Kidneys and women's health: key challenges and considerations

The theme of World Kidney Day 2018 is 'kidneys and women's health: include, value, empower'. To mark this event, Nature Reviews Nephrology asked four leading researchers to discuss key considerations related to women's kidney health, including specific risk factors, as well as the main challenges and barriers to care for women with kidney disease and how these might be overcome. They also discuss policies and systems that could be implemented to improve the kidney health of women and their offspring and the areas of research that are needed to improve the outcomes of kidney disease in women

The role of salt abuse on risk for hypercalciuria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Elevated sodium excretion in urine resulting from excessive sodium intake can lead to hypercalciuria and contribute to the formation of urinary stones. The aim of this study was to evaluate salt intake in patients with urinary lithiasis and idiopathic hypercalciuria (IH).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Between August 2007 and June 2008, 105 lithiasic patients were distributed into 2 groups: Group 1 (n = 55): patients with IH (urinary calcium excretion > 250 mg in women and 300 mg in men with normal serum calcium); Group 2 (n = 50): normocalciuric patients (NC). Inclusion criteria were: age over 18 years, normal renal function (creatinine clearance ≥ 60 ml/min), absent proteinuria and negative urinary culture. Pregnant women, patients with intestinal pathologies, chronic diarrhea or using corticoids were excluded. The protocol of metabolic investigation was based on non-consecutive collection of two 24-hour samples for dosages of: calcium, sodium, uric acid, citrate, oxalate, magnesium and urinary volume. Food intake was evaluated by the three-day dietary record quantitative method, and the Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated and classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Sodium intake was evaluated based on 24-hour urinary sodium excretion.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The distribution in both groups as regards mean age (42.11 ± 10.61 vs. 46.14 ± 11.52), weight (77.14 ± 16.03 vs. 75.99 ± 15.80), height (1.64 ± 0.10 vs. 1.64 <b>± plusorminus </b>0.08) and BMI (28.78 ± 5.81 vs. 28.07 ± 5.27) was homogeneous. Urinary excretion of calcium (433.33 ± 141.92 vs. 188.93 ± 53.09), sodium (280.08 ± 100.94 vs. 200.44.93 ± 65.81), uric acid (880.63 ± 281.50 vs. 646.74 ± 182.76) and magnesium (88.78 ± 37.53 vs. 64.34 ± 31.84) was significantly higher in the IH group (p < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in calcium intake between the groups, and there was significantly higher salt intake in patients with IH than in NC.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study showed that salt intake was higher in patients with IH as compared to NC.</p

The cause of urinary symptoms among Human T Lymphotropic Virus Type I (HLTV-I) infected patients: a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND: HTLV-I infected patients often complain of urinary symptomatology. Epidemiological studies have suggested that these individuals have a higher prevalence and incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI) than seronegative controls. However, the diagnosis of UTI in these studies relied only on patient information and did not require confirmation by urine culture. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of urinary tract infection (UTI) as the cause of urinary symptoms in HTLV-I infected patients. METHODS: In this cross sectional study we interviewed, and cultured urine from, 157 HTLV-I seropositive individuals followed regularly at a specialized clinic. All patients were evaluated by a neurologist and classified according to the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Urodynamic studies were performed at the discretion of the treating physician. RESULTS: Sixty-four patients complained of at least one active urinary symptom but UTI was confirmed by a positive urine culture in only 12 of these patients (19%); the majority of symptomatic patients (81%) had negative urine cultures. To investigate the mechanism behind the urinary complaints in symptomatic individuals with negative urine cultures, we reviewed the results of urodynamic studies performed in 21 of these patients. Most of them (90.5%) had abnormal findings. The predominant abnormalities were detrusor sphincter hyperreflexia and dyssynergia, findings consistent with HTLV-I-induced neurogenic bladder. On a multivariate logistic regression, an abnormal EDSS score was the strongest predictor of urinary symptomatology (OR 9.87, 95% CI 3.465 to 28.116, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Urinary symptomatology suggestive of UTI is highly prevalent among HTLV-I seropositive individuals but true UTI is responsible for the minority of cases. We posit that the main cause of urinary symptoms in this population is neurogenic bladder. Our data imply that HLTV-I infected patients with urinary symptomatology should not be empirically treated for UTI but rather undergo urine culture; if a UTI is excluded, further investigation with urodynamic studies should be considered

