Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibition in primary and secondary glomerulonephritis

BACKGROUND

The role of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) in the management glomerular/systemic autoimmune diseases with proteinuria in real-world clinical settings is unclear.

METHODS

This is a retrospective, observational, international cohort study. Adult patients with biopsy-proven glomerular diseases were included. The main outcome was the percentage reduction in 24-h proteinuria from SGLT2i initiation to 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Secondary outcomes included percentage change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), proteinuria reduction by type of disease and reduction of proteinuria ≥30% from SGLT2i initiation.

RESULTS

Four-hundred and ninety-three patients with a median age of 55 years and background therapy with renin-angiotensin system blockers were included. Proteinuria from baseline changed by -35%, -41%, -45% and -48% at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after SGLT2i initiation, while eGFR changed by -6%, -3%, -8% and -10.5% at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months, respectively. Results were similar irrespective of the underlying disease. A correlation was found between body mass index (BMI) and percentage proteinuria reduction at last follow-up. By mixed-effects logistic regression model, serum albumin at SGLT2i initiation emerged as a predictor of ≥30% proteinuria reduction (odds ratio for albumin <3.5 g/dL, 0.53; 95% CI 0.30-0.91; P = .02). A slower eGFR decline was observed in patients achieving a ≥30% proteinuria reduction: -3.7 versus -5.3 mL/min/1.73 m2/year (P = .001). The overall tolerance to SGLT2i was good.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of SGLT2i was associated with a significant reduction of proteinuria. This percentage change is greater in patients with higher BMI. Higher serum albumin at SGLT2i onset is associated with higher probability of achieving a ≥30% proteinuria reduction.

Clinical Profiles and Patterns of Kidney Disease Progression in C3 Glomerulopathy

Key Points

Kidney survival in C3 glomerulopathy is significantly higher in patients with a disease chronicity score <4 and proteinuria <3.5 g/d, regardless of baseline eGFR. A faster eGFR decline in C3 glomerulopathy is associated with higher probability of kidney failure. Patients with glomerulopathy with a progressive reduction in proteinuria over time did not reach kidney failure.

Background

C3 glomerulopathy is a rare kidney disease, which makes it difficult to collect large cohorts of patients to better understand its variability. The aims of this study were to describe the clinical profiles and patterns of progression of kidney disease.

Methods

This was a retrospective, observational cohort study. Patients diagnosed with C3 glomerulopathy between 1995 and 2020 were enrolled. Study population was divided into clinical profiles by combining the following predictors: eGFR under/above 30 ml/min per 1.73 m2, proteinuria under/above 3.5 g/d, and histologic chronicity score under/above 4. The change in eGFR and proteinuria over time was evaluated in a subgroup with consecutive measurements of eGFR and proteinuria.

Results

One hundred and fifteen patients with a median age of 30 years (interquartile range 19–50) were included. Patients were divided into eight clinical profiles. Kidney survival was significantly higher in patients with a chronicity score <4 and proteinuria <3.5 g/d, both in those presenting with an eGFR under/above 30 ml/min per 1.73 m2. The median eGFR slope of patients who reached kidney failure was −6.5 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year (interquartile range −1.6 to −17). Patients who showed a reduction in proteinuria over time did not reach kidney failure. On the basis of the rate of eGFR decline, patients were classified as faster eGFR decline (≥5 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year), slower (<5 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year), and those without decline. A faster eGFR decline was associated with higher probability of kidney failure.

Conclusions

Kidney survival is significantly higher in patients with a chronicity score <4 and proteinuria <3.5 g/d regardless of baseline eGFR, and a faster rate of decline in eGFR is associated with higher probability of kidney failure.

POS0119 RENAL INVOLVEMENT AND NEED OF RENAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY IN ANCA ASSOCIATED VASCULITIS IN A SPANISH SINGLE-CENTER STUDY

Background:

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAV) include granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EPGA). Renal involvement is frequent in AAV and is an important factor for morbidity and mortality.

Objectives:

The main objective of this study was to analyze the demographic, clinical, histological and therapeutic characteristics of renal involvement in patients with AAV and the risk of renal replacement therapy (RRT) or death.

Methods:

Retrospective observational study of 56 patients with AAV fulfilling classificatory criteria and renal involvement diagnosed between 1995 and 2020 from a Spanish tertiary centre. We studied the histological involvement (according to the 2010 classification in focal, crescentic, mixed or sclerotic), immunofluorescence (IF) and the treatment received with the risk of RRT or death.

