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Kidney Blood Press Res 2018 Nov 30;43(6):1786-1795. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Background/aims: IgA nephropathy is the most prevalent form of primary glomerulonephritis worldwide. Among patients with kidney disease, hypertension is one of the most important risk factors of disease progression. Considering the limited evidence regarding the appropriate blood pressure (BP) goal for patients with IgA nephropathy, our aim was to critically appraise the potential BP goal in IgA nephropathy. Read More

Nephrol Ther 2018 Nov 29. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Laboratoire d'anatomie pathologique, CHRU de Nancy, 5, rue de Morvan, 54500 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France.

Extraintestinal manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease involve most frequently the joints, the skin, the eyes, the liver and the biliary tract. Renal involvement is rare, and manifested as nephrolithiasis, tubulointerstitial nephritis, glomerulonephritis and amyloidosis. In patients with inflammatory bowel disease, renal disease is most frequently due to treatment nephrotoxicity and rarely as a guenine extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease. Read More

Med Clin (Barc) 2018 Nov 27. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Servicio de Nefrología, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, España; Red de Investigación Renal (REDinREN), Madrid, España.

Introduction: The outcome and prognosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in long-term kidney transplantation (KT) is variable. The objective of this study was to analyse the survival of the graft and the patient, comparing rates with a control group (primary glomerulonephritis [PGN]).

Materials And Methods: Forty-three patients receiving a KT with diagnosis of lupus nephritis (LN) and 367 patients with PGN were compared between January 1980 and December 2014. Read More

J Cell Physiol 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Section of Biology and Genetics Giovanni Sichel, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.

Membranous glomerulonephropathy (MGN) is a glomerulopathy characterized by subepithelial deposits of immune complexes on the extracapillary side of the glomerular basement membrane. Insertion of C5b-9 (complement membrane-attack complex) into the membrane leads to functional impairment of the glomerular capillary wall. Knowledge of the molecular pathogenesis of MGN is actually scanty. Read More

Int Urol Nephrol 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Human Physiology Department, Instituto Universitario del Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Rev Prat 2016 Dec;66(10):1115-1120

Service de médecine interne, immunologie clinique, Hôpital Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.

Infectious glomerulonephritis. Post-infectious or infectious glomerulonephritis (PIGN) represent the most frequent glomerular disease during bacterial infection. Patients, usually young children, with PIGN typically present nephritic syndrome 15 days after an upper respiratory tract infection. Read More

BMC Nephrol 2018 Dec 3;19(1):344. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Department of Renal Medicine, The Canberra Hospital, PO Box 11, Woden, Canberra, ACT 2605, Australia.

Background: Recurrence of primary glomerulonephritis in the post-transplant period has been described in the literature but the risk remains poorly quantified and its impact on allograft outcomes and implications for subsequent transplants remain under-examined. Here we describe the rates and timing of post-transplant glomerulonephritis recurrence for IgA nephropathy, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, mesangiocapillary GN and membranous GN based on 28 years of ANZDATA registry transplant data.

Methods: We investigated the rates of GN recurrence and subsequent graft outcomes in 7236 patient from 28 years of ANZDATA transplant registry data. Read More

Pol J Pathol 2018 ;69(3):209-218

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a chronic form of glomerulonephritis, associated with the presence of immune complexes beneath the podocytes on the subepithelial region of glomerular capillaries. MN is not a disease entity but one of relatively common patterns of glomerular injury that may be a manifestation of primary renal autoimmunological reaction or may evolve as a phenomenon secondary to wide spectrum of systemic processes. Read More

Mod Rheumatol 2018 Nov 30:1-24. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

c Division of Nephrology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine , Fukuoka University , Fukuoka , Japan.

The most representative kidney lesion of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is plasma cell-rich tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) with distinctive imaging findings including multiple low-density lesions on contrast-enhanced computed tomography. In addition, membranous glomerulonephritis is a representative glomerular lesion of this disease. Recent advances have clarified that inflammation with IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltrates is not restricted to the renal parenchyma, but can be seen in outside the renal capsule, around medium-sized arteries such as lobar arteries, around nerves, and in the renal pelvis and periureter. Read More

EMBO J 2018 Nov 29. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria

The transcription factor Blimp1 is not only an essential regulator of plasma cells, but also a risk factor for the development of autoimmune disease in humans. Here, we demonstrate in the mouse that the (Blimp1) gene was partially activated at the chromatin and transcription level in early B cell development, although mature mRNA did not accumulate due to posttranscriptional regulation. By analyzing a mouse model that facilitated ectopic Blimp1 protein expression throughout B lymphopoiesis, we could demonstrate that Blimp1 impaired B cell development by interfering with the B cell gene expression program, while leading to an increased abundance of plasma cells by promoting premature plasmablast differentiation of immature and mature B cells. Read More

Semin Dial 2018 Nov 29. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is not only an important cause of chronic liver disease, but extrahepatic manifestations are common and include chronic kidney disease (CKD). HCV is classically associated with cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis in the context of mixed cryoglobulinemia syndrome, but other glomerular diseases also occur and may be significantly under-recognized. HCV may cause glomerular disease by immune complex deposition; however, other potential mechanisms by which HCV promotes CKD include a direct cytopathic effect of the virus on renal tissue, and by its association with accelerated atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation. Read More

Front Immunol 2018 15;9:2329. Epub 2018 Oct 15.

Clinical Research Center for Rare Diseases Aldo e Cele Daccò and Centro Anna Maria Astori, Science and Technology Park Kilometro Rosso, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo, Italy.

Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) was recently classified as C3 glomerulopathies (C3G), and immune-complex (IC) mediated MPGN. Dysregulation of the complement alternative pathway, driven by acquired and/or genetic defects, plays a pathogenetic role in C3G. However, alternative pathway abnormalities were also found in IC-MPGN. Read More

Ren Fail 2018 Nov;40(1):657-664

a Kidney Disease Centre, The First Affiliated Hospital , Zhejiang University School of Medicine , Hangzhou , China.

Background: There have been some gradual changes in the distribution of renal biopsy pathological diagnoses during recent years. This study aimed to show changes in renal disease prevalence in China by investigating 10 patients diagnosed at our Kidney Disease Centre during the last 15 years.

Methods And Results: All patients aged 15-year-old or older who underwent renal biopsy at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, from 2001 to 2015 were enrolled. Read More

Nephrol Dial Transplant 2018 Nov 21. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

Clinical Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

Background: Despite a higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease among women, more men than women start renal replacement therapy (RRT). We hypothesized that gender differences in health care access exist and therefore aimed at determining whether characteristics and outcomes of haemodialysis patients over time differ by sex.

Methods: We studied all 28 323 adults who began haemodialysis during 1965-2014 in the Austrian Dialysis Registry, analysing trends in patient characteristics by sex and decade with mortality (via Cox regression), which was compared with the mortality of the Austrian general population. Read More

J Cell Biochem 2018 Nov 26. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Department of Nephrology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of TCM, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Chinese herb Cistanche Yishen granules (CYG) in the treatment of tinnitus for patients with chronic nephritis.

Methods: A total of 89 adult patients were diagnosed with chronic glomerulonephritis from January 2016 to December 2017. All the patients were randomly divided into two groups, such as the control group and the CYG group. Read More

Clin Nephrol 2018 Nov 26. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Background: Risk factors for graft loss in kidney transplant recipients with g3 lesions are poorly defined.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated outcomes in 37 consecutive kidney transplant biopsies diagnosed with g3 glomerulitis based on Banff 2013 criteria in a single-center observational study.

Results: The diagnosis of g3 glomerulonephritis was made 6. Read More

Clin Nephrol 2018 Nov 26. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Introduction: C3 glomerulonephritis (C3GN) is a form of proliferative glomerulonephritis characterized by dominant glomerular C3 deposition. There is currently no consensus guideline on therapy for this disease. Experience with corticosteroids alone is scant in C3GN. Read More

Am J Nephrol 2018 Nov 23;48(6):465-471. Epub 2018 Nov 23.

