BACKGROUND: Pediatric acute kidney injury (AKI) is a global health concern with an associated mortality risk disproportionately pronounced in resource-limited settings. There is a pertinent need to understand the epidemiology of pediatric AKI in vulnerable populations. Here, we proposed a prospective study to investigate the epidemiology and associated risk factors of \"severe dialysis dependent AKI\" in children among South Asian nations which would be the first and largest of its kind.
METHODS: The ASPIRE study (part of PCRRT-ICONIC Foundation initiative) is a multi-center, prospective observational study conducted in South Asian countries. All children and adolescents ≤ 18 years of age who required dialysis for AKI in any of the collaborating medical centers were enrolled. Data collection was performed until one of the following endpoints was observed: (1) discharge, (2) death, and (3) discharge against medical advice.
RESULTS: From 2019 to 2022, a total of 308 children with severe AKI were enrolled. The mean age was 6.17 years (63% males). Secondary AKI was more prevalent than primary AKI (67.2%), which predominantly occurred due to infections, dehydration, and nephrotoxins. Common causes of primary AKI were glomerulonephritis, hemolytic uremic syndrome, lupus nephritis, and obstructive uropathy. Shock, need for ventilation, and coagulopathy were commonly seen in children with severe AKI who needed dialysis. The foremost kidney replacement therapy used was peritoneal dialysis (60.7%). The mortality rate was 32.1%.
CONCLUSIONS: Common causes of AKI in children in South Asia are preventable. Mortality is high among these children suffering from \"severe dialysis dependent AKI.\" Targeted interventions to prevent and identify AKI early and initiate supportive care in less-resourced nations are needed.

A 76-year-old male with severe comorbidities and multiple cardiovascular risk factors including stage IV chronic kidney disease presents with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction. An ultra-low contrast invasive coronary angiography using the DyeVert system and iso-osmolar contrast agent revealed a multivessel disease with heavy calcifications involving the left main stem and its bifurcation requiring a complex percutaneous coronary intervention. Because of the high risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury, a zero-contrast intervention was performed using intravascular ultrasound guidance and dedicated stenting techniques with optimal imaging, clinical, and renal outcomes. Zero-contrast policies can be safely implemented even in complex clinical scenarios but at least two orthogonal angiographic projections should always be acquired to rule out distal complications.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major cause of chronic liver disease globally and in India. The already high burden of NAFLD in India is expected to further increase in the future in parallel with the ongoing epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Given the high prevalence of NAFLD in the community, it is crucial to identify those at risk of progressive liver disease to streamline referral and guide proper management. Existing guidelines on NAFLD by various international societies fail to capture the entire landscape of NAFLD in India and are often difficult to incorporate in clinical practice due to fundamental differences in sociocultural aspects and health infrastructure available in India. A lot of progress has been made in the field of NAFLD in the 7 years since the initial position paper by the Indian National Association for the Study of Liver on NAFLD in 2015. Further, the ongoing debate on the nomenclature of NAFLD is creating undue confusion among clinical practitioners. The ensuing comprehensive review provides consensus-based, guidance statements on the nomenclature, diagnosis, and treatment of NAFLD that are practically implementable in the Indian setting.

UNASSIGNED: To describe ocular findings in individuals with primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1), focusing on the correlations between retinal anatomy and retinal function. To characterize the retinal alterations that occur at different disease stages by evaluating individuals with diverse degrees of renal impairment associated with PH1.
UNASSIGNED: A cross-sectional study.
UNASSIGNED: Patients diagnosed with PH1 based on clinical criteria and genetic testing, treated in the Pediatric Nephrology Unit of the Ruth Children\'s Hospital, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel between 2013 and 2021.
UNASSIGNED: The ophthalmological assessment included a slit-lamp biomicroscopy of the anterior and posterior segment or indirect ophthalmoscopy. Electroretinography was employed for assessment of the retinal function, and retinal imaging included spectral-domain OCT and fundus autofluorescence. A systematic evaluation of the disease stage was based on clinical criteria including physical examination, purposeful imaging (X-ray, echocardiography, and US abdomen), and laboratory tests as needed.
UNASSIGNED: Anatomical and functional assessment of the retina in patients with PH1, and the relationship between retinal dysfunction and kidney impairment.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 16 eyes were examined in the study of 8 children ranging in age from 4 to 19 years. Four eyes (25%) showed normal structural and functional retinal findings, 8 eyes (50%) presented functional impairment in the absence of pathological structural findings, and 4 eyes (25%) had advanced retinal damage that manifested as significant morphological and functional impairment. There was no direct relationship between the severity of the renal disease and the severity of the retinal phenotype.
UNASSIGNED: Subjects with PH1 present varying severity levels of the retinal phenotype, with possible discrepancy between the clinical retinal morphology and the retinal function noted on electroretinography. These findings raise questions about the molecular basis of the retinal manifestations in PH1. The presence of functional impairment in the absence of evident crystal deposition in the retina suggests that, in addition to oxalate crystal accumulation, other biomolecular processes may play a role in the development of retinopathy.

