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Jul 2021 DOI 10.14302/issn.2766-8681.jcsr-21-3789
Donald L. BureshCorresponding author
This paper argues that the use of backdoors in software is inherently counterproductive and leads to invasion of privacy, either by federal or state governments or by intrusive hackers. The essay outlines encryption’s nature, pointing out that a software backdoor is a secret means of ignoring data authentication. Several examples of known backdoors known to terrorists, criminals, and governments alike are highlighted. Arguments in favor and opposing backdoors are provided, where the Apple Computer, Inc. v. FBI controversy is discussed. Finally, the balancing of harms test as proposed by John Stuart Mill is introduced, where the article concludes that when balancing the opposing positions, the scale tips toward data encryption because an innocent party would suffer the most harm from the existence of a software backdoor.
Jan 2021 DOI 10.14302/issn.2474-7785.jarh-21-3702
Marks RayCorresponding author
Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
Background Older adults with hip joint osteoarthritis, a major cause of chronic progressively disabling highly painful functional experiences, may require a surgical joint replacement procedure known as total joint arthroplasty surgery. Objective This review aimed to address the question of whether there an association between hip joint arthroplasty infection rates and prevailing pre or preoperative vitamin D levels that warrants consideration in efforts to prevent or minimize infection related hip arthroplasty complications among older adults particularly during the current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Methods PUBMED, SCOPUS, and WEB OF SCIENCE articles related to the topic and published between January 2016-2021 were searched, examined, and summarized. Results Older adults with hip joint osteoarthritis and low vitamin D serum levels who undergo total hip joint arthroplasty surgery may be at higher risk for post-operative infections than those with adequate vitamin D serum levels. Conclusion More research to verify whether efforts to screen for, and maximize vitamin D levels, before and after surgery, as indicated, may be helpful in the context of minimizing total hip joint arthroplasty surgery infection susceptibility and severity among older vitamin D deficient severely disabled hip osteoarthritis cases.
Jun 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-4538.jphi-20-3426
Cheng KangCorresponding author
Basic Medicine, Medical School, Qingdao Binhai University, Qingdao, P.R. China
The COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 400 thousand and infected more than 7 million people in the whole world as of 06/10/2020. Many open systems, such as educations, transportations, entertainments, sports or foods, have been completely or partially locked down in many regions of the world to prevent COVID-19 spreading. Therefore, how to reopen all of the open systems after the shutdown has become a world urgent issue. Evidences of COIVD-19 have showed: person-to-person transmission occurs among close contacts; virus droplets (or aerosols) play an important role in the transmission; people can prevent COVID-19 by measures of mask-wearing or maintaining social distancing. However, how these measures work to prevent COVID-19 is still not clear in a perspective of biomedical Infophysics. In this study, (1) we think the transmission of infection can be accomplished by real or virtual person; (2) we define a virtual person as ghost airflow, a term we coin to describe virus droplets (or aerosols) that are initially generated by human carriers and remain in the air to be transmitted. These ghost airflows are as dangerous as the real virus carriers particularly in enclosed (confined) environments; (3) we propose biomedical infophysical models (BMIPM) of filtering the ghost airflows by mask-wearing and maintaining social distancing, to help people to understand the filtering mechanisms and willingly follow the guidelines of preventing covid-19, and therefore to successfully reopen all of the open systems after the shutdowns (lockdowns) and (or) to avoid the shutdowns (lockdowns) in future epidemics or pandemics. Significantly, we compare the prevention efficiencies of COVID-19 between people who are accustomed and not accustomed to masks based on the published WHO, CDC or NHC pandemic data. The compared results support our models in this investigation. Coronaviruses easily survive and have high toxicity, in dirty, wet and cold environments, and the air pollution is linked with higher COVID-19 death rates. The dingy environments and air-conditioning, freezing systems sufficiently provide such necessary dirty, wet and cold conditions and polluted airflows to exacerbate the mortality rate of COVID-19. Therefore, we strongly suggest: to use air conditioners as less as possible, to turn the wind levels as low as possible and to clean (disinfecting) the air-conditioning systems (filters and channels) and environments as frequent as possible.
