Posttransplant recurrence of primary glomerulonephritis

All forms of primary GN may recur after kidney transplantation and potentially jeopardize the survival of the graft. IgA nephritis (IgAN) may recur in approximately one third of patients, more frequently in younger patients and in those with a rapid progression of the original disease. However, with the exception of few patients with rapid progression, there is no evidence that recurrence of IgAN has a deleterious effect on graft survival at least up to 10 years. Recurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is often associated with nephrotic proteinuria and is more frequent in children, in patients with rapid progression of the original disease, and in those who lost a previous transplant from recurrence. The natural course of recurrent FSGS is usually unfavorable. Early and intensive plasmapheresis may obtain complete or partial response in several patients. Good results have also been reported with rituximab. Idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN) may recur in 30% to 40% of patients. The graft survival in patients with IMN is not different than that of patients with other renal diseases. Good results with rituximab have been reported. Membranoproliferative GN (MPGN) may recur in 27% to 65% of patients. The recurrence is more frequent and the prognosis is more severe in type II MPGN. Although recurrent GN is relatively frequent and may worsen the outcome of renal allografts in some patients, its effect is diluted by several other risk-factors that may have a greater effect than recurrent GN on the long-term graft survival.

Uremia (end-stage renal disease): how cost-effective are preventive strategies?

Many strategies have been shown to be cost-effective for prevention of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), most often by Markov modeling using assumptions based on randomized clinical trails and observational studies. Targeted screening for proteinuria in diabetics and in hypertensive patients is cost-effective for prevention of ESRD, but such screening is not cost-effective when applied to the general population. Screening for chronic kidney disease based on estimated glomerular filtration rate alone is not recommended. Perhaps, treatment of all newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics with an inhibitor of angiotensin-II without screening for proteinuria will also prevent or delay ESRD in a cost-effective manner. Intensive interventions and the use of angiotensin-II inhibition in incipient and overt nephropathy in type 1 and type 2 diabetes is also cost-effective in preventing ESRD. Rigorous control of blood pressure to desired targets also lowers the risks of ESRD in both diabetic and nondiabetic nephropathies, most likely in a cost-effective manner. Newer strategies involving statins and new combinations of agents are emerging but have not yet been tested for their cost-effectiveness in preventing ESRD cost-effectiveness.

Health care reforms in America: perspectives, comparisons and realities

Health care reforms are now a reality in America after a long and tortuous debate. President Obama has achieved a 'victory' unlike anything seen since the term of President Lyndon Johnson, over 40 years ago. The new law brings America closer to universal coverage and access to affordable health care for its citizens, but the cost of the program and its impact on individuals, physicians, hospitals, the pharmaceutical and device industry and insurance companies is not yet fully known. The debate preceding the enactment of health care reform brought up numerous comparisons (often invidious and falsified) between the American system of health care and other systems throughout the world, including the National Health Service in the United Kingdom and Medicare in Canada. This overview examines the issues raised in the debate, perceptions of health care systems on a global basis, provides some perspectives on the reform of health care systems and examines some of the realities underlying these changes for the future of health care in America.

Left ventricular mass in chronic kidney disease and ESRD

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and ESRD, treated with conventional hemo- or peritoneal dialysis are both associated with a high prevalence of an increase in left ventricular mass (left ventricular hypertrophy [LVH]), intermyocardial cell fibrosis, and capillary loss. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is the best way to detect and quantify these abnormalities, but M-Mode and 2-D echocardiography can also be used if one recognizes their pitfalls. The mechanisms underlying these abnormalities in CKD and ESRD are diverse but involve afterload (arterial pressure and compliance), preload (intravascular volume and anemia), and a wide variety of afterload/preload independent factors. The hemodynamic, metabolic, cellular, and molecular mediators of myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis, apoptosis, and capillary degeneration are increasingly well understood. These abnormalities predispose to sudden cardiac death, most likely by promotion of electrical instability and re-entry arrhythmias and congestive heart failure. Current treatment modalities for CKD and ESRD, including thrice weekly conventional hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis and metabolic and anemia management regimens, do not adequately prevent or correct these abnormalities. A new paradigm of therapy for CKD and ESRD that places prevention and reversal of LVH and cardiac fibrosis as a high priority is needed. This will require novel approaches to management and controlled interventional trials to provide evidence to fuel the transition from old to new treatment strategies. In the meantime, key management principles designed to ameliorate LVH and its complications should become a routine part of the care of the patients with CKD and ESRD.

