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Theranostics 2021 1;11(6):2670-2690. Epub 2021 Jan 1.

Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.

Glucocorticoids are widely used in the treatment of nephritis, however, its dose-dependent side effects, such as the increased risk of infection and metabolic disturbances, hamper its clinical use. This study reports a visualized podocyte-targeting and focused ultrasound responsive glucocorticoid nano-delivery system (named as Dex/PFP@LIPs-BMS-α), which specific delivers dexamethasone (Dex) to podocyte targets and reduces systemic side effects. The glucocorticoid nano-delivery system was synthesized by a lipid thin film and a simple facile acoustic-emulsification method. Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021 01;118(3)

Division of Rheumatology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195;

Photosensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) light affects up to ∼80% of lupus patients. Sunlight exposure can exacerbate local as well as systemic manifestations of lupus, including nephritis, by mechanisms that are poorly understood. Here, we report that acute skin exposure to UV light triggers a neutrophil-dependent injury response in the kidney characterized by upregulated expression of endothelial adhesion molecules as well as inflammatory and injury markers associated with transient proteinuria. Read More

Cancer Res 2021 02 7;81(3):713-723. Epub 2020 Dec 7.

Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.

Cisplatin chemotherapy is standard care for many cancers but is toxic to the kidneys. How this toxicity occurs is uncertain. In this study, we identified apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 2 (APE2) as a critical molecule upregulated in the proximal tubule cells (PTC) following cisplatin-induced nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA damage in cisplatin-treated C57B6J mice. Read More

J Immunother Cancer 2020 10;8(2)

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas, USA

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as nivolumab and ipilimumab have improved outcomes in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients, but they are also associated with immune-related adverse events (irAEs). As observed in melanoma, we hypothesized that patients experiencing an autoimmune reaction directed against the tissue of origin may be more likely to benefit from ICI. Specifically, we asked whether patients with immune-related acute interstitial nephritis (irAIN) exhibited improved outcomes. Read More

Hypertension 2020 12 2;76(6):1906-1914. Epub 2020 Nov 2.

From the Department of Cardiovascular Regeneration and Medicine, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine (Y.A., A.N., K.-i.K., F.M.Y., F.M., S.K., T.M., Y.H.), Hiroshima University.

The estimated morbidity rate of chronic kidney disease is 8% to 16% worldwide, and many patients with chronic kidney disease eventually develop renal failure. Thus, the development of new therapeutic strategies for preventing renal failure is crucial. In this study, we assessed the effects of daily low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) therapy on experimental hypertensive nephropathy and diabetic nephropathy. Read More

Sci Rep 2020 07 1;10(1):10715. Epub 2020 Jul 1.

Department of Radiology, Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 03312, Republic of Korea.

The objective of our study was to evaluate the performance of renal contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) against the 99m-labeled dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scan and computed tomography (CT) in children for the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis. We included children who underwent both renal CEUS and the DMSA scan or CT. A total of 33 children (21 males and 12 females, mean age 26 ± 36 months) were included. Read More

J Photochem Photobiol B 2020 Aug 28;209:111920. Epub 2020 May 28.

Health Radiation Research, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt.

There is growing evidence that some parasitic infections can impact a variety of autoimmune diseases by disease-inducing or protecting capacities. Anti-inflammatory molecules secreted by Toxoplasma gondii and other parasites are capable of preventing some autoimmune disease like arthritis, lupus nephritis and systemic lupus erythematosus by acting on the immune system. Here we aimed to evaluate the protective efficacy of vaccination with Toxoplasma gondii (T. Read More

West J Emerg Med 2020 Apr 13;21(3):566-580. Epub 2020 Apr 13.

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Dallas, Texas.

Cancer therapies have undergone several recent advancements. Current cancer treatments include immune-based therapies comprised of checkpoint inhibitors, and adoptive immunotherapy; each treatment has the potential for complications that differ from chemotherapy and radiation. This review evaluates immune-based therapies and their complications for emergency clinicians. Read More

Ann Hematol 2021 Apr 4;100(4):1087-1088. Epub 2020 May 4.

