Altered CD73-Adenosine Signaling Linked to Infection in Patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Purpose: Infection is the most common cause of hospitalization and the second most common cause of mortality among patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). The enzyme CD73, a cell surface 5'-nucleotidase, regulates the balance between pro-inflammatory nucleotides and anti-inflammatory adenosine. Diminished CD73-adenosine signaling contributes to severe infections.

Global left ventricular myocardial work: A novel method to assess left ventricular myocardial function and predict major adverse cardiovascular events in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Background: The application value of myocardial work (MW) in evaluating myocardial function and predicting major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients has not been fully explored.

Purpose: Comparing noninvasive MW parameters between MHD patients and healthy controls, and further determining its value in predicting MACE in MHD patients.

Methods: A prospective single-institution study included 92 MHD patients without prior cardiovascular disease and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 predicts cardiovascular death in patients on maintenance hemodialysis: a 7-year prospective cohort study.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is the leading cause of death among maintenance hemodialysis patients, with dyslipidemia being a prevalent complication. The paradoxical relationship between cardiovascular outcomes and established lipid risk markers, such as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), complicates lipid management in this population. This study investigated Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), an emerging biomarker known for its proinflammatory and proatherogenic properties, as a potential cardiovascular prognostic marker in this cohort.

Metagenome-wide analysis uncovers gut microbial signatures and implicates taxon-specific functions in end-stage renal disease.

Background: The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in regulating host metabolism and producing uremic toxins in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Our objective is to advance toward a holistic understanding of the gut ecosystem and its functional capacity in such patients, which is still lacking.

Results: Herein, we explore the gut microbiome of 378 hemodialytic ESRD patients and 290 healthy volunteers from two independent cohorts via deep metagenomic sequencing and metagenome-assembled-genome-based characterization of their feces.

Immunological features of ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis of various ages.

Aims: To investigate the immunological characteristics of hemodialysis (HD) patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) of various ages, and the impact of age-related immune alterations on these patients, with a focus on peripheral T cells.

Methods: From September 2016 to September 2019, HD patients were enrolled and followed prospectively for 3 years. Patients were divided into three groups based on their ages: < 45, 45 to 64, and ≥ 65.

Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Binding Protein 7 Deriving from Spleen and Lung Could Be Used for Early Recognition of Cardiac Surgery-Associated Acute Kidney Injury.

Introduction: The utility of arithmetic product of urinary tissue metalloproteinase inhibitor 2 (TIMP2) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) concentrations has been widely accepted on early diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI). However, which organ is the main source of those two factors and how the concentration of IGFBP7 and TIMP2 changed in serum during AKI still remain to be defined.

Methods: In mice, gene transcription and protein levels of IGFBP7/TIMP2 in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney were measured in both ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI)- and cisplatin-induced AKI models.

Effects of p-cresol, a uremic toxin, on cancer cells.

Background: Though p-cresol exists at a low concentration in the blood, it accumulates in various organs of uremic patients. Previous research has shown that the p-cresol promoted bladder cancer cell invasion and migration. This study aims to see if p-cresol had similar effects on kidney cancer cells and liver cancer cells.

Predictive role of cardiac valvular calcification in all-cause mortality of Chinese initial haemodialysis patients: a follow-up study of 4 years.

Background: Cardiac valvular calcification (CVC) is prevalent in haemodialysis (HD) patients. Its association with mortality in Chinese incident haemodialysis (IHD) patients remains unknown.

Methods: A total of 224 IHD patients who had just begun HD therapy at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, were enrolled and divided into two groups according to the detection of cardiac valvular calcification (CVC) by echocardiography.

Clec7a expression in inflammatory macrophages orchestrates progression of acute kidney injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with high risk of mortality, post-disease renal fibrosis, kidney dysfunction and renal failure. Renal macrophages play a key role in the pathogenesis (M1 subpopulation), healing and remodeling (M2 subpopulation) in AKI and, thus, have been a promising target for clinical treatment of AKI. Here, in a mouse renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) model for AKI, we showed that renal macrophages could be further classified into Clec7a+ M1 macrophages, Clec7a- M1 macrophages, Clec7a+ M2 macrophages and Clec7a- M2 macrophages, representing distinct macrophage populations with different functionality.

The Proportion of Memory CD8+ T Cell Predicts Infection Event in Patients with Peritoneal Dialysis.

Introduction: The immune senescence marked by the inflation of memory T cell is established in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with peritoneal dialysis (PD). These patients suffer high incidence of infectious disease, which has been relevant to immune dysfunction. However the association of immune senescence with infection in PD patients is not clear.