UNASSIGNED: Patients with coronary artery disease and impaired renal function are at higher risk for both bleeding and ischemic adverse events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
UNASSIGNED: This study assessed the efficacy and safety of a prasugrel-based de-escalation strategy in patients with impaired renal function.
UNASSIGNED: We conducted a post hoc analysis of the HOST-REDUCE-POLYTECH-ACS study. Patients with available estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (n = 2,311) were categorized into 3 groups. (high eGFR: >90 mL/min; intermediate eGFR: 60 to 90 mL/min; and low eGFR: <60 mL/min). The end points were bleeding outcomes (Bleeding Academic Research Consortium type 2 or higher), ischemic outcomes (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, repeated revascularization, and ischemic stroke), and net adverse clinical event (including any clinical event) at 1-year follow-up.
UNASSIGNED: Prasugrel de-escalation was beneficial regardless of baseline renal function (P for interaction = 0.508). The relative reduction in bleeding risk from prasugrel de-escalation was higher in the low eGFR group than in both the intermediate and high eGFR groups (relative reductions, respectively: 64% (HR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.15-0.83) vs 50% (HR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.28-0.90) and 52% (HR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.21-1.13) (P for interaction = 0.646). Ischemic risk from prasgurel de-escalation was not significant in all eGFR groups (HR: 1.18 [95% CI: 0.47-2.98], HR: 0.95 [95% CI: 0.53-1.69], and HR: 0.61 [95% CI: 0.26-1.39]) (P for interaction = 0.119).
UNASSIGNED: In patients with acute coronary syndrome receiving PCI, prasugrel dose de-escalation was beneficial regardless of the baseline renal function.

With the increasing threat of metabolic syndromes, a focus on maintaining kidney health from early- to mid-adulthood is necessary. This study elucidates mortality risk and years of life lost (YLLs) due to abnormal renal function. This was a retrospective, matched cohort study from health checkup data from 2000 to 2015. We identified 12,774 participants with abnormal renal function (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) and used propensity score matching to identify 25,548 participants with normal renal function (eGFR ≥ 60). YLLs were estimated using the life expectancy differences between the abnormal and matched normal cohorts. Cox models were used to estimate the adjusted mortality risk. The estimated life expectancy of participants with proteinuria and eGFR < 60 was 26.24 years, with a 95 % confidence interval of (23.96, 29.36), 17.62 (16.37, 18.78), and 11.70 (11.02, 12.46) for age groups of 30 - 54, 55 - 64, and 65 - 79 years, respectively. The estimated YLLs of participants with proteinuria and eGFR < 60, as compared with the matched normal cohort, were 17.86 (13.41, 20.36), 12.55 (11.41, 13.78), and 8.31 (7.47, 9.13) years for the three age groups, respectively. The Cox model estimates of mortality hazard ratios of participants having proteinuria and eGFR < 60 against matched referents were 5.29 (3.97, 7.05), 3.99 (3.34, 4.75), and 3.05 (2.62, 3.55) for the three age groups, respectively. Abnormal renal function shortens life expectancy, particularly in patients with proteinuria and in younger adults. Active health management of renal function can reduce the disease burden.

UNASSIGNED: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune liver disease involving the small intrahepatic bile ducts; when untreated or undertreated, it may evolve to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Ursodeoxycholic Acid (UDCA) is the standard of care treatment, Obeticholic Acid (OCA) has been approved as second-line therapy for those non responder or intolerant to UDCA. However, due to moderate rate of UDCA-non responders and to warnings recently issued against OCA use in patients with cirrhosis, further therapies are needed.Areas covered. Deep investigations into the pathogenesis of PBC is leading to proposal of new therapeutic agents, among which peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) ligands seem to be highly promising given the preliminary, positive results in Phase 2 and 3 trials. Bezafibrate, the most evaluated, is currently used in clinical practice in combination with UDCA in referral centers. We herein describe completed and ongoing trials involving PPAR agonists use in PBC, analyzing pits and falls.
UNASSIGNED: Testing new therapeutic opportunities in PBC is challenging due to its low prevalence and slow progression. However, new drugs including PPAR agonists, are currently under investigation and should be considered for at-risk PBC patients.

Cirrhosis predisposes to abnormalities in energy, hormonal, and immunological homeostasis. Disturbances in these metabolic processes create susceptibility to sarcopenia or pathological muscle wasting. Sarcopenia is prevalent in cirrhosis and its presence portends significant adverse outcomes including the length of hospital stay, infectious complications, and mortality. This highlights the importance of identification of at-risk individuals with early nutritional, therapeutic and physical therapy intervention. This manuscript summarizes literature relevant to sarcopenia in cirrhosis, describes current knowledge, and elucidates possible future directions.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and is associated with substantial increases in the risk for stroke and systemic thromboembolism. With the successful introduction of the first non-vitamin K antagonistdirect oral anticoagulant agent (NOAC) in 2009, the role of vitamin K antagonists has been replaced in most clinical settings except in a few conditions for which NOACs are contraindicated. Data for the use of NOACs in different clinical scenarios have been accumulating in the past decade, and a more sophisticated strategy for patients with AF is now warranted. JACC: Asia recently appointed a working group to summarize the most updated information regarding stroke prevention in AF. The aim of this statement is to provide possible treatment options in daily practice. Local availability, cost, and patient comorbidities should also be considered. Final decisions may still need to be individualized and based on clinicians\' discretion. This is part 2 of the statement.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health concern and public health priority. The condition often involves inflammation due to the accumulation of toxins and the reduced clearance of inflammatory cytokines, leading to gradual loss of kidney function. Because of the tremendous burden of CKD, finding effective treatment strategies against inflammation is crucial. Substantial evidence suggests an association between kidney disease and the inflammasome. As a well-known multiprotein signaling complex, the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays an important role in inducing renal inflammation and fibrosis. Small molecule inhibitors targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome are potential agents for the treatment of CKD.The NLRP3 inflammasome activation amplifies the inflammation response, promoting pyroptotic cell death. Thus, it may contribute to the onset and progression of CKD, but the mechanism behind inflammasome activation in CKD remains obscure.In this review, we summarized recent findings on the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in CKD and new strategies targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome.