), and UTI (5.5%). In 116 children (58.3%), the right kidneys and in 83 (41.7%) the left kidneys were absent. Besides, 14.6% of the participants had consanguineous parents and 3% had a family history of solitary kidney. Upon DMSA scan, the single kidney was scarred in 13.1%, of which only 7.5% were associated with VUR. In addition, proteinuria and hematuria were observed in 6.5% and 1.5% of children, respectively. Conclusions The prevalence of reflux nephropathy was 7.5% in children with solitary kidney with a male predominance. Given the relatively high prevalence of reflux nephropathy in these children, screening for VUR in the remnant kidney appears to be essential in this population.