The prevalence of several metabolic abnormalities associated with moderate
to advanced CKD was determined after standardization for age, race-ethnicity, and gender. In the absence of stage 3 or 4 CKD, patients with elevated serum cystatin C had a higher prevalence of low hemoglobin and elevated uric acid, homocysteine, phosphorus, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein than patients with a normal serum cystatin C. Our results show that in adults with normal or mildly reduced eGFR, elevated serum cystatin C is associated with an increased prevalence of metabolic abnormalities traditionally found in moderate or severe CKD. Elevated serum cystatin C may identify patients with ‘preclinical’ check details kidney disease not detected by traditional serum creatinine measurements. Kidney International (2009) 76, 81-88; doi: 10.1038/ki.2009.76; AZD1480 trial published online 18 March 2009″
“We studied the ability to transfer three-digit force sharing patterns learned through consecutive lifts of an object with an asymmetric center of mass (CM). After several object lifts, we asked subjects to rotate and translate the object to the contralateral hand and perform one additional lift. This task was performed under two weight conditions (550 and 950 g) to determine the extent to which subjects would be able to transfer weight and CM information. Learning transfer was quantified
by measuring the extent to which force sharing patterns and peak object roll on the first post-translation trial resembled those measured on the pre-translation trial with the same CM. We found that the overall gain of fingertip forces was transferred
following object rotation, but that the scaling of individual digit forces was specific to the learned digit-object configuration, and thus was not transferred following rotation. As a result, on the first post-translation trial there was a significantly Immune system larger object roll following object lift-off than on the pre-translation trial. This suggests that sensorimotor memories for weight, requiring scaling of fingertip force gain, may differ from memories for mass distribution. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“To gain some insight into early disease progression in human autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), we analyzed the urine proteome of 41 young patients with ADPKD whose renal function was relatively preserved. Using capillary electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, we compared these results to those from age-matched healthy controls and patients with other renal diseases. There were 197 proteins with significantly altered urinary excretion; and 38 of them could be sequenced, most of which were collagen fragments. This suggests that there is high turnover of extracellular matrix proteins. Uromodulin peptides, previously implