MVP ECG risk score predicts early occurrence of atrial fibrillation after patent foramen ovale percutaneous closure.

Introduction: Transcatheter patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure has emerged as the therapeutic gold standard in patients with a PFO-related stroke. New-onset atrial fibrillation appears as an early complication of this procedure. Our study aims to evaluate if the MVP (Morphology-Voltage-P wave duration) ECG risk score calculated before PFO closure might be a valuable predictor of early postprocedural atrial fibrillation occurrence.

Correlations Between Novel Adiposity Indices and Electrocardiographic Evidence of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Individuals with Arterial Hypertension.

Obesity is a key driver of cardiovascular disease (CVD), with central adiposity directly involved in adverse cardiac remodeling. Body mass index (BMI) is limited in capturing fat distribution and associated cardiovascular risk. Novel anthropometric indices, including A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and Body Roundness Index (BRI), may offer greater clinical value, but their relationship with electrocardiographic markers of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) remains underexplored.

Renal Resistive Index from Renal Hemodynamics to Cardiovascular Risk: Diagnostic, Prognostic, and Therapeutic Implications.

Duplex-Doppler ultrasonography has become an essential tool in the diagnosis and management of kidney diseases, allowing clinicians to assess renal hemodynamics, detect vascular abnormalities, and monitor disease progression. Among the various Doppler-derived parameters, the renal resistive index (RRI) has gained particular attention both as a diagnostic tool and a prognostic marker in nephrology. Traditionally considered an indicator of parenchymal perfusion, recent evidence highlights its strong association with systemic hemodynamic factors, particularly arterial stiffness, positioning RRI as a valuable tool for evaluating patients with systemic vascular impairment, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerosis.

The complexity of kidney disease secondary to collagen IV variants: insights into phenotypic variability from a large Sicilian pedigree.

Background: Collagen type IV (COL IV) is a crucial component of basement membranes, including the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), essential for kidney function. COL4A3, COL4A4, and COL4A5 variants lead to a broad spectrum of kidney disorders. This paper investigates the clinical and genetic characteristics of a large Sicilian family with COL4A gene abnormalities.

Exploring Imaging Depth: A Pilot Study About 2D vs. 4D Echocardiography for Tricuspid Valve Evaluation.

Background: The tricuspid valve (TV) is a complex three-dimensional (3D) anatomical structure; however, current guidelines recommend tricuspid annulus (TA) measurements to be performed with two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography. The aim of this study was to compare TV measurements obtained with 2D and four-dimensional (4D) echocardiography for surgical planning.

Methods: All echocardiographic data of patients referred to our center for TV assessment were collected.

Does the High Renal Resistive Index Reveal an Increased Risk of Acute Kidney Injury? A Protocol for Systematic Review.

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a serious complication in critically ill patients associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Early detection and risk stratification remain challenging, particularly in complex conditions such as septic shock where hemodynamic alterations complicate the clinical picture. Renal Resistive Index (RRI), measured through Doppler ultrasonography, has emerged as a promising non-invasive tool for assessing renal hemodynamics and microcirculatory changes.

Review and practical excursus on the comparison between traditional statics methods and Classification And Regression Tree (CART) in real-life data: Low protein diet compared to Mediterranean diet in patients with chronic kidney disease.

The Classification and Regression Tree (CART) is a supervised learning approach useful used to segment the space of and the predictors/features space into smaller homogeneous regions that are, represented in a decision tree. It computes the selection of features automatically, in contrast to traditional statistic methods. In this review, we compared CART to traditional statistics in patients who did not attempt a diet to patients who followed a low-protein diet (LPD) or the Mediterranean diet in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, and we analyzed them using linear regression and CART methods.

Effect of NT-proBNP on Serum Calcium: A Longitudinal Analysis.

: Brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a biomarker widely used in diagnosing and monitoring heart failure. Its impact on electrolyte homeostasis is known, particularly for sodium. However, its relationship with serum calcium remains unclear.

Renal Resistive Index and 10-Year Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Predicted by Framingham Risk Score and Pooled Cohort Equations: An Observational Study in Hypertensive Individuals Without Cardiovascular Disease.

Introduction: The renal resistive index (RRI) has been widely shown to be related with subclinical vascular damage in individuals with essential hypertension, as well as in other populations. However, limited data exist regarding the association between RRI and cardiovascular (CV) events in hypertensive individuals. Additionally, it is unclear whether the 10-year risk of CV disease, as predicted by validated score equations, is associated with impaired intrarenal hemodynamics.

Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis: A Focus on Differences and Similarities Between Child and Adult Patients.

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), or granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), is a rare autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation in various organs, including the kidneys. Renal involvement in GPA is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in both adults and children, and early detection and effective treatment are essential for preventing renal failure. This review aims to summarize the current evidence on the incidence, clinical features, treatment, and outcomes of renal involvement in children with Wegener's granulomatosis.

Relationship Between 8-iso-prostaglandin-F and Predicted 10-Year Cardiovascular Risk in Hypertensive Patients.

Background: 8-iso-prostaglandin-F (8-iso-PGF) is a recognized marker of oxidative stress. Previous studies suggested that 8-iso-PGF plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension and cardiovascular (CV) diseases. However, limited data exist on the prognostic role of 8-iso-PGF in hypertensive patients undergoing primary prevention.

