Acute Kidney Injury in COVID-19 Patients: Pathogenesis, Clinical Characteristics, Therapy, and Mortality

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and has represented one of the greatest challenges humanity has faced in recent years. The virus can infect a large number of organs, including the lungs and upper respiratory tract, brain, liver, kidneys, and intestines, among many others. Although the greatest damage occurs in the lungs, the kidneys are not exempt, and acute kidney injury (AKI) can occur in patients with COVID-19. Indeed, AKI is one of the most frequent and serious organic complications of COVID-19. The incidence of COVID-19 AKI varies widely, and the exact mechanisms of how the virus damages the kidney are still unknown. For this reason, the purpose of this review was to assess current findings on the pathogenesis, clinical features, therapy, and mortality of COVID-19 AKI.

What do we know about the antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2?

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread worldwide causing a pandemic with millions of infected people and deaths. Currently, the scientific community is working hard to develop a specific vaccine or treatment. However, since antibody production is an important part of the adaptive immune response, to develop vaccines and therapies, we must understand the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this work, we summarize the most important findings of antibody-mediated immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and highlight its role in the efficient use of plasma from convalescent patients and the direct application of antibodies as treatment.

Coexistence of emphysematous cystitis and bilateral emphysematous pyelonephritis: a case report and review of the literature

Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is a necrotizing infection characterized by the production of gas in the renal parenchyma, collecting system or perirenal tissue. Meanwhile, emphysematous cystitis (EC) is a clinical entity characterized by the presence of gas inside and around the bladder wall. Interestingly, although both diseases are common in patients with diabetes mellitus, these are rarely combined. We report a rare case of a 56-year-old diabetic male suffering from fever, headache and vomiting and in which a diagnosis of septic shock was established due to coexistence of EC and bilateral EPN. The emphysematous diseases improved with a conservative treatment approach using antibiotic therapy and glycemic control, we highlight that the nephrectomy was not necessary in our patient despite the fact that he presented risk factors that predict the failure of conservative treatment.

Impact of caregiver’s burden of peritoneal dialysis patients

BACKGROUND

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) requires the support of a main caregiver, who can be subjected to an intense workload, and is susceptible to physical, psychological and social alterations.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of burden in primary informal caregivers of PD patients, the associated factors and their impact on patients at 12 months.

MATERIAL AND MEHOTDS

180 caregivers were included, with an average age of 42.8 ± 13.9 years, 73.3% were women. The Zarit survey was applied to assess the degree of caregiver overload.

RESULTS

We identified that the majority of caregivers do not present overload; however, there is a greater burden in patients with continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD), with higher overall mortality in the group with severe burden (p < 0.05). Linear regression showed an association between hours of patient care, occupation, dialysis modality, and schooling with the presence of caregiver overload (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The burden presented by the caregiver is similar to that reported in the literature. CAPD patients whose family member has severe burden show higher global mortality at 12 months.

Glomerulopatí del trasplante. Resultados clínicos y seguimiento de casos

Objective

We describe the evolution of graft function in patients with transplant glomerulopathy measure by levels of serum creatinine, proteinuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate.

Method

Cross-sectional study conducted in the Regional General Hospital No. 46 IMSS. Included patients with kidney allograft and diagnosis of renal biopsy of transplant glomerulopathy grafting between January 1, 2006 to April 31, 2013 serum creatinine, proteinuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate at diagnosis, 6, 12 and 24 was recorded months. The results are shown with numbers, percentages and standard deviations.

Results

42 patients were included. At 6 months of diagnosis, 14% decline in graft function and 7.1% graft loss. At 12 months, 17.9% graft loss, and at 24 months 36.3% had chronic graft dysfunction and graft loss as return to dialysis.

Conclusions

Evolution in our patients seems to be better to other series of cases reported in the literature.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia-Genetic Alterations and Their Clinical Prognosis

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a group of hematological diseases, phenotypic and genetically heterogeneous, characterized by abnormal accumulation of blast cells in the bone marrows and peripheral blood. Its incidence rate is approximately 1.5 per 100,000 in infants younger than 1 year of age and 25 per 100,000 persons in octogenarians. Traditionally, cytogenetic markers are used to stratify patients in three risk categories: favorable, intermediate and unfavorable. However, the forecast stratification and the treatment decision for patients with normal karyotype shows difficulties due to the high clinical heterogeneity. The identification of several genetic mutations additional to classical molecular markers has been useful in identifying new entities. Nowadays, many different mutations and epigenetic aberrations have been implicated in the diagnostic, prognostic and treatment of AML. This review is focused on describing the most important molecular markers with implications for clinical practice.

Synchronous Renal Neoplasm: Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma and Papillary Urothelial Carcinoma in the Same Kidney

Abdominal computed tomography in a 64 year-old male presenting hematuria showed two malignant tumors in the left kidney, thus radical nephrectomy was realized. In histological preparations a clear cell renal cell carcinoma and a papillary urothelial carcinoma were identified occurring synchronously, which is a rare occurrence having only about 50 cases reported in the literature.

