1.
Safety of intravenous iron in hemodialysis patients.
Li, X, Kshirsagar, AV, Brookhart, MA
Hemodialysis international. International Symposium on Home Hemodialysis. 2017;(Suppl 1):S93-S103
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Abstract
Among end-stage renal disease patients maintained by hemodialysis, anemia has been managed primarily through erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and intravenous (IV) iron. Following concerns about the cardiovascular (CV) safety of ESAs and changes in the reimbursement policies in Medicare's ESRD program, the use of IV iron has increased. IV iron supplementation promotes hemoglobin production and reduces ESA requirements, yet there exists relatively little evidence on the long-term safety of iron supplementation in hemodialysis patients. Labile iron can induce oxidative stress and is also essential in bacterial growth, leading to concerns about IV iron use and risk of CV events and infections in hemodialysis patients. Existing randomized controlled trials provide little evidence about safety due to insufficient power and short follow-up; recent observational studies have been inconsistent, but some have associated iron exposure with increased risk of infections and CV events. Given the widespread use and potential safety concerns related to IV iron, well-designed large prospective studies are needed to assess to identify optimal strategies for iron administration that maximize its benefits while avoiding potential risks.
2.
Evaluation of anemia and serum iPTH, calcium, and phosphorus in patients with primary glomerulonephritis.
Li, Y, Zhang, W, Ren, H, Wang, W, Shi, H, Li, X, Chen, X, Shen, P, Wu, X, Xie, J, et al
Contributions to nephrology. 2013;:31-40
Abstract
Glomerulonephritis (GN) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence of anemia, abnormal serum intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), calcium, and phosphorus in a Chinese patient population with primary GN. Medical histories and laboratory test results were collected from 2,924 patients with primary GN hospitalized in Ruijin Hospital of Shanghai between January 2003 and August 2009. The leading cause of CKD was primary glomerular diseases, which were responsible for up to 53.5% of all cases. IgA nephropathy was the most common cause, accounting for 38.7%, followed by focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The anemia rate of GN patients in early stages of CKD (stages 1-2 and 3) was 16-36%, and rapidly accelerated to 65.8 and 80.2% in advanced CKD stage 4 and stage 5, respectively. There was no significant decline observed in the level of serum calcium in patients with CKD stages 1-4 (p > 0.05). However, in patients with CKD stage 5 the prevalence of hypocalcaemia increased significantly (13.7%, p = 0.000). The prevalence of hyperphosphatemia did not significantly increase in patients with CKD stages 1-3 (p < 0.05), but was much higher in patients with CKD stages 4 and 5 (p = 0.001 and p = 0.021, respectively) and showed a negative correlation with renal function. Serum iPTH levels did not increase significantly in GN patients with CKD stages 1-2. The median iPTH levels were 54.7, 88.6, and 289.2 pg/ml (p = 0.000) for CKD stages 3-5, respectively, all of which showed negative correlation with renal function. The proportion of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency increased to 29.3 and 11.2%, respectively, as the glomerular filtration rate fell below 15 ml/min/1.73 m(2). Primary glomerular disease remains the major cause of CKD in China, and complications such as anemia and metabolic bone disease are frequently present in GN patients.