Serum apolipoprotein profile of patients with chronic renal failure

Serum apolipoprotein profile of patients with chronic renal failure. Serum concentrations of apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, B, C-I, C-II, C-III and E were determined by electroimmunoassay in 56 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) in the predialytic phase. The results were compared with those obtained in asymptomatic normolipidemic subjects, patients with type IV hyperlipoproteinemia, and patients with type II diabetes mellitus. CRF patients had reduced concentrations of ApoA-I and Apo A-II, normal levels of ApoB and ApoC-I, and increased concentrations of ApoC-II and, in particular, of ApoC-III. There was a significant reduction in the levels of ApoE, especially in male patients. In comparison with type IV, hyperlipoproteinemic patients, CRF patients had lower concentrations of ApoA-I, Apo A-II, ApoB, ApoC-I and, particularly, ApoE; there was no difference in ApoC-III levels reflecting the hypertriglyceridemia common to both disorders. Similar but less marked differences were also found in comparison with type II diabetics. The findings suggest that in CRF, the accumulation of ApoC-III-enriched lipoprotein particles accompanied by a moderate hypertriglyceridemia may be caused more probably by an impaired catabolism than overproduction of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. CRF patients with vascular disease tended to have higher serum concentrations of triglycerides, cholesterol and ApoB and lower ApoA-I/ApoC-III and ApoA-I/ApoB ratios than patients without vascular disease

Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Renal Patients and Healthy Subjects

The first goal of this study was to measure the oxidative stress (OS) and relate it to lipoprotein variables in 35 renal patients before dialysis (CKD), 37 on hemodialysis (HD) and 63 healthy subjects. The method for OS was based on the ratio of cholesteryl esters (CE) containing C18/C16 fatty acids (R2) measured by gas chromatography (GC) which is a simple, direct, rapid and reliable procedure. The second goal was to investigate and identify a triacylglycerol peak on GC, referred to as TG48 (48 represents the sum of the three fatty acids carbon chain lengths) which was markedly increased in renal patients compared to healthy controls. We measured TG48 in patients and controls. Mass spectrometry (MS) and MS twice in tandem were used to analyze the fatty acid composition of TG48. MS showed that TG48 was abundant in saturated fatty acids (SFAs) that were known for their pro-inflammatory property. TG48 was significantly and inversely correlated with OS. Renal patients were characterized by higher OS and inflammation than healthy subjects. Inflammation correlated strongly with TG, VLDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein (apo) C-III and apoC-III bound to apoB-containing lipoproteins, but not with either total cholesterol or LDL-cholesterol

Renal failure occurs in chronic lithium treatment but is uncommon.

We sought to establish the prevalence of lithium-induced end-stage renal disease in two regions of Sweden with 2.7 million inhabitants corresponding to about 30% of the Swedish population. Eighteen patients with lithium-induced end-stage renal disease were identified among the 3369 patients in the general lithium-treated population, representing a sixfold increase in prevalence compared with the general population for renal replacement therapy. All lithium-treated patients were older than 46 years at end-stage renal disease with a mean lithium treatment time of 23 years with ten patients having discontinued lithium treatment an average of 10 years before the start of renal replacement therapy. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (defined as plasma creatinine over 150 mumol/l) in the general lithium-treated population was about 1.2% (excluding patients on renal replacement therapy). Compared with lithium-treated patients without renal failure, those with chronic kidney disease were older and most were men but, as groups, their mean serum lithium levels and psychiatric diagnoses did not differ. We found that end-stage renal disease is an uncommon but not rare consequence of long-term lithium treatment and is more prevalent than previously thought. Time on lithium was the only identified risk factor in this study, suggesting that regular monitoring of renal function in these patients is mandatory.Kidney International advance online publication, 25 November 2009; doi:10.1038/ki.2009.433

End-stage renal disease associated with prophylactic lithium treatment.

The primary aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lithium associated end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and to compare the relative risk of ESRD in lithium users versus non-lithium users. Second, the role of lithium in the pathogenesis of ESRD was evaluated. We used the Swedish Renal Registry to search for lithium-treated patients with ESRD among 2644 patients with chronic renal replacement therapy (RRT)-either dialysis or transplantation, within two defined geographical areas in Sweden with 2.8 million inhabitants. The prevalence date was December 31, 2010. We found 30 ESRD patients with a history of lithium treatment. ESRD with RRT was significantly more prevalent among lithium users than among non-lithium users (p<0.001). The prevalence of ESRD with RRT in the lithium user population was 15.0‰ (95% CI 9.7-20.3), and close to two percent of the RRT population were lithium users. The relative risk of ESRD with RRT in the lithium user population compared with the general population was 7.8 (95% CI 5.4-11.1). Out of those 30 patients, lithium use was classified, based on chart reviews, as being the sole (n=14) or main (n=10) cause of ESRD in 24 cases. Their mean age at the start of RRT was 66 years (46-82), their mean time on lithium 27 years (12-39), and 22 of them had been on lithium for 15 years or more. We conclude that lithium-associated ESRD is an uncommon but not rare complication of lithium treatment