Department of Internal Medicine III, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany.

World J Clin Oncol 2020 Apr;11(4):190-204

Instituto Multidisciplinar em Saúde, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Vitória da Conquista 45029094, Bahia, Brazil.

Anticancer drug nephrotoxicity is an important and increasing adverse drug event that limits the efficacy of cancer treatment. The kidney is an important elimination pathway for many antineoplastic drugs and their metabolites, which occurs by glomerular filtration and tubular secretion. Chemotherapeutic agents, both conventional cytotoxic agents and molecularly targeted agents, can affect any segment of the nephron including its microvasculature, leading to many clinical manifestations such as proteinuria, hypertension, electrolyte disturbances, glomerulopathy, acute and chronic interstitial nephritis, acute kidney injury and at times chronic kidney disease. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2020 Feb 18;21(4). Epub 2020 Feb 18.

Immunology Division, LCMN, Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital and Research Institute, FOCIS Center of Excellence-UAB-Barcelona, 08916 Badalona, Spain.

The current gold-standard diagnostic technique for IgA nephropathy (IgAN), the leading form of primary glomerulonephritis, is renal biopsy. CD89 (the main IgA receptor) is expressed on the surface of monocytes and plays a role in disease pathogenesis. Immunocomplexes formed by sCD89 (soluble form) and Gd-IgA1 are related to disease prognosis. Read More

Xenotransplantation 2020 07 13;27(4):e12578. Epub 2020 Jan 13.

Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and xenotransplantation are accompanied by viral reactivations and virus-associated complications resulting from immune deficiency. Here, in a Mauritian cynomolgus macaque model of fully MHC-matched allogeneic HSCT, we report reactivations of cynomolgus polyomavirus, lymphocryptovirus, and cytomegalovirus, macaque viruses analogous to HSCT-associated human counterparts BK virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and human cytomegalovirus. Viral replication in recipient macaques resulted in characteristic disease manifestations observed in HSCT patients, such as polyomavirus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis and tubulointerstitial nephritis or lymphocryptovirus-associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. Read More

J Immunother Cancer 2019 12 21;7(1):356. Epub 2019 Dec 21.

Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, 165 Cambridge Street Suite 302, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.

Background: Acute interstitial nephritis is an immune-related adverse event that can occur in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Differentiating checkpoint inhibitor-associated acute interstitial nephritis from other causes of acute kidney injury in patients with cancer is challenging and can lead to diagnostic delays and/or unwarranted immunosuppression. In this case report, we assess the use of F-flourodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography imaging as an alternative diagnostic modality in the evaluation of potential acute interstitial nephritis. Read More

Indian J Pediatr 2020 08 11;87(8):625-632. Epub 2019 Dec 11.

Department of Pediatrics, All India Institiute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, 110029, India.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is defined as the growth of a significant number of microorganisms of a single species in the urine, in the presence of symptoms. Symptoms in young children are non-specific such as fever without focus; young infants may manifest with irritability, failure to thrive, jaundice, vomiting and diarrhea. Older children usually have symptoms of cystitis or pyelonephritis. Read More

DNA Cell Biol 2019 Nov 30;38(11):1223-1232. Epub 2019 Sep 30.

Department of Biotechnology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, People's Republic of China.

To date, the clinical course of idiopathic membranous nephropathy (iMN) remains unclear and lacks direct and effective diagnostic methods. To better understand the host gene expression changes involved in the iMN process and identify the potential signatures for clinical diagnosis, we performed a whole genome-wide transcriptome profile of peripheral blood cells (PBC) from patients with iMN and healthy controls (HCs). A total of 188 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in patients with iMN versus HCs. Read More

Aktuelle Urol 2020 Apr 27;51(2):137-144. Epub 2019 Aug 27.

Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Zentrum für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Mainz.