Feb 2026
Xing HuiCorresponding author
Keratinocytes are pivotal in mediating cutaneous inflammation. Identifying anti-inflammatory factors within these cells holds promise for developing novel therapeutic strategies to manage skin inflammation. Transcription factor EB (TFEB) has recently emerged as a key regulator linking cellular energy metabolism to inflammatory processes, primarily through its influence on autophagy and NF-κB signaling. However, whether TFEB activation exerts anti-inflammatory effects in keratinocytes remains unclear. In vitro inflammation model was established in HaCat cells by incubation with proinflammatory mediators LPS and IL-1β. Cell viability and TFEB expression and phosphorylation were measured. The effect of TFEB activation by C1 and adenoviral TFEB overexpression on the expression of proinflammatory genes including COX-2, MCP-1 and IL-6 were detected. Also, IκBα protein level were determined. TFEB phosphorylation is increased while TFEB total protein expression is inhibited by treatment with LPS and IL-1β. Pharmacological activation of TFEB by compound C1 and TFEB overexpression suppressed the expression of COX-2, MCP-1 and TNF-α induced by LPS and IL-1β. TFEB overexpression increased basal IκBα expression and restored IκBα level under LPS treatment. TFEB knockdown reduced TFEB expression and lowered basal expression level of COX-2, MCP-1 and TNF-α. Our findings indicate that TFEB activation can mitigate inflammatory gene expression in keratinocytes triggered by LPS and IL-1β. This implicates TFEB as a significant novel modulator of cutaneous inflammation, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target. Targeting TFEB could thus be a viable strategy for developing new treatments for chronic inflammatory skin conditions.
Feb 2022 DOI 10.14302/issn.2574-4488.jna-21-4039
K Al Miraj ACorresponding author
Research Assistant, Department of Vascular Surgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU)Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The function of the thyroid gland is one of the most important in the human body as it regulates the majority of the body's physiological actions. The thyroid produces hormones (T3 and T4) that have many actions including metabolism, development, protein synthesis, and the regulation of many other important hormones. There is a lot of interaction between the kidney and thyroid gland during the disease States thyroid hormones have a major role in regulating the glomerular filtration rate through its hormonal actions in normal physiology. But these things are altered in the disease States such as chronic kidney disease. It is a well-known fact that hypothyroidism causes decreased Glomerular filtration rate whereas hyperthyroidism causes increased Glomerular filtration rate leading to renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation. In our study we aim to see the prevalence of low T3 syndrome in different stages of CKD which is a state of physiological benefit in preserving the proteins lost through the Kidneys in CKD patients and since CKD is progressed in hyperthyroidism state it is a protective mechanism in restoring the CKD status. Other subclinical hypothyroidism hyperthyroidism. Autoimmune hypothyroidism. Glomerulonephritis are all part of a dynamic endocrine and nephrology sequence. Thorough knowledge of these is required for optimum treatment of thyroid in CKD patients.
Oct 2021 DOI 10.14302/issn.2692-1537.ijcv-21-3951
kaur BaljinderCorresponding author
Dept of Pediatrics, Government Medical College, Rajindra Hospital, Patiala..
This article has been retracted on July 20, 2022. VIEW THE RETRACTION NOTICE (https://doi.org/10.14302/issn.2692-1537.ijcv-25-5866) In December 2019, a novel coronavirus, now named as SARS-CoV-2, caused a series of acute atypical respiratory diseases in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The disease caused by this virus was termed COVID-19. The virus is transmittable between humans and has caused pandemic worldwide. The number of death tolls continues to rise and a large number of countries have been forced to do social distancing and lockdown. In humans, COVIDs mostly cause respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms. Clinical manifestations range from a common cold to more severe disease such as bronchitis, pneumonia, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, multi-organ failure and even death. Preliminary evidence suggests children are just as likely as adults to become infected with SARS-CoV-2 but are less likely to be symptomatic or develop severe symptoms. in our study , we consider the symptomatology , complications and mortality patterns of this disease in children.
Apr 2021 DOI 10.14302/issn.2474-7785.jarh-21-3815
Marks RayCorresponding author
Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
Background Aging, a commonly accepted time period of declining heath has been shown to vary in terms of its impact on function and independence. Aims This mini review examines the current impact of COVID-19 on the goal of ‘successful aging’, a conceptual model and outcome variable deemed desirable, but hard to attain. Methods Peer reviewed articles published between March 1 2020 and April 15 2021 focusing on ‘successful aging’ and COVID-19 secondary impacts, as located in the PUBMED data base were specifically sought. Results Despite a lack of consensus on the concept of ‘successful aging, and whether this can be achieved or not, ample evidence points to a severe secondary impact on efforts to age as successfully as possible by older adults, especially those isolated in the community as a result of lockdowns. Conclusion Pursuing more efforts to counter predictable harmful cognitive as well as physical impacts of lockdowns, resource and movement restrictions is urgently needed.
Apr 2021 DOI 10.14302/issn.2379-7835.ijn-21-3780
Khamis Al-AlawyCorresponding author
Mohammad Bin Rashid School of Government, Dubai, UAE
Obesity is a common and preventable Non-Communicable Disease that is of great importance. Population-based interventions are recognised to have a profound effect on improving health outcomes. One of these approaches includes the adoption of the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) Tax. Objectives There were three objectives, 1) explore the associations between gender, age, nationality, and change in SSB consumption, 2) explore SSB consumption during Covid-19 lockdown, and 3) inform policy decision making. Methods A cross-sectional survey in the United Arab Emirates. We performed descriptive analysis and chi-square for independence to test the difference between the expected and the observed frequencies in one or more categories. Results Since the introduction of SSB tax, change in SSB consumption by gender, age or nationality was not statistically significant. Further analysis of the proportion of sugar intake per day was statistically significant (P-value <0.001) by nationality. There was no statistically significant change in SSB consumption by age, gender, or nationality during the Covid-19 lockdown. Further analysis within the group that reported change in SSB consumption suggests a majority (80.5%) reported a reduction in SSB consumption. Conclusions Change in SSB consumption by gender, age or nationality was not statistically significant since the introduction of SSB tax, or during Covid-19 lock-down; thus, we accept the Null Hypothesis. Imposing a levy on frequently consumed SSB or revisiting levy by the gram, volume, or type of added sugar (or in combination) may prove to be more effective in reducing SSB consumption. Further research is needed to determine the extent other demographic factors influence SSB consumption as well as the enablers and barriers associated with SSB consumption.
Sep 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2693-1176.ijgh-20-3545
Ezinna E EnwerejiCorresponding author
Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria
Public health professionals working in rural communities are aware of the health disparities which result from lack of physicians, limited services, and income during the pandemic. Also they are aware that some populations are more vulnerable than others. People in the rural areas are experiencing problems on their physical, social and economic life styles because the pandemic is exacerbating some inequities. Individuals especially women and children in the rural areas are facing barriers in accessing health care services due to lack of resources and availability of health care providers in the communities. With COVID-19, women are less likely to seek services, including sexual and reproductive health services. Such services may be postponed to limit exposure to COVID-19 infection. This is particularly disturbing because in addition to the women maintaining their own health, they are also responsible for taking care of the mental, emotional and physical health needs of their families as well as all domestic responsibilities. As such, women in rural settings face special challenges as a result of these significant roles they play. Therefore, the impacts of COVID-19 are exacerbated on women by virtue of their sex and the roles they play in the family. This is a qualitative study that reviewed the reports of the 36 health care professionals under the aegis of members of COVID-19 committee working in partnership with state government to control, prevent and cushion the effects of COVID-19 in the society. This study is therefore, a summary of the observations of the COVID-19 committee members made up of 10(27.8%) females and 26(72.2%) males. The study focused on exploring how individual lifestyles in the rural areas have been affected in the face of COVID- 19 pandemic by identifying the vulnerabilities in social, political and economic systems which can amplify the impacts of the pandemic. Findings showed that preventive measures like lockdown and social distancing rules, wearing of face mask, hand washing with soap, and environmental cleanliness were not observed. The study noted that health seeking behaviours, sexual and marital life including income, education, employment and social interactions were all negatively affected. Most hospitals were battered and health care professionals boycotted the hospitals for fear of being infected. It was found that lack of health workers in the hospitals caused a good number of individuals to engage in self-medications. Also most pregnant women delivered their babies at home and few with traditional birth attendants. Some of the women who had deliveries at home experienced complications during and after delivery. Unfortunately, the report showed that governments’ financial supports to these women and their family members were insignificant as the government was more concerned with mitigating the spread of COVID-19 than assisting women to have safe deliveries. Therefore, the vulnerable groups especially women, children, and the elderly who experienced threats to their safety and wellbeing as a result of the services that were disrupted during the pandemic, should be assisted so as not to lose their lives to preventable diseases.
