Implications of Klotho Protein for Managing Kidney Disease - an Emerging Role in Therapeutics and Molecular Medicine

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suman K Ray ◽  
Neha Masarkar ◽  
Sukhes Mukherjee

: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) are a growing public health problem. There is a paucity of sensitive biomarkers to detect AKI, early CKD, and ameliorate extra-renal complications. Klotho protein, detected mainly in the kidneys, regulates renal health and functions as a co-receptor for fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) signaling. It is now coming to be known for its extreme pleiotropic actions. These include cytoprotection via anti-oxidation, anti-senescence, anti-apoptosis, renoprotective effects, promotion of angiogenesis and vascularisation, inhibition of fibrogenesis, and stem cell preservation. Emerging clinical studies suggest kidney damage to be a perpetual state of renal Klotho deficiency. In AKI, Klotho levels in plasma and/or urine possibly will serve as an initial biomarker for kidney parenchymal injury. In CKD, Klotho levels may also be an indicator of early disease as well as predict the rate of progression. Earlier studies using ELISA as a technique, reveal a correlation between plasma Klotho, eGFR, serum creatine, and Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) levels. Thereby, preventing the decline of Klotho levels by various mechanisms that can retard CKD advancement and advance renal function. Substantial data indicate Klotho can be therapeutically included as an individualized regimen for managing CKD patients. Considerable research is required in investigating the role of soluble Klotho as a biomarker in patients with different types and severity of kidney diseases, which will be highlighted in our review.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 7642
Author(s):  
Zoran V. Popovic ◽  
Felix Bestvater ◽  
Damir Krunic ◽  
Bernhard K. Krämer ◽  
Raoul Bergner ◽  
...  

The CD73 pathway is an important anti-inflammatory mechanism in various disease settings. Observations in mouse models suggested that CD73 might have a protective role in kidney damage; however, no direct evidence of its role in human kidney disease has been described to date. Here, we hypothesized that podocyte injury in human kidney diseases alters CD73 expression that may facilitate the diagnosis of podocytopathies. We assessed the expression of CD73 and one of its functionally important targets, the C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2), in podocytes from kidney biopsies of 39 patients with podocytopathy (including focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), minimal change disease (MCD), membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) and amyloidosis) and a control group. Podocyte CD73 expression in each of the disease groups was significantly increased in comparison to controls (p < 0.001–p < 0.0001). Moreover, there was a marked negative correlation between CD73 and CCR2 expression, as confirmed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence (Pearson r = −0.5068, p = 0.0031; Pearson r = −0.4705, p = 0.0313, respectively), thus suggesting a protective role of CD73 in kidney injury. Finally, we identify CD73 as a novel potential diagnostic marker of human podocytopathies, particularly of MCD that has been notorious for the lack of pathological features recognizable by light microscopy and immunohistochemistry.


Medicina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Altynay Balmukhanova ◽  
Kairat Kabulbayev ◽  
Harika Alpay ◽  
Assiya Kanatbayeva ◽  
Aigul Balmukhanova

Background and objectives: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children is a complex medical and social issue around the world. One of the serious complications is mineral-bone disorder (CKD-MBD) which might determine the prognosis of patients and their quality of life. Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) is a phosphaturic hormone which is involved in the pathogenesis of CKD-MBD. The purpose of the study was to determine what comes first in children with CKD: FGF-23 or phosphate. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 73 children aged 2–18 years with CKD stages 1–5. We measured FGF-23 and other bone markers in blood samples and studied their associations. Results: Early elevations of FGF-23 were identified in children with CKD stage 2 compared with stage 1 (1.6 (1.5–1.8) pmol/L versus 0.65 (0.22–1.08), p = 0.029). There were significant differences between the advanced stages of the disease. FGF-23 correlated with PTH (r = 0.807, p = 0.000) and phosphate (r = 0.473, p = 0.000). Our study revealed that the elevated level of FGF-23 went ahead hyperphosphatemia and elevated PTH. Thus, more than 50% of children with CKD stage 2 had the elevating level of serum FGF-23, and that index became increasing with the disease progression and it achieved 100% at the dialysis stage. The serum phosphate increased more slowly and only 70.6% of children with CKD stage 5 had the increased values. The PTH increase was more dynamic. Conclusions: FGF-23 is an essential biomarker, elevates long before other markers of bone metabolism (phosphate), and might represent a clinical course of disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianwen Yu ◽  
Danli Xie ◽  
Naya Huang ◽  
Qin Zhou

