RxPG News : Nephrology

ASTRAL Trial-Angioplasty and stenting offer no benefit over medical therapy

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:44:28 PST

The largest-ever randomized study to evaluate the effectiveness of catheter-based interventions in patients with narrowing of the renal artery has shown that angioplasty and stenting offer no benefit over medical therapy. Among patients who completed one year of follow-up, there were no differences in the change in kidney function, blood pressure control or the rates of major cardiovascular illness, according to the Angioplasty and Stenting for Renal Artery Lesions (ASTRAL) trial.

Renal patients still being referred late

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 03:09:50 PST

Some patients with kidney disease aren’t referred to kidney specialists in time to delay disease progression and improve their prognosis for a variety of reasons, according to researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues.

Emory algorithm helps improve kidney transplant chances

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 11:51:45 PST

Approximately one-third of the patients on the national waiting list for kidney transplants have only a small chance of receiving a new organ, no matter how long they are on the list. Due to prior transplants, pregnancies or blood transfusions, these patients have developed antibodies that make it very difficult to match them with donor organs.
Researchers at Emory University have developed a decision process, based on innovative technology, that may help to level the transplant playing field and give new hope to these "highly sensitized patients." The Emory Algorithm, as this new method is known, may even change the way kidneys from deceased donors are allocated in the United States.

Kidney stones? Have some orange juice!!!

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 17:14:00 PST

A daily glass of orange juice can help prevent the recurrence of kidney stones better than other citrus fruit juices such as lemonade, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered.

NOTCH2 gene mutations linked to Alagille syndrome

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 13:30:00 PST

In a finding that may have broader implications for understanding kidney disorders, genetics researchers at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have identified a second gene that gives rise to Alagille syndrome, a genetic developmental disease that affects multiple organs. The Children's Hospital team previously discovered the first gene associated with this disease.

Fetal hydronephrosis mystery solved

Wed, 03 May 2006 00:14:00 PST

Researchers seeking insights into kidney failure in human infants have located the source of a 30-year-old mystery mutation that causes similar problems in a mouse line. Scientists have known of the mouse line's naturally occurring mutation since the early 1970s. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are the first to identify the mutated gene, allowing them to determine the mutation's effects and the origins of the disease.

Alport Syndrome: From Pathogenesis to a Potential Therapy

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 05:07:00 PST

In 1927, Cecil Alport described a family in which affected individuals developed progressive kidney failure, deafness, and sometimes eye problems. Alport syndrome, although it affects only one in 50,000 live births in the United States, is the second most commonly inherited reason for kidney failure. It is caused by mutations in the genes that encode type IV collagen, a structural component of the thin, sheet-like basement membrane that covers the glomeruli, the kidney's filtration units. The glomerular basement membrane (GBM) normally filters fluid and small molecules (but not proteins or red blood cells) from the capillaries in the glomeruli into the urine, but in Alport syndrome, the collagen scaffold of the GBM is defective and, over time, the GBM splits and thins. The first symptom of Alport syndrome is blood in the urine (hematuria), followed by proteinuria and progressive renal failure as scar tissue (fibrotic tissue) forms around the glomeruli. The syndrome has no specific treatment, but kidney transplantation is usually successful in patients with end-stage kidney failure.

Meckel-Gruber syndrome gene identified- a help to understand polycystic kidney disease

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 02:10:00 PST

An international research collaboration led by Mayo Clinic has identified a new gene involved in causing the inherited kidney disorder, Meckel-Gruber syndrome (MKS). Children with MKS have central nervous system deformities as well as abnormal cysts in their kidneys, and usually die shortly after birth.

Dialysis patients may be overmedicated

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 15:35:00 PST

Changes in a widely used assay (blood test) for parathyroid hormone (PTH) have made its use with the established guidelines for end stage renal disease clinical management both inappropriate and potentially harmful to patients. This research is published in the journal Seminars in Dialysis.