Radiological voiding cystourethrography has long been considered the gold standard for reflux testing in paediatric urology. Additional contrast-based procedures such as voiding urosonography or radionuclide cystography have been established in recent decades. Their main indication is reflux diagnosis after pyelonephritis in early infancy and childhood. Read More

Int J Artif Organs 2019 Dec 15;42(12):675-683. Epub 2019 Jul 15.

Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.

Objective: To clarify the reasons and beneficial effects and duration of arteriovenous fistula patency after radiological interventions in arteriovenous fistula. The patients investigated were referred due to arteriovenous fistula access flow problems.

Material And Methods: In 174 patients, 522 radiological investigations and endovascular treatments such as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty were analyzed, retrospectively. Read More

J Autoimmun 2019 09 24;103:102291. Epub 2019 Jun 24.

Div. of Rheumatology, Dept. of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. Electronic address:

Ultraviolet (UV) light is a known trigger of skin and possibly systemic inflammation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Although type I interferons (IFN) are upregulated in SLE skin after UV exposure, the mechanisms to explain increased UVB-induced inflammation remain unclear. This paper compares the role of type I IFNs in regulating immune cell activation between wild-type and lupus-prone mice following UVB exposure. Read More

Hinyokika Kiyo 2019 May;65(5):157-161

The Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University.

A 43-year-old man underwent nephrectomy for right renal cell carcinoma (cT3aN0M1 (PUL), clear cell carcinoma). Thereafter, he was treated with sunitinib for lung metastases as the first-line therapy for three months. Because lung metastases progressed and new bone metastases appeared, nivolumab was started for the second-line treatment. Read More

Oxid Med Cell Longev 2019 16;2019:7096912. Epub 2019 May 16.

Center for Radiological Research, Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Physician and Surgeons, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, NY 10032, USA.

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a leading cause of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury (AKI), but detailed pathogenesis and effectual remedy remain elusive. Here, we tested the hypothesis that contrast media (CM) impaired mitochondrial quality control (MQC) in tubules, including mitochondrial fragmentation and mitophagy, induced systemic inflammation, and intestinal injury. Since we previously demonstrated that the natural antioxidant 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) can be a protectant against CIN, we moreover investigated the involved renoprotective mechanisms of TMP. Read More

J Korean Med Sci 2019 Jun 24;34(24):e173. Epub 2019 Jun 24.

Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

D-penicillamine has been reported to cause antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis presenting as rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis or pulmonary-renal syndrome mostly in adults. We report a pediatric case of D-penicillamine induced ANCA-associated vasculitis that manifests as a pulmonary-renal syndrome with a mild renal manifestation. A 13-year-old girl who has been taking D-penicillamine for five years under the diagnosis of Wilson disease visited the emergency room because of hemoptysis and dyspnea. Read More

Ultrasound Med Biol 2019 09 13;45(9):2309-2316. Epub 2019 Jun 13.

Department of Nephrology, The People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China.

We investigated the value of combined acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging and conventional ultrasound (US) in identifying renal histopathological fibrosis with immunoglobulin A nephropathy. A total of 146 patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy, pathologically confirmed by renal biopsy were grouped according to Oxford classification and Katafuchi grading, were included in the test group, and 39 healthy volunteers were included in the control group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of ARFI, renal lengths, parenchymal thicknesses and interlobular arterial resistance index (RI) and their combinations in identifying Katafuchi grading at renal biopsy. Read More

Open Access Rheumatol 2019 13;11:117-119. Epub 2019 May 13.

Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a wide, various, and sometimes deceptive clinical and serological manifestations. Environmental factors such as ultraviolet radiation, viral infections, drugs, hormones, and chemicals could trigger SLE flares in genetically predisposed patients. We presented a 13-year-old girl with the first presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus triggered by a mosquito bite. Read More

J Nucl Med Technol 2019 Dec 10;47(4):309-312. Epub 2019 Jun 10.

Department of Nuclear Medicine, Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, Edirne, Turkey.