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel type of non-coding RNAs that have aroused growing attention in this decade. They are widely expressed in eukaryotes and generally have high stability owing to their special closed-loop structure. Many circRNAs are abundant, evolutionarily conserved, and exhibit cell-type-specific and tissue-specific expression patterns. Mounting evidence suggests that circRNAs have regulatory potency for gene expression by acting as microRNA sponges, interacting with proteins, regulating transcription, or directly undergoing translation. Dysregulated expression of circRNAs were found in many pathological conditions and contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of various disorders, including renal diseases. Recent studies have revealed that circRNAs may serve as novel reliable biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis prediction of multiple kidney diseases, such as renal cell carcinoma (RCC), acute kidney injury (AKI), diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and other glomerular diseases. Furthermore, circRNAs expressed by intrinsic kidney cells are shown to play a substantial role in kidney injury, mostly reported in DKD and RCC. Herein, we review the biogenesis and biological functions of circRNAs, and summarize their roles as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets in common kidney diseases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Flávia Silveira ◽  
Káthia Zuntini ◽  
Márcia Silveira ◽  
Lohanna Tavares ◽  
Juliana Mendes ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to present the confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pediatric patients with chronic and acute kidney diseases admitted to a tertiary pediatric hospital. METHODS: Descriptive and retrospective observational study with all children hospitalized between March and June 2020 who had, simultaneously, SARS-CoV-2 infection and renal pathologies. Of this total of patients, those who had another underlying disease besides the renal disease were excluded. RESULTS: During the period, nine children with kidney disease were admitted to the hospital and had infection confirmed by the new coronavirus through positive RT-PCR. Regarding the underlying disease, seven had only kidney disease, three of whom had stage 5 chronic kidney disease; one, with stage 1 chronic kidney disease; one, with cortic-sensitive nephrotic syndrome; and two, with acute kidney injury. Two patients in this study had already undergone kidney transplantation, used immunosuppressants and had their doses reduced due to the infectious condition. Only one required oxygen therapy and transfer to the intensive care unit, but was not intubated and returned to the ward within 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS: According to the cases described, the pediatric population with kidney disease, including those using immunosuppressants due to acute transplant rejection, seems to evolve without severe COVID-19, therefore there is no great divergence in relation to the population of the same healthy age group.


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-39
Author(s):  
Deidra C. Crews ◽  
Aminu K. Bello ◽  
Gamal Saadi ◽  

Kidney disease is a global public health problem, affecting over 750 million persons worldwide. The burden of kidney disease varies substantially across the world. In many settings, rates of kidney disease and the provision of its care are defined by socioeconomic, cultural, and political factors leading to significant disparities. World Kidney Day 2019 offers an opportunity to raise awareness of kidney disease and highlight disparities in its burden and current state of global capacity for prevention and management. Here, we highlight the need for strengthening basic infrastructure for kidney care services for early detection and management of acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease across all countries and advocate for more pragmatic approaches to providing renal replacement therapies. Achieving universal health coverage worldwide by 2030 is a World Health Organization Sustainable Development Goal. While universal health coverage may not include all elements of kidney care in all countries, understanding what is locally feasible and important with a focus on reducing the burden and consequences of kidney disease would be an important step towards achieving kidney health equity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 245 (10) ◽  
pp. 902-910
Author(s):  
Binbin Pan ◽  
Guoping Fan

Kidney dysfunction, including chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury, is a globally prevalent health problem. However, treatment regimens are still lacking, especially for conditions involving kidney fibrosis. Stem cells hold great promise in the treatment of chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury, but success has been hampered by insufficient incorporation of the stem cells in the injured kidney. Thus, new approaches for the restoration of kidney function after acute or chronic injury have been explored. Recently, kidney organoids have emerged as a useful tool in the treatment of kidney diseases. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms and approaches of cell therapy in acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease, including diabetic kidney disease and lupus nephritis. We also summarize the potential applications of kidney organoids in the treatment of kidney diseases. Impact statement Stem cells hold great promise in regenerative medicine. Pluripotent stem cells have been differentiated into kidney organoids to understand human kidney development and to dissect renal disease mechanisms. Meanwhile, recent studies have explored the treatment of kidney diseases using a variety of cells, including mesenchymal stem cells and renal derivatives. This mini-review discusses the diverse mechanisms underlying current renal disease treatment via stem cell therapy. We postulate that clinical applications of stem cell therapy for kidney diseases can be readily achieved in the near future.