Mycophenolate mofetil may be more effective in inducing lupus nephritis remission

Fri, 25 Nov 2005 06:22:00 PST

Treating lupus patients suffering from kidney inflammation with a medicine known as mycophenolate mofetil may be more effective in inducing remission than treating them with the standard regimen of intravenous cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), a new clinical trial indicates. The study, published in Thursdays issue (Nov. 24) of the New England Journal of Medicine, also showed that mycophenolate mofetil produced fewer complications, researchers found.

Dialysis patients often have close family members also on dialysis - Study

Wed, 02 Nov 2005 12:12:00 PST

Nearly one-fourth of all dialysis patients have a close relative on dialysis, researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, and others, report in the current online edition of the American Journal of Nephrology. The researchers suggest screening other relatives for undetected kidney disease.

Prognosis Improving For Diabetics With End Stage Renal Disease

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 21:55:00 PST

Patients with type 1 diabetes have an improved prognosis with regard to end-stage renal disease over the past four decades, and it appears the incidence of end-stage renal disease is lower than previously estimated, according to a study in the October 12 issue of JAMA.

Osmolytes critical to survival of kidney cells

Sat, 08 Oct 2005 05:40:00 PST

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) have developed a new way to predict the ability of certain small molecules to protect proteins in the cells of a wide variety of organisms living in extreme environments. The technique, described in a paper published online Oct. 7 in the Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences (PNAS), is a method of calculating the stabilizing effect on cellular proteins by small organic molecules called "osmolytes." It could have implications for the study of Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis, kidney disease and stabilizing protein drugs.

Study Examines Global Prevalence Of Kidney Failure Among Critically Ill Patients

Wed, 17 Aug 2005 21:59:00 PST

A multinational study has found that 5 to 6 percent of patients in intensive care units experience acute kidney failure, and about 60 percent of these patients die in the hospital, according to an article in the August 17 issue of JAMA.

"gold standard" of open surgery for kidney tumors should remain the first choice

Wed, 10 Aug 2005 12:22:00 PST

Urologists often view less-invasive surgery techniques as more desirable for the patient, but in a study of open nephron-sparing surgeries (NSS) from 1985 to 2001 at Mayo Clinic, researchers found that the "gold standard" of open surgery for kidney tumors should remain the first choice for many patients. The study appears online in The Journal of Urology.

Chronic Kidney Disease Associated with "Benign" Prostate Obstruction

Wed, 29 Jun 2005 13:00:00 PST

Men who experience signs and symptoms of a prostate obstruction resulting from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are three times more likely than other men to develop chronic kidney disease, according to findings of a Mayo Clinic study published in this month's edition of Kidney International.

Unique therapeutic strategy for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Sun, 12 Jun 2005 05:42:00 PST

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University's Doernbecher Children's Hospital have uncovered a unique therapeutic strategy to combat cachexia -- severe malnutrition and physical wasting away -- in children and adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The study is published in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Hemodialysis causes antioxidant loss leading to long-term complications

Fri, 08 Apr 2005 01:34:00 PST

An article published in Hemodialysis International discusses the role of oxidative stress (OS) in dialysis patients, an imbalance which can result in long-term health problems. Potential therapeutic options to restore balance in patients are also reviewed.

Oxidative Stress in Dialysis Patients can Lead to Long-Term Health Problems

Sun, 03 Apr 2005 10:04:00 PST

KCP enhances signals from bone morphogenetic proteins that control kidney development and disease

Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:18:00 PST

Scientists have identified a new and unusual protein that reduces, in laboratory mice, kidney damage caused by chronic renal disease and acute toxic injuries.

Sulodexide Gelcaps : An Oral Heparinoid for the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy Gets Ready for Phase 3-4 Trial

Thu, 17 Mar 2005 08:03:00 PST

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has finalized a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreement with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Phase 3 and Phase 4 clinical trials of KRX-101 (sulodexide gelcaps), the Company's drug candidate for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

Age Should Not Be A Limiting Factor for Kidney Transplantation

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 13:54:00 PST

Growing evidence suggests that age alone shouldnt prevent older adults from being organ donors or having a kidney transplant themselves according to researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. The findings could help alleviate a serious shortage of organs for transplantation.