Results:

We included 56 patients diagnosed with AAV and renal involvement. The mean age was 61.08±4.05 years; 58.9% were women. The mean follow-up time of these patients was 16.14± 8.80 years. Only 57.1% of patients presented systemic involvement.

Most frequent non-renal AAV manifestations were lung involvement (39.3%), central nervous system (30.4%), otorhinolaryngology (ORL) (14.3%), skin (8.9%) and cardiac involvement (8.9%). Main immunological findings were ANCA-MPO+ (69.6%), ANCA-PR3+ (23.2%), ANCA-negative (5.4%). Low C3 was found in 19.6% patients. Histologic classification (HC) and need of RRT is described in table 1. Main HC in renal AAV was crescentic, mixed, focal and sclerotic respectively. Eight patients had not biopsy performed. IF was positive for C3 deposits in 20 patients (35.7%). Half of the patients presented <50% normal glomeruli.

The treatment of renal involvement in AAV in our cohort was as follows: 83.9% (47) corticosteroids (CS) and cyclophosphamide (of which 40 received intravenous and 7 oral cyclophosphamide; and 12 patients associated plasma exchange (PE) with this treatment), 5.36% CS alone, 2 patients received CS and mycophenolate; 1 CS and rituximab, 1 CS and PE, and 2 patients received no treatment. A total of 13 patients received PE and 18 RRT. The mean time to RRT was 65.44±32.72 months. Relapses were not uncommon, 33.93% of the patients presented ≥1 relapse and 10.71% presented ≥2.

Infections were very frequent since they were present in 91.07% of the patients. Other frequent non-immunological complications observed in the follow-up of these patients were thrombosis in 31.14%, cardiovascular events in 28.57% and cancer in 19.64%.

Patients with ANCA-PR3+ were younger at diagnosis (p<0.001), were more likely to present cardiac (p=0.045) and ORL involvement (p<0.001). However, neither ANCA-PR3+ nor ANCA-MPO+ were specifically associated with the need of RRT or higher risk of death in our cohort. Use of CS alone for the treatment of renal AAV was associated with higher mortality (p=0.006) but CS and cyclophosphamide with lower mortality (p=0.044). ANCA-negative patients were more likely to receive no treatment. Having <50% normal glomeruli and C3 deposits on IF were associated with an increased need for RRT. Presenting focal disease on HC was protective for the need of RRT. Older age at diagnosis, systemic involvement of AAV and need of RRT was associated with higher mortality.

Conclusion:

AAVs are complex vasculitides with frequent renal involvement. Increased C3 deposition, non-focal histological forms, and <50% normal glomeruli were related to the need for RRT. In turn, the need for RRT, a later age at diagnosis, and systemic involvement were associated with higher mortality. Holistic and multidisciplinary early management of AAVs in experience centers can help improve renal prognosis and decrease mortality.

References:

[1]Binda et al. ANCA-associated vasculitis with renal involvement. J Nephrol. 2018 Apr;31(2):197-208.

[2]Kronbichler et al. Clinical associations of renal involvement in ANCA-associated vasculitis. Autoimmun Rev. 2020 Apr;19(4):102495.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

COVID-19 incidence and outcomes in a home dialysis unit in Madrid (Spain) at the height of the pandemic

INTRODUCTION

The 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) is a viral infection caused by a new coronavirus that is affecting the entire world. There have been studies of patients on in-center hemodialysis (HD), but home dialysis population data are scarce. Our objective is to study the incidence and course of COVID-19 in a home dialysis unit (HDU) at the height of the pandemic.

METHODS

an observational, retrospective study enrolling all patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from the HDU of Hospital Universitario La Paz [La Paz University Hospital] (Madrid, Spain) between March 10 and May 15, 2020. We collected clinical data from the HDU (57 patients on peritoneal dialysis [PD] and 22 patients on home hemodialysis [HHD]) and compared the clinical characteristics and course of patients with and without COVID-19 infection.

RESULTS

twelve patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 (9 PD; 3 HHD). There were no statistically significant differences in terms of clinical characteristics between patients with COVID-19 and the rest of the unit. The mean age was 62 ± 18.5 years; most were men (75%). All patients but one required hospitalization. Ten patients (83%) were discharged following a mean of 16.4 ± 9.7 days of hospitalization. Two patients were diagnosed while hospitalised for other conditions, and these were the only patients who died. Those who died were older than those who survived.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of COVID-19 in our HDU in Madrid at the height of the pandemic was high, especially in patients on PD. No potential benefit for preventing the infection in patients on home dialysis was observed. Advanced age and nosocomial transmission were the main factors linked to a worse prognosis.

