Chronic Kidney Disease (stages 4 and 5)

This is a retrospective, observational, study evaluating circulating thyroid hormone profiles in patients with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD stages G4-G5, non-dialysis). The study includes one cohort of patients with non-ADPKD CKD and a second including a matched subset of patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) at the same CKD stage,. For the non-ADPKD CKD group, serum and urine samples will be retrieved from the certified biobank of the Centro Daccò (Mario Negri IRCCS). For the ADPKD group, analyses will be performed exclusively using existing clinical and laboratory data available within the REORIENTED study database. Laboratory measurements will be performed on stored biological samples from the non-ADPKD CKD group to assess thyroid hormones (rT3, fT3, tT3, fT4, tT4, and TSH). Clinical and laboratory data for both cohorts will be obtained from the respective study databases and linked within a predefined temporal window relative to sample collection (where applicable).

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are validated tools to reliably measure outcomes highly prioritized by patients, such as health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and symptoms, but the current clinical impact of PROMs is limited by a lack of evidence-based methods to incorporate them into routine care. Symptoms, which are highly prevalent among persons living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), substantially contribute to the reduced HRQOL experienced by this patient population. HRQOL spans several domains of wellbeing affected by disease, including physical, mental, and social health, functionality, and symptoms. Both HRQOL and symptom burden are consistently identified by patients with CKD as top clinical and research priorities. These issues are particularly salient to individuals living with advanced CKD, who suffer significant symptom burden that is often underrecognized and undertreated by nephrology providers, yet is a key factor considered by nephrologists for the timing of dialysis initiation. Randomized controlled trials of patients with other chronic illnesses show that routine assessment of symptoms with PROMs improves symptom burden, patient-provider communication, and HRQOL; yet, standardized approaches to regular symptom monitoring among patients with advanced CKD are lacking. This pilot, randomized trial of a PROM-based intervention for routine symptom reporting by patients with feedback of responses to nephrologists aims to address the lack of data on PROM use for symptom assessment in nephrology care. We will evaluate the implementation (reach, feasibility, and acceptability) and preliminary efficacy of monthly patient report of CKD-related symptoms using the electronic IPOS-Renal questionnaire with supported clinician follow-up for 12 months versus standard of care. This trial will utilize complementary quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate the implementation of the PROM-based intervention. The results of this pilot study will inform a definitive, cluster-randomized trial on the effect of a PROM-based symptom assessment intervention to improve HRQOL and clinical outcomes among patients living with advanced CKD.

Background: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are essential for evaluating intervention effects but are often challenged by regulatory and logistical burdens, high costs, and extended timelines. To address these challenges, the 'Adaptive Platform Trial in Kidney Disease' (APT-KIDNEY) will establish an investigator-initiated platform trial built on a unified regulatory, contractual, and operational framework. The platform emphasizes adaptive, cost-efficient methodology, automated data capture via linkage to electronic health records and administrative registers, and stakeholder engagement. Objectives: The primary objective of APT-KIDNEY is to establish an adaptive platform trial for evaluation of multiple interventions in patients with advanced kidney disease as defined by an estimated glomerular filtration rate \< 30 ml/min/1.73 m2 or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on dialysis or conservative care. Study design: APT-KIDNEY is a pragmatic, randomized, embedded, multifactorial, adaptive platform trial with interventions organized into domains, emphasizing low-intervention comparisons. Domains may be open-label or blinded and will be able to use response-adaptive randomization, adaptive stopping and arm-dropping, and adaptive enrichment to enhance efficiency and relevance where applicable. Study population: Adults (≥18 years) with advanced kidney disease defined by eGFR \< 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 for ≥3 months or ESKD on hemo- or peritoneal dialysis who are eligible for ≥1 one domain. Key exclusions include inability to provide informed consent; domain-specific exclusions may apply, but eligibility cannot be broadened beyond the core protocol. Trial outcomes: Core outcomes will be all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal ischemic stroke, or cardiovascular death), and health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L). Abbreviated methods: APT-KIDNEY will permit domains to use frequentist and/or Bayesian methods. Primary analyses will target prespecified primary estimands and be conducted using the full analysis set. Prespecified sensitivity analyses will assess robustness to alternative strategies for intercurrent events and missing data, including per-protocol and as-treated supportive analyses. Outcomes are analyzed with generalized linear/mixed models and time-to-event methods with covariate adjustment. Frequentist analyses will be fixed-sample or group-sequential; results will be reported with 95% CIs and p-values, and Bayesian analyses will report posterior effects with 95% credible intervals and posterior probabilities. Bayesian domains will primarily use neutral, mildly skeptical priors. Multiplicity will be controlled at the domain level by a prespecified hierarchy: primary comparisons will precede secondary outcomes. Advanced adaptive domains will be evaluated by simulation to quantify operating characteristics including, power and Type I error, and the impact of outcome delays and missing data. Perspectives: APT-KIDNEY will establish an enduring, investigator-led platform for pragmatic, embedded nephrology trials, reducing start-up time and administrative burden through a shared regulatory and operational framework. Using standardized core outcomes and automated follow-up via electronic health records and national registers, it will generate faster, comparable, practice-relevant evidence across multiple interventions.

