The pattern of cytomegalovirus replication in post-renal transplant recipients with pre-emptive therapy strategy during the 1st year of post-transplantation

Objectives

The prevalence and reactivating pattern of cytomegalovirus (CMV) among renal transplant recipients in Sri Lanka is scarce. The study was aimed to describe the replication patterns of CMV in post-renal transplant recipients who were on pre-emptive therapy and identify the risk factors and time period for CMV reactivating during the 1st year of transplantation and provide an insight into the selection of pre-emptive therapy in the local setting.

Methods

A retrospective and cohort study was conducted, enrolling renal transplant recipients who have completed routine 1-year follow-up for pre-emptive management at the National Hospital, Kandy, from January 2016 to January 2021. CMV quantitative polymerase chain reaction results and demographic data of enrolled recipients were analyzed to investigate the CMV replication pattern and risk factors. Categorical data were analyzed using Pearson's Chi-square test, considering P < 0.05 statistically significant. Continuous variables were presented as percentages.

Results

Two hundred and fifty-one renal transplant recipients' data were included in the study. Of them, 75.70% were male patients, and the mean age of the study population was 43.25 years. CMV DNAemia incidence was 56.57% during the 1st year of post-renal transplantation. Only 9.16% had developed more than 104 IU/mL or significant DNAemia. Sex and donor type were not risk factors for CMV reactivation. However, the recipient's age was significantly associated with CMV viraemia among renal transplant recipients.

Conclusion

Considering the low incidence of significant viraemia among the study population, pre-emptive treatment would be the cost-effective strategy for management of the post-renal transplant recipients in local settings.

Leptospirosis: A Potential Culprit for Chronic Kidney Disease of Uncertain Etiology

PURPOSE

Chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) is an environmental nephropathy in which the etiological factors are yet uncertain. Leptospirosis, a spirochetal infection that is common among agricultural communities, has been identified as a potential etiology for CKDu beyond environmental nephropathy. Although CKDu is a chronic kidney disease, in endemic regions, an increasing number of cases are reported with features suggestive of acute interstitial nephritis without any known reason (AINu), with or without background CKD. The study hypothesizes that exposure to pathogenic leptospires is one of the causative factors for the occurrence of AINu.

METHOD

This study was carried out using 59 clinically diagnosed AINu patients, 72 healthy controls from CKDu endemic region (endemic controls [ECs]), and 71 healthy controls from CKDu non-endemic region (non-endemic controls [NECs]).

RESULTS

The seroprevalence of 18.6, 6.9, and 7.0% was observed in the AIN (or AINu), EC, and NEC groups, respectively, from the rapid IgM test. Among 19 serovars tested, the highest seroprevalence was observed at 72.9, 38.9, and 21.1% in the AIN (AINu), EC, and NEC groups, respectively, by microscopic agglutination test (MAT), particularly for serovar Leptospira santarosai serovar Shermani. This emphasizes the presence of infection in AINu patients, and this also suggests that Leptospira exposure might play an important role in AINu.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that exposure to Leptospira infection could be one of the possible causative factors for the occurrence of AINu, which may lead to CKDu in Sri Lanka.

Pilot Study of Renal Urinary Biomarkers for Diagnosis of CKD of Uncertain Etiology

Introduction

Chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu), an emerging chronic kidney disease (CKD) subtype, contributes to significant morbidity and mortality in certain tropical countries. Although several indicators of CKDu have been previously suggested, sensitive and specific tests to detect early disease or predict disease progression are currently unavailable. This study focused on evaluating 8 renal urinary markers, namely neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM1), cystatin C (CST3), beta 2 microglobulin (B2M), osteopontin (OPN), alpha 1 microglobulin (A1M), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1), and retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4), with the hypothesis that these have distinct expression patterns in patients with CKDu.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 5 study groups comprising subjects from CKDu, endemic CKD, nonendemic CKD, and endemic healthy and nonendemic healthy controls. The urinary levels of the 8 selected renal biomarkers were quantified using multiplex biomarker assay, and the data were subjected to systematic analysis using logistic regression algorithm aiming to extract the best marker combination that could distinctly identify the disease groups noninvasively from the healthy controls.

Results

A 3-marker signature panel comprising A1M, KIM1, and RBP4 was identified to represent the best minimum marker combination for differentiating all CKD categories, including CKDu, from healthy controls with an overall sensitivity of ≥0.867 and specificity ≥0.765. The marker combination comprising OPN, KIM1, and RBP4 showed high predictive performance for distinguishing patients with CKDu from patients with CKD with both sensitivity and specificity ≥0.93, which was superior to any existing noninvasive indicator.

Conclusion

In all, our systematic evaluation of urinary markers previously linked to CKD, in general, allowed identification of exclusive marker panel combination for early diagnosis and confirmation of CKDu.

Expanding CAPD in Low-Resource Settings: A Distance Learning Approach

BACKGROUND

Despite growing need, treatment for end-stage renal disease is limited in low- and middle-income countries due to resource restraints. We describe the development of an educational curriculum and quality improvement program to support continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) performed primarily by non-nephrology providers in Sri Lanka.

METHODS

We developed a program of education, outcome tracking, and expert consultation to support providers in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Education included videos and in-person didactics covering core topics in CAPD. Event-tracking sheets recorded root causes and management of infections and hospitalizations. Conferences reviewed clinical cases and overall clinic management. We evaluated the patient census, peritonitis rates, and root causes and management of infections over 1 year.