The STARMEN trial indicates that alternating treatment with corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide is superior to sequential treatment with tacrolimus and rituximab in primary membranous nephropathy

A cyclical corticosteroid-cyclophosphamide regimen is recommended for patients with primary membranous nephropathy at high risk of progression. We hypothesized that sequential therapy with tacrolimus and rituximab is superior to cyclical alternating treatment with corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide in inducing persistent remission in these patients. This was tested in a randomized, open-label controlled trial of 86 patients with primary membranous nephropathy and persistent nephrotic syndrome after six-months observation and assigned 43 each to receive six-month cyclical treatment with corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide or sequential treatment with tacrolimus (full-dose for six months and tapering for another three months) and rituximab (one gram at month six). The primary outcome was complete or partial remission of nephrotic syndrome at 24 months. This composite outcome occurred in 36 patients (83.7%) in the corticosteroid-cyclophosphamide group and in 25 patients (58.1%) in the tacrolimus-rituximab group (relative risk 1.44; 95% confidence interval 1.08 to 1.92). Complete remission at 24 months occurred in 26 patients (60%) in the corticosteroid-cyclophosphamide group and in 11 patients (26%) in the tacrolimus-rituximab group (2.36; 1.34 to 4.16). Anti-PLA2R titers showed a significant decrease in both groups but the proportion of anti-PLA2R-positive patients who achieved immunological response (depletion of anti-PLA2R antibodies) was significantly higher at three and six months in the corticosteroid-cyclophosphamide group (77% and 92%, respectively), as compared to the tacrolimus-rituximab group (45% and 70%, respectively). Relapses occurred in one patient in the corticosteroid-cyclophosphamide group, and three patients in the tacrolimus-rituximab group. Serious adverse events were similar in both groups. Thus, treatment with corticosteroid-cyclophosphamide induced remission in a significantly greater number of patients with primary membranous nephropathy than tacrolimus-rituximab.

[COVID-19 incidence and outcomes in a home dialysis unit in Madrid (Spain) at the height of the pandemic]

Introducción

La enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) es una infección viral causada por un nuevo coronavirus que está afectando a todo el mundo. Hay estudios previos de pacientes en hemodiálisis en centro, pero hay pocos datos sobre población en diálisis domiciliaria. Nuestro objetivo es estudiar la incidencia y evolución de la COVID-19 en una unidad de diálisis domiciliaria (UDD) durante el pico de la pandemia.

Métodos

Estudio observacional y retrospectivo que incluye todos los pacientes diagnosticados de COVID-19 de la UDD del Hospital Universitario La Paz (Madrid, España) entre el 10 de marzo y el 15 de mayo de 2020. Se recogieron los datos clínicos de la UDD (57 pacientes en diálisis peritoneal y 22 pacientes en hemodiálisis domiciliaria) y comparamos las características clínicas y la evolución de los pacientes con o sin infección por COVID-19.

Resultados

Doce pacientes fueron diagnosticados de COVID-19 (9 diálisis peritoneal, 3 hemodiálisis domiciliaria). No hubo diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre las características clínicas de los pacientes con COVID-19 y el resto de la unidad. La edad media fue 62 ± 18,5 años; la mayoría eran varones (75%). Todos los pacientes menos uno necesitaron hospitalización. Diez pacientes (83%) fueron dados de alta tras una media de 16,4 ± 9,7 días de hospitalización. Dos pacientes fueron diagnosticados durante su hospitalización por otro motivo y fueron los únicos que fallecieron. Los fallecidos eran de mayor edad que los supervivientes.

Conclusión

La incidencia de COVID-19 en nuestra UDD en Madrid durante el pico de la pandemia fue alto, especialmente en los pacientes en diálisis peritoneal, sin observarse un potencial beneficio para prevenir la infección en los pacientes en diálisis domiciliaria. La edad avanzada y la transmisión nosocomial fueron los principales factores relacionados con peor pronóstico.

P0461BASELINE SERUM C3 LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH ANCA ASSOCIATED VASCULITIS AND ITS CLINICAL IMPLICATION

Background and Aims

The evolution of renal disease and its global impairment in patients diagnosed with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) has been related to baseline C3 serum levels in several studies.

The objective of this study is to evaluate in patients diagnosed with AAV and renal impairment the association between baseline serum C3 levels and the clinical outcomes.

Method

Our cohort included 56 patients diagnosed with AAV diagnosed from January 1986 to January 2018 in Hospital La Paz. According to C3 serum level measurements, patients were divided into low and normal concentration groups at onset. Histological, clinical and laboratory data were compared between groups.

