Increased risk of end-stage renal disease in individuals with coeliac disease

Objective The prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is increasing worldwide. Although increased levels of coeliac disease (CD) autoantibodies are often seen in renal disease, the importance of biopsy-verified CD for the risk of future ESRD is unclear. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the risk of future ESRD in individuals with CD. Methods This was a population-based prospective cohort study. 29 050 individuals with CD (Marsh III) were identified through small-intestinal biopsy reports obtained between July 1969 and February 2008 in Sweden's 28 pathology departments. ESRD was defined as the need for renal dialysis or renal transplant in accordance with the international classification of disease and procedure codes in Swedish patient registers. Using Cox regression, the risk of ESRD in individuals with CD compared with age- and sex-matched reference individuals was estimated. Results During follow-up, 90 individuals with CD developed ESRD (expected count 31). This corresponded to a HR for ESRD of 2.87 (95% CI 2.22 to 3.71, p<0.001). Adjusting for diabetes mellitus had only a marginal effect on the risk estimate (HR 2.52, 95% CI 1.92 to 3.31). Excluding individuals with any urinary/renal disorder before study entry, the HR for ESRD in CD was 2.47 (95% CI 1.80 to 3.40). When restricting the outcome measure to ESRD confirmed by independent data from the Swedish Renal Registry (SRR), the risk estimate increased to 3.20 (95% CI 2.39 to 4.28). Conclusion This study indicates that individuals with biopsy-verified CD suffer increased risk of subsequent ESRD

Senescence rates in patients with end-stage renal disease: a critical appraisal of the Gompertz model

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links fieldThe most frequently used model to describe the exponential increase in mortality rate over age is the Gompertz equation. Logarithmically transformed, the equation conforms to a straight line, of which the slope has been interpreted as the rate of senescence. Earlier, we proposed the derivative function of the Gompertz equation as a superior descriptor of senescence rate. Here, we tested both measures of the rate of senescence in a population of patients with end-stage renal disease. It is clinical dogma that patients on dialysis experience accelerated senescence, whereas those with a functional kidney transplant have mortality rates comparable to the general population. Therefore, we calculated the age-specific mortality rates for European patients on dialysis (n = 274 221; follow-up = 594 767 person-years), for European patients with a functioning kidney transplant (n = 61 286; follow-up = 345 024 person-years), and for the general European population. We found higher mortality rates, but a smaller slope of logarithmic mortality curve for patients on dialysis compared with both patients with a functioning kidney transplant and the general population (P < 0.001). A classical interpretation of the Gompertz model would imply that the rate of senescence in patients on dialysis is lower than in patients with a functioning transplant and lower than in the general population. In contrast, the derivative function of the Gompertz equation yielded the highest senescence rates for patients on dialysis, whereas the rate was similar in patients with a functioning transplant and the general population. We conclude that the rate of senescence is better described by the derivative function of the Gompertz equation