RESULTS

The curriculum was published through the International Society of Nephrology online academy. High provider turnover limited curriculum assessments. The CAPD patient census rose from 63 to 116 during the year. The peritonitis rate declined significantly, from 0.8 episodes per patient-year in the first 6 months to 0.4 in the latter 6 months, though the most common root causes of peritonitis, related to contamination events and hygiene, persisted. The appropriate ascertainment of culture data and prescription of antibiotics also increased.

CONCLUSIONS

Our project supported the expansion of a CAPD program in a resource-limited setting, while also improving peritonitis outcomes. Ongoing challenges include ensuring a durable educational system for rotating providers, tracking outcomes beyond peritonitis, and formalizing management protocols. Our program can serve as an example of how established dialysis programs can support the burgeoning work of providers in resource-limited setting.

Clinicopathological findings, treatment response and predictors of long-term outcome in a cohort of lupus nephritis patients managed according to the Euro-lupus regime: a retrospective analysis in Sri Lanka

Background

Despite the improvement in survival of patients with lupus nephritis (LN) globally, there is sparse data from Sri Lanka (SL). The current study aims to describe the clinicopathological findings, treatment response and predictors of long-term outcome of patients with WHO class III–IV LN in SL, managed according to the Euro-lupus regime.

Results

Of 72 patients, 64 were females. In half of them, LN was diagnosed within the 1st year of the illness. The most common presenting feature was sub-nephrotic proteinuria. Sixteen and twenty patients had nephrotic syndrome and abnormal renal function respectively at the time of diagnosis. Fifty-four patients (75%) responded to the Euro-lupus regimen [CR, 20 (28%); PR, 34(47%)]. Later at 6 months, 65 patients (90%) achieved remission [CR, 31(43%); PR, 34 (47%)]. Seven patients experienced treatment failure. During the total duration of follow up, 54 patients remained in complete or partial remission, 26 developed renal relapses, and 19 suffered severe infective episodes. Renal relapses were more common in people who achieved partial remission than complete remission. The long term renal outcome was not associated with age, sex, severity of proteinuria, class of LN or initial renal function. Patients who achieved remission at 6 months had a good long-term outcome.

Conclusions

The demographic and clinical features of WHO class III and IV LN in Sri Lankan patients were similar to that reported in the global literature. 75% of patients responded to the Euro-lupus regimen. Therefore, this regime is a suitable initial regimen for LN patients in SL. Good long-term renal outcome can be predicted by early response to therapy. Further studies are necessary to explore better treatment options for patients who fail to achieve remission during initial therapy.

Long term outcome of acute kidney injury due to leptospirosis? A longitudinal study in Sri Lanka

BACKGROUND

Leptospirosis is an important zoonotic disease of variable severity and is a common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) in tropics. However the knowledge on long term renal outcome in leptospirosis is scarce. This study aims to assess the long-term renal outcome of AKI caused by leptospirosis.

FINDINGS

Hospital records of patients who had developed AKI following leptospirosis (Serologically confirmed) presented to two Teaching Hospitals in Kandy district over 3 years from 2007 were studied. A total of 44 patients were included and they had been followed up at least for one year in out patient clinics with regular assessment including renal status. Renal histology was studied in two patients. The primary outcome measure was normalization of renal function at one year. Of the 44 patients, 31 were in the risk and injury stage (Group 1), and the rest of them were in the failure stage (Group 2) under RIFLE criteria. Of group 2 patients, 11 had abnormal renal functions on discharge. Their mean serum creatinine and GFR values on discharge were 392 mmol/l and 20 ml/min/1.73 m2. Other two patients had full renal recovery whilst in the hospital. Nine in the group 2 required renal replacement therapy by means of peritoneal dialysis, intermittent haemodialysis or haemofiltration. Seventeen out of the total had persistently abnormal renal functions on discharge. Of them 13 recovered their renal functions to normal. Four patients (9%) who belonged to group 2, had persistently abnormal renal functions after first year compatible with stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Renal histology of two patients showed tubulointerstitial lymphocyte infiltrate, tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis.

CONCLUSION

The long term renal outcome of AKI following leptospirosis is satisfactory as only 9% of patients had abnormal renal functions compatible with early stage of CKD. Even among them, advanced CKD or dialysis dependency had not been observed.

Thrombotic microangiopathy and acute kidney injury in hump-nosed viper (Hypnale species) envenoming: a descriptive study in Sri Lanka

Hump-nosed viper (Hypnale species) bites are common in Sri Lanka and a proportion of these bites lead to coagulation abnormalities and acute kidney injury (AKI). We observed thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) among some of these patients, but its contribution to severity of AKI and other morbidities remains unknown. Thus, we report a case series of TMA following hump-nosed viper bite addressing the complications and renal out comes in Sri Lanka. This was a prospective observational study carried out at the nephrology unit, Kandy in Sri Lanka from October 2010 to October 2011 and included 11 patients with AKI following hump-nosed viper bites. All eleven cases needed renal replacement therapy (RRT) with intermittent haemodialysis for a period of 1-5 weeks. Of them, 7 patients developed TMA with evidence of microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia (MAHA), thrombocytopenia and severe anaemia needing multiple blood transfusions. They needed longer duration of RRT (range 2-5 weeks); 2 patients developed chronic kidney disease and two died during acute stage. Autopsy study found thrombosis of micro-vessels. Thrombotic microangiopathy could be a causative pathology of AKI in hump-nosed viper bite carrying poor outcome.