Type 2 diabetes mellitus modifies the relationship between coronary artery calcification and adverse kidney outcome in patients with chronic kidney disease: the findings from KNOW-CKD.

Background: Kidney function declines faster in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) than in those without, and coronary artery calcification is a risk factor for adverse kidney outcomes. Thus, we examined whether T2DM modified the relationship between coronary artery calcification and chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression.

Methods: Among 2067 participants from the KoreaN Cohort Study for Outcome in Patients With CKD, the main exposures analyzed were T2DM and coronary artery calcification.

Association of accelerometer-measured physical activity with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in individuals with or without chronic kidney diseases: the UK biobank study.

Background: Physical activity is important for health and longevity, but little is known on patients living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In fact, most studies in patients with CKD have relied on self-reported data, highlighting an unmet need for studies using objective measurements. We investigated the association between device-measured physical activity and adverse outcomes by CKD status.

Deep learning-based quantitative analysis of glomerular morphology in IgA nephropathy whole slide images and its prognostic implications.

Kidney pathology of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), which is the key finding of both diagnosis and risk stratification, involves labor-intensive manual interpretation as well as unavoidable interpreter-dependent variabilities. We propose artificial intelligence-based frameworks for quantitatively analyzing glomerular histologic features that can predict kidney progression in IgAN. A deep learning model, based on DeepLabV3Plus and EfficientNet-B3, was developed for segmenting glomeruli and quantifying the morphological features by using digitized whole slide images from seven tertiary hospitals.

Plasma Levels of Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 and Adverse Kidney Outcomes.

Objective: To investigate the association between fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and adverse kidney outcomes.

Methods: From the prospective observational cohort study using data from the UK Biobank between March 13, 2006, and August 31, 2017, a total of 32,281 individuals with estimated glomerular filtration rate of 60 mL/min per 1.73 m and higher and urine albumin to creatinine ratio below 30 mg/g (cohort 1) and 3339 individuals with estimated glomerular filtration rate below 60 mL/min per 1.

Association between polygenic risk scores for hypertension and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with incident chronic kidney disease.

Background: The clinical implications of genetic risk for hypertension (HTN) and high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) are unknown. This study aimed to examine whether polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for these two factors can predict the development of CKD.

Methods: We included 245,893 participants enrolled in UK Biobank during 2006-2010 and followed up until 2022.

Cytomegalovirus Infection in Seropositive Kidney Transplant Recipients With Diverse Immunological Risks Under Preemptive Strategy.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection remains the most prevalent viral infection in kidney transplant recipients. Despite effective preventive strategies, the use of desensitization therapies and potent immunosuppressive agents in patients with high immunological risks underscores the continued importance of CMV as a major concern. This study aims to determine the incidence and outcomes of CMV infection in patients with diverse immunological risks under preemptive stategies.

Nutrition Status and Comorbidities Are Important Factors Associated With Mortality During Anti-Tuberculosis Treatment.

Background: The increasing incidence and mortality rates of tuberculosis among older individuals who suffer from multiple morbidities and are vulnerable to malnutrition are major obstacles to efforts to eradicate tuberculosis in the Republic of Korea. Herein, we identified the factors associated with mortality during anti-tuberculosis treatment in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study and extracted data from the database of a multi-center prospective observational cohort study in Korea.

Longitudinal association between kidney and lung function in the Korean general population.

Background: The longitudinal relationship between kidney and lung function remains poorly understood. We examined the longitudinal association between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and lung function in a Korean population with normal kidney and lung function from 2005 to 2014.

Methods: We recruited participants from the Ansan and Ansung cohorts of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study.

Home care program with telemonitoring for patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis in South Korea: a cost-utility analysis.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of digital health technologies to improve care access and quality of life. The Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare introduced a home care program for end-stage renal disease patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD), incorporating educational consultations and remote monitoring. This study evaluates the long-term economic effectiveness of this digital health-based home care program.

Unrecognized Tuberculosis: Risk Factors for Smear-Positive/Cavitary Asymptomatic Cases.

Background: Screening patients with asymptomatic active tuberculosis (TB) is crucial as they can transmit the disease. Identifying the risk factors for transmission is essential for targeted screening. Understanding how the infectiousness of asymptomatic patients with TB affects disease outcomes is crucial for developing strategies to control TB spread.

Evaluation of pre-osteoblastic cell line behaviors under low shear stress conditions.

The bone is a dynamic tissue that undergoes continuous remodeling through the activities of osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and osteocytes, influenced by mechanical stimuli mechano-transduction. While relatively high shear stress levels (>1 Pa) have been extensively studied for their positive effects on pre-osteoblast and osteoblast cells' function, the influence of relatively low shear stress (<1 Pa) remains largely unexplored. This study investigates the effects of low shear stress (0.

Novel Usefulness of M2BPGi for Predicting Severity and Clinical Outcomes in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) is a novel biomarker for liver fibrosis, and its prognostic role has never been explored in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We compared the M2BPGi level simultaneously with age, severe/critical disease, the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, and the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) in a total of 53 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (mild/moderate [ = 15] and severe/critical [ = 38]). M2BPGi levels were measured using the HISCL M2BPGi assay (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) in an HISCL-5000 analyzer (Sysmex), and clinical outcomes were analyzed according to M2BPGi and the clinical variables, using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, Kaplan-Meier survival, and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses.

Kidney function and bone mineral density in chronic kidney disease patients.

Background: Bone mineral density (BMD) predicts fracture risk in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and in the general population. However, few studies have investigated risk factors for bone loss in patients with CKD. The aim of this study was to investigate whether renal function is associated with the rate of BMD decline.

Clinical implications of early blood transfusion after kidney transplantation.

Pre-transplantation red blood cell transfusion (RBCT) is a well-recognized cause of allosensitization. However, the effects of RBCT after kidney transplantation remain controversial. This study evaluates the impacts of RBCT within the first 30 days post-transplantation (early RBCT) with regard to long-term patient and graft outcomes.

Use of Aspirin and Initial Cardiovascular and Bleeding Risk in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Key Points: The association between aspirin use and risk of the first cardiovascular event was NS in patients with CKD. Compared with nonusers, aspirin users had an increased risk of significant bleeding events. Aspirin prescription for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients with CKD needs careful consideration.

Medication Burden and Adverse Cardiovascular Events and Death in Patients Treated with Maintenance Hemodialysis: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Key Points: A higher medication burden was associated with a higher risk of adverse events in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis. Medication burden can serve as a clinically relevant risk indicator for cardiovascular events and all-cause death in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

Background: A high medication burden is associated with adverse outcomes.