The impact of modern treatment principles may have eliminated lithium-induced renal failure

We have previously shown that lithium can cause end-stage renal disease (ESRD): however, this serious side-effect of lithium in prophylactic treatment of mood disorders may reflect the treatment regime of the 1960s and 1970s. Today's modern treatment routines, intended to reduce or eliminate lithium-induced ESRD (Li-ESRD), were introduced in Sweden in the early 1980s. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that these routines have eliminated the risk of Li-ESRD. We used the Swedish Renal Registry to identify patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT), treated with dialysis or renal transplantation, with suspected Li-ESRD in two regions of Sweden with altogether about three million inhabitants. We reviewed their medical records to verify the exposure to lithium treatment, the diagnosis of Li-ESRD and the date of starting the lithium treatment. We found 32 RRT patients in whom lithium treatment was the sole or main contributing cause of ESRD. The starting year of their lithium treatment was between 1965-1980 in all patients. No patient started lithium treatment later than 1980. Modern lithium treatment may have eliminated the risk of Li-ESRD. Our findings support the continued use of lithium as a safe drug for the long-term treatment of mood disorders

Lifetime risk of severe kidney disease in lithium-treated patients: a retrospective study

Abstract Background Lithium is an essential psychopharmaceutical, yet side effects and concerns about severe renal function impairment limit its usage. Aims Our objectives were to quantify the occurrence of chronic kidney disease stage 4 or higher (CKD4 +) within a lithium-treated population, using age- and time-specific cumulative incidence and age-specific lifetime risk as measures of disease occurrence. Additionally, we aimed to investigate the association between the duration of lithium treatment and the risk of CKD4 + . Methods We identified patients from the Sahlgrenska University Hospital’s laboratory database. We conducted a retrospective cohort study employing cumulative incidence functions that account for competing deaths to estimate cumulative and lifetime risk of CKD4 + . A subdistribution hazards model was employed to explore baseline covariates. For measuring the association between the duration of lithium treatment and CKD4 + occurrence, we used a matched 1:4 case–control study design and logistic regression. Results Considering a 90-year lifetime horizon, the lifetime risk of CKD4 + for patients initiating lithium treatment between ages 55 and 74 ranged from 13.9% to 18.6%. In contrast, the oldest patient group, those starting lithium at 75 years or older, had a lower lifetime risk of 5.4%. The 10-year cumulative risk for patients starting lithium between ages 18 and 54 was minimal, ranging from 0% to 0.7%. Pre-treatment creatinine level was a predictive factor, with a hazard ratio of 4.6 (95% CI 2.75–7.68) for values within the upper third of the reference range compared to the lower third. Moreover, twenty or more years of lithium exposure showed a strong association with an increased risk of CKD4 + compared to 1–5 years of lithium use, with an odds ratio of 6.14 (95% CI 2.65–14.26). Conclusions The risk of CKD4 + among lithium-treated patients exhibited significant age-related differences. Patients under 55 years old had negligible 10-year risk, while the lifetime risk for those aged 75 and older was limited. Duration of lithium treatment, especially exceeding 20 years, emerged as a significant risk factor. For individual risk assessment and prediction, consideration of age, pre-treatment creatinine levels, and the chosen time horizon for prediction is essential

Effects of 10 to 30 years of lithium treatment on kidney function.

Long-term lithium treatment is associated with end-stage renal disease, but there is little evidence of a clinically significant reduction in renal function in most patients. We previously found that 1.5% of people who took lithium from the 1960s and 1970s developed end-stage renal disease; however, none of the patients who started after 1980 had end-stage renal disease. Here we aimed to study the prevalence and extent of kidney damage during the course of long-term lithium treatment since 1980. We retrieved serum lithium and creatinine levels from 4879 patients examined between 1 January 1981 and 31 December 2010. Only patients who started their lithium treatment during the study period and had at least 10 years of cumulative treatment were included. The study group comprised 630 adult patients (402 women and 228 men) with normal creatinine levels at the start of lithium treatment. There was a yearly increase in median serum creatinine levels already from the first year of treatment. About one-third of the patients who had taken lithium for 10-29 years had evidence of chronic renal failure but only 5% were in the severe or very severe category. The results indicate that a substantial proportion of adult patients who are treated with lithium for more than a decade develop signs of renal functional impairment, also when treated according to modern therapeutic principles. Our results emphasise that lithium treatment requires continuous monitoring of kidney function