• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.505-514
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine their levels of knowledge of the kidney, self-efficacy, and kidney function in pre-dialysis patients with chronic renal insufficiency. Methods: A total of 142 pre-dialysis patients with chronic renal insufficiency were recruited from a nephrology clinic of a hospital in Korea. Participants' knowledge of the kidney, self-efficacy, and kidney function were measured, and the correlations between these factors were computed. Results: The levels of knowledge of the kidney were moderate, with a mean score of $12.30{\pm}5.35$. Knowledge level was significantly correlated with age, education level, occupation, income, physical symptoms, and information resources (p<.05). The mean score for self-efficacy was $6.06{\pm}2.00$. Self-efficacy was significantly associated with patients' age, education level, occupation, income, cigarette use, and information resources (p<.05). The mean score for kidney function was $35.66{\pm}18.68mL/min/1.73m^2$. Kidney function was significantly correlated with use of medications and drinking behavior (p<.05). Knowledge of the kidney was significantly correlated with self-efficacy (r=.31, p<.001), but not with kidney function. There was a significant correlation between self-efficacy and kidney function (r=.30, p<.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that self-efficacy and drinking behavior accounted for 11% of the variance in kidney function of pre-dialysis patients with chronic renal insufficiency. Conclusion: Nursing interventions are necessary to increase self-efficacy among pre-dialysis patients with chronic renal insufficiency in order to maintain their kidney function.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 2023

The administration of angiotensin type 2 receptor blockers (ARBs) during pregnancy is known to cause ARB fetopathy, including renal insufficiency. We aimed to analyze the outcomes of two patients who survived ARB fetopathy and perform an accompanying literature review. Case 1 was exposed antenatally from a gestational age of 30 weeks to valsartan because of maternal pregnancy-induced hypertension. The patient presented with oliguria immediately after birth, and renal replacement therapy was administered for 24 days. Seven years after birth, renal function was indicative of stage 2 chronic kidney disease (CKD) with impaired urinary concentration. Case 2 had a maternal history of hypertension and transient ischemic attack and was treated with olmesartan until 30 weeks of pregnancy. Renal replacement therapy was performed for 4 days since birth. After 8 years, the patient is with CKD stage 2, with intact tubular function. Recent reports suggest that ARB fetopathy might manifest as renal tubular dysgenesis and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, in contrast to mild alterations of glomerular filtration. Tubular dysfunction may induce CKD progression and growth retardation. Patients with ARB fetopathy should be monitored until adulthood. The ARB exposure period might be a critical factor in determining the severity and manifestations of fetopathy.

• The Korean Nurse
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• v.4 no.1 s.15
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• pp.71-74
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• 1965

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.313-317
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• 2017

Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is a new renal biomarker for kidney function. It is almost exclusively eliminated by renal filtration. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the changes in serum ceatinine (CREA), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and SDMA concentrations in dogs with chronic mitral valve insufficiency (CMVI), according to the severity of CMVI. The evaluation of the severity of CMVI was performed according to the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) classification of heart failure. The dogs were classified into two groups: group 1 (ACVIM B; n = 11) and group 2 (ACVIM C; n = 15). In dogs with advanced CMVI, the serum SDMA concentrations were significantly increased above the normal reference range and were independent of body weight (BW), systolic blood pressure (SBP), or sex. No dog in either group had higher serum CREA concentrations than the upper limit. The serum SDMA concentration may be a better renal marker than serum CREA concentrations for the early diagnoses of renal dysfunction in dogs with CMVI.

• Kidney Research and Clinical Practice
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.200-204
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• 2017

Administration of autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been shown to improve renal function and histological findings in acute kidney injury (AKI) models. However, its effects in chronic kidney disease (CKD) are unclear, particularly in the clinical setting. Here, we report our experience with a CKD patient who was treated by intravenous infusion of autologous MSCs derived from adipose tissue in an unknown clinic outside of Korea. The renal function of the patient had been stable for several years before MSC administration. One week after the autologous MSC infusion, the preexisting renal insufficiency was rapidly aggravated without any other evidence of AKI. Hemodialysis was started 3 months after MSC administration. Renal biopsy findings at dialysis showed severe interstitial fibrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration, with a few cells expressing CD34 and CD117, 2 surface markers of stem cells. This case highlights the potential nephrotoxicity of autologous MSC therapy in CKD patients.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.80-85
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• 2022

Purpose: To determine the prevalence, clinical manifestations, and outcomes of renal involvements in pediatric Alagille syndrome (ALGS). Methods: A total of 21 patients diagnosed with ALGS at age under 18 years who visited Samsung Medical Center from March 1999 to March 2022 were enrolled. ALGS was diagnosed either by clinical manifestations, targeted JAG1 sequencing, and/or liver biopsy. Medical records including sex, age, renal manifestations, urinalysis, serum creatinine, JAG1 sequencing, and ultrasonography were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The male to female ratio was 9:12. The mean age of patients at confirmative diagnosis of ALGS was 18.4 months. Sanger sequencing was performed for 17 patients. Sixteen of 21 patients (76.1%) showed JAG1 mutations. Renal involvement was found in 10 patients (47.6%). The most common type of anomaly was renal dysplasia (40%). One patient having renal dysplasia was pathologically confirmed with glomerular lipid deposition. Two patients (20%) manifested nephrocalcinosis/nephrolithiasis. Among eight renal-involved patients who survived, four (50%) progressed to chronic kidney disease stage 3. Two of these chronic kidney disease patients were diagnosed with hepatorenal syndrome. The other four patients had renal functions preserved, including two without any interventions and two who underwent urological interventions. Conclusions: The current study revealed a high prevalence of renal involvement in Korean pediatric ALGS with diverse phenotypes.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.87-93
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• 2013

