HostSeq: a Canadian whole genome sequencing and clinical data resource

HostSeq was launched in April 2020 as a national initiative to integrate whole genome sequencing data from 10,000 Canadians infected with SARS-CoV-2 with clinical information related to their disease experience. The mandate of HostSeq is to support the Canadian and international research communities in their efforts to understand the risk factors for disease and associated health outcomes and support the development of interventions such as vaccines and therapeutics. HostSeq is a collaboration among 13 independent epidemiological studies of SARS-CoV-2 across five provinces in Canada. Aggregated data collected by HostSeq are made available to the public through two data portals: a phenotype portal showing summaries of major variables and their distributions, and a variant search portal enabling queries in a genomic region. Individual-level data is available to the global research community for health research through a Data Access Agreement and Data Access Compliance Office approval. Here we provide an overview of the collective project design along with summary level information for HostSeq. We highlight several statistical considerations for researchers using the HostSeq platform regarding data aggregation, sampling mechanism, covariate adjustment, and X chromosome analysis. In addition to serving as a rich data source, the diversity of study designs, sample sizes, and research objectives among the participating studies provides unique opportunities for the research community.

Patterns of kidney injury in pediatric nonkidney solid organ transplant recipients

The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and its impact on chronic kidney disease (CKD) following pediatric nonkidney solid organ transplantation is unknown. We aimed to determine the incidence of AKI and CKD and examine their relationship among children who received a heart, lung, liver, or multiorgan transplant at the Hospital for Sick Children between 2002 and 2011. AKI was assessed in the first year posttransplant. Among 303 children, perioperative AKI (within the first week) occurred in 67% of children, and AKI after the first week occurred in 36%, with the highest incidence among lung and multiorgan recipients. Twenty-three children (8%) developed CKD after a median follow-up of 3.4 years. Less than 5 children developed end-stage renal disease, all within 65 days posttransplant. Those with 1 AKI episode by 3 months posttransplant had significantly greater risk for developing CKD after adjusting for age, sex, and estimated glomerular filtration rate at transplant (hazard ratio: 2.77, 95% confidence interval, 1.13-6.80, P trend = .008). AKI is common in the first year posttransplant and associated with significantly greater risk of developing CKD. Close monitoring for kidney disease may allow for earlier implementation of kidney-sparing strategies to decrease risk for progression to CKD.

Subclinical rejection in stable positive crossmatch kidney transplant patients: incidence and correlations

We reviewed 116 surveillance biopsies obtained approximately 1, 3, 6 and 12 months posttransplantation from 50 +XM live donor kidney transplant recipients to determine the frequency of subclinical cell-mediated rejection (CMR) and antibody-mediated rejection (AMR). Subclinical CMR was present in 39.7% of the biopsies at 1 month and >20% at all other time points. The presence of diffuse C4d on biopsies obtained at each time interval ranged from 20 to 30%. In every case, where histological and immunohistological findings were diagnostic for AMR, donor-specific antibody was found in the blood, challenging the long-held belief that low-level antibody could evade detection due to absorption on the graft. Among clinical factors, only recipient age was associated with subclinical CMR. Clinical factors associated with subclinical AMR were recipient age, positive cytotoxic crossmatch prior to desensitization and two mismatches of HLA DR 51, 52 and 53 alleles. Surveillance biopsies during the first year post-transplantation for these high-risk patients uncover clinically occult processes and phenotypes, which without intervention diminish allograft survival and function.

Cardiovascular mortality in children and young adults with end-stage kidney disease

OBJECTIVE

To analyze cardiovascular death in a national end-stage renal disease (ESRD) population.

STUDY DESIGN

This retrospective, observational study with data from the US Renal Data Systems analyzed 1380 deaths from 1990 to 1996 among patients who started ESRD therapy as children and died before 30 years of age.