Induction and maintenance therapy in proliferative lupus nephritis

Treatment of proliferative lupus nephritis (PLN) consists of an initial aggressive treatment aimed to quench the hectic activity of the disease (induction phase) followed by a milder therapy aimed to prevent flares (maintenance treatment). There are a number of possible options for induction treatment. Intravenous (i.v.) pulses of cyclophosphamide plus oral or i.v. steroids is very effective but can be accompanied by severe adverse events. Alternatively, i.v. pulses of methylprednisolone (MPP) followed by a 2-3-month course of oral cyclophosphamide, or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) plus prednisone, seem to be as effective as i.v. cyclophosphamide and may be better tolerated. In cases refractory to these treatments, rituximab has been used successfully. However, the exact role of rituximab is difficult to ascertain as in most cases the drug was administered together with glucocorticoids or cyclophosphamide. Intravenous cyclophosphamide has also been prescribed for maintenance therapy with good results. However, recent trials showed that similar or even better results can be obtained with azathioprine or MMF associated with moderate doses of prednisone. Also cyclosporine can achieve good results while sparing steroids, particularly in patients with persistently elevated proteinuria. In summary, modern immunosuppression today allows us to reduce the dosage of steroids and to avoid the prolonged use of cyclophosphamide. These newer strategies may result in fewer adverse effects, better quality of life and better survival for patients with proliferative lupus nephritis.

Analyzing antibody activity in IgA nephropathy

IgA nephropathy is a chronic kidney disease defined by deposition of IgA in the glomeruli. An abnormality in the glycosylation of the hinge region of the IgA1 isotype of IgA is fundamental to the origins of this very common form of glomerulonephritis. In this issue of the JCI, Suzuki and coworkers describe the characteristics of IgG autoantibodies to the abnormally glycosylated IgA1 secreted by immortalized B cells derived from patients with sporadic forms of IgA nephropathy (see the related article beginning on page 1668). These IgG autoantibodies displayed remarkably restricted heterogeneity. These observations offer new insights into disease pathogenesis and may lead to new methods of diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy for patients with IgA nephropathy.

Hypothesis: could excessive fructose intake and uric acid cause type 2 diabetes?

We propose that excessive fructose intake (>50 g/d) may be one of the underlying etiologies of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. The primary sources of fructose are sugar (sucrose) and high fructose corn syrup. First, fructose intake correlates closely with the rate of diabetes worldwide. Second, unlike other sugars, the ingestion of excessive fructose induces features of metabolic syndrome in both laboratory animals and humans. Third, fructose appears to mediate the metabolic syndrome in part by raising uric acid, and there are now extensive experimental and clinical data supporting uric acid in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. Fourth, environmental and genetic considerations provide a potential explanation of why certain groups might be more susceptible to developing diabetes. Finally, we discuss the counterarguments associated with the hypothesis and a potential explanation for these findings. If diabetes might result from excessive intake of fructose, then simple public health measures could have a major impact on improving the overall health of our populace.

Ageing and the glomerular filtration rate: truths and consequences

The process of glomerular filtration of plasma fluid has been known for over 160 years and the measurement of the rate of its formation (glomerular filtration rate, GFR) has been possible for over 80 years. Studies conducted in the 1930's to the 1950's clearly established that GFR declines, perhaps inexorably, with normal ageing, usually beginning after 30-40 years of age. The rate of decline may accelerate after age 50-60 years. This decline appears to be a part of the normal physiologic process of cellular and organ senescence and is associated with structural changes in the kidneys. In the last decade a new paradigm has been introduced in which the true or measured GFR is estimated (eGFR) by formulas based on serum creatinine levels and in which these estimates are applied to the diagnoses of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the general population. These criteria for diagnosis of CKD include an absolute threshold for eGFR, unadjusted for the effects of age on the normal values for eGFR. A consequence of these criteria has been to overstate the frequency of CKD in the general population and to generate many "false positive" diagnoses of CKD. This paper discusses the known effects of ageing on GFR and the consequences of using a classification system for defining CKD that does not take into account the normal decline of GFR with ageing.

IgA nephropathy: challenges and opportunities

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy poses many challenges to investigators and physicians in its etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment. But at the same time, opportunities abound for new tests and treatments that may eventually lead to control of this common form of chronic kidney disease.