Rationale: Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a relatively new class of drugs originally developed for the treatment of diabetes. Cardiovascular outcome trials with these drugs showed also beneficial effects of these agents on heart failure, cardiovascular disease and kidney outcomes. Secondary analyses from these trials demonstrated that these benefits were consistent in patients with or without type 2 diabetes and with or without chronic kidney disease (CKD) with a lower eGFR threshold of 20 mL/min/1.73m2. However, it is not yet clear if these drugs can also be used in patients with severe kidney disease who require dialysis. This is in part explained because SGLT2 inhibitors bind to a transporter which is located in the luminal side of proximal tubes in the kidney. If kidney function is low, and these patients have no or limited filtering capacity, it is possible that the efficacy of these drugs decrease. Notwithstanding, several animal experiments and preliminary clinical data have suggested that these drugs do have kidney and cardiac protective effects in case of severely decreased kidney function. The investigators hypothesize that SGLT2 inhibitors are distributed to several tissues in the body on top of the kidney and therefore the investigators would like to investigate the specific tissue distribution of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients on dialysis with-and without residual diuresis.

For many years, people with moderate to advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been advised to limit their intake of potassium, a mineral found in many foods such as fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts. The reason for this has been the risk of hyperkalemia, a condition in which the potassium level in the blood becomes too high and can be dangerous. In recent years, however, this view has been questioned. New research suggests that the link between potassium in food and high potassium levels in the blood may not be as clear as previously thought. People who follow a strict potassium-restricted diet experience a lower quality of life and less satisfaction with their dietary treatment. At the same time, they miss out on the health benefits of eating a varied and nutritious diet. Today, many experts advocate a more individualized approach to potassium intake: instead of generally restricting potassium, the goal should be to maintain normal potassium levels in the blood, while encouraging a healthy diet. However, this message is not always clear in healthcare, and many people therefore continue to avoid potassium-rich foods altogether. The result is that they eat fewer natural ingredients and instead consume more processed and ultra-processed foods. Such foods can be more harmful, partly because they often contain potassium additives that are absorbed effectively by the body and their quantities are not reported in the nutritional label. This "hidden" potassium can contribute more to high potassium levels in the blood than the potassium that occurs naturally in plant-based foods. In addition, potassium from whole plant-based foods is absorbed more slowly, partly due to its fiber content. Plant-based diets may also have other positive effects for people with kidney disease: they can contribute to reduced blood acidity, known as metabolic acidosis, healthier gut flora, lower levels of inflammation, and reduced phosphorus intake. Together, these factors can counteract several of the metabolic complications associated with kidney disease. In a previous study, our research group showed that even patients with advanced kidney disease (CKD stage 4-5) and already elevated potassium levels could follow a healthy plant-based diet if they also used a potassium-binding drug (sodium zirconium cyclosilicate, SZC). This enabled them to eat more fruit, vegetables, and legumes, while also experiencing improved quality of life. The current study builds on these results and is planned as a pilot study in which patients with moderate to advanced kidney disease, but who are not yet being treated with dialysis, are assigned to two different dietary strategies for six months: * Healthy plant-based diet (healthy-PBD): a more liberal and balanced plant-based diet without specific potassium restrictions. * Potassium-restricted plant-based diet (restricted-PBD): a traditional plant-based diet with restrictions on potassium-rich foods, according to current standard recommendations. The main purpose is to investigate whether the healthy plant-based diet leads to more or more severe cases of hyperkalemia than the restricted diet. Our hypothesis is that potassium levels may increase slightly in the group with a liberal diet, but not to dangerous levels. The study will also examine secondary outcomes, such as quality of life, satisfaction with treatment, and how well patients accept the diet. In addition, taste experiences will be tested with taste strips (sweet, sour, salt, bitter and umami) before and after the intervention in both groups. If this pilot study shows that a healthier and less restrictive diet is safe, it could pave the way for a larger study investigating the long-term metabolic effects of a plant-based diet in kidney care.

