Hypertension in autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD)

Cardiovascular (CV) complications are the major cause of death in autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) patients. Hypertension is common in these patients even before the onset of renal insufficiency. Blood pressure (BP) elevation is a key factor in patient outcome, mainly owing to the high prevalence of target organ damage together with a poor renal prognosis when BP is increased. Many factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension, including the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) stimulation. Polycystin deficiency may also contribute to hypertension because of its potential role in regulating the vascular tone. Early diagnosis and treatment of hypertension improve the CV and renal complications of this population. Ambulatory BP monitoring is recommended for prompt diagnosis of hypertension. CV risk assessment is mandatory. Even though a nonpharmacological approach should not be neglected, RAAS inhibitors are the cornerstone of hypertension treatment. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) should be avoided unless resistant hypertension is present. The BP should be <140/90 mmHg in all ADPKD patients and a more intensive control (<135/85 mmHg) should be pursued as soon as microalbuminuria or left ventricle hypertrophy is present

Nephrin mutations cause childhood- and adult-onset focal segmental glomerulosclerosis

Mutations in the NPHS1 gene cause congenital nephrotic syndrome of the Finnish type presenting before the first 3 months of life. Recently, NPHS1 mutations have also been identified in childhood-onset steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome and milder courses of disease, but their role in adults with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis remains unknown. Here we developed an in silico scoring matrix to evaluate the pathogenicity of amino-acid substitutions using the biophysical and biochemical difference between wild-type and mutant amino acid, the evolutionary conservation of the amino-acid residue in orthologs, and defined domains, with the addition of contextual information. Mutation analysis was performed in 97 patients from 89 unrelated families, of which 52 presented with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome after 18 years of age. Compound heterozygous or homozygous NPHS1 mutations were identified in five familial and seven sporadic cases, including one patient 27 years old at onset of the disease. Substitutions were classified as ‘severe’ or ‘mild’ using this in silico approach. Our results suggest an earlier onset of the disease in patients with two ‘severe’ mutations compared to patients with at least one ‘mild’ mutation. The finding of mutations in a patient with adult-onset focal segmental glomerulosclerosis indicates that NPHS1 analysis could be considered in patients with later onset of the disease

Prevalence of Cysts in Seminal Tract and Abnormal Semen Parameters in Patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Background and objectives: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is a systemic disorder with a wide range of extrarenal involvement. The scope of this study was to analyze the prevalence of seminal cysts and to correlate these findings with the sperm parameters in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

Cuff-based oscillometric central and brachial blood pressures obtained through ABPM are similarly associated with renal organ damage in arterial hypertension

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Central blood pressure (BP) has been suggested to be a better estimator of hypertension-associated risks. We aimed to evaluate the association of 24-hour central BP, in comparison with 24-hour peripheral BP, with the presence of renal organ damage in hypertensive patients. METHODS: Brachial and central (calculated by an oscillometric system through brachial pulse wave analysis) office BP and ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) data and aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) were measured in 208 hypertensive patients. Renal organ damage was evaluated by means of the albumin to creatinine ratio and the estimated glomerular filtration rate. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients (25.9%) were affected by renal organ damage, displaying either microalbuminuria (urinary albumin excretion ≥30 mg/g creatinine) or an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Compared to those without renal abnormalities, hypertensive patients with kidney damage had higher values of office brachial systolic BP (SBP) and pulse pressure (PP), and 24-h, daytime, and nighttime central and brachial SBP and PP. They also had a blunted nocturnal decrease in both central and brachial BP, and higher values of aortic PWV. After adjustment for age, gender, and antihypertensive treatment, only ABPM-derived BP estimates (both central and brachial) showed significant associations with the presence of renal damage. Odds ratios for central BP estimates were not significantly higher than those obtained for brachial BP. CONCLUSION: Compared with peripheral ABPM, cuff-based oscillometric central ABPM does not show a closer association with presence of renal organ damage in hypertensive patients. More studies, however, need to be done to better identify the role of central BP in clinical practice