Results

Among the 56 AAV cases, 58.9% were women and 96.5% Caucasian with an age mean and SD of 61.08 ± 15.11 years. Mean follow-up was 10.03 ± 7.02 years. MPO ANCAs were found in 69.8% of the patients and PR3 ANCAs in 22.64%. AAV diagnosis was earlier in PR3 AVV (47.59 ± 13.62 years) compared to MPO AVV (65.66 ± 11.53 years) (p=0.001). At diagnosis, baseline serum C3 was measured in 53 patients (94.6%) being lower in MPO AAV (112.79 ± 33.98) vs PR3 AAV (132.41 ± 20.69) (p=0.023). Low C3 was way more frequent in patients with higher percentage of glomeruli showing &gt;50% of sclerosis (100% vs 32.5%) (p=0.007). Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriers were more frequent in patients with low C3 (27.2% vs 3.1%, p=0.045). 15 patients (27.77%) died during follow-up and patient survival median was 21.75 years (IC 95%: 15.41-28.08). 17 patients (31.48%) reached end-stage renal disease (ESRD) during follow-up and renal survival median was 20.1 years (IC 95%: 19.27-21.05).

There were no statistical differences in the levels of baseline serum C3 according to sex, relapses, extrarenal manifestations, treatment, malignancy, cardiovascular events and time to ESRD or death.

Conclusion

Baseline serum C3 was lower in MPO AV, in Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriers and higher severity histological damage (glomerular sclerosis &gt;50%). Despite previous evidence, in our cohort, time to ESRD and time to death seemed not to be affected.

The Natural History of Kidney Graft Cortical Microcirculation Determined by Real-Time Contrast-Enhanced Sonography (RT-CES)

Background

Kidney transplantation is the therapy of choice for end-stage kidney disease. Graft’s life span is shorter than expected due in part to the delayed diagnosis of various complications, specifically those related to silent progression. It is recognized that serum creatinine levels and proteinuria are poor markers of mild kidney lesions, which results in delayed clinical information. There are many investigation looking for early markers of graft damage. Decreasing kidney graft cortical microcirculation has been related to poor prognosis in kidney transplantation. Cortical capillary blood flow (CCBF) can be measured by real-time contrast-enhanced sonography (RT-CES). Our aim was to describe the natural history of CCBF over time under diverse conditions of kidney transplantation, to explore the influence of donor conditions and recipient events, and to determine the capacity of CCBF for predicting renal function in medium term.

Patients and Methods

RT-CES was performed in 79 consecutive kidney transplant recipients during the first year under regular clinical practice. Cortical capillary blood flow was measured. Clinical variables were analyzed. The influence of CCBF has been determined by univariate and multivariate analysis using mixed regression models based on sequential measurements for each patient over time. We used a first-order autoregression model as the structure of the covariation between measures. The post-hoc comparisons were considered using the Bonferroni correction.

Results

The CCBF values varied significantly over the study periods and were significantly lower at 48 h and day 7. Brain-death donor age and CCBF levels showed an inverse relationship (r: -0.62, p<0.001). Living donors showed higher mean CCBF levels than brain-death donors at each point in the study. These significant differences persisted at month 12 (54.5 ± 28.2 vs 33.7 ± 30 dB/sec, living vs brain-death donor, respectively, p = 0.004) despite similar serum creatinine levels (1.5 ± 0.3 and 1.5 ± 0.5 mg/dL). A sole rejection episode was associated with lower overall CCBF values over the first year. CCBF defined better than level of serum creatinine the graft function status at medium-term.

Conclusion

RT-CES is a non-invasive tool that can quantify and iteratively estimate cortical microcirculation. We have described the natural history of cortical capillary blood flow under regular clinical conditions.

Profilin as a severe food allergen in allergic patients overexposed to grass pollen

BACKGROUND

Profilins are ubiquitous proteins that act as panallergens in sensitized patients, considered to be mild or incomplete food allergens. The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of profilins as severe food allergens in allergic patients overexposed to grass who were referred for severe food reactions and were sensitized to profilins.

METHODS

After a careful in vitro screening, 26 patients were included, classified into two groups, mild (17) and severe reactors (9), based on clinical history and subsequently provoked orally with purified profilin in a double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge setup.

RESULTS

A significant number of patients presented severe positive food challenge test reactions at low doses of the allergen profilin. Patients prone to suffer from severe reactions had lower IgG4/IgE ratio to major grass allergens than those who did not.

CONCLUSION

Profilins are complete food allergens in food-allergic patient populations that are exposed to high levels of grass pollen. This type of patient constitutes an optimal model to understand the link between respiratory and food allergies. The nature of the observed reactions and the low level of allergen eliciting the reactions suggest that intake through the oral mucosa might constitute a relevant route of exposure to food allergens.