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Background: The prognostic value of the anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated glomerulonephritis (GN) classification has been demonstrated in several cohorts with sclerotic class having the worst renal outcome. Relevant published data on factors predicting outcomes in sclerotic ANCA GN is limited.

Methods: Sclerotic ANCA GN patients were recruited from 5 centers worldwide for this retrospective cohort study. Read More

Kidney Int 2018 Dec;94(6):1087-1098

Division of Nephrology, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität München, LMU München, Germany. Electronic address:

During the past decade the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) has been recognized as a unique modality of pathogen fixation (sticky extracellular chromatin) and pathogen killing (cytotoxic histones and proteases) during host defense, as well as collateral tissue damage. Numerous other triggers induce NET formation in multiple forms of sterile inflammation, including thrombosis, gout, obstruction of draining ducts, and trauma. Whether neutrophils always die along with NET release, and if they do die, how, remains under study and is most likely context dependent. Read More

J Nippon Med Sch 2018 ;85(5):259-264

Department of Nephrology, Nippon Medical School.

Background: The physical condition of patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) is at times too critical for physicians to undertake a renal biopsy. In such cases, physicians need to start treatments without determining the pathological features of the disease. However, the prevalent clinical practice guidelines for ANCA-associated RPGN in Japan do not necessitate the pathological findings in a renal biopsy for determining first-line treatments. Read More

Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2018 Nov 14;60:e73. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Universidade Federal do Ceará, Faculdade de Medicina, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an endemic parasitic disease frequently found in Northeast Brazil and may cause acute kidney injury (AKI) and glomerulonephritis. After appropriate treatment, renal function recovery may occur. We describe the rare case of a patient with VL, who developed severe AKI requiring dialysis and was subsequently diagnosed with Chagas disease coinfection. Read More

Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2018 Nov 21. Epub 2018 Nov 21.

Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, China.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has surpassed chronic glomerulonephritis as the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Previously, we showed that early growth response protein 1 (Egr1) plays a key role in DKD by enhancing mesangial cell proliferation and extracellular matrix (ECM) production. The long noncoding RNA Arid2-IR has been identified as a Smad3-associated lncRNA in unilateral ureteral obstructive (UUO) kidney disease. Read More

Nephrol Dial Transplant 2018 Nov 20. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

INSERM 1149, Center for Research on Inflammation (CRI), Paris, France.

Background: Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis worldwide. IgA is mainly produced by the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT). Both experimental and clinical data suggest a role of the gut microbiota in this disease. Read More

Diagn Pathol 2018 Nov 20;13(1):90. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Department of Pathology, Forensic medicine and Cytology, University Hospital Centre Split, Split, Croatia.

Background: In glomerular injury dendrin translocates from the slit diaphragm to the podocyte nucleus, inducing apoptosis. We analyzed dendrin expression in IgA glomerulonephritis and Henoch Schönlein purpura (IgAN/HSP) versus in podocytopathies minimal change disease (MCD) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and compared it to pathohistological findings and renal function at the time of biopsy and the last follow-up.

Methods: Twenty males and 13 females with median of age 35 years (min-max: 3-76) who underwent percutaneous renal biopsy and had diagnosis of glomerular disease (GD) were included in this retrospective study. Read More

Gene 2018 Nov 17;687:90-98. Epub 2018 Nov 17.

Department of Pharmacy, The first Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, 117 Meishan Road, Hefei, China.

Background: Chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) is the most common form of primary glomerular disease with unclear molecular mechanisms. Currently, limited study on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in CGN is available. Our study aimed to identify potential lncRNAs and genes in the normal and adriamycin-induced CGN rats, which to explore the potential molecular mechanisms of CGN pathogenesis. Read More

Nephrology (Carlton) 2018 Nov 19. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

ERA-EDTA Registry, Department of Medical Informatics, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Aim: To examine international time trends in the incidence of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) by primary renal disease (PRD).

