Alessandra Calábria Baxmann

Influence of Muscle Mass and Physical Activity on Serum and Urinary Creatinine and Serum Cystatin C

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES For addressing the influence of muscle mass on serum and urinary creatinine and serum cystatin C, body composition was assessed by skinfold thickness measurement and bioelectrical impedance analyses. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS A total of 170 healthy individuals (92 women, 78 men) were classified as sedentary or with mild or moderate/intense physical activity. Blood, 24-h urine samples, and 24-h food recall were obtained from all individuals. RESULTS Serum and urinary creatinine correlated significantly with body weight, but the level of correlation with lean mass was even greater. There was no significant correlation between body weight and lean mass with cystatin C. Individuals with moderate/intense physical activity presented significantly lower mean body mass index (23.1 +/- 2.5 versus 25.7 +/- 3.9 kg/m(2)) and higher lean mass (55.3 +/- 10.0 versus 48.5 +/- 10.4%), serum creatinine (1.04 +/- 0.12 versus 0.95 +/- 0.17 mg/dl), urinary creatinine (1437 +/- 471 versus 1231 +/- 430 mg/24 h), protein intake (1.4 +/- 0.6 versus 1.1 +/- 0.6 g/kg per d), and meat intake (0.7 +/- 0.3 versus 0.5 +/- 0.4 g/kg per d) than the sedentary individuals. Conversely, mean serum cystatin did not differ between these two groups. A multivariate analysis of covariance showed that lean mass was significantly related to serum and urinary creatinine but not with cystatin, even after adjustment for protein/meat intake and physical activity. CONCLUSIONS Cystatin C may represent a more adequate alternative to assess renal function in individuals with higher muscle mass when mild kidney impairment is suspected.

Response to Dietary Oxalate after Bariatric Surgery

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Bariatric surgery (BS) may be associated with increased oxalate excretion and a higher risk of nephrolithiasis. This study aimed to investigate urinary abnormalities and responses to an acute oxalate load as an indirect assessment of the intestinal absorption of oxalate in this population. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS Twenty-four-hour urine specimens were collected from 61 patients a median of 48 months after BS (post-BS) as well as from 30 morbidly obese (MO) participants; dietary information was obtained through 24-hour food recalls. An oral oxalate load test (OLT), consisting of 2-hour urine samples after overnight fasting and 2, 4, and 6 hours after consuming 375 mg of oxalate (spinach juice), was performed on 21 MO and 22 post-BS patients 12 months after BS. Ten post-BS patients also underwent OLT before surgery (pre-BS). RESULTS There was a higher percentage of low urinary volume (<1.5 L/d) in post-BS versus MO (P<0.001). Hypocitraturia and hyperoxaluria (P=0.13 and P=0.36, respectively) were more frequent in BS versus MO patients. The OLT showed intragroup (P<0.001 for all periods versus baseline) and intergroup differences (P<0.001 for post-BS versus MO; P=0.03 for post-BS versus pre-BS). The total mean increment in oxaluria after 6 hours of load, expressed as area under the curve, was higher in both post-BS versus MO and in post-BS versus pre-BS participants (P<0.001 for both). CONCLUSIONS The mean oxaluric response to an oxalate load is markedly elevated in post-bariatric surgery patients, suggesting that increased intestinal absorption of dietary oxalate is a predisposing mechanism for enteric hyperoxaluria.

Noncitrus Alkaline Fruit: A Dietary Alternative for the Treatment of Hypocitraturic Stone Formers

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Fruits and vegetables are natural suppliers of potassium, bicarbonate, or bicarbonate precursors such as citrate, malate and others-hence, possessing potential effects on citraturia. We aimed to compare the acute effects of a noncitrus (melon) fruit vs citric ones (orange and lime) on citraturia and other lithogenic parameters. PATIENTS AND METHODS Two-hour urine samples were collected from 30 hypocitraturic stone-forming patients after an overnight fast and 2, 4, and 6 hours after the consumption of 385 mL (13 oz) of either freshly squeezed orange juice (n=10), freshly blended melon juice (n=10), or freshly squeezed lime juice (n=10). Urinary citrate, potassium, pH, and other lithogenic parameters were determined and net gastrointestinal alkali absorption (NGIA) was calculated. Potential renal acid load (PRAL) and pH from juices were determined. RESULTS Significant and comparable increases of mean urinary citrate were observed in all groups, whereas mean urinary potassium, pH, and NGIA were significantly increased only after consumption of melon and orange juices. The pH of melon juice was higher and the PRAL value was more negative compared with orange juice, indicating a higher alkalinity. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggested that melon, a noncitrus source of potassium, citrate, and malate, yielded an increase in urinary citrate excretion equivalent to that provided by orange, and hence represents another dietary alternative for the treatment of hypocitraturic stone-formers. Despite its low potassium content, lime also produced comparable increases in citraturia possibly because of its high citric acid content.