Use of multiplex PCR in diagnosis of bloodstream infections in kidney patients

The LightCycler® SeptiFast Test (Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany) was prospectively compared with the standard blood culture technique in a series of 86 kidney patients. The sensitivity of the PCR compared with the culture was 71%, and the specificity was 88%. All the species identified by culture in these patients were in the SeptiFast panel. The median time to results was 1 day for the PCR, 3 days for positive cultures, and 5 days for negative cultures.

Pretransplant peritoneal dialysis relative to hemodialysis improves long-term survival of kidney transplant patients: a single-center observational study

BACKGROUND

Kidney transplantation is the best option for the treatment of end-stage renal disease in terms of survival and quality of life. These results can be influenced by the pretransplant dialysis modality. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the pretransplantation dialysis modality influences patient and allograft survival beyond 10 years and examine the potential risk factors associated with the outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted an observational, retrospective, single-center clinical study that included 236 patients [118 undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) and 118 undergoing hemodialysis (HD)] who proceeded to transplantation during the period December 1990-2002. Donor and recipient data were collected from our hospital's clinical registries. The follow-up period extended to the patient's death, the loss of the allograft, or loss to follow-up. The end date of the study was set at March 2012.

RESULTS

In the multivariate analysis, the long-term patient survival rate was higher for the PD group than for the HD group [HR = 2.62 (1.01-6.8); p = 0.04]; however, the allograft survival rate was not significantly different between the two groups [HR = 0.68 (0.41-1.10); p = 0.12].

CONCLUSION

Pretransplantation dialysis modality is associated with long-term patient survival, with outcomes favoring peritoneal dialysis over hemodialysis. However, the pretransplant dialysis modality does not influence long-term graft loss risk.

Reconstructive management of advanced breast cancer

To evaluate morbidity, quality of life, and oncological outcomes of patients with advanced breast cancer, recurrence, or sequelae secondary to radiotherapy, the authors present their experience with 21 patients at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in Mexico City, who underwent resection of the lesion and reconstruction using thoracoepigastric fasciocutaneous, rectus abdominis, or latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flaps. Complications included partial flap necrosis and bronchopleural fistulae in 2 of 7 patients with whole-thickness chest wall resection. The remaining patients progressed nicely, with a short recovery period. The patients and the surgical team evaluated results in terms of aesthetics and function using questionnaires. The results were from fair to good according to Sneeuw's scale. Pedicled musculocutaneous and fasciocutaneous flaps are an excellent reconstructive option in patients with advanced, recurrent breast cancer and in those with radionecrotic complications, which sometimes require resection of the whole-thickness chest wall.

Oromandibular reconstruction for oncological purposes

The authors compared different vascularized bone grafts in 15 patients with different oncological diagnoses that were treated with hemimandibulectomy in 9 patients, total mandibulectomy in 1 patient, resection of the mandible involving the anterior arch and the symphysis in 3 patients, 1 patient who underwent a segmental mandibular resection, and 1 patient in whom the entire hemimandible was reconstructed because of mandibular hypoplasia diagnosed during the resection of a parotid neoplasm. The flaps used included fibular free flaps in 11 patients, iliac crest in 3 patients, and a radial forearm osteocutaneous flap in 1 patient. Two patients had major complications and 1 patient experienced recurrence of the primary tumor. The fibular free flap was the preferred method in this series due to the size of the defect, which in most patients did not require extensive soft-tissue reconstruction, and due to the nature of the bone defect involving the symphysis and condyle in 9 patients. The different vascularized bone grafts provided adequate osseous and soft tissue for oromandibular reconstruction.

Purification of the lipophosphoglycan from two Leishmania mexicana strains by lectin affinity chromatography

Two lipophosphoglycans (LPG) from two Leishmania mexicana (Soberano and Yucatan) strains, isolated in Mexico, were purified by affinity chromatography with the Con A lectin. The LPG from each strain, with a 10 kDa molecular weight, possesses two fractions: one with high mannose concentrations and the other with a more heterogeneous saccharidic composition; the mannose-rich fraction and the heterogeneous fraction from the Yucatan strain show a single band of identity with rabbit IgG against promastigotes from L. mexicana Yucatan. Antigen recognition was abolished by treating the high mannose LPGs with alpha-mannosidase. The presence of non reductor alpha-mannose sequences, as determinant epitopes in L. mexicana Soberano and Yucatan strains, was determined by mass spectrometry analysis and enzymatic cleavage.