International urology and nephrology
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We tested the hypothesis that the basal nitric oxide (NO) levels in prevalent hemodialysis (HD) patients may associate with inflammatory cytokines, predisposing them to increased mortality risk. ⋯ Chronic inflammation, as measured by higher serum IL-6 levels, in combination with high basal NO is associated with worse clinical outcomes in terms of all-cause and cardiovascular death in clinically stable prevalent HD patients.
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Comparative Study
A single institutional experience of conversion of non-tunneled to tunneled hemodialysis catheters: a comparison to de novo placement.
To compare the outcomes of conversion of non-tunneled to tunneled hemodialysis catheters with de novo placement of tunneled catheters and to determine the effect of time to conversion of non-tunneled to tunneled catheters on the incidence of complications. ⋯ The efficacy and safety of conversion of non-tunneled to tunneled hemodialysis catheters are similar to de novo placement with no difference in the rates of technical success, catheter dysfunction, or infection. However, the exchange of non-tunneled to tunneled catheter can help in preservation of veins for future vascular access, which is of vital importance in patients with chronic renal disease.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of serum cystatin C and creatinine changes after cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with normal preoperative kidney function.
Serum creatinine is used ubiquitously to estimate glomerular filtration rate and to diagnose acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery. Serum cystatin C is a novel biomarker that has emerged as a possible diagnostic alternative to serum creatinine. It is unclear if the dynamic changes in serum cystatin C immediately following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) differ from those of serum creatinine in patients with normal preoperative kidney function. ⋯ Processes that determine the serum concentrations of serum creatinine and cystatin C in the post-CPB period affect the two biomarkers differently, suggesting that the two are not interchangeable as diagnostic markers of glomerular filtration rate. Future studies are needed to examine if these discrepancies are related to differences in their production rates, in their ability to detect small changes in glomerular filtration rate, or to a combination of these, and to determine the effect of such differences on the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of the two biomarkers.