The Effect of Sodium Bicarbonate Upon Urinary Citrate Excretion in Calcium Stone Formers

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of oral sodium bicarbonate (NaBic) supplementation upon urinary citrate excretion in calcium stone formers (CSFs). METHODS Sixteen adult calcium stone formers with hypocitraturia were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, crossover protocol using 60 mEq/day of NaBic during 3 days compared to the same period and doses of potassium citrate (KCit) supplementation. Blood and 24-hour urine samples were collected at baseline and during the third day of each alkali salt. RESULTS NaBic, similarly to KCit supplementation, led to an equivalent and significant increase in urinary citrate and pH. Compared to baseline, NaBic led to a significant increase in sodium excretion without concomitant increases in urinary calcium excretion, whereas KCit induced a significant increase in potassium excretion coupled with a significant reduction in urinary calcium. Although NaBic and KCit both reduced calcium oxalate supersaturation (CaOxSS) significantly vs baseline, KCit reduced calcium oxalate supersaturation significantly further vs NaBic. Both KCit and NaBic significantly reduced urinary phosphate and increased calcium phosphate supersaturation (CaPSS) compared to baseline. Finally, a significantly higher sodium urate supersaturation (NaUrSS) was observed after the use of the 2 drugs. CONCLUSION This short-term study suggests that NaBic represents an effective alternative for the treatment of hypocitraturic calcium oxalate stone formers who cannot tolerate or afford the cost of KCit. In view of the increased sodium urate supersaturation, patients with pure uric acid stones and high urate excretion may be less suited for treatment with NaBic.

Overweight and body fat are predictors of hypovitaminosis D in renal transplant patients

Background Hypovitaminosis D has been frequently reported after renal transplantation, but the impact of obesity and other factors in the reduction of vitamin D levels is not well established. We aimed to evaluate risk factors contributing to hypovitaminosis D among nondiabetic renal transplant recipients (RTR) with serum creatinine <2.0 mg/dL, at least 6 months after transplantation. Methods One hundred RTR were subjected to anthropometric evaluation and body composition assessment through bioelectrical impedance analysis; blood samples were drawn for biochemical and hormonal determinations and clinical data were retrieved from the medical records. Results Hypovitaminosis D was observed in 65% and overweight (body mass index, BMI >25 kg/m2) in 59% of cases with a significant median weight gain after transplantation of 5.1 kg. An inadequate distribution of body fat was evidenced in 50% of males and in 58% of females. Patients with either vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency presented significantly higher median values of body fat and weight gain since transplantation, as well as lower lean mass compared with patients with normal vitamin D levels (P < 0.001). Moreover, median values of waist circumference, BMI, serum leptin and parathyroid hormone levels were significantly higher in the group with vitamin D deficiency. A multivariate linear regression analysis then revealed that body fat and leptin levels, but not skin color, gender, age, glucocorticoid use, renal function, microalbuminuria and other confounding factors, were independently associated with low levels of 25 hydroxyvitamin D3 even after adjustments for seasonal variations. Conclusion In conclusion, the present study showed body fat and serum leptin levels to be the only independent risk factors for hypovitaminosis D among RTR.

Caffeine intake by patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

Because caffeine may induce cyst and kidney enlargement in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), we evaluated caffeine intake and renal volume using renal ultrasound in ADPKD patients. Caffeine intake was estimated by the average of 24-h dietary recalls obtained on 3 nonconsecutive days in 102 ADPKD patients (68 females, 34 males; 39 ± 12 years) and compared to that of 102 healthy volunteers (74 females, 28 males; 38 ± 14 years). The awareness of the need for caffeine restriction was assessed. Clinical and laboratory data were obtained from the medical records of the patients. Mean caffeine intake was significantly lower in ADPKD patients versus controls (86 vs 134 mg/day), and 63% of the ADPKD patients had been previously aware of caffeine restriction. Caffeine intake did not correlate with renal volume in ADPKD patients. There were no significant differences between the renal volumes of patients in the highest and lowest tertiles of caffeine consumption. Finally, age-adjusted multiple linear regression revealed that renal volume was associated with hypertension, chronic kidney disease stage 3 and the time since diagnosis, but not with caffeine intake. The present small cross-sectional study indicated a low level of caffeine consumption by ADPKD patients when compared to healthy volunteers, which was most likely due to prior awareness of the need for caffeine restriction. Within the range of caffeine intake observed by ADPKD patients in this study (0-471 mg/day), the renal volume was not directly associated with caffeine intake.