Jul 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2576-6694.jbbs-20-3466
John AkighirCorresponding author
Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi P.M.B. 2373 (970001) Nigeria
Background and Objective The use of medicinal plants in industrialized societies for extraction and development of many drugs and other chemotherapeutics and traditionally for herbal remedies has increased in recent times. Plant–based medicine is essential in health care services with about 80% global population relying on it because of its cheap source and availability. Jatropha tanjorensis is one such plant used by males and females of childbearing age for treatment of reproductive problems such as infertility. Literature on isolation and characterization of the secondary metabolites in this plant may not be common. Against this backdrop, this research work was carried out to isolate, characterize and determine the effects of J. tanjorensis on the gonadal hormones of male wistar rats. Materials and Methods The secondary metabolites were isolated, characterized, and identified using nuclear magnetic resonance. The experiment was conducted using 25 male wistar rats weighing between 180-200 g randomized into 5 groups, 3 controls and 2 treatment groups of 5 rats each. The treatment groups received 25 mg/kg body weight of phytol and lupeol orally by gastric lavage for 14 days. The animals were anaesthetized and blood samples collected for hormonal assay. Result The experimental data was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0, while the post hoc test assessed using Duncan Multiple Range Test at p ≥ 0.05. There was a significant decrease (p ˂ 0.05) in the levels of FSH, LH and TST in the treatment groups when compared to the control groups. The motility and sperm count decrease significantly (p ˂ 0.05) when treatment groups were compared to the control animals. The secondary metabolites, phytol and lupeol present in the leaf extract of Jatropha tanjorensis were responsible for the decrease in some of the gonadal hormones studied.
May 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2575-7881.jdrr-20-3343
Hussen Abdelrhman AmgedCorresponding author
Assis Professor, Department of Hematology and Immunohematology, Omdurman Islamic university / Sudan
Background Anemia of chronic disease is anemia found in certain chronic disease states, is typically marked by the disturbance of iron homeostasis or hypoferremia. Chronic renal failure is currently known as Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) or Chronic Renal Insufficiency (CRI) implies long-standing, progressive and irreversible renal parenchyma disease resulting in diminished renal function up to 40 to 60%. Often, chronic kidney disease is diagnosed as a result of screening of people known to be at risk of kidney problems, such as those with high blood pressure or diabetes and those with a blood relative with chronic kidney disease. This disease may also be identified when it leads to one of its recognized complications such as cardiovascular disease, anemia, or pericarditis. Methods Sysmex kx21 used to CBC and the Cobase411 used to iron profile. Enzyme-Linked immunoassay (ELISA) was used to determine the level of serum hepcidin. Sample preparation and PCR detection of HAMP DNA Polymorphisms: Restriction digestion of PCR products was done using Fast Digest. (Figure 1). Results Serum hepcidin levels higher in patients with anemia of chronic kidney disease compared with healthy controls mean. The polymorphisms of the hepcidin gene promoter in Sudanese patients with ACKD showed that the hepcidin HAMP AA genotype 70, AG 23, and GG 7 in 100 patients dialysis-dependent and AA 83, AG 17 and GG 0, and the allele A are more frequent in patients affected by ACKD. Significant statistical association observed between the hepcidin level and end-stage kidney disease. Conclusion This study evaluates for the first time the association between anemia of chronic kidney disease and hepcidin genes promoter polymorphisms and show that the hepcidin HAMP AA genotype and the allele A are more frequent in patients affected by ACKD, further investigation is needed, our data support the hypothesis and hepcidin HAMP are important in the pathophysiology of ACKD.
