XI. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING DIABETES CARE D iabetes is a chronic illness that requires continuing medical care and patient self-management education to prevent acute complications and to reduce the risk of long-term complications. Diabetes care is complex and requires that many issues, beyond glycemic control, be addressed. A large body of evidence exists that supports a range of interventions to improve diabetes outcomes. These standards of care are intended to provide clinicians, patients, researchers, payors, and other interested individuals with the components of diabetes care, treatment goals, and tools to evaluate the quality of care. While individual preferences, comorbidities, and other patient factors may require modification of goals, targets that are desirable for most patients with diabetes are provided. These standards are not intended to preclude more extensive evaluation and management of the patient by other specialists as needed. For more detailed information, refer to Bode (Ed.): Medical Management of Type 1 Diabetes (1), Burant (Ed): Medical Management of Type 2 Diabetes (2), and Klingensmith (Ed): Intensive Diabetes Management (3). The recommendations included are diagnostic and therapeutic actions that are known or believed to favorably affect health outcomes of patients with diabetes. A grading system (Table 1), developed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and modeled after existing methods, was utilized to clarify and codify the evidence that forms the basis for the recommendations. The level of evidence that supports each recommendation is listed after each recommendation using the letters A, B, C, or E.

Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes

The American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) Journal of Clinical Apheresis (JCA) Special Issue Writing Committee is charged with reviewing, updating, and categorizing indications for the evidence-based use of therapeutic apheresis in human disease. Since the 2007 JCA Special Issue (Fourth Edition), the Committee has incorporated systematic review and evidence-based approaches in the grading and categorization of apheresis indications. This Seventh Edition of the JCA Special Issue continues to maintain this methodology and rigor to make recommendations on the use of apheresis in a wide variety of diseases/conditions. The JCA Seventh Edition, like its predecessor, has consistently applied the category and grading system definitions in the fact sheets. The general layout and concept of a fact sheet that was used since the fourth edition has largely been maintained in this edition. Each fact sheet succinctly summarizes the evidence for the use of therapeutic apheresis in a specific disease entity. The Seventh Edition discusses 87 fact sheets (14 new fact sheets since the Sixth Edition) for therapeutic apheresis diseases and medical conditions, with 179 indications, which are separately graded and categorized within the listed fact sheets. Several diseases that are Category IV which have been described in detail in previous editions and do not have significant new evidence since the last publication are summarized in a separate table. The Seventh Edition of the JCA Special Issue serves as a key resource that guides the utilization of therapeutic apheresis in the treatment of human disease. J. Clin. Apheresis 31:149-162, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Guidelines on the Use of Therapeutic Apheresis in Clinical Practice—Evidence-Based Approach from the Writing Committee of the American Society for Apheresis: The Sixth Special Issue

K/DOQI clinical practice guidelines for cardiovascular disease in dialysis patients.

Epidemiology of cardiovascular disease in chronic renal disease

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(13)61048-X.pdf

Adult haemophagocytic syndrome

AIMS Besides diabetic patients, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels have been reported to predict mortality in non-diabetics patients. However, the importance of HbA1c levels in non-diabetic hemodialysis patients still remains unknown. Thus, we aimed to prospectively investigate the impact of HbA1c on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in a large group of prevalent non-diabetic hemodialysis patients. METHODS HbA1c was measured quarterly in 489 non-diabetic prevalent hemodialysis patients. Overall and cardiovascular mortality were evaluated over a 3 year follow-up. RESULTS Mean HbA1c level was 4.88 ± 0.46% (3.5 - 6.9%). During the 28.3 ± 10.6 months follow-up period, 67 patients (13.7%) died; 31 from cardiovascular causes. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, patients in the lowest ( 5.04%) tertiles had poorer overall survival compared to the middle HbA1c tertile (p < 0.001). Adjusted Cox-regression analysis revealed that the highest HbA1c tertile was associated with both overall (HR = 3.60, 95% CI 1.57 - 8.27, p = 0.002) and cardiovascular (HR = 6.66, 95% CI 1.51 - 29.4; p = 0.01) mortality. Also, low HbA1c levels tended to be associated with overall mortality (HR = 2.26, 95% CI 0.96 - 5.29, p = 0.06). CONCLUSION Upper normal HbA1c levels are independently associated with cardiovascular and overall mortality in non-diabetic hemodialysis patients, whereas lower HbA1c levels are not.

Glycated hemoglobin predicts overall and cardiovascular mortality in non-diabetic hemodialysis patients.