The goal of this clinical trial is to test how storage temperature of deceased donor kidneys affects kidney function after transplant in adult patients receiving a kidney transplant. The main question it aims to answer is: • Do patients that receive a kidney transplant stored at 10 °C have improved post-transplant kidney function? Researchers will compare patients who receive kidneys stored at 10 °C versus kidneys stored at 4°C (on ice, i.e. conventional storage) to see if kidneys stored at 10 °C have improved function. Participants will: * Be made aware of and consent to receive a kidney transplant that had been stored at 10 °C * Have their urine collected 24 hours after surgery to be analyzed for research

The goal of this observational study is to assess if new ways of measuring kidney function can better predict when individuals will become symptomatic due to kidney failure, and whether residual kidney function can be accurately measured in those already on dialysis. The main questions the study is trying to answer is whether measuring kidney function by clearance of iohexol is comparable to the current standard of care methods. In addition to routine care, participants will: * undergo a brief clinical assessment * be given an injection of iohexol and asked to perform 4 finger prick blood tests over 24 hours, recording the time of each sample. Samples will be returned in person or posted back * be asked to complete a questionnaire on their experience

We propose the following hypotheses: * The use of herbal medicine is common among patients with chronic kidney disease in Réunion island. * This use could influence the progression of kidney disease in these patients. To assess the primary inclusion criterion, patients will be easily identified by nephrologists through existing follow-up. The questionnaires will be administered after this early identification by the investigators at each center. The primary evaluation criterion is straightforward: it aims to establish an overview of the use of herbal medicine in our patient population. This information is currently unavailable and remains crucial for measuring the extent of the issue. Our secondary criteria will involve more in-depth analysis of this use and an attempt to correlate the use of certain herbs with the rate of progression of kidney disease at one year. We targeted patients with moderate to end-stage chronic kidney disease (KDIGO classification 3 to 5), which are the stages typically included in kidney disease studies. Furthermore, these patients are the most likely to experience a greater annual progression of their kidney disease, and the effect of herbs on this progression could be investigated. Transplant patients were not included because they are more aware of the risks of not using herbal medicine due to their use of immunosuppressants.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether diaphragmatic biofeedback added to respiratory muscle training improves clinical and functional outcomes in adults with chronic kidney disease. It will also evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of this intervention. The main questions it aims to answer are: Is diaphragmatic biofeedback added to respiratory muscle training acceptable and well tolerated in patients with chronic kidney disease? Does this intervention reduce respiratory symptoms and complications in this population? Does diaphragmatic biofeedback added to respiratory muscle training improve cardiorespiratory capacity and quality of life? Researchers will evaluate diaphragmatic biofeedback combined with respiratory muscle training and a placebo intervention based on conscious breathing to assess its effects. Participants will: * Perform the assigned intervention three times per day for 6 weeks * Follow a structured respiratory muscle training program with diaphragmatic biofeedback * Be monitored for symptoms, respiratory complications, and perceived quality of life throughout the study

The purpose of this research is to evaluate outcomes of physiologic insulin re-sensitization (PIR) in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM).