RESULTS

Percentage of cardiac deaths (n = 311) varied by age and was higher among black patients (0-4 years, 36%; 5-9 years, 18%; 10-14 years, 35%; 15-19 years, 22%; 20-30 years, 32%) than white patients (18%, 12%, 17%, 14%, and 23%, respectively). Among black patients, cardiac deaths occurred in 11% of transplant recipients, 34% of dialysis patients, and among white patients 9% and 25%, respectively. Black patients were 1.6 times more likely to die of a cardiac death (P <.001) than white patients. Transplant recipients had 78% lower risk of cardiac death than dialysis patients (odds ratio = 0.22; P =.0001). The cardiac death rate among dialysis patients was 21.4 per 1000 patient-years in black patients compared with 20.5 in white patients. Transplantation cardiac death rates were lower in black patients, 2.1 per 1000 patient-years, and 1.3 in white patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiovascular death accounts for 23% of pediatric and young adult ESRD deaths. Black patients and dialysis patients are at higher risk of a cardiac death compared with white patients and transplant recipients. Further studies are needed to identify risk factors associated with cardiovascular death in patients with ESRD.

Alcohol: role in the development of hypertension and end-stage renal disease

Alcohol is a common risk factor in the general population for a variety of health outcomes. In the present review, we discuss the recent literature on alcohol, hypertension, and renal disease. The regular consumption of more than two drinks per day is associated with both hypertension and renal disease. The mechanisms by which consumption of alcohol leads to hypertension and perhaps renal disease are unknown.

Neoral induction in pediatric renal transplantation

Neoral was instituted in pediatric renal transplant patients with the hypothesis it would have more predictable kinetics than Sandimmun. However, significant questions have arisen concerning potential toxicity and dosing interval related to its rapid absorption with subsequent high initial peak. This is compounded by the fact that children appear to metabolize cyclosporine at a greater rate than adults. This combination of a rapid peak and rapid absorption may then result in lower trough levels at 12 h. We compared the trough cyclosporine levels of nine children who received Neoral with nine who received Sandimmun at the time of initial transplantation. More frequent dosing (every 8 h) was required in the Neoral population compared with the Sandimmun population for the 1st month in order to obtain comparable trough levels. Beyond the initial 4-6 weeks, trough levels were similar for Neoral and Sandimmun. Whereas 1-month creatinine levels and blood pressures were similar, the number of blood pressure medications was significantly higher in the Neoral group. At 5.5 +/- 1.1 months' followup, a single patient in the current Neoral group and in the retrospective Sandimmun group each experienced a single OKT3 allograft-treated rejection. We suggest that the area under the curve is different in Neoral than Sandimmun, and the initial dosing frequency may need to be adjusted accordingly.

Beneficial effect of Sandoglobulin upon allograft survival in the pediatric renal transplant recipient

The use of pooled immunoglobulin (IgG) has been shown to decrease panel reactive antibodies (PRA) in highly sensitized patients awaiting transplantation. IgG infusions have also been found effective for CMV prophylaxis. Analysis of 52 non-highly sensitized children (ages 1-18) who received kidney transplants from May 1991 through January 1995 was undertaken to determine if the immunoglobulin administered for CMV prophylaxis effected allograft survival. Comparison of the "Sando Pos" group (those who received Sandoglobulin for CMV prophylaxis) to the "Sando Neg" group demonstrates a significantly improved allograft survival at 1, 2, and 3 yr post-transplantation. Despite the Sando Pos group being younger [7.3 +/- 1.3 yr vs. 10.7 +/- 0.9 yr; (mean +/- SEM) p < 0.05] allograft survival was 95%, 95% and 88% in the Sando Pos group vs. 88%, 79% and 79% in the Sando Neg group at 1, 2 and 3 yr, respectively (p < 0.01 at all three time points). It is concluded that the potential mechanism of the immunosuppressive benefit of Sandoglobulin is speculative but presumed to be upon inhibition of anti-HLA class I antibodies. We conclude that Sandoglobulin may not only be useful for CMV prophylaxis but also as an adjunct to routine immunosuppression.