Left atrial reservoir strain is an outstanding predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis: Assessment via three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.

Background: There is a paucity of literature focusing left atrium (LA) in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD).

Hypothesis: We used three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) to evaluate LA in MHD patients and to explore its predictive value for adverse outcomes.

Methods: Echocardiography was performed on 130 consecutively enrolled MHD patients without previous cardiac diseases.

p-Cresyl Sulfate Predicts Ischemic Stroke among Patients on Hemodialysis: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Method: Patients on hemodialysis over 6 months were enrolled in this prospective cohort study and were divided into 2 groups based on plasma p-cresyl sulfate level. The primary end point was the first episode of ischemic stroke during follow-up. The association between p-cresyl sulfate and ischemic stroke incidence was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard model.

Survival analysis in the incident dialysis patients by different modalities.

Background: To analysis survival in onset uremic patients who initiating HD or PD dialysis in our dialysis center.

Methods: Between Jan. 2015 and June.

Prostaglandin E induced cardiac hypertrophy through EP2 receptor-dependent activation of β-catenin in 5/6 nephrectomy rats.

Aims: Prostaglandin E (PGE2) is involved in the development of cardiac hypertrophy. However, whether PGE2 regulates the chronic kidney disease-associated cardiac hypertrophy and the tentative mechanism remains to be elucidated.

Methods And Results: We explored the effect of PGE2 receptor inhibitors on cardiac hypertrophy in vitro and in a 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6NT) rat model using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunohistochemical staining, and immunofluorescence staining assays.

Decreased Peripheral Naïve T Cell Number and Its Role in Predicting Cardiovascular and Infection Events in Hemodialysis Patients.

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are at high risk of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular and infectious diseases, which have been found to be associated with a disturbed immune response. Accelerated T-cell senescence is prevalent in these patients and considered a significant factor contributing to increased risk of various morbidities. Nevertheless, few studies have explicated the relevance of T-cell senescence to these fatal morbidities in ESRD patients.

Association of N-Terminal Pro-brain Natriuretic Peptide With Volume Status and Cardiac Function in Hemodialysis Patients.

N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP) is secreted by cardiomyocytes in cases of cardiac structure disorder and volume overload. However, the relationship between NT-pro BNP level and body fluid status in dialysis patients with reduced cardiac ejection function (EF) is uncertain. Therefore, we aimed to investigate this relationship.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines as potential predictors for intradialytic hypotension.

Background: Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) is a common complication in maintaining hemodialysis (MHD) patients. Immune activation might be part of the mechanisms. However, the association between pro-inflammatory cytokines and blood pressure (BP) has not been deeply explored.

Relationship between Soluble ST2 and Left Ventricular Geometry in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients.

Introduction: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a highly prevalent presentation of cardiac structural abnormality and a strong predictor of adverse outcomes in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. Different left ventricular geometry may provide additional clinical information. Soluble ST2 is a novel cardiac prognostic biomarker in MHD patients and is closely related to cardiac remodeling.

Indoxyl sulfate and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in early stages of chronic kidney disease.

Background: High IS level has been demonstrated to be associated with vascular calcification and lymphocyte functional disorders, which are both risk factors of CVD. Low HDL-c level is a risk factor of CVD in CKD patients. This study was designed to explore the potential relationship between IS and HDL-c levels in early stages of CKD population.

Association of trimethylamine -Oxide with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Trimethylamine--Oxide (TMAO) is a proatherogenic and prothrombotic metabolite. Our study examined the association of plasma TMAO level with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods: Patients who were at least 18 years-old and received HD for at least 6 months were enrolled within 6 months.

Differences between exhausted CD8 T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with and without uremia.

The purpose of this study was to explore the differences between exhausted CD8 T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with and without uremia. We enrolled 45 uremic patients who were recently diagnosed with HCC into the HCC + uremia cohort and similar patients with HCC but without uremia into the HCC-only cohort. Lymphocytes were obtained from the two cohorts, and exhausted CD8 T cells, comprising PD-1CD8, TIM-3CD8, and LAG-3CD8 T cells, were sorted and expanded in vitro.

Premature aging of circulating T cells predicts all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) exhibit a premature aging phenotype of immune system, which is recently concerned as a significant factor for increased risk of various morbidities. Nevertheless, there are few dates explicating the relevancy of T cell senescence to mortality. In this study, we prospectively studied the predictive value of T cell senescence for mortality in hemodialysis patients.