Background/aims The Social Security System of our country reimburses only paritaprevir, ritonavir, ombitasvir, and dasabuvir (PrOD) regime in treatment-naive patients with hepatitis C regardless of kidney disease. Most of our renal transplant (RT) recipients were treated with PrOD. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of PrOD in RT patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a single center real-life experience. Materials and methods RT recipients with a post-transplant follow-up of at least 1 year were included in the study. The patients were treated and monitored according to the guidelines. Blood levels of immunosuppressive patients were closely followed up and adjusted. Results A total of 21 (12 male and nine female) patients were assessed. The age of the patients was 50.8±8.5 years. Ten patients were infected with G1a, 10 patients with G1b, and one patient with G4 HCV. Two patients had compensated cirrhosis. Eighteen patients were treatment-naive, and three were peginterferon+ribavirin-experienced. Sustained virologic response (SVR12) was achieved in all patients. None of the patients discontinued the treatment. Cyclosporine (Csa) and tacrolimus (Tac) doses were reduced to once a day to once a week to maintain the blood level within normal range. The most common adverse effect was anemia in patients receiving ribavirin. Renal functions did not change during the treatment period. Conclusion In this real-life experience, all of the 21 PrOD-treated RT recipients reached SVR12. Tac or Csa serum levels were maintained within the normal range with close monitoring. PrOD regime can be successfully and safely used in RT recipients with HCV infection with close follow-up.

/pdf/paritaprevir-ritonavir-ombitasvir-and-dasabuvir-treatment-in-46k7xj7mga.pdf

Paritaprevir, ritonavir, ombitasvir, and dasabuvir treatment in renal transplant patients with hepatitis C virus infection.

Aim: Nephrotoxic potential of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (mTORi) is different from calcineurin inhibitors (CNI). The aim of this study is to investigate the interstitial fibrosis (ci) and tubular atrophy (ct) progression from the baseline to first year under a mTORi-based, CNI-free regimen.



Methods:  Thirty-five kidney transplant recipients who had to have adequate baseline and first year protocol biopsy were enrolled. Exclusion criteria were: the replacement of CNI at any time; acute deterioration in allograft functions; and serum creatinine level above 3 mg/dL at 12 months. Banff criteria were used for histopathological classification. Progression was defined as delta ci + ct ≥ 2 (difference between 12th month and baseline).



Results:  Mean age of patients and donors were 34 ± 11 and 49 ± 10 years. Twelve patients had delayed graft function (DGF). The maintenance regimen consisted of sirolimus (n = 24) and everolimus (n = 11) with mycophenolate mofetil and steroids. Incidence of acute rejection was 25.7%. At baseline, the incidence of nil and mild fibrosis were 80% and 20%, respectively. At 12 months, 17.1% of patients had moderate, 40% had mild and 42.9% had nil fibrosis. Histological progression from baseline to first year was present in 34% of patients. In multivariate analysis the presence of DGF (P = 0.018) and deceased donor type (P = 0.011) were the most important predictors for fibrosis progression.



Conclusion:  Progression of graft fibrosis may be seen in one-third of patients under a mTORi-based regimen particularly manifested in deceased donor recipients with subsequent DGF.

Progression of graft fibrosis under mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor‐based regimen

Renal involvement is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in AA amyloidosis. Extend of amyloid deposition in kidney biopsies may be predictive for clinical manifestations and outcomes. The aim of our study is to assess clinical features of patients with biopsy-proven renal AA amyloidosis and to evaluate the relationship between histopathological scoring and grading of renal amyloid deposition with clinical findings and outcomes. The study included 86 patients who were diagnosed with renal AA amyloidosis. The demographic and clinical features at the time of biopsy and follow-up data were retrospectively collected. Amyloid deposition in glomeruli, interstitium, vessels and tubulointerstitial findings were scored and renal amyloid prognostic score (RAPS) was assigned by adding all scores. RAPS was further divided into three grades (RAPS grade I, II, III). Median age was 50 (36–59) years. Familial Mediterranean fever was the leading cause. RAPS grade and interstitial inflammatory infiltration were associated with baseline eGFR and glomerular amyloid deposition was associated with proteinuria. During the follow-up period (median 50 months), 39 patients developed ESRD. Extensive (involving > 50%) glomerular amyloid deposition, baseline eGFR and proteinuria were independent risk factors for progression to end stage renal disease. Death censored renal survival was significantly lower among patients with RAPS grade III compared to those with RAPS grade I and II. Patient survival rate was not different according to RAPS grade. Degree of renal amyloid accumulation is associated with renal function and outcome. The scoring and grading system may be predictive in clinical outcome and contribute to understanding of disease mechanism.

Mehmet Ozkahya

Papers

Glycated hemoglobin predicts overall and cardiovascular mortality in non-diabetic hemodialysis patients.

Paritaprevir, ritonavir, ombitasvir, and dasabuvir treatment in renal transplant patients with hepatitis C virus infection.

Progression of graft fibrosis under mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor‐based regimen

A histopathological scoring and grading system to predict outcome for patients with AA amyloidosis.

Long-term evolution of cardiomyopathy in dialysis patients.