May 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2692-1537.ijcv-20-3355
Kader Mohiuddin AbdulCorresponding author
Secretary and Treasurer, Dr. M. Nasirullah Memorial Trust, Tejgaon, Dhaka 1215, Bangladesh
Telemedicine and telehealth technologies are especially effective during epidemic outbreaks, when health authorities recommend implementing social distance systems. Currently, coronavirus COVID-19 has affected 210 countries around the world, killed more than 200,000 and infected more than 3 million, according to worldometer, April 26, 2020. Home-care is especially important in these situations because hospitals are not seemingly safe during pandemic outbreaks. Also, the chance to get out of the home during the lockdown period is limited. Telephone-based measures improve efficiency by linking appropriate information and feedback. It can also help provide education at distance on various health issues and topics. In addition to increasing access to healthcare, telemedicine is a fruitful and proactive way to provide a variety of benefits to patients seeking healthcare; diagnose and monitor critical and chronic health conditions; improve healthcare quality and reduce costs. The article reveals scope of pharmacy professionals in telemedicine sector during epidemic outbreaks.
Sep 2019 DOI 10.14302/issn.2574-4488.jna-19-3008
Aydin ZekiCorresponding author
Darica Farabi Training and Research Hospital, Department of Nephrology, Kocaeli, Turkey
Introduction Hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor. There is a strong relationship between blood pressure (BP) elevation and stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure and mortality due to kidney disease. It is known that the loss of the dipping pattern in hypertension is associated with increased target organ damage. In our study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of dipper hypertension (DHT) and nondipper hypertension (NDHT) and related factors in patients with stage 1 and 2 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Materials and Methods A total of 158 patients diagnosed with stage 1 or stage 2 CKD were included in the study. Demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, physical examination findings and laboratory results of the patients were recorded. Ambulatory BP monitoring was performed in all patients. Results Of the 158 patients (female n: 98), 78 (49%) were in the stage 1 CKD group and 80 (51%) were in the stage 2 CKD group. No significant difference was observed in the prevalence of DHT or NDHT between hypertensive patients in the stage 1 and 2 CKD groups. The rate of NDHT was 59.5% (94/158 patients). Female patients had more DHT in the general population and in the stage 1 group than male patients (p=0.05, p=0.01, respectively). Conclusion No significant difference was observed in the prevalence of DHT or NDHT between hypertensive patients in the stage 1 and 2 CKD groups. The prevalence of DHT in female patients was significantly higher in both groups than in men in both groups, but especially in the stage 1 CKD group.
Nov 2018 DOI 10.14302/issn.2574-4488.jna-18-2443
Su WeiCorresponding author
Department of Nephrology, Baoji Central Hospital, No. 8 Jiangtan Road, Baoji, Shaanxi 721008, China
Renal fibrosis was a chronic and progressive process affecting kidneys in chronic kidney disease (CKD), regardless of cause. Although no effective targeted therapy yet existed to retard renal fibrosis, a number of important recent advances have highlighted the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the renal fibrosis. The advances including TGF-β/Smad pathway, oxidative stress and inflammation, hypoxia and gut microbiota-derived from uremic solutes were highlighted that could provide therapeutic targets. New therapeutic targets and strategies that are particularly promising for development of new treatments for patients with CKD were also highlighted.
Nov 2017 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-5518.jcci-17-1806
Ralapanawa UdayaCorresponding author
Consultant Physician and Senior Lecturer in Medicine, Professorial Medical Unit, Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Background Hypertension is one of the most prevalent risk factors for myocardial infarction, strokes, congestive cardiac failure and chronic kidney disease (CKD)and its prevalence is significantly higher inthe elderly population. Objectives To assess the demography, various presentations and the prevalence of risk factors among elderly hypertensive patients followed up in a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka. Materials and Methods This was a cross sectional descriptive study involving 250 patients whoseage was 60 years or above onantihypertensives for at least 6 months. Results Approximately 65.2% of the study population was female. The mean age was 70.17.Dizziness and chest pain were the most prevalent symptoms.The mean age at first detection was 58.17 years.Mean SBP and DBP were 128.5mmHg and 81.14mmHg respectively. The prevalence of alcohol consumption and smoking among men were 70.1% and 72.4% respectively. Approximately 54.7% were either overweight or obese.Approximately 81.6% females and 41.4% males had a waist circumference ofmore than therisk level with p-value<0.05. Approximately 36% had diabetes mellitus and 27.6% of the patients had at least one parent and 36.8% had at least one sibling diagnosed with hypertension. Approximately 61.3% of the patients hadadequate levels of physical activity while 31.8% had IHD,11.5% had stroke and 3.8% had CKD. Conclusion Dizziness and chest pain were the most disturbing symptoms while abdominal obesity among females,and alcohol consumption and smoking among males were the major risk factors in elderly hypertensive patients
Aug 2017 DOI 10.14302/issn.2372-6601.jhor-17-1606
O OsmanCorresponding author
Consultant nephrologist, Alqunfudah Hospital, KSA.
