Development of a prediction tool for kidney function decline in children with chronic kidney disease.

Background: A paucity of literature exists on the development of predictive tools for the decline of kidney function in pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD). The objective of this study is to develop and internally validate a tool for the short-term prediction of a kidney function decline in pediatric patients with CKD.

Methods: A total of 539 patients participating in the KNOW-PedCKD (KoreaN cohort study for Outcomes in patients With Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease) were evaluated for 48 variables related to sociodemographic characteristics, laboratory data, and treatment use.

Steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome in children: Korean Society of Pediatric Nephrology clinical practice recommendations.

Pediatric nephrotic syndrome is a clinical condition characterized by severe proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, hyperlipidemia, and generalized edema, most commonly affecting children aged 2 and 6 years. Although standard oral steroid therapy is effective in managing most cases, relapses are common during childhood. Nephrotic syndrome presents significant challenges due to frequent relapses and the potential side effects of long-term drug therapy.

Assessment of cardiovascular disease risk factors in Korean children: impact of various pediatric hypertension guidelines and application of the Korean blood pressure reference.

Background: The global rise in pediatric hypertension (HTN) is a significant concern as it serves as a precursor to cardiovascular disease (CVD). To address this, we performed a comparative analysis of two guidelines for pediatric HTN: the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the 2016 European Society for Hypertension (ESH), applying the Korean blood pressure (BP) reference specifically to the Korean pediatric population.

Methods: Data from 2,060 children and adolescents aged 10-18 years from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018) were analyzed.

Baseline characteristics and associated factors for hypertension in children with chronic kidney disease: results from the Korean Cohort Study for Outcome in Patients with Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease study.

Background: Hypertension is one of the most important complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) as it exacerbates disease progression in children. The aim of this study is to identify characteristics and factors associated with hypertension in children with CKD.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using baseline data from the 10-year ongoing cohort study named KNOW-PedCKD (Korean Cohort Study for Outcome in Patients with Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease).

Longitudinal progression trajectory of estimated glomerular filtration rate in children with chronic kidney disease: results from the KNOW-Ped CKD (KoreaN cohort study for Outcomes in patients With Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease).

Background: The natural course of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression in children varies according to their underlying conditions. This study aims to identify different patterns of subsequent decline in kidney function and investigate factors associated with different patterns of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) trajectories.

Methods: We analyzed data from the KNOW-Ped CKD (KoreaN cohort study for Outcomes in patients With Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease), which is a longitudinal, prospective cohort study.

Enhancing brain entry and therapeutic activity of chimeric antigen receptor T cells with intra-arterial NEO100 in a mouse model of CNS lymphoma.

Objective: Malignancies of the CNS are difficult to treat because the blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents most therapeutics from reaching the intracranial lesions at sufficiently high concentrations. This also applies to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, for which systemic delivery is inferior to direct intratumoral or intraventricular injection of the cells. The authors previously reported on a novel approach to safely and reversibly open the BBB of mice by applying intra-arterial (IA) injections of NEO100, a pharmaceutical-grade version of the natural monoterpene perillyl alcohol.

Susceptibility to Fosfomycin and Nitrofurantoin of ESBL-Positive and Isolated From Urine of Pediatric Patients.

Background: Pediatric urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-positive gram-negative bacilli (GNB) has limited options for oral antibiotic treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the susceptibility of ESBL-positive and isolates from pediatric urine samples to two oral antibiotics (fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin).

Methods: From November 2020 to April 2022, ESBL-positive and isolates from urine samples were collected at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.

Etiology and prognosis of nephrocalcinosis according to gestational age in Korean children.

Background: Nephrocalcinosis (NC) is defined as deposition of calcium in renal tubules and interstitium and is highly related with prematurity and monogenic diseases. Recent studies have reported that NC might be a specific finding of underlying hereditary renal diseases. This study evaluated the risk factors, underlying monogenic causes, and clinical outcomes of NC in Korean children according to gestational age (GA).

Inhibition of autophagy and induction of glioblastoma cell death by NEO214, a perillyl alcohol-rolipram conjugate.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor, exhibiting a high rate of recurrence and poor prognosis. Surgery and chemoradiation with temozolomide (TMZ) represent the standard of care, but, in most cases, the tumor develops resistance to further treatment and the patients succumb to disease. Therefore, there is a great need for the development of well-tolerated, effective drugs that specifically target chemoresistant gliomas.