This study investigates the safety and efficacy of ACE Reno, an oral transmucosal solution containing standardized bioactive peptides and amino acids, in patients with nephropathy of various etiologies and stages. The trial evaluates whether 12 weeks of ACE Reno (1 mL sublingually four times daily) reduces albuminuria/proteinuria and stabilizes kidney function in participants with nephropathy due to diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune disease, reflux/UTI, chronic glomerulonephritis, unknown etiology, pre-dialysis CKD, or post-transplant proteinuria. Nephropathy remains a global health burden, with \~9-10% of the population affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD), equating to \>750 million individuals worldwide. The socioeconomic costs are substantial: in England CKD costs \~£7 billion annually, projected to rise to \~£14 billion by 2033; in Malaysia, prevalence rose from 9% to 15.5% within 7 years; in Egypt, CKD imposes heavy familial and financial burdens, especially for pediatric patients; in Turkey, CKD is among the top causes of disability, linked to the rising tide of diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. ACE Reno is designed to address multiple drivers of CKD progression - glomerulosclerosis, fibrosis, endothelial dysfunction, and maladaptive RAAS/aldosterone signaling - through its peptide components that mimic antifibrotic (BMP-7, HGF, Klotho-like) and vasodilatory/cGMP-mediated (natriuretic peptide-like) pathways.

This research project focuses on improving memory and thinking (cognitive function) in people with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), a condition that affects about 10% of adults and is often linked to cognitive problems. The study includes a clinical trial where patients will either receive standard care or follow a home-based exercise program involving walking and strength training, to see if regular physical activity can improve brain function. It also includes a large-scale analysis of data from the UK Biobank to explore blood and genetic markers, brain imaging, and lifestyle factors linked to cognitive health. The ultimate aim is to find effective, easy-to-implement strategies and early warning signs that could lead to better treatment and quality of life for people living with CKD.

In France, 10% of the population suffers from chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD is classified into five stages, described from the least severe (stage 1) to the most severe (stage 5). Every year, in the PACA region, around 1,000 new patients present with end-stage CKD (5D), necessitating the introduction of suppletive therapy, whether hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis or kidney transplantation. In CKD stages 4 and 5, a hypo-protein diet can be proposed to delay dialysis initiation (Garneata et al. 2016). To introduce a low-protein diet, the dietician first assesses protein intake. This can be done by : * Measuring 24-hour urine urea. This is the reference method for assessing the amount of protein consumed over the last 24 hours. However, it cannot be used to determine the patient's dietary habits, and therefore cannot be used to suggest modifications with a view to introducing a low-protein diet. * A detailed dietary record. The 3-day dietary record currently in use (a tool for recording dietary habits defined by the HAS) provides a reliable assessment of protein intake. However, this tool takes up a lot of dietetic time, limiting the time available for nutrition education and the number of patients who can benefit from a dietetic consultation. MS-Nutrition is a start-up that has developed a web application that can be used by patients themselves to assess nutritional intakes, incorporating a food frequency questionnaire (known as the FFQ questionnaire) used to obtain information on the frequency of foods and drinks consumed over a period of time (1 week, 1 month...). For the general population (without CKD), there is good agreement between the FFQ questionnaire and a conventional ingesta assessment (3-day dietary record as currently practiced or 24h recall, another collection based on the previous day's consumption) (Affret et al., 2018; Deschamps et al., 2009). These studies on healthy adults do not take into account the reference method (urinary urea) for assessing protein intake. Only one study in the CKD population evaluates the concordance of the assessment of protein intakes (as well as calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium intakes) between an FFQ questionnaire and a dietary record (24-hour recall) (Affret et al. 2017). This study shows an acceptable correlation between the FFQ and the dietary record (correlation coefficient between 0.05 and 0.79, with a median of 0.40), yet this study was carried out without dietary intervention and using a different type of dietary record. As in studies on a population of healthy adults, protein intakes assessed by any type of dietary questionnaire are not compared with a more reliable assessment of these same intakes (24-hour urine urea). The proposed study will compare the concordance of dietary intake assessment between each of the 2 types of dietary collection (FFQ and a 3-day dietary collection) and 24-hour urine urea, which limits the biases inherent in dietary collection.