A novel mutation in the anion exchanger 1 gene is associated with familial distal renal tubular acidosis and nephrocalcinosis

Objective. The anion exchanger gene (AE1) or band 3 encodes a chloride- bicarbonate (Cl-/ HCO3-) exchanger expressed in the erythrocyte and in the renal alpha-intercalated cells involved in urine acidification. The purpose of the present study was to screen for mutations in the AE1 gene in 2 brothers ( 10 and 15 years of age) with familial distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA), nephrocalcinosis, and failure to thrive. Methods. AE1 mutations were screened by single-strand conformation polymorphism, cloning, and sequencing. Results. A complete form of dRTA was confirmed in the 2 affected brothers and an incomplete form in their father. All 3 were heterozygous for a novel 20-bp deletion in exon 20 of the AE1 gene. This deletion resulted in 1 mutation in codon 888 (Ala-8883 --> Leu) followed by a premature termination codon at position 889, truncating the protein by 23 amino acids. As band 3 deficiency might lead to spherocytic hemolytic anemia or ovalocytosis, erythrocyte abnormalities were also investigated, but no morphologic changes in erythrocyte membrane were found and the osmotic fragility test was normal. Conclusions. A novel mutation in the AE1 gene was identified in association with autosomal dominant dRTA. We suggest that RTA be considered a diagnostic possibility in all children with failure to thrive and nephrocalcinosis.11261361136

Leucocitúria em pacientes submetidas a quimioterapia e coleta de urina Leucocitúria en pacientes sometidas a quimioterapia y recolección de orina Leucocituria in patients submitted to chemoteraphy and urine collection

O objetivo do estudo foi verificar a freqüência de leucocitúria em portadoras de câncer ginecológico em quimioterapia (QT) e avaliar as práticas na coleta de urina para exame. Pesquisa descritiva, transversal realizada com mulheres portadoras de câncer ginecológico, durante seções de QT. Com entrevista semi-estruturada foi identificada técnica da coleta de urina e verificados os resultados dos exames realizados antes das seções de QT. Das 30 entrevistadas, 80% relataram coletar corretamente urina, 100% apresentaram pelo menos um erro durante o processo. A frequência de leucocitúria foi de 30 episódios. Os erros ocorreram principalmente na higienização genital e coleta do jato urinário. Infere-se que a forma errônea na coleta de urina somada a neutropenia sejam responsáveis pela leucocitúria.<br>El objetivo del estudio fue verificar la frecuencia de leucocitúria en portadoras de cáncer ginecológico en quimioterapia (QT) e identificar las prácticas en la colecta de orina para examen. Pesquisa descriptiva transversal realizada con portadoras de cáncer ginecológico, durante las secciones de QT. Por medio de entrevista semi-estructurada fue identificada técnica de colecta de orina y verificados los resultados de los exámenes realizados antes de las secciones de QT. De las 30 entrevistadas, 80% relataron colectar correctamente la orina, 100% presentaron por lo menos un error durante el proceso. La frecuencia de leucocitúria fue de 30 episódios. Los errores ocurrieron principalmente en la higienización genital y colecta del chorro urinario. Se infiere que la forma errada en la colecta de orina sumada a la neutropénia sean responsables por la leucocitúria.<br>The proposal of the study was to verify leucocituria frequency in carriers of gynecological cancer in chemotherapy (CT) and to identify practices in urine collection for exam. Descriptive transversal study carried out with ginecologyc cancer patients during chemotherapy sections. With semi-structured interview, it was identified urine collection technique and verified the results of exams accomplished before chemotherapy sections. Among 30 interviews, 80% related to collect urine correctly, 100% presented at last a mistake during the process. Leucocituria frenquency was 30 episodes. The mistakes occurred mostly in genital cleaning and collection of the urinary jet. It infers that the erroneous form in the collection in addition to the neutropenia can be responsible for the leucocituria