scholarly journals Hemoglobin levels among male agricultural workers: analyses from the Demographic and Health Surveys to investigate a marker for chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology

Author(s):  
Yuzhou Lin ◽  
Siyu Heng ◽  
Shuchi Anand ◽  
Sameer K. Deshpande ◽  
Dylan S. Small

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) has been found at high frequency in several lowland agricultural areas including Meso-America and Sri Lanka. Whether CKDu also occurs in other countries with large agricultural populations remains uncertain, primarily due to lack of systematic data on kidney function. Hemoglobin (Hgb) levels could be an ancillary marker for presence of kidney dysfunction. Our goal is to estimate the causal effect of agricultural work on Hgb level in men. A causal effect may indicate the presence of CKDu. Methods: We use Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data from seven African and Asian countries (Ethiopia, Lesotho, Namibia, Senegal, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and India). We use optimal full matching and permutation inference to estimate the causal effect of agricultural work on altitude-adjusted Hgb levels after adjusting for six known confounders. To assess potential bias due to unmeasured socioeconomic differences, we use multiple control groups that differ in non-agricultural occupation. We then conduct sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of our causal conclusions to unmeasured confounding. Results: Data were available for 41,180 agricultural workers and 55,705 non-agricultural workers in seven countries. On average, Hgb levels were 0.09 g/dL (95% CI [-0.12, -0.07]) lower among agricultural workers compared to matched controls. Significant effects were observed in Ethiopia, India, Lesotho, Senegal, and Uganda, with effects from 0.10 to 0.32 g/dL lower hemoglobin among agricultural workers. The effect was not attenuated in sensitivity analyses involving both better-off and worse-off occupational controls. Discussion: We find evidence that men engaged in agricultural work in five of the seven countries studied have modestly lower Hgb levels compared with other men living in rural areas. Since underlying kidney disease could be a potential explanation for this finding, our data support consideration to integrating kidney function assessments within DHS surveys and other population-based surveys.

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (13) ◽  
pp. 2261-2274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinghao Yu ◽  
Zhongshang Yuan ◽  
Haojie Lu ◽  
Yixin Gao ◽  
Haimiao Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Observational studies showed an inverse association between birth weight and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adulthood existed. However, whether such an association is causal remains fully elusive. Moreover, none of prior studies distinguished the direct fetal effect from the indirect maternal effect. Herein, we aimed to investigate the causal relationship between birth weight and CKD and to understand the relative fetal and maternal contributions. Meta-analysis (n = ~22 million) showed that low birth weight led to ~83% (95% confidence interval [CI] 37–146%) higher risk of CKD in late life. With summary statistics from large scale GWASs (n = ~300 000 for birth weight and ~481 000 for CKD), linkage disequilibrium score regression demonstrated birth weight had a negative maternal, but not fetal, genetic correlation with CKD and several other kidney-function related phenotypes. Furthermore, with multiple instruments of birth weight, Mendelian randomization showed there existed a negative fetal casual association (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.01–1.16) between birth weight and CKD; a negative but non-significant maternal casual association (OR = 1.09, 95% CI 0.98–1.21) was also identified. Those associations were robust against various sensitivity analyses. However, no maternal/fetal casual effects of birth weight were significant for other kidney-function related phenotypes. Overall, our study confirmed the inverse association between birth weight and CKD observed in prior studies, and further revealed the shared maternal genetic foundation between low birth weight and CKD, and the direct fetal and indirect maternal causal effects of birth weight may commonly drive this negative relationship.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanchun Yang ◽  
Hongchun Chen ◽  
Qiuyun Yuan ◽  
Yang Zou

Abstract Background Obesity is reported to be tightly correlated the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, whether there exists causation is unknown, and it remains controversial about the role of obesity in CKD is protective or destructive. In this study, we try to infer the causal relationship between life course adiposity and CKD, to provide a rationale for obesity management in CKD patients.Methods A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted to explore the causal relationship of life course adiposity traits including including body mass index (BMI), childhood BMI, body fat percentage (BF), birth weight (BW), waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) to CKD. Significant single nucleotide polymorphisms from genome-wide association study on human adiposity traits were utilized as exposure instruments, and summary statistics of CKD as outcome. The causal relationship was evaluated by inverse variance weighted, MR Egger regression and weighted median methods, and further verified by extensive sensitivity analyses.Results Genetically determined one standard deviation increase in adult BMI was associated with higher risk of CKD in all four MR methods. And other indexes including childhood BMI, body fat percentage, and waist/hip circumference also have a causal effect on the risk of CKD. The results were robust under all sensitivity analyses.Conclusions There exist causal effect of life course adiposity on the risk of CKD. A genetic predisposition to higher adult BMI may increase the risk of CKD.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. e037720
Author(s):  
Magdalena Walbaum ◽  
Shaun Scholes ◽  
Elena Pizzo ◽  
Melanie Paccot ◽  
Jennifer S Mindell

