Undiagnosed chronic kidney disease and its associated risk factors in an agricultural Moroccan adult's population

Relationship between Acute Respiratory Tract Infection and the Serum 25(OH) D3 Level in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients and Its Prevention and Treatment

Observational studies and randomized controlled studies propose that vitamin D plays a significant role in preventing acute respiratory tract infection (RTI); however, results are inconsistent and the optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D3) concentration remains unknown. This study explores the risk factors associated with acute RTI in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and analyzes its correlation with serum 25-OH-D3 levels, to provide appropriate preventive treatment measures for CKD patients complicated with acute RTI. Seventy cases of CKD patients treated in the department of nephrology of Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital are recruited as the research objects and divided into a control group (CKD without RTI) and an observation group (CKD with RTI), with 35 cases in each group. The laboratory indexes and serum 25-OH-D3 levels are compared between the two groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of 25-OH-D3 in the diagnosis of CKD patients complicated with RTI is 0.892, and the standard error is 0.038. The glomerular filtration rates (GFR) are $48.32\pm 9.87\text{mL}/\min$ and $50.18\pm 20.71\text{mL}/\min$ in the control group and the experimental group, respectively, with no statistical significance between the two groups ( $P>0.05$ ). The serum 25-OH-D3 content in the control group ( $35.08\pm 6.2\text{nmol}/\text{L}$ ) is dramatically higher than that in the observation group ( $20.71\pm 5.87\text{nmol}/\text{L}$ ) ( $P<0.05$ ). The proportion of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in the control group and observation group is 25.71% and 68.57%, respectively, with a considerable difference ( $P<0.05$ ). In the control group and the experimental group, the proportion of patients with oral vitamin D receptor agonists is 54.29% and 11.43%, respectively, and the difference is significant ( $P<0.05$ ). Results show that the serum 25-OH-D3 level is highly correlated with the occurrence of RTI in CKD patients. In addition, it is related to patients’ age, DM, and vitamin D receptor agonists.

Significance of Mg-hardness and fluoride in drinking water on chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology in Monaragala, Sri Lanka

The epidemic of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) that contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality rates among dry-zonal farming communities has become a public health priority in Sri Lanka. Though a large number of hypotheses were introduced as causative factors, none of them have been confirmed so far. As drinking water quality is among the most suspected causative factors for the emergence of CKDu, a detailed hydro-geochemical investigation was carried out concurrently with the population screening in the Monaragala district of Sri Lanka where high incidences of CKDu are reported. A population screening was performed selecting 46,754 people using both dipstick proteinuria test and Albumin-Creatinine Ratio (ACR). The results revealed that the disease prevalence is about 6.7 % in the district. A total of 60 groundwater samples, 30 each, were collected from CKDu-prevalent locations and control locations where there are no CKDu cases reported. The samples were analyzed to identify any possible linkage between water quality and disease prevalence. Concentrations of hardness, F^-, Na^+, and Mg²⁺ in groundwater revealed a statistically significant difference between CKDu and control wells at a confident level of p = 0.05. The study revealed that alkali (Na⁺+K⁺) and alkaline earth cations (Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ba²⁺) were relatively higher in drinking water sources used by CKDu patients, compared to the well waters used by healthy individuals. Nearly 87 % of the wells used by CKDu cases showed higher fluoride levels that exceed the threshold level (1.0 mg L^-1). Contents of nephrotoxic trace elements such as As, Cd, and Pb were found to be comparable in both types of wells and were well below the WHO permissible levels, thus negating their prime influence on the CKDu prevalence. It is obtrusive that the elevated fluoride levels together with water hardness associated with higher Mg²⁺ levels have a possible relation with CKDu and may influence the disease progression.

Association of Metabolic Syndrome and Chronic Kidney Disease in Moroccan Adult Population

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors that may promote the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this research was to determine the prevalence of MetS and its components and, to study their association with CKD among Moroccan adult population living in an agricultural province. Materials and Methods: The study involved 210 adult participants of 18 and over years, of both sexes, sampled from urban and rural areas of Sidi Bennour province in Morocco. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, weight, height, and waist circumference were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Blood total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and serum creatinine were determined. Subsequent glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated by the modification of diet in renal disease formula and the CKD was defined by an estimated GFR (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m². The diagnosis of MetS was based on the National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP ATP III) report. Results: The mean age of the participants was 54.18 ± 13.45 years, the prevalence of MetS and CKD were 38% and 4.4%, respectively. Abdominal obesity was the strongest risk factor of MetS among the studied population (71%), followed by increased fasting plasma glucose (40.5%), high blood pressure (35.2%), hypercholesterolemia (31.0%), and hypertriglyceridemia (23.8%). The prevalence of these comorbid factors increased with age (P = 0.000), BMI (P = 0.000), and decreased with education level (P = 0.012). The presence of MetS was significantly associated with decreased eGFR (P = 0.022), hence the prevalence of CKD was markedly greater in subjects with MetS than those without. Conclusions: Our finding indicates that MetS is a serious public health problem in the study population and that its individual components are involved in decreasing the eGFR and the progression of renal dysfunction. The study results support the need of the development of a strategy to control and prevent worsening of the MetS individual components and development of CKD.

Effect of Erythropoietin on Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Its Molecular Regulatory Mechanism

To investigate its effect and molecular regulatory mechanism on vascular calcification, EPO was added to vascular smooth muscle cells cultured in vitro and injected intraperitoneally into SD rats. The effect of EPO on VSMC calcification was determined by alizarin red staining and ALP activity. Differentially expressed genes were screened by transcriptome sequencing and the relationship and function were verified. We found EPO promotes VSMC calcification in vitro and blood calcification in vivo in a dose-dependent manner. A total of 88 upregulated genes and 59 downregulated genes were detected in transcriptome sequencing, among which the expression of genes associated with bone formation exhibited a marked increase, namely the GATA6 transcription factor, BMP2, RUNX2, OPN, and OCN. Dual luciferase assay has indicated that the binding of GATA6 to BMP2 promoter facilitates the transcription of BMP2. Taken together, findings indicate that EPO can enhance the calcification of VSMCs by activating the GATA6/BMP2 signal axis.