Jorge Reis Almeida

Assessment of a five-year survival on hemodialysis in Brazil: a cohort of 3,082 incident patients

Brazil has the third largest contingent of patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) worldwide. However, little is known regarding survival rate and predictors of mortality risk in that population, which are the purposes of this study. A total of 3,082 patients incident on HD, from 2000 to 2004, at 25 dialysis facilities distributed among 7 out of 26 states of Brazil were followed-up until 2009. Patients were 52 ± 16 years-old, 57.8% men, and 20.4%, diabetics. The primary outcome was all causes of mortality. Data were censored at five years of follow-up. The global five-year survival rate was 58.2%. In the Cox proportional model, variables associated with risk of death were: age (hazard ratio - HR = 1.44 per decade, p < 0.0001), diabetes (HR = 1.51, p < 0.0001), serum albumin (HR = 0.76 per g/dL, p = 0.001), creatinine (HR = 0.92 per mg/dL, p < 0.0001), and phosphorus (HR = 1.06 per mg/dL, p = 0.04). The present results show that the mortality rate on HD in this Brazilian cohort was relatively low, but the population is younger and with a lower prevalence of diabetes than the ones reported for developed countries.

Comparison of Maximal Inspiratory Pressure, Tracheal Airway Occlusion Pressure, and Its Ratio in the Prediction of Weaning Outcome: Impact of the Use of a Digital Vacuometer and the Unidirectional Valve

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value of the maximal inspiratory pressure obtained by a digital vacuometer using a unidirectional valve (PImaxUV) as to weaning outcome, and to compare its performance with the respiratory drive using airway occlusion pressure at 0.1 second (P0.1), and P0.1/PImaxUV. METHODS: Patients on mechanical ventilation for > 24 hours who fulfilled the weaning criteria were prospectively enrolled. Measurements of PImaxUV and P0.1 were accomplished with a digital vacuometer with a unidirectional valve that allows only exhalation. Measured values were electronically recorded and stored on the digital vacuometer measurement device. Cutoff points for the used parameters were: absolute values of PImaxUV > 30 cm H2O, P0.1 < 2.3 cm H2O, and P0.1/PImaxUV < 0.10. Receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated to compare the predictive values of the indexes. RESULTS: One hundred three subjects completed the test. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.79 ± 0.04, 0.65 ± 0.05, and 0.74 ± 0.04 for PImaxUV, P0.1, and P0.1/PImaxUV, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for PImaxUV was higher than for P0.1 and P0.1/PImaxUV, but statistical significance was only found against P0.1 (P = .007). CONCLUSIONS: Every studied index had only a modest performance regarding prediction of weaning outcome. Of note, PImaxUV values obtained by digital technology using a unidirectional valve performed better than historically reported using a conventional techniques, surpassing P0.1 and P0.1/PImaxUV in this regard.

Metabolic syndrome and associated urolithiasis in adults enrolled in a community-based health program

BACKGROUND Urolithiasis is a common and recurrent disease, whose prevalence rate has recently increased in parallel to obesity pandemic. OBJECTIVES To estimate the prevalence of history of urolithiasis in a non-randomized sample of adults assisted by a community-based health program and to analyze its association with metabolic syndrome. METHODS Cross-sectional study set in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, including adults (non-diabetic hypertensives, diabetics or controls). Participants were assessed through a standardized questionnaire and underwent clinical and laboratory evaluation, including blood and urine samples. The diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was based on harmonized criteria. RESULTS A total of 740 adults were enrolled (M: F = 0.85; 43±12 years; 30% white, and 70% non-white). Almost half of subjects (42.5%) had metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of urolithiasis in the sample was 10.1%. White skin colour, family history, and metabolic syndrome were independently associated with urolithiasis (P < 0.05). Subjects with the syndrome (excluding cases on diuretics) had more acidic urine (P = 0.014), increased natriuresis (P = 0.01) and higher uricosuria (P = 0.001) compared with non-affected ones. The prevalence of urolithiasis increased in proportion to the number of criteria for metabolic syndrome (P for trend <0.005). CONCLUSIONS Metabolic syndrome is a modifiable factor associated with urolithiasis in a way that the frequency of positive history increases proportionally to the number of its diagnostic criteria. These findings reinforce the recent suggested link between urolithiasis and cardiovascular risk factors.

Smoking and Its Association With Morbidity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Evaluated by the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index: Preliminary Data and Systematic Review

Due to the increased availability of effective treatments, patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) now have longer survival times, and factors involved in cumulative chronic damage in SLE need to be better understood. This study was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between smoking and cumulative chronic damage in SLE patients.

Smoking and its association with morbidity in systemic lupus erythematosus evaluated by the SLICC/ACR‐DI: Preliminary data and systematic review

Due to the increased availability of effective treatments, patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) now have longer survival times, and factors involved in cumulative chronic damage in SLE need to be better understood. This study was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between smoking and cumulative chronic damage in SLE patients.

BK polyomavirus in Kidney transplant recipients: screening, monitoring and clinical management

BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) is a causal agent of nephropathy, ureteral stenosis and hemorrhagic cystitis in kidney transplant recipients, and is considered an important emerging disease in transplantation. Regular screening for BKPyV reactivation mainly during the first 2 years posttransplant, with subsequent pre-emptive reduction of immunosuppression is considered the best option to avoid disease progression, since successful clearance or reduction of viremia is achieved in the vast majority of patients within 6 months. The use of drugs with antiviral properties for patients with persistent viremia has been attempted despite unclear benefits. Clinical manifestations of BKPyV nephropathy, current strategies for diagnosis and monitoring of BKPyV infection, management of immunosuppressive regimen after detection of BKPyV reactivation and the use of antiviral drugs are discussed in this review.

Clinical correlates of pp65 antigenemia monitoring in the first months of post kidney transplant in patients undergoing universal prophylaxis or preemptive therapy

INTRODUCTION Human cytomegalovirus is a major cause of morbidity in kidney transplant patients. OBJECTIVES We aimed to study viral replication and serological response in the first months post kidney transplant in patients undergoing universal prophylaxis or preemptive therapy and correlate the findings with the clinical course of Human cytomegalovirus infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS Independent from the clinical strategy adopted for managing Human cytomegalovirus infection, prophylaxis versus preemptive therapy, the pp65 antigenemia assay and serological response were assessed on the day of transplantation, and then weekly during the first three months of post-transplant. RESULTS From the 32 transplant recipients, 16 were positive for pp65 antigenemia, with a similar incidence rate in each group. There were no positive results in the first three weeks of monitoring; the positivity rate peaked at week eight. There was a trend for a higher and earlier frequency of positivity in the universal prophylaxis group in which the course of the Human cytomegalovirus infection was also more severe. Despite the differences in clinical picture and in the initial immunosuppressant schedule, the serological response was similar in both groups. CONCLUSION Routine monitoring during the first three post-transplant months has a positive impact on the early detection of Human cytomegalovirus viral replication allowing for timely treatment in order to reduce morbidity of the disease. The strategy of universal therapy employing intravenous ganciclovir was associated to a worse clinical course of the Human cytomegalovirus infection suggesting that the use of >10 cells/2×105 leukocytes as a cut-off in this setting may be inappropriate.

Five years results after intrafamilial kidney post-transplant in a case of familial hypomagnesemia due to a claudin-19 mutation.

INTRODUCTION Familial Hypomagnesaemia with hypercalciuria and nephrocalcinosis, with severe ocular impairment secondary to claudin-19 mutation, is a rare recessive autossomic disorder. Its spectrum includes renal Mg2+ wasting, medullary nephrocalcinosis and progressive chronic renal failure in young people. OBJECTIVE To report a case of kidney transplantation father to daughter in a familial occurrence of severe bilateral nephrocalcinosis associated with ocular impairment in a non-consanguineous Brazilian family, in which two daughters had nephrocalcinosis and severe retinopathy. METHODS The index case, a 19 years-old female, had long-lasting past medical history of recurrent urinary tract infections, and the abdominal X-ray revealed bilateral multiple renal calcifications as well as ureteral lithiasis, and she was under haemodialysis. She had the diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa in the early neonatal period. The other daughter (13 years-old) had also nephrocalcinosis with preserved kidney function, retinopathy with severe visual impairment, and in addition, she exhibited hypomagnesaemia = 0.5 mg/dL and hypercalciuria. The other family members (mother, father and son) had no clinical disease manifestation. Mutation analysis at claudin-19 revealed two heterozygous missense mutations (P28L and G20D) in both affected daughters. The other family members exhibited mutant monoallelic status. In despite of that, the index case underwent intrafamilial living donor kidney transplantation (father). CONCLUSION In conclusion, the disease was characterized by an autosomal recessive compound heterozygous status and, after five years of donation the renal graft function remained stable without recurrence of metabolic disturbances or nephrocalcinosis. Besides, donor single kidney Mg2+ and Ca2+ homeostasis associated to monoallelic status did not affect the safety and the usual living donor post-transplant clinical course.

Restoring Inflammatory Mediator Balance after Sofosbuvir-Induced Viral Clearance in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C

This study aimed at analyzing circulating levels of inflammatory and profibrogenic cytokines in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic infection undergoing therapy with direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) and correlating these immune biomarkers with liver disease status. We studied 88 Brazilian monoinfected chronic hepatitis C patients receiving interferon- (IFN-) free sofosbuvir-based regimens for 12 or 24 weeks, followed-up before therapy initiation and three months after the end of treatment. Liver disease was determined by transient elastography, in addition to APRI and FIB-4 indexes. Analysis of 30 immune mediators was carried out by multiplex or enzymatic immunoassays. Sustained virological response rate was 98.9%. Serum levels of cytokines were increased in HCV-infected patients when compared to control group. CCL-2, CCL-3, CCL-4, CXCL-8, CXCL-10, IL-1β, IL-15, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, TGF-β, FGFb, and PAI-1 decreased significantly after antiviral therapy, reaching values similar to noninfected controls. TGF-β and suPAR levels were associated with fibrosis/cirrhosis. Also, we observed amelioration in hepatic parameters after DAA treatment. Together, our results suggest that viral control induced by IFN-free DAA therapy restores inflammatory mediators in association with improvement in liver function.

Renal safety after one year of sofosbuvir-based therapy for chronic hepatitis C: A Brazilian “real-life” study

Sofosbuvir(SOF)‐based regimens have been administrated with excellent efficacy in chronic hepatitis C. Few uncontrolled (“real‐life”) studies consider the assessment of renal function when evaluating their post‐treatment outcomes. This study aims to evaluate renal biomarkers in a “real‐life” experience with chronic hepatitis C patients treated with SOF therapy in a long‐term follow‐up.