Diagnosis and management of primary hyperoxaluria type 1 in infancy

We report a case of a 6-month-old infant who presented with failure to thrive due to end-stage renal disease as a result of primary hyperoxaluria type 1. The infant was managed with a combined daily hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis prescription in order to manage the total body oxalate burden. Medical management included oral pyridoxine, aggressive hydration and nutritional supplementation via an enteral feeding tube. At one year of age the infant underwent a combined liver/kidney transplantation with intra- and daily post-operative hemodialysis to prevent oxalate deposition in the newly transplanted organs. The post-operative course was complicated by gross hematuria and increased hyperoxaluria, requiring an increase in hydration and thiazide diuretics. This infant received a combination of dialysis modalities which was designed to lower the potential oxalate burden prior to transplantation. This case illustrates the difficulty in medical management of an infant pre- and post-combined liver/kidney transplantation.

Dialysis support in the pediatric intensive care unit

Renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the pediatric intensive care unit encompasses a wide spectrum of dialysis modalities, including peritoneal dialysis, intermittent hemodialysis, and continuous hemodialysis. The choice RRT modality depends on the clinical setting, access, availability of equipment, and experience of the staff. Advances in newer access, dialysis equipment, and improved understanding of delivered dialysis have had a positive impact on survival in children with acute renal failure. Renal replacement therapy can also be used in children with specific clinical disease processes such as inborn errors of metabolism. Currently, there is no superior mode of RRT in acute renal failure. There are limited data available on the appropriate choice of modality for the specific disease state. This area requires further prospective studies to define the role of RRT in the pediatric intensive care unit.

Splice variants of type VIII adenylyl cyclase. Differences in glycosylation and regulation by Ca2+/calmodulin

Three alternatively spliced type VIII adenylyl cyclase messages have been identified by cDNA cloning and amplification from rat brain cDNA. Type VIII-A was previously referred to simply as type VIII (Cali, J. J., Zwaagstra, J. C., Mons, N., Cooper, D. M. F., and Krupinski, J. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 12190-12195). The types VIII-B and -C cDNAs differ from that of type VIII-A by deletion of 90 and 198 base pair exons, respectively, which encode a 30-amino acid extracellular domain with two consensus sites for N-linked glycosylation and a 66-amino acid cytoplasmic domain. Stable expression of types VIII-A, -B, and -C cDNAs in human embryonal kidney 293 (HEK-293) cells leads to the appearance of novel proteins, which are recognized by type VIII-specific antibodies and which co-migrate with immunoreactive species detected on immunoblots of rat brain membranes. Types VIII-A and -C are modified by N-linked glycosylation, while type VIII-B is insensitive to treatment with N-glycosidase F. An influx of extracellular Ca2+ stimulates cAMP accumulation in HEK-293 cells stably expressing type VIII-A, -B, or -C, but not in control cells. Adenylyl cyclase activity of each of the variants is stimulated by Ca2+/calmodulin and the EC50 for activation of type VIII-C is one fourth of that for either type VIII-A or -B. Type VIII-C also has a distinct Km for substrate, which is approximately 4-12-fold higher than that for types VIII-A or -B depending on whether Mn2+ or Mg2+ is the counterion for ATP. The differences in the structural and enzymatic properties of these three variants are discussed.

Meningococcal endocarditis presenting as cellulitis

We report the case of a patient with mixed connective tissue disease who presented with two very unusual manifestations of meningococcal disease, cellulitis and endocarditis, concurrently. We also review the literature concerning Neisseria meningitidis as a causative agent of cellulitis or endocarditis. While meningococcal endocarditis or cellulitis is very rare, autoimmune disease predisposes patients to meningococcal infection. Therefore, unusual infections with this organism should be considered in the differential diagnosis of fever and rash in patients with connective tissue diseases.