To evaluate the effect of the saponin of heat-processed ginseng (Sun ginseng, SG), we investigated the protective effect of SG total saponin fraction against adenine-induced chronic renal failure in rats. SG saponin significantly decreased the levels of urea nitrogen and creatinine in the serum, but increased the urinary excretion of urea nitrogen and creatinine, indicating an improvement of renal function. SG saponin also inhibited adenine-induced kidney hypertrophy and edema. SG saponin reduced serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, and lactate dehydrogenase activities increased by adenine. Based on these findings, the ameliorating effect of SG on chronic renal failure may result from its saponin.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.41-46
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• 2017

Purpose: Thin glomerular basement membrane nephropathy (TBMN) is, along with the IgA nephropathy, the most common cause of asymptomatic hematuria in Korean children. TBMN is usually a benign renal disease not requiring treatment and is associated with a good prognosis, but some cases hematuria is indicative of a state of progressive renal insufficiency. We aimed to retrospectively evaluate clinical manifestations and renal prognosis of patients with TBMN. Methods: Among the 428 renal biopsies performed on children at Yeungnam University Hospital between January 2000 and February 2017, 167 patients were diagnosed as having TBMN. We retrospectively investigated 167 pediatric patients and identified 59 children with follow-up duration >3 years. Results: Among 59 patients, there were 33 boys and 26 girls. Mean age of onset of hematuria was $7.18{\pm}2.64$ years, and mean time from onset of disease until a renal biopsy was performed was $2.48{\pm}2.10$ years. There were no clinical features or laboratory findings among studied children to indicate decreased renal function during follow-up; however, one case progressed to chronic kidney disease (CKD) due to an unknown cause. There were seven patients among these related a positive family history of hematuria or renal insufficiency. Concluson: Although almost all patients had normal renal functions during follow-up, there were one patient who progressed to CKD and seven patients with family history of hematuria or renal insufficiency. Moreover, four among the 428 patients over 17 years underwent repeat renal biopsies, which showed results different from their earlier biopsies.Thus, large-scales studies may be required to determine long-term prognosis of TBMN in children, and further evaluation for Alport syndrome in TBMN cases is essential.

• Annals of Laboratory Medicine
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.524-529
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• 2018

Background: An increase in neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) indicates tubular injury. Diabetic nephropathy causes typical changes in the kidney, characterized by glomerulosclerosis and eventual tubular damage. We validated the usefulness of plasma NGAL (pNGAL) as a biomarker of tubular damage in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Methods: We included 376 patients with diabetes mellitus (260 patients with chronic renal insufficiency who had not received hemodialysis and 116 hemodialyzed due to diabetic nephropathy) and 24 healthy controls. Patients with chronic renal insufficiency were divided into three groups according to urinary albumin excretion (UAE) levels. pNGAL levels were measured using the Triage NGAL test (Alere, San Diego, CA, USA) and were compared between groups. We also examined whether pNGAL level was related to the degree of albuminuria and cystatin C-based glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Results: Mean pNGAL levels of the healthy controls, chronic renal insufficiency patients with diabetes mellitus, and hemodialyzed patients were $61.9{\pm}5.3ng/mL$, $93.4{\pm}71.8ng/mL$, and $1,536.9{\pm}554.9ng/mL$, respectively. pNGAL level increased significantly in patients with severe albuminuria (P <0.001) and had a moderate correlation with the degree of albuminuria (r=0.467; P <0.001) and GFR (r=0.519; P <0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the pNGAL level was associated with tubular damage independent of patient age, sex, and GFR. Conclusions: pNGAL level independently reflects the degree of tubular damage in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Measurement of pNGAL, combined with UAE, would enable simultaneous, highly reliable assessments of tubular damage for such patients.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.81-86
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• 2016

Cystatin C is a low molecular weight 13 kilodalton protein. It is known to be a more sensitive marker of glomerular filtration rate than creatinine in humans. The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate the changes of renal markers including cystatin C according to the severity of chronic mitral valve insufficiency (CMVI) and to investigate the clinical relevance of cystatin C as an early renal marker in dogs with CMVI. A retrospective study was performed to assess renal function according to International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council (ISACHC) system classification of heart failure in dogs with CMVI. Thirty seven dogs were divided into a group 1 (healthy dogs ; n = 10), a group 2 (ISACHC I ; n = 10) and a group 3 (ISACHC II-III ; n = 17). In all dogs, serum concentrations of bun (sUr), creatinine (sCr) and cystatin C (sCys-C) were measured with an automated analyzer. In dogs with CMVI, sCys-C concentrations were significantly correlated with sCr concentrations and were independent of age, BW, SBP, and sex. Renal dysfunction tended to occur more frequently as the severity of CMVI increases. In dogs with mild CMVI, only sCys-C concentrations were statistically higher than in healthy dogs. This study demonstrates the clinical relevance of sCys-C. sCys-C may be a valuable renal marker for early diagnosis of renal dysfunction in dogs with CMVI.