Acute Renal Failure and Volume Overload Syndrome Secondary to a Femorofemoral Arteriovenous Fistula Angioplasty in a Kidney Transplant Recipient

Experimental and clinical studies analyzing the impact of AVF on cardiovascular and renal parameters, as well as outcomes, in kidney transplant recipients are lacking. On the other hand, it is not known whether AVF ligation after transplantation modifies hemodynamic parameters and kidney function. We report a case of a renal transplant recipient who developed an acute congestive heart failure accompanied by renal failure, which were triggered by femorofemoral AVF angioplasty. Prompt AVF ligation rapidly reversed clinical symptoms and normalized cardiac and renal functions. This paper illustrates the potential deleterious consequences of high-output AVF after kidney transplantation and raises considerations regarding the impact of the fistula on cardiac status and kidney function after kidney transplantation and, consequently, the management AVF after transplantation

APOL1 variants may induce HIV-associated nephropathy during HIV primary infection

International audienceHIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) is still associated with high mortality, and is usually a late complication of HIV chronic infection. Since 2010, a link has been strongly established between APOL1 genetic variants and HIVAN, especially in the African population

Arteriovenous fistulas thrombosis in hemodialysis patients with COVID-19

International audienceBackground: The current Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is associated with significant mortality, especially in patients suffering from end stage renal disease (ESRD) and hemodialysis patients. Several previous studies reported an over-risk of arterial and venous thrombosis, in particular pulmonary embolism and venous thrombosis of catheter in COVID19 patients in intensive care unit. However, arteriovenous fistula (AVF) thrombosis has rarely been reported yet in these patients. AVF thrombosis is a serious complication that impacts significantly patients outcome. Here, we aim to describe characteristics and prognosis of a cohort of COVID-19 hemodialysis (HD) patients presenting with AVF thrombosis. Methods: In the Ile de France region (Paris area) during the March 11th–April 30th 2020 period, fistula thrombosis cases were collected among COVID-19 hemodialysis patients in seven dialysis units and in interventional vascular departments. These patients’ characteristics were analyzed through a review of the patient’s medical records. Results: Seventeen patients were included in our study (median age 69 years). Ten patients (59%) were men. Ten patients (59%) were diabetic and 88% had a high blood pressure. The mortality rate in these patients was 47%. All thrombosis treated with a declotting procedures (64%) were successfully cleared, but with early relapse in 36%. Conclusion: Our study highlights AVF thrombosis as a severe complication in COVID-19 hemodialysis patients that contributed to the severity and accelerated death

A Novel Extrinsic Pathway for the Unfolded Protein Response in the Kidney

International audienceThe ribonuclease angiogenin is a component of the mammalian stress response, and functions in both cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous ways to promote tissue adaptation to injury. We recently showed that angiogenin regulates tissue homeostasis during AKI associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress through the production of transfer RNA fragments that interfere with translation initiation and thereby alleviate ER stress. However, whether the paracrine signaling mediated by angiogenin secretion is a genuine component of the ER stress response to kidney injury is unknown. Here, we explored the molecular mechanisms by which angiogenin is secreted upon ER stress, and determined how it modulates the inflammatory microenvironment. In cultured renal epithelial cells, ER stress specifically induced angiogenin secretion under the selective control of inositol-requiring enzyme 1α, a key activator of the unfolded protein response. The transcription factors spliced X-box-binding protein 1 and p65, which are activated by inositol-requiring enzyme 1α upon ER stress, each bound the angiogenin promoter and controlled the amount of angiogenin secreted. Furthermore, p65 promoted angiogenin transcription in an ER stress-dependent manner. Similar to secretion of the ER stress-induced proinflammatory cytokine IL-6, secretion of angiogenin required the ER-Golgi pathway. Notably, incubation of human macrophages with angiogenin promoted macrophage reprogramming toward an activated and proinflammatory phenotype. In patients, angiogenin expression increased upon renal inflammation, and the urinary concentration of angiogenin correlated with the extent of immune-mediated kidney injury. Collectively, our data identify angiogenin as a mediator of the ER stress-dependent inflammatory response and as a potential noninvasive biomarker of AK

COVID-19 in Patients on Maintenance Dialysis in the Paris Region

International audienceIntroduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represents a serious threat to patients on maintenance dialysis. The clinical setting, mortality rate, and prognostic factors in these patients have not been well established. Methods: We included all dialyzed patients with COVID-19 referred to our dialysis center between March 11 and April 11, 2020. Data were obtained through the review of the medical records and were censored at the time of data cutoff, on May 11, 2020. Results: Forty-four patients on maintenance dialysis with COVID-19 were referred to our dialysis unit during the COVID-19 epidemic. Median age was 61 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 51.5–72.5); 65.9% were men. Comorbidities included hypertension (97.7%), diabetes mellitus (50%), and chronic cardiac (38.6%) and respiratory (27.3%) diseases. Initial symptoms were fever (79.5%), shortness of breath (29.5%), cough (43.2%), and diarrhea (13.6%). Three profiles of severity were distinguished based on the World Health Organization (WHO) progression scale. Forty-one (93.2%) were hospitalized and only 3 were maintained on outpatient hemodialysis. Thirty-three (75%) patients required oxygen therapy, including 15 (45.5%) who were referred to the intensive care unit. Overall, 27.3% of patients died, and 58.5% were discharged from hospital, including only 2 (13.3%) of those admitted to the intensive care unit. By multivariate analysis, cough, thrombopenia 175 mg/l were significantly associated with death. Conclusion: A major outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in the Paris region, and spread among dialyzed patients. Our study underscores the severity of COVID-19 in these patients and identified prognostic markers

Kidney Histopathology Can Predict Kidney Function in ANCA-Associated Vasculitides with Acute Kidney Injury Treated with Plasma Exchanges

International audienceBackground Data from the PEXIVAS trial challenged the role of plasma exchange (PLEX) in ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV). We aimed to describe kidney biopsy from patients with AAV treated with PLEX, evaluate whether histopathologic findings could predict kidney function, and identify which patients would most benefit from PLEX. Methods We performed a multicenter, retrospective study on 188 patients with AAV and AKI treated with PLEX and 237 not treated with PLEX. The primary outcome was mortality or KRT at 12 months (M12). Results No significant benefit of PLEX for the primary outcome was found. To identify patients benefitting from PLEX, we developed a model predicting the average treatment effect of PLEX for an individual depending on covariables. Using the prediction model, 223 patients had a better predicted outcome with PLEX than without PLEX, and 177 of them had >5% increased predicted probability with PLEX compared with without PLEX of being alive and free from KRT at M12, which defined the PLEX-recommended group. Risk difference for death or KRT at M12 was significantly lower with PLEX in the PLEX-recommended group (−15.9%; 95% CI, −29.4 to −2.5) compared with the PLEX not recommended group (−4.8%; 95% CI, 14.9 to 5.3). Microscopic polyangiitis, MPO-ANCA, higher serum creatinine, crescentic and sclerotic classes, and higher Brix score were more frequent in the PLEX-recommended group. An easy to use score identified patients who would benefit from PLEX. The average treatment effect of PLEX for those with recommended treatment corresponded to an absolute risk reduction for death or KRT at M12 of 24.6%. Conclusions PLEX was not associated with a better primary outcome in the whole study population, but we identified a subset of patients who could benefit from PLEX. However, these findings must be validated before utilized in clinical decision making