Pyelonephritis is an infection of the kidneys that is seen more commonly in children than the adults. Tc-dimercaptosuccinic acid (Tc-DMSA) scanning is a radionuclide imaging study to detect renal scarring after acute pyelonephritis (a late Tc-DMSA scan) and also helps to diagnose acute pyelonephritis in febrile urinary tract infections (an acute Tc-DMSA scan). Planar imaging in multiple views (posterior and bilateral posterior oblique) is generally used. Read More

Kidney Int 2019 08 15;96(2):505-516. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Department of Nephrology and Clinical Immunology, RWTH Aachen University Clinic, Aachen, Germany; Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research (IZKF Aachen), RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany; Heisenberg Chair for Preventive and Translational Nephrology, Division of Nephrology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. Electronic address:

Recent developments in optical tissue clearing have been difficult to apply for the morphometric analysis of organs with high cellular content and small functional structures, such as the kidney. Here, we establish combinations of genetic and immuno-labelling for single cell identification, tissue clearing and subsequent de-clarification for histoimmunopathology and transmission electron microscopy. Using advanced light microscopy and computational analyses, we investigated a murine model of crescentic nephritis, an inflammatory kidney disease typified by immune-mediated damage to glomeruli leading to the formation of hypercellular lesions and the rapid loss of kidney function induced by nephrotoxic serum. Read More

J Pediatr Urol 2019 Aug 19;15(4):385.e1-385.e6. Epub 2019 Apr 19.

Stanford Children's Health (Lucile Packard Children's Hospital), Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 725 Welch Road - Room 1890, Stanford, CA 94304-5913, USA. Electronic address:

Introduction: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is a common pediatric urologic condition associated with urinary tract infection and pyelonephritis. It can be diagnosed via fluoroscopic voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) and, more recently, contrast-enhanced voiding ultrasonography (ceVUS), which does not expose the patient to ionizing radiation. Voiding urosonography contrast agents used for the diagnosis of VUR have been widely available in Europe but were approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States only in 2016. Read More

Clin Nucl Med 2019 Jun;44(6):504-506

From the Nuclear Medicine Department.

A 34-year-old woman with pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma underwent a Tc-MDP bone scan to rule out potential bone metastasis because of back pain 18 months after radiation therapy. The bone scintigraphy revealed increased uptake over the upper pole of both kidneys corresponding to the portions of the kidneys included within the radiation field, consisting with radiation nephritis. Read More

J Magn Reson Imaging 2019 11 18;50(5):1367-1376. Epub 2019 Mar 18.

University of North Carolina Department of Radiology, Division of Abdominal Imaging, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.

Appendicitis is the most common cause of acute abdominal pain resulting in surgery. While historically ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) have been used to evaluate for appendicitis and its related complications, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a highly accurate and increasingly utilized modality in the last two decades, particularly in the pediatric and pregnant patient populations in whom ionizing radiation is used reluctantly. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of MRI as a modality to evaluate for acute appendicitis, summarizes studies of the diagnostic performance relative to CT and US, provides a standard MR protocol, and describes MRI findings typical of acute appendicitis, common complications, and other differential diagnoses. Read More

Bioelectromagnetics 2019 Feb 20;40(2):104-117. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.

A polysaccharide of Irpex lacteus, a white-rot fungus with lignocellulose-degrading activities, has been used as a commercial medicine for nephritis treatment. Previously, a low-intensity electromagnetic field (LI-EMF) was found to increase the biomass and polysaccharide content of Irpex lacteus and induce twists on the cell surface. In this study, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technology was used to analyze the underlying mechanism of LI-EMF's influence on Irpex lacteus. Read More

Cureus 2018 Nov 13;10(11):e3584. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

Oncology, University of Calgary, Calgary, CAN.

A 41-year-old woman presented with pT4dN1aM0, right-sided, inflammatory breast cancer. She had a co-morbid diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at the age of 20 and was found to have significant kidney involvement (lupus-associated nephritis) at the age of 28. She went on to receive six cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide, and docetaxcel (FEC-D) after which she had radiographically stable disease. Read More