ObjectivesThis study estimates the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among Chilean adults and examines its associations with sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviours and comorbidities.DesignAnalysis of cross-sectional data from the two most recent large nationally representative Chilean Health Surveys (Encuesta Nacional de Salud, ENS) 2009–2010 and 2016–2017.ParticipantsAdults aged 18+ years with serum creatine data (ENS 2009–2010: n=4583; ENS 2016–2017: n=5084).Primary and secondary outcome measuresReduced kidney function (CKD stages 3a–5) based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2) was the primary outcome measure. Using the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR ≥30 mg/g), increased albuminuria was ascertained among adults aged 40+ years with diabetes and/or hypertension. Both outcomes were analysed using logistic regression with results summarised using OR. CKD prevalence (stages 1–5) among adults aged 40+ years was estimated including participants with an eGFR of >60 mL/min/1.73 m2 but with increased albuminuria (stages 1–2).ResultsOverall, 3.2% (95% CI: 2.4% to 3.8%) of adults aged 18+ in ENS 2016–2017 had reduced kidney function. After full adjustment, participants with hypertension (OR: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.19 to 4.74) and those with diabetes (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.03 to 2.66) had significantly higher odds of reduced kidney function. In ENS 2016–2017, 15.5% (13.5% to 17.8%) of adults aged 40+ years with diabetes and/or hypertension had increased albuminuria. Being obese versus normal-weight (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.54) and having both diabetes and hypertension versus having diabetes alone (OR: 2.30; 95% CI: 1.34 to 3.95) were significantly associated with higher odds of increased albuminuria in fully-adjusted analyses. At least 15.4% of adults aged 40+ years in ENS 2016–2017 had CKD (stages 1–5), including the 9.6% of adults at CKD stages 1–2.ConclusionsPrevention strategies and Chilean guidelines should consider the high percentage of adults aged 40 years and older at CKD stages 1–2.


Bone Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillaume Courbon ◽  
Connor Francis ◽  
Claire Gerber ◽  
Samantha Neuburg ◽  
Xueyan Wang ◽  
...  

AbstractBone-produced fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) increases in response to inflammation and iron deficiency and contributes to cardiovascular mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL or lipocalin 2; LCN2 the murine homolog) is a pro-inflammatory and iron-shuttling molecule that is secreted in response to kidney injury and may promote CKD progression. We investigated bone FGF23 regulation by circulating LCN2. At 23 weeks, Col4a3KO mice showed impaired kidney function, increased levels of kidney and serum LCN2, increased bone and serum FGF23, anemia, and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Deletion of Lcn2 in CKD mice did not improve kidney function or anemia but prevented the development of LVH and improved survival in association with marked reductions in serum FGF23. Lcn2 deletion specifically prevented FGF23 elevations in response to inflammation, but not iron deficiency or phosphate, and administration of LCN2 increased serum FGF23 in healthy and CKD mice by stimulating Fgf23 transcription via activation of cAMP-mediated signaling in bone cells. These results show that kidney-produced LCN2 is an important mediator of increased FGF23 production by bone in response to inflammation and in CKD. LCN2 inhibition might represent a potential therapeutic approach to lower FGF23 and improve outcomes in CKD.


Author(s):  
Yuko Katayama ◽  
Jun Sugama ◽  
Tomohisa Suzuki ◽  
Yoshimasa Ishimura ◽  
Akihiro Kobayashi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Inhibiting enteropeptidase, a gut serine protease regulating protein digestion, suppresses food intake and ameliorates obesity and diabetes in mice. However, the effects of enteropeptidase inhibition on the kidney parameters are largely unknown. Here, we evaluated the chronic effects of an enteropeptidase inhibitor, SCO-792, on kidney function, albuminuria, and kidney pathology in spontaneously hypercholesterolaemic (SHC) rats, a rat chronic kidney disease (CKD) model. Methods SCO-792, an orally available enteropeptidase inhibitor, was administered (0.03% and 0.06% (w/w) in the diet) for five weeks to 20-week-old SHC rats showing albuminuria and progressive decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The effects of SCO-792 and the contribution of amino acids to these effects were evaluated. Results SCO-792 increased the faecal protein content, indicating that SCO-792 inhibited enteropeptidase in SHC rats. Chronic treatment with SCO-792 prevented GFR decline and suppressed albuminuria. Moreover, SCO-792 improved glomerulosclerosis and kidney fibrosis. Pair feeding with SCO-792 (0.06%) was less effective in preventing GFR decline, albuminuria, and renal histological damage than SCO-792 treatment, indicating the enteropeptidase-inhibition-dependent therapeutic effects of SCO-792. SCO-792 did not affect the renal plasma flow, suggesting that its effect on GFR was mediated by an improvement in filtration fraction. Moreover, SCO-792 increased hydrogen sulphide production capacity, which has a role in tissue protection. Finally, methionine and cysteine supplementation to the diet abrogated SCO-792-induced therapeutic effects on albuminuria. Conclusions SCO-792-mediated inhibition of enteropeptidase potently prevented GFR decline, albuminuria, and kidney fibrosis; hence, it may have therapeutic potential against CKD.


2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 517-521
Author(s):  
Ryon J Cobb ◽  
Roland J Thorpe ◽  
Keith C Norris

Abstract Background With advancing age, there is an increase in the time of and number of experiences with psychosocial stressors that may lead to the initiation and/or progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Our study tests whether one type of experience, everyday discrimination, predicts kidney function among middle and older adults. Methods The data were from 10 973 respondents (ages 52–100) in the 2006/2008 Health and Retirement Study, an ongoing biennial nationally representative survey of older adults in the United States. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) derives from the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation. Our indicator of everyday discrimination is drawn from self-reports from respondents. Ordinary Least Squared regression (OLS) models with robust standard errors are applied to test hypotheses regarding the link between everyday discrimination and kidney function. Results Everyday discrimination was associated with poorer kidney function among respondents in our study. Respondents with higher everyday discrimination scores had lower eGFR after adjusting for demographic characteristics (B = −1.35, p &lt; .05), and while attenuated, remained significant (B = −0.79, p &lt; .05) after further adjustments for clinical, health behavior, and socioeconomic covariates. Conclusions Our study suggests everyday discrimination is independently associated with lower eGFR. These findings highlight the importance of psychosocial factors in predicting insufficiency in kidney function among middle-aged and older adults.


2011 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Biruck Desalegn ◽  
Shanika Nanayakkara ◽  
Kouji H. Harada ◽  
Toshiaki Hitomi ◽  
Rohana Chandrajith ◽  
...  

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