Vitamin D May Significantly Improve Survival in Dialysis Patients

Sun, 13 Mar 2005 08:34:00 PST

The administration of intravenous vitamin D appears to significantly improve the survival of patients on dialysis, according to a study that will be published in the April Journal of the American Society of Nephrology and has been released ahead of print on the journal's website. Vitamin D injections are currently recommended only for dialysis patients with elevated levels of parathyroid hormone, but the report from a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)-based research group suggests that the treatment might help most dialysis patients live longer.

BMP-7 Prevents Renal Osteodystrophy and Vascular Calcification Associated with Chronic Renal Disease

Sun, 13 Mar 2005 08:26:00 PST

The investigators demonstrate that BMP-7 treatment prevents renal osteodystrophy and vascular calcification by stimulating the rate of skeletal mineralization, thereby diverting mineral that might have been deposited inappropriately in the blood vessels.

LEA29Y (belatacept) effectively preserves kidneys during transplants

Wed, 23 Feb 2005 20:04:00 PST

Emory University physician-researchers in Atlanta have shown an investigational medication, known as LEA29Y (belatacept), is effective in preserving transplanted kidney function while at the same time avoiding the toxic side effects that are common in the currently used long-term, immunosuppressive transplant medications. The pre-clinical research conducted with nonhuman primates at the Yerkes National Primate Research center was an important step in establishing human clinical trials to develop an effective alternative to current anti-rejection therapies.

Why Blood Glucose Control Matters for the Kidney

Tue, 22 Feb 2005 21:50:00 PST

One of the most common and most serious complications of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes is diabetic nephropathy. It occurs in around 30% of patients with type 1 diabetes and 10% to 40% of patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of renal failure in the developed world. The main effect of diabetic nephropathy is proteinuria, initially in very small amounts but which increases, leading to nephrotic syndrome and end-stage renal disease in most cases.

Amitriptyline to be tested for painful bladder syndrome

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 16:29:00 PST

PBS is defined by symptoms--frequent urination day and night and increasing pain as the bladder fills--according to the International Continence Society. The syndrome includes IC, which has been estimated to affect as many as 700,000 people, mostly women. Estimates for PBS vary widely, but as many as 10 million people may suffer from this condition.

Obese kidney donors are as safe as other donors

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 16:24:00 PST

In a retrospective study of more than 500 patients, at an average of eleven months after kidney donation, Mayo doctors found obese donors did not experience more problems than non-obese donors. However, prior to donation, obese patients were at greater risk for cardiovascular disease based on blood pressure and cholesterol levels, compared to normal weight donors. Despite the findings, the study emphasizes the importance of following obese patients for a longer time before drawing any long-term conclusions.

Potential therapy may stop Kidney failure

Thu, 17 Feb 2005 21:31:00 PST

The research, which is published in the March issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, shows that injection of a protein, known as Ngal, can protect mice from renal failure, suggesting its great potential as a therapeutic tool for humans.

Second-Generation Lanthanum-Based Phosphate Binders Have Potential Role in Treatment of Hyperphosphatemia in End-Stage Renal Disease

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 09:15:00 PST

These novel non-aluminum, non-calcium phosphate binders which utilize Altair's proprietary lanthanum nanomaterial technology have the potential to treat hyperphosphatemia, i.e., high phosphorus levels in blood, in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), with potentially as little as one tablet per meal while currently approved therapies require as many as several tablets per meal.

Understanding acid sensing in the kidney

Thu, 16 Dec 2004 17:53:00 PST

The normal daily diet generates volatile acid (carbon dioxide) and nonvolatile acid (hydrogen ions) from carbohydrate and protein metabolism, respectively, and the kidney is responsible for maintaining an acid-base balance by excreting these acids. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Patricia Preisig and colleagues from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have identified the kidney's elusive acid sensor. The authors examined opossum kidney cells cultured under acidic conditions and found that a 24-hour exposure to acid activates the enzyme Pyk2, which then binds to the proto-oncogene c-Src, causing c-Src activation and subsequent activation of signaling pathways that increase production of NHE3, the molecule at the surface of renal proximal tubule cells in the kidney that release hydrogen ions from the cell.