[Thyroid disorders among dialysis patients]

The thyroid gland and the kidney are closely related. Thyroid hormones (TH) contribute to the homeostasis of the human being through complex interactions of fluids and electrolytes, protein synthesis, etc. The effects on the kidney of TH may be pre renal or direct actions. Decreasing glomerular filtration (GF) this balance especially in advanced stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is altered. CKD is linked to alterations in TH levels and/or metabolism, resulting in a high prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism and low free triiodothyronine (FT3) syndrome. These alterations are linked in micro inflammation, endothelial damage, cardiac abnormalities, and high mortality. In this study, we describe the most common thyroid abnormalities reported in CKD with dialytic stage approach.

Cost-minimization study comparing annual infusion of zoledronic acid or weekly oral alendronate in women with low bone mineral density

Cost-minimization study to assess the annual direct costs of 2 antiresorptive strategies in postmenopausal women with low bone mineral densities (BMDs). Patients were randomly assigned to receive 70 mg of oral weekly alendronate or a 1-time 5mg of intravenous zoledronic acid. All medical and nonmedical direct costs were recorded for 1 yr. Student's t-test or the Chi-squared test was used. A total of 101 postmenopausal women were enrolled with a mean age of 58.3 ± 7.6 yr and a postmenopausal period of 13.5 ± 8.3 yr. A total of 50 patients completed 1 yr of alendronate and 51 patients received zoledronic acid. At baseline, no differences were seen between the 2 groups in anthropometric measures, comorbidities, and bone mineral density. The costs for medical attention for low bone mass were $81,532 (US Dollars) for the alendronate group and $69,251 for the zoledronic acid group; the cost per patient was $1631 in the alendronate group vs $1358 in the zoledronic acid group (p<0.0001). Therefore, zoledronic acid treatment provided an annual savings of 15% of the direct costs compared with oral alendronate treatment. Moreover, there was a significant increase in lumbar spine T-scores in the zoledronic acid group when compared with the alendronate group. Annual zoledronic acid infusion as an antiresorptive treatment in women with low BMD provides significant monetary savings when compared with weekly alendronate therapy for 1 yr. Zoledronic acid infusion is also linked to higher increase in BMD and compliance.

[Bacterial drug resistance and etiology of non-complicated urinary tract infections]

INTRODUCTION

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is associated with morbidity, mortality, and an increase in cost. Our objective was to assess bacterial resistance from cultures of patients with non-complicated urinary tract infection (UTI).

METHODS

We analyzed antibiotic resistance using the VITEK-II system among patients attending the internal medicine unit with non-complicated UTI.

RESULTS

1,479 urine cultures were performed; we excluded: 98 due to contamination, 924 had no bacterial growth, and 57 had missing data. Among the 404 samples that were positive, 240 were found among out patients and 164 among hospitalized patients. E coli were the most frequent pathogen, followed by Enterococcus, and K pneumonia, in out patients; E coli, P aeruginosa, and fungal infections (23% of cases) in hospitalized patients. Samples with E coli among out patients displayed resistance of 50% to fluoroquinolones and 55% to sulfas. Among hospitalized patients, resistance was observed in 71 and 66% respectively. Resistance to P aeruginosa was 38% for amynoglucosides and carbapenems and 100% for piperacillin; Enterococcus had 50% for fluoroquinolones.

CONCLUSION

E. coli is the most common pathogen among UTI patients. We must adapt guidelines to recommend antibiotics and design a comprehensive control program to reduce the high levels of bacterial antibiotic resistance among our population.

[Acute bilateral thalamic infarcts in a young man with patent foramen ovale]

BACKGROUND

Patent foramen ovale (PFO) has been associated with cryptogenic stroke in young patients.

CLINICAL CASE

A 27-year-old man presented with acute confusional syndrome, altered language, bradypsychia and somnolence. Brain MRI showed symmetrical bilateral thalamic infarctions probably due to occlusion of Percheron's artery type 2b. Echocardiography showed patent foramen ovale.

CONCLUSIONS

Cerebrovascular disease is a frequent cause of disability and even death in young patients, and thus its medical approach should be emphasized.

[Diagnostic performance of biliary ultrasound vs. magnetic resonance cholangiogram in patients with recurrent biliary obstruction.]

BACKGROUND

Obstructive jaundice in patients with previous cholecystectomy requires a precise diagnosis. In the diagnostic algorithm, biliary ultrasound (BUS) and magnetic resonance cholangiogram (MRC) are used, although the accuracy of each method is unknown in our setting. No previous comparison of US and MRC in subjects with cholecystectomy has been made.

AIM

To determine diagnostic accuracy of BUS and MRC in patients with recurrent biliary obstruction.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopacreatography (ERCP) demonstrating recurrent biliary obstruction by stones were included. All patients underwent BUS and MRC. We determined the diagnostic performance of each image study compared with ERCP.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven patients with a mean age of 62.9 +/- 17.3 years-old were included. Sensitivity and specificity of BUS were 0.12 and 0.58, respectively. Figures for MRC were 0.88 and 0.82. Diagnostic agreement between ERCP and MRC was k= 0.66 whereas BUS had a k of only 0.26.

DISCUSSION

MRC had good diagnostic performance for recurrent choledocolithiasis. BUS demonstrated lower accuracy compared with previous reports, so should not be considered in the initial approach of recurrent choledocus obstruction.