Renagel (sevelamer hydrochloride) is one of the most utilized phosphate binders in the U.S., though its superiority compared to other (and cheaper) phosphate binders remains controversial. One of the theoretical benefits of using Renagel is that it should…
The constant “K” pops up in many forms in nephrology, particularly in the realm of dialysis, as each dialysis membrane has its own characteristic K values. There is first and foremost the Kt/V equation, the currently accepted…
We prescribe them with abandon to our CKD and ESRD patients…Nephrocaps, Renavit, whatever you want to call it. How many nephrologists do you think are able to name all the ingredients in this vitamin-containing tablet? The not-so-secret ingredients:…
A relatively new immunosuppressant agent–originally approved for treatment of refractory rheumatoid arthritis but now gaining steam as an anti-rejection medication for kidney transplant recipients–is abatacept (marketed under the trade name Orencia by Bristol-Myers-Squibb. Its mechanism of action is…
One of the rare but serious side effects of recombinant erythropoietin therapy is the possibility of pure red cell aplasia, an autoimmune condition in which antibodies against erythropoietin result in T-cell-mediated destruction of erythroid precursors. It may be…
The pre-eclampsia story (which I have mentioned previously on this blog) is one of the triumphs of basic nephrology research over the past few years, and apparently the folks at the ASN thought so as well, as Dr….
The private company CVRx has developed an interesting method under investigation for blood pressure control in highly refractory hypertensive patients. The approach consists of a surgical implant of electrodes at the carotid sinus; stimulation at the sinus results…
What’s a picture of Mozart doing on the Renal Fellow Network? Fellow renal fellow Lisa Cohen gave a presentation on nephrotic syndrome at our Renal Grand Rounds and discussed evidence that Mozart, who died at the young age…
Identifying the “permeability factor” for patients with FSGS or minimal change disease has been one of the “holy grails” of nephrology, and our inability to identify such a factor has not been for any lack of trying. One…
We all know about the p-ANCA and the c-ANCA, which are antibodies against either myeloperoxidase (MPO) or proteinase-3 (PR3), respectively. Now get ready for a 3rd ANCA subtype, an antibody against LAMP-2! In a recent Nature Medicine article…