Several interactions exist between thyroid and kidney function in many disorders. Many publications explored the relationship between thyroid diseases (TD) and chronic kidney diseases (CKD). However, the morphological thyroid changes in patients with CKD or End Stage Kidney disease (ESKD) were not fully explored. The aim of this study is to explore the morphological and the functional abnormalities of the thyroid gland among ESKD patients as detected by Doppler ultrasound. Patients and Methods: All of the 92 ESKD patients at our center were consented and included in the study. Demographic and clinical data and biochemical and hormonal profiles were recorded. Every patient received a dedicated ultrasound scan of the thyroid gland. GE ultrasound system with Doppler capabilities and high frequency transducer was used. Grey scale imaging and Doppler ultrasound were used to image the thyroid gland for every patient. Taking the thyroid morphology detected by ultrasound and the thyroid function as the dependent variables, all other parameters of age, sex, BMI, occupation, residence, duration of time on dialysis and other comorbilities were taken as independent variables and their relationship to the dependent variables was further studied using appropriate statistical tests. Results: Thyroid nodule(s) presence was found to be the most prevalent thyroid morphology detected on ultrasound scanning. Fifty three patients (57.6%) were found to have ultrasound detected nodule(s). The nodule presence was correlated to different independent variables and was found to significantly correlate with age only. The thyroid function as reflected by the level of thyroid hormones was also studied for correlation with the independent variables. No correlation was found between the thyroid function and the presence of nodules. Conclusion and Recommendation: Ultrasound detected nodules are very common in ESKD patients. The presence of nodule significantly correlates with patient age denoting its degenerative nature. Ultrasound screening of the thyroid in ESKD patients may be cost effective. However, we recommend a larger multicenter study for better results.
Jun 2016 DOI 10.14302/issn.2574-4488.jna-16-1008
Xu XiaoyongCorresponding author
Department of Clinical Laboratory, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, 95 Yong-An Road, Beijing 100050, China.
Background: It is unclear whether patients who present with elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN), but are normal for other markers of kidney damage, are prone to develop chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study therefore investigated estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a marker of CKD, in these patients. Methods: Patients with elevated BUN but normal for other markers of kidney damage who were followed-up for ≥48 months in our outpatient clinics were retrospectively evaluated. BUN, eGFR, and serum creatinine concentrations in the patient group were compared with findings in an age- and sex-matched control group. Results: At baseline, BUN concentration was significantly higher in the patient than that in the control group (8.30±1.10 vs 5.05±0.91 mmol/L; p <0.01), but eGFR (111.94±18.62 vs 111.25±14.63 ml/min/1.73m2) and serum creatinine concentrations (87.23±8.59 vs 72.39±10.06 µmol/L) were similar. At 1 year, however, eGFR in the patient group was significantly lower than in the control group (95.39±18.52 vs 108.17±16.99 ml/min/1.73m2; p < 0.01), and was significantly lower than in the patient group at baseline (95.39±18.52 vs 111.94±18.62 ml/min/ 1.73 m2, p < 0.01), with these differences becoming more pronounced over time. Conclusions: Patients with elevated BUN but normal for other markers of kidney damage show significantly lower eGFR over time than matched controls.
Feb 2016 DOI 10.14302/issn.2572-5424.jgm-15-815
Abd Elhamid SamahCorresponding author
Department of Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University*, Cairo, Egypt
Background: Polymorphonuclear leucocytes are the first line of defence against foreign invaders and constitute the major cell type involved in certain types of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. Aim of the Work: The aim of the present study was to investigate the changes in expression of BCL-2 and BAK genes by real time PCR and to study whether they were involved in the accelerated neutrophil apoptosis which might be responsible for the recurrent bacterial infections seen in chronic renal disease and hemodialysis patients. Subjects and Methods: This study was conducted on sixty two subjects. Patients were selected from those admitted to Theodor Bilharz Research Institute (TBRI). Patients under study were classified into three groups; CKD patients (group I) kept on conservative treatment (22 cases), ESRD patients (group II) maintained on dialysis therapy, HD (20 cases). In addition, twenty healthy individuals served as a control group (group III) were involved. Results: There was significant increase in level of BAK gene in both patients' groups compared to control group with more increase in CKD group than ESRD group. Significant difference between the 3 groups was encountered with a higher expression level in CKD and ESRD groups than controls. There was decrease in level of BCL2 gene in both groups less than control group with more declines in ESRD group than CKD group. Conclusion: Bcl2 and Bak genes could have a role in survival and apoptosis of the studied groups and suggested their impact in controlling the inflammatory mechanisms and eventually their therapeutic potential.