Methods: Renal registries reporting on patients starting RRT per million population for ESRD by PRD from 2005 to 2014, were identified by internet search and literature review. The average annual percentage change (AAPC) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of the time trends was computed using Joinpoint regression. Read More

Clin Case Rep 2018 Nov 23;6(11):2287-2288. Epub 2018 Sep 23.

Division of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine University of Florida Gainesville Florida.

Idiopathic" membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is rare compared to secondary forms and usually a progressive disease. Studies evaluating the role of steroids were primarily done in children, and the data are sparse in adults. Mycophenolate mofetil is effective and can be used as a steroid-sparing agent in the treatment of idiopathicMPGN. Read More

Clin Case Rep 2018 Nov 9;6(11):2198-2201. Epub 2018 Oct 9.

Department of Pathology Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Centre Hershey Pennsylvania.

This case report represents primary membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) with positive serum anti-PLA2R antibodies, 2+ positivity for IgG4 on immunofluorescence with routine fresh-frozen sections and negative PLA2R stain on biopsy. He was treated as primary MGN based on positive serum PLA2R and the absence of clinical symptoms or signs suggestive of any secondary MGN. Read More

Pediatr Clin North Am 2019 Feb;66(1):59-72

Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Acute postinfectious glomerulonephritis or infection-related glomerulonephritis has been associated with several viral or bacterial infections. Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection is the prototypical cause of postinfectious glomerulonephritis and the main focus of this discussion. The clinical spectrum can vary widely, from asymptomatic microscopic hematuria incidentally detected on routine urinalysis to rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis with acute kidney injury requiring emergent dialysis. Read More

Pediatr Clin North Am 2019 Feb;66(1):15-30

Pediatric Nephrology, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3415 Bainbridge Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467, USA. Electronic address:

The causes of macroscopic and microscopic hematuria overlap; both are often caused by urinary tract infections or urethral/bladder irritation. Coexistent hypertension and proteinuria should prompt investigation for glomerular disease. The most common glomerulonephritis in children is postinfectious glomerulonephritis. Read More

Acta Biochim Pol 2018 11 19. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Pomeranian Medical University, Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine.

Eicosanoids are biologically active molecules that are created in the process of oxidation of arachidonic acid (AA) which is a constituent of the cell membrane phospholipids. Throughout the years it was evidenced by experiments that the lipid and lipid-derived metabolites play an important role in physiological and pathological processes in the kidneys. They are being considered as biomarkers in detecting acute kidney injury, nephrotoxicity, glomerulonephritis and early stages of diabetic nephropathy because of their participation in inflammatory processes and in oxidative stress. Read More

J Vis Exp 2018 Nov 1(141). Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Division of Renal-Electrolyte, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh;

Preservation of glomerular structure and function is pivotal in the prevention of glomerulonephritis, a category of kidney disease characterized by proteinuria which can eventually lead to chronic and end-stage renal disease. The glomerulus is a complex apparatus responsible for the filtration of plasma from the body. In disease, structural integrity is lost and allows for the abnormal leakage of plasma contents into the urine. Read More

Kidney Int Rep 2018 Nov 3;3(6):1373-1384. Epub 2018 Aug 3.

Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA.

Introduction: The Cure Glomerulonephropathy Network (CureGN) is a 66-center longitudinal observational study of patients with biopsy-confirmed minimal change disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranous nephropathy, or IgA nephropathy (IgAN), including IgA vasculitis (IgAV). This study describes the clinical characteristics and treatment patterns in the IgA cohort, including comparisons between IgAN versus IgAV and adult versus pediatric patients.

Methods: Patients with a diagnostic kidney biopsy within 5 years of screening were eligible to join CureGN. Read More

Kidney Int Rep 2018 Nov 7;3(6):1260-1266. Epub 2018 Jul 7.

Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.

Immunofluorescence on frozen tissue is the gold standard immunohistochemical technique for evaluation of immune deposits in the kidney. When frozen tissue is not available or lacks glomeruli, immunofluorescence can be performed on paraffin tissue after antigen retrieval (paraffin immunofluorescence). Excellent results can be obtained by paraffin immunofluorescence in most immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritides and dysproteinemia-associated kidney lesions, and thus this technique has become a valuable salvage technique in renal pathology. Read More

Mol Immunol 2018 Dec 15;104:90-99. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

III. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Section of Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address:

Immune-mediated glomerular diseases (glomerulonephritis) encompass a heterogeneous collection of diseases that cause inflammation within the glomerulus and other renal compartments with significant morbidity and mortality. In general, CD4 T cells orchestrate the immune response and play a unique role in autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases. In particular, the characterization of a distinct, IL-17 cytokines producing CD4 T cell subset named T17 cells has significantly advanced the current understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of organ-specific immunity. Read More

Support Care Cancer 2018 Nov 15. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Teva Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Frazer, PA, USA.

Purpose: Recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (rG-CSFs), such as filgrastim, are administered to prevent complications in patients receiving chemotherapy. In Europe, a biosimilar to filgrastim, tevagrastim/ratiograstim/biograstim, was approved in 2008. In the USA, the same product was approved as tbo-filgrastim under a 351(a) biologic license application in 2012 with the brand name Granix®. Read More

Ceska Gynekol Fall 2018;83(4):276-280

Objective: A fatal case of a 37 year old women in the fifth month of pregnancy, who showed no signs of life and who could not be revived is reported.

Design: Case report.

Settings: Forensic expert in healthcare, Liberec; Department of Health Care Disciplines and Population Protection, Faculty of Biomedical engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague; Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, J. Read More

Biomark Med 2018 Nov 15. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking University First Hospital, 100034, Beijing, PR China.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the urine afamin (uAFM) and afamin-creatinine ratio (AfCR) levels in patients with glomerulonephritis.

Patients & Methods: We determined uAFM and AfCR of 247 healthy volunteers and 129 biopsy-proven glomerulonephritis patients.

Results: Analytical evaluation study revealed the assay is a reliable and robust test for measuring uAFM. Read More

Clin Nephrol 2018 Nov 15. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Background: Antiglomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) antibody disease is a rare condition causing pulmonary hemorrhage and necrotizing glomerulonephritis (pulmonary renal syndrome).

Case: We report a 30-year-old woman who presented with life-threatening pulmonary hemorrhage and an active urinary sediment, with normal glomerular filtration rate in the 13th week of pregnancy. Anti-GBM antibodies in serum were negative, but perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmatic antibodies (p--ANCA) were detected. Read More

Clin Nephrol 2018 Nov 15. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis is known to recur after kidney transplantation and may lead to allograft loss. Although an optimal treatment has not been determined, B-cell targeted therapies are now increasingly used as first-line agents, based on growing data showing antibodies as key players in the pathogenesis of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. Here, we report a case of recurrent immune complex-mediated membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis 3 years after a living-donor kidney transplant. Read More

Tunis Med 2018 Jul;96(7):442-444

Background: Glomerular deposits are a major pathologic feature of a wide range of human glomerulonephritis and may be located in the mesangial, subepithelial, and subendothelial regions. Rare cases of primary glomerulonephritis definied by exclusive or predominant mesangial IgG deposits were reported. We reviewed the pathologic findings for the 848 renal biopsies examined in our department between 2007 and 2016, one case of primary mesangial IgG glomerulonephritis (MIG) in the absence of any evidence of systemic lupus erythematous (SLE), of other systemic diseases or of Infections. Read More

Pediatr Rheumatol Online J 2018 Nov 14;16(1):71. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1600 7th Ave S, CPPN G10, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA.