Corrigendum: Mineral bone disorder in children with chronic kidney disease: data from the KNOW-Ped CKD (Korean cohort study for outcome in patients with pediatric chronic kidney disease) study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.

Association between serum total cholesterol and chronic kidney disease progression in children: results from the KNOW-PedCKD.

Background: Dyslipidemia can cause cardiovascular disease and increase the fatality rate among children with chronic kidney disease (CKD); this makes early screening and treatment of dyslipidemia crucial. This study aimed to assess the association between the changes in serum total cholesterol levels over time and the degree of CKD progression in children.

Methods: From April 2011 to August 2021, 379 of the 432 participants enrolled in the KoreaN cohort study for Outcomes in patients With Pediatric CKD (KNOW-PedCKD) were included and divided into 4 categories based on total cholesterol levels (< 170 mg/dL, acceptable; 170-199, borderline; 200-239, high; and ≥ 240, very high).

Enhanced brain entry of checkpoint-inhibitory therapeutic antibodies facilitated by intraarterial NEO100 in mouse models of brain-localized malignancies.

Objective: Immune checkpoint-inhibitory therapeutic antibodies have shown striking activity against several types of cancers but are less effective against brain-localized malignancies, in part due to the protective effect of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The authors hypothesized that intraarterial (IA) delivery of a novel compound, NEO100, has the potential to safely and reversibly open the BBB to enable brain-targeted therapeutic activity of checkpoint-inhibitory antibodies.

Methods: Immunocompetent mice with syngeneic glioblastoma or melanoma cells implanted into their brains were subjected to a single IA injection of NEO100 to open their BBB.

Competitive Hybridization of a Microarray Identifies CMKLR1 as an Up-Regulated Gene in Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Compared to Human Embryonic Fibroblasts.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely applied to the regeneration of damaged tissue and the modulation of immune response. The purity of MSC preparation and the delivery of MSCs to a target region are critical factors for success in therapeutic application. In order to define the molecular identity of an MSC, the gene expression pattern of a human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (hBMSC) was compared with that of a human embryonic fibroblast (hEF) by competitive hybridization of a microarray.

Correction: Park et al. Genetic Study in Korean Pediatric Patients with Steroid-Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome or Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis. 2020, , 2013.

In the original article [...

Difference in the Prevalence of Elevated Blood Pressure and Hypertension by References in Korean Children and Adolescents.

The prevalence of pediatric hypertension and obesity has increased over the past decades. Pediatric hypertension and obesity are associated with adult hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. There are two main pediatric blood pressure (BP) classification guidelines, the "Clinical Practice Guideline for Screening and Management of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents" (AAP 2017) and "2016 European Society of Hypertension guidelines for the management of high BP in children and adolescents" (ESH 2016).

Baseline characteristics of participants enrolled in the KoreaN cohort study for Outcomes in patients With Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease (KNOW-Ped CKD).

Background: We developed the KoreaN cohort study for Outcomes in patients With Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease (KNOW-Ped CKD) as a subcohort of KNOW-CKD to investigate the different characteristics of pediatric CKD between countries and races.

Methods: Children aged younger than 18 years with stage 1 ~ 5 CKD were recruited at seven major pediatric nephrology centers in Korea. Blood and urine samples, as well as demographic and clinical data, were collected.

Vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity in non-intensive care unit pediatric patients.

Previous data suggested several risk factors for vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity (VIN), including higher daily dose, long-term use, underlying renal disease, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and concomitant use of nephrotoxic medications. We conducted this study to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of VIN and to estimate the cut-off serum trough level for predicting acute kidney injury (AKI) in non-ICU pediatric patients. This was a retrospective, observational, single-center study at Samsung Medical Center tertiary hospital, located in Seoul, South Korea.

Potentially Curative Therapeutic Activity of NEO212, a Perillyl Alcohol-Temozolomide Conjugate, in Preclinical Cytarabine-Resistant Models of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Despite progress in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the clinical outcome remains suboptimal and many patients are still dying from this disease. First-line treatment consists of chemotherapy, which typically includes cytarabine (AraC), either alone or in combination with anthracyclines, but drug resistance can develop and significantly worsen prognosis. Better treatments are needed.

Ultra-rare renal diseases diagnosed with whole-exome sequencing: Utility in diagnosis and management.

Background: This study aimed to use whole-exome sequencing (WES) to diagnose ultra-rare renal diseases and the clinical impact of such an approach on patient care.

Methods: Clinical, radiological, pathological, and genetic findings were reviewed in the patients and their family members.

Results: Nine patients from nine unrelated Korean families were included in the study and evaluated.