Introduction The corticosteroid dosing modulation in renal transplant recipients (RTRs) with coronavirus disease‐19 (COVID‐19) is not well defined. We aimed to analyze the outcomes and infectious and non‐infectious sequelae in RTR with COVID‐19 with reference to corticosteroid dosing and the first and second pandemic waves of COVID‐19. Materials and methods This study included RTRs admitted during two pandemic waves between March 25, 2020, and July 31, 2021. Patients were categorized into mild, moderate, and severe COVID‐19. The outcomes and predictors of survival at 4 weeks were analyzed. The survivors were also followed for 6 months and were studied for mortality, readmission rates, and infectious and non‐infectious sequelae with reference to high‐dose and standard‐dose corticosteroids. Results A total of 251 RTRs, 104 during the first wave and 147 during the second wave, were treated. Overall mortality was 15.1% (11.5% in the first wave vs. 17.5% in the second wave, p = .23). The use of high‐dose steroids was also significantly high in non‐survivors (85.8% vs. 11.3%, p = .001). On multivariate analysis, the severity of COVID‐19, graft dysfunction, and high dose of corticosteroid therapy were associated with increased odds of mortality. Among survivors, 6‐month mortality (17.3% vs. 0.5%, p = .001), readmission rate (91.3% vs. 23.7%, p = .001), fungal infection (30.4% vs. 2.2%, p < .001), and post‐COVID lung sequelae (21.7% vs. 4.4%, p = .008) were significantly higher in the high‐dose corticosteroid group than in the standard‐dose group. Conclusion High‐dose corticosteroid dosing in RTRs with COVID‐19 was associated with increased infections, particularly fungal infections, and non‐infectious sequelae with higher mortality on subsequent follow‐up.

Background and objectives: Owing to changing epidemiology and therapeutic practices, a change in the spectrum of renal involvement in Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has also been noted. The treatment of non-diabetic kidney disease (NDKD) differs from diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and the reversibility of NDKD in many cases to normal, prompts biopsy for rapid and accurate diagnosis. Data are scarce on kidney biopsy findings in T2DM. Study design & setting: In this observational study, we prospectively collected the data of kidney biopsies of patients aged ≥ 18 years with T2DM admitted between 1 August 2005 and 31 July 2022. The clinical, demographic and histopathological data were evaluated. The spectrum of kidney involvement in the form of DKD and/or NDKD was studied. The impact of these findings with the use of drugs retarding disease progression was also analyzed. Results: A total of 5485 biopsies were performed during the study period and of these 538 patients had T2DM. The mean age of the study population was 56.9 ± 11.5 years and 81% were males. The mean duration of DM was 6.4 ± 6.1 years. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) was noted in 29.7%. The most common indication for biopsy was an acute rise in creatinine (147, 27.3%). Amongst the 538 diabetic patients who underwent biopsy, histological features only of DKD were noted in 166 patients (33%), NDKD alone in 262 (49%) and NDKD with DKD lesions in 110 (20%). On multivariate analysis, duration of DM less than 5 years, absence of CAD, absence of DR, oliguria at presentation, an acute rise in creatinine and low C3 were associated with NDKD. Conclusions: The prevalence of NDKD among diabetics and ATIN in particular might be on an increasing trend in the current era of changing T2DM epidemiological patterns. The use of anti-pro-teinuric agents was associated with lesser degrees of histopathological chronicity in T2DM.

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Background and Aims Urinary tract infection (UTI), the most common bacterial infection among renal transplant recipients (RTRs), remains a challenge, particularly given the increased incidence of MDR organisms, including Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). CRE infections were associated with inferior patient and graft outcomes compared to other bacterial infections. Paradoxically, there have been no guidelines on managing CRE in RTRs besides multiple challenges, including the bacteriostatic nature, poor urinary concentration, and dose-limiting adverse effects of various antibiotics. The current study designed and assessed the outcomes of protocol-based therapy consisting of high-dose Meropenem in combination with other antibiotics followed by prolonged oral administration. Method This is a single-centre retrospective study conducted in the department of Nephrology and Renal transplantation, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, India, between 1st August 2016 till 31st July 2022. All the RTRs aged $ \ge $ 18 years admitted between 1st August 2016 and 31st July 2018 with symptomatic UTI and a urine culture positive for CRE were included in the study. Patients who received various antibiotics conventionally based on the treating physician's decision from August 2016 to July 2017 were considered under the Best available treatment (BAT) group, while the Standardized Therapeutic Antibiotic Regimen (STAR) group included patients treated from August 2017 to July 2018. The treatment of the STAR group consists of a therapeutic phase for at least six weeks (IV therapeutic phase for two weeks total or one week after the clinical recovery, whichever is later + Oral Therapeutic phase for four weeks) followed by an oral chemoprophylaxis phase for three months. Following the treatment of index UTI episodes due to CRE, follow-up both groups’ follow-up data until a minimum of four years were collected. Appropriate statistical tools were applied, and analyses were performed by SPSS software, version 25. Results A total of 37 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in the study, of which 13 patients were under the BAT group, and 24 were treated by the STAR-based protocol. The mean age of the study population was 37.6 $ \pm \ $12.3 years, and all were males. Most patients (70.2%) had the UTI due to CRE within one-month post-transplant, and the median duration of UTI post-transplant was 6.1 days (IQR: 4.5 – 33). The primary outcome, recurrence rates of UTI at 48-month follow-up among the patients in the STAR group, was significantly lower than those in the BAT group (30.4% vs 77.8%, p = 0.01). The death-censored graft survival was also significantly better among the STAR group than the BAT group (100% vs 75%, p = 0.03) after 48 months. Graft function at 48 months was also better in the STAR group (Serum creatinine- 1.4 ± 0.8 mg/dl vs 2.9 ± 2.2 mg/dl, p = 0.007). The patient survival, however, was similar among the two groups (95.8% vs 88.9%, p = 0.47). Conclusion Prolonged and combination antibiotic therapy followed by long-term antibiotic prophylaxis significantly reduced the recurrence of UTI due to CRE among the RTRs. Graft function and death-censored graft survival were also considerably better. Hence, the current study may pave the path for future RCTs based on combination antibiotic therapy as a solution to combat the challenge of CRE in RTRs.