Background: Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) is a small vessel vasculitis that is characterized by non-thrombocytopenic purpura, abdominal pain, arthritis, and glomerulonephritis. Typically, HSP is self-limited requiring only supportive care, but more severe cases may require corticosteroid (CS) treatment. Rarely, a subset of these patients has persistent rash, arthritis, abdominal involvement, or renal disease despite treatment with CS, or has disease recurrence on CS tapering. Read More

J Clin Med 2018 Nov 9;7(11). Epub 2018 Nov 9.

AP-HP (Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris), Service de Néphrologie et Transplantation, Centre de Référence Maladie Rare Syndrome Néphrotique Idiopathique, Hôpital Henri-Mondor/Albert-Chenevier, F-94000 Créteil, France.

Fibrillary glomerulonephritis (FGN) is a rare glomerular disease characterized by glomerular deposition of randomly arranged non-amyloid fibrils. FGN has a poor renal prognosis and its optimal treatment is a medical challenge. Rituximab therapy has recently emerged as a promising approach even though its mechanism of action remains hypothetical. Read More

J Nephrol 2018 Nov 12. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Clinically apparent venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs in approximately 7% of patients with membranous nephropathy. Hypoalbuminemia at diagnosis is an independent risk factor for VTE, and risk increases significantly as albumin falls. Optimal prophylactic and treatment anticoagulation regimens in the nephrotic syndrome remain unproven but novel oral anti-coagulants have become attractive therapeutic options. Read More

Kidney Int 2018 Nov 5. Epub 2018 Nov 5.

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, Victoria, Canada.

Calcineurin inhibitors added to standard-of-care induction therapy for lupus nephritis (LN) may increase complete renal remission (CRR) rates. The AURA-LV study tested the novel calcineurin inhibitor voclosporin for efficacy and safety in active LN. AURA-LV was a Phase 2, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of two doses of voclosporin (23. Read More

Hum Pathol 2018 Nov 3;81:272-280. Epub 2018 Jul 3.

University of Washington, Department of Pathology, Seattle, WA 98195.

Immunoglobulin A (IgA)-dominant membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is a descriptive term for renal biopsies in which differential diagnoses of unusual IgA nephropathy (IgAN), infection-related GN, or other etiologies are considered. We sought to understand clinical and pathologic features of this finding. Native kidney biopsies with IgA-dominant immune deposits and diffuse MPGN features without significant exudative features or subepithelial deposits were retrospectively reviewed. Read More

Spinal Cord Ser Cases 2018 6;4:100. Epub 2018 Nov 6.

1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Introduction: Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a condition associated with post-transplant immunosuppression that can develop in various organs, including the grafted one. However, it has rarely been reported in nerve tissue. We encountered an unexpected case of PTLD in the cauda equina of a kidney transplant recipient who was being treated with chronic immunosuppressive therapies. Read More

Hong Kong Med J 2018 Nov 9. Epub 2018 Nov 9.

Department of Paediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital, The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Group A β-haemolytic or is a gram-positive coccus that tends to grow in chains. is the cause of many important human diseases, ranging from pharyngitis and mild superficial skin infections to life-threatening systemic diseases. Infections typically begin in the throat or skin. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2018 Nov 8;2018. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Nephrology, Deaconess Health System, Evansville, Indiana, USA.

Hydralazine, a vasodilator, is commonly used as an adjunctive treatment for moderate to severe hypertension, heart failure and hypertensive emergencies in pregnancy. Hydralazine-induced lupus was first described in 1953. Clinical presentation ranges from arthralgia, myalgia, petechiae, or rash to single or multiorgan involvement. Read More

Am J Kidney Dis 2018 Nov 7. Epub 2018 Nov 7.

Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY.

Rationale & Objective: C3 glomerulopathy (C3G), a form of glomerulonephritis associated with dysregulation of the alternative complement pathway, occurs either as dense deposit disease (DDD) or C3 glomerulonephritis (C3GN). Few studies have reported outcomes of patients with C3G after transplantation since its formal classification and the advent of complement-targeting therapies such as eculizumab.

Study Design: Case series of C3G. Read More