Author(s):  
SHAREEF J. ◽  
SRIDHAR S. B. ◽  
SHARIFF A.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are most widely used medications for acid related gastrointestinal disorders. Accessible evidence based studies suggest that the increased use of PPI is linked to a greater risk of developing kidney diseases. This review aims to determine the association of kidney disease with the use of proton pump inhibitor with various study designs. PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases as well as a reference list of relevant articles were systematically searched for studies by using the following search terms; ‘proton pump inhibitors’, ‘acute kidney injury’, ‘chronic kidney disease’ and ‘end stage renal disease’. Both observational and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exploring the association of PPI use with kidney disease were eligible for inclusion. A total of 8 articles, including 9 studies (n = 794,349 participants) were identified and included in the review. Majority of the studies showed a higher risk of kidney outcomes in patients taking PPIs, with effect higher of acute kidney injury (4-to 6-fold) compared with chronic kidney disease and end stage renal disease (1.5-to 2.5-fold). However, the studies suggest that the strength of evidence is weak and could not prove causation. The risk increased considerably with the use of high dose of PPIs and prolonged duration of exposure necessitates the monitoring of renal function. Exercising vigilance in PPI use and cessation of proton pump inhibitor when there is no clear indication may be a reasonable approach to reduce the population burden of kidney diseases.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 1853-1863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruifeng Wang ◽  
Titi Chen ◽  
Chengshi Wang ◽  
Zhiqiang Zhang ◽  
Xin Maggie Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health problem, which lacks effective treatment. Previously, we have shown that CD103+ dendritic cells (DCs) are pathogenic in adriamycin nephropathy (AN), a model of human focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (Flt3) is a receptor that is expressed with high specificity on tissue resident CD103+ DCs. Methods To test the effect on CD103+ DCs and kidney injury of inhibition of Flt3, we used a selective Flt3 inhibitor (AC220) to treat mice with AN. Results Human CD141+ DCs, homologous to murine CD103+ DCs, were significantly increased in patients with FSGS. The number of kidney CD103+ DCs, but not CD103− DCs or plasmacytoid DCs, was significantly decreased in AN mice after AC220 administration. Treatment with AC220 significantly improved kidney function and reduced kidney injury and fibrosis in AN mice. AC220-treated AN mice had decreased levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, CCL2 and CCL5 and reduced kidney infiltration of CD4 T cells and CD8 T cells. The protective effect of AC220 was associated with its suppression of CD103+ DCs-mediated CD8 T cell proliferation and activation in AN mice. Conclusion Flt3 inhibitor AC220 effectively reduced kidney injury in AN mice, suggesting that this inhibitor might be a useful pharmaceutical agent to treat CKD.


2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 900-915
Author(s):  
Eleni Manou ◽  
Elias Thodis ◽  
Georgios Arsos ◽  
Ploumis Pasadakis ◽  
Stylianos Panagoutsos ◽  
...  

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) and α-Klotho protein appear to have an important role in the pathogenesis of CKD-mineral and bone disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of FGF-23 and α-Klotho levels with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with non-dialysis CKD. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> We conducted a prospective cohort study, enrolling participants with non-dialysis CKD from a single center in Greece. At enrollment, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured (mGFR) and plasma levels of carboxyl terminal FGF-23 (cFGF-23) and soluble α-Klotho (sKlotho) were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Participants were followed for up to 5 years or until the occurrence of the primary endpoint of initiation of renal replacement therapy or death. Multivariate regression tree analysis was used to identify informative baseline parameters in order to categorize participants. Also, using median values of cFGF-23 and sKlotho, participants were categorized into 4 groups, in whom survival was compared using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis. <b><i>Results:</i></b> 128 participants were enrolled with a median mGFR of 41.5 mL/min/1.73 m<sup>2</sup> (IQR = 28.2). Baseline mGFR correlated with cFGF-23 and sKlotho (<i>r</i> = −0.54 and <i>r</i> = 0.49, respectively; <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.0001 for both). cFGF-23 and sKlotho levels correlated negatively (<i>r</i> = −0.24, <i>p</i> = 0.006). Multivariate regression tree analysis resulted in 3 groups defined by cutoff values of mGFR (60.9 mL/min/1.73 m<sup>2</sup>) and phosphate (3.7 mg/dL). These groups correlated with CKD stage, cFGF-23, and sKlotho (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.0001 for all). During a median follow-up of 36 months (IQR = 22), 40 (31.2%) participants reached the primary endpoint (31 initiated renal replacement therapy, 9 died). Survival to primary endpoint differed among the 4 groups formed using median values of both biomarkers, with the low FGF-23/high Klotho and high FGF-23/low Klotho having the longest and shortest survival, respectively. High FGF-23/low Klotho group, compared to the opposite one, had a significantly elevated risk of the primary outcome (HR, 6.8; 95% CI, 2.3–19.6; <i>p</i> = 0.0004). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> In patients with CKD stages 1–5, the combination of higher cFGF-23 and lower sKlotho levels along with mGFR and serum phosphate was associated with adverse clinical outcomes. The utility of combinations of traditional and novel biomarkers to predict outcomes warrants further study.


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