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Erythropoietin Resistance Index in Hemodialysis Patients.

Hemodialysis (HD) patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) are highly vulnerable to complications from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Anemia management in this population is complex, particularly due to erythropoietin resistance, which may be exacerbated by COVID-19-related inflammation. To this aim, in this small-scale retrospective study, we investigated trends in the erythropoietin resistance index (ERI) over time in patients with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Comparison Among Potassium Binders on the Management of Hyperkalemia on Chronic Dialysis Patients: A Protocol for Systematic Review.

Treating hyperkalemia is one of the main goals of supportive care in patients on hemodialysis. In this context, therapy with new potassium binders is a promising resource. The main aim is to evaluate the difference in serum potassium concentration after treatment with sodium zirconium cyclosilicate or patiromer compared to placebo/sodium polystyrene sulfonate/calcium polystyrene sulfonate.

Platelet-To-Lymphocyte Ratio and Arteriovenous Fistula for Hemodialysis: An Early Marker to Identify AVF Dysfunction.

The KDOQI guidelines (Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative) recommend autologous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) as the primary vascular access in hemodialysis patients because of the higher quality of life and lower complication rates if compared to arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) or central venous catheter (CVC). Several studies used various inflammatory biomarkers to evaluate the association between systemic inflammation and AVF dysfunction. A novel inflammatory biomarker, the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), is a useful and easy laboratory parameter that can reveal systemic inflammation.

Timing of the CKD Complications: A Longitudinal Analysis.

Complications of chronic kidney disease include endocrine and metabolic abnormalities, anaemia and a wide range of disorders of homeostasis. Our study aims to better determine the role of CKD stage on the timing of the various complications associated with renal dysfunction. We performed an observational study on 71 (F:M = 39:32) patients with 486 repeated measurements, recording anemia, BUN, hyperparathyroidism, hyperphosphatemia, hyperkalemia, metabolic acidosis.

Can Broadening the Kidney Biopsy Criteria Reduce Misleading Diagnoses in Young Patients with End-Stage Renal Diseases? A Survey on the Sicilian Registry of Nephrology, Dialysis, and Transplantation.

Audits allow analysis of the delivery of care and the prevalence of diseases. This study investigated kidney diseases' impact on end-stage renal disease (ERSD) in patients younger than 30 years. : This analysis is retrospectively conducted on young dialysis-dependent patients included in the Sicilian Registry of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Participants.

Proteinuria and Progression of Renal Damage: The Main Pathogenetic Mechanisms and Pharmacological Approach.

The integrity of the glomerular filtration barrier maintains protein excretion below 150 mg/day. When urinary proteins increase, this indicates damage to the filtration barrier. However, proteinuria is not only a marker of kidney damage but also exacerbates it through various mechanisms involving the glomerular and tubulointerstitial compartments.

Impact of Serum Phosphate on Hemoglobin Level: A Longitudinal Analysis on a Large Cohort of Dialysis Patients.

: Phosphate is a macro-element involved in all cellular energetic processes. As about 90% of the phosphate filtered by the glomerulus is excreted by kidneys, the impairment of renal function and the consequent over-secretion of parathyroid hormone and fibroblast growth factor 23 results in the increase in the serum phosphate levels. The association between phosphate and hemoglobin is controversial, as both direct and indirect relationships have been reported.

Impact of Serum Phosphorus on Hemoglobin: A Literature Review.

Phosphorus is a macroelement found in the body, mostly in the bones as crystals of hydroxyapatite. Higher levels are found in patients affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD). Since the early stage of CKD phosphorous excretion is impaired, but the increase of PTH and FGF23 maintains its level in the normal range.

Differences in Efficacy between Antibacterial Lock Therapy and the Standard of Care for CVC-Related Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

: Central Venous Catheter (CVC)-related infections cannot always be solved by replacement, due to some vascular anomalies or an emergency status. This comprehensive, evidence-based review aimed to define the efficacy of antibacterial lock therapy (ALT) compared to the standard of care (SoC) in CVC-related infections. : We performed a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar, looking for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort or case-control observational studies.

Chemotactic Interactions Drive Migration of Membraneless Active Droplets.

In nature, chemotactic interactions are ubiquitous and play a critical role in driving the collective behavior of living organisms. Reproducing these interactions in vitro is still a paramount challenge due to the complexity of mimicking and controlling cellular features, such as tangled metabolic networks, cytosolic macromolecular crowding, and cellular migration, on a microorganism size scale. Here, we generate enzymatically active cell-sized droplets able to move freely, and by following a chemical gradient, able to interact with the surrounding droplets in a collective manner.

Investigational new drugs for the treatment of chronic renal failure: an overview of the literature.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is widespread throughout the world, with a high social and health impact. It is considered a 'silent killer' for its sudden onset without symptoms in the early stages of the disease. The main goal of nephrologists is to slow the progression of kidney disease and treat the associated symptoms with a range of new medications.

Review and Practical Excursus of the Propensity Score: Low Protein Diet Compared to Mediterranean Diet in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease.

Although Randomized clinical trials (RCT) represent the gold standard to compare two or more treatments, the impact of observational studies cannot be ignored. Obviously, these latter are performed on unbalanced sample, and differences among the compared groups could be detected. These differences could have an impact on the estimated association between our allocation and our outcome.