Dec 2015 DOI 10.14302/issn.2372-6601.jhor-14-397
Gabbay EzraCorresponding author
Division of Adult Nephrology,
Immunotactoid glomerulopathy (ITG) is a rare cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage-renal-disease (ESRD). It is often associated with monoclonal gammopathy and/or hematologic malignancy. We report a patient originally diagnosed with ITG in 1998. He presented with nephrotic-range proteinuria, hypertension, and a gradual decline in glomerular filtration rate. A published case report of this patient at the time the disease was originally diagnosed described only a small peak of IgM paraprotein without lymphoma or plasma cell dyscrasia. He was diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance. He later developed ESRD and initiated hemodialysis in 2004. Fourteen years after the diagnosis of ITG and MGUS was made he developed headache, lymphadenopathy, borderline splenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, and coagulopathy. Workup revealed a very high level of monoclonal IgM-kappa (4390 mg/dL),and low grade B-cell lymphoma, consistent with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, leading to a diagnosis of Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM). He died shortly thereafter of complicated gram-negative sepsis. To our knowledge this is the first report of WM associated with ITG. The patient's course illustrates that plasma cell dyscrasia and lymphoma can present many years after the original diagnosis of ITG is made and that continued vigilance for these conditions is warranted.
May 2015 DOI 10.14302/issn.2471-7061.jcrc-14-574
B. Irby RosalynCorresponding author
Department of Medicine Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033. &Denotes equal contribution
Colon cancer has a five-year survival of 64.7%, and about 50,000 people are expected to die from colon cancer this year. Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer have a significantly worse prognosis, a 12.9% five-year survival. This emphasizes the need for strategies to inhibit the growth and metastases of colorectal cancer. Prostate apoptosis response protein 4 (Par-4) is a pro-apoptotic protein that has been shown to mediate apoptosis in response to stimuli, such as chemotherapeutics and radiation. Recombinant Par-4 protein has been shown to reduce the occurrence of Lewis lung carcinoma metastases in-vivo; however, the mechanism by which Par-4 can inhibit metastasis has not been elucidated. In this study, human colon cancer cell lines - SW480 and SW620 - were transfected with Par-4 plasmid or anti-Par-4 shRNA, and the effect on metastasis was examined. Par-4 overexpression inhibited cell migration and invasion, while Par-4 knockdown promoted it. Moreover, the morphology of SW620 cells was altered when Par-4 levels were increased. The change was characteristic of a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) in these cells. MET can be induced by upregulation of E-cadherin expression, and RT-PCR and Western blot analyses showed that E-cadherin mRNA and protein levels, respectively, were increased in the Par-4 overexpressing cells concomitant with a decrease in vimentin. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of Par-4 in colon cancer therapy, not only in primary tumors but also in metastatic cells.
Sep 2013 DOI 10.14302/issn.2326-0793.jpgr-13-257
O’Connell KathleenCorresponding author
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC,
Lapatinib, a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor is currently used in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. The aim of this study was to further understanding of lapatinib response for the development of novel treatment lapatinib-focussed treatment strategies. HER2-overexpressing SKBR3 breast cancer cells were treated with lapatinib for 12 hours and the resultant proteome analyzed by a comprehensive ion-current-based LC-MS strategy. Among the 1224 unique protein identified from SKBR3 cell lysates, 67 showed a significant change in protein abundance in response to lapatinib. Of these, CENPE a centromeric protein with increased abundance, was chosen for further validation. Knockdown and inhibition of CENPE demonstrated that CENPE enhances SKBR3 cell survival in the presence of lapatinib. Based on this study, CENPE inhibitors may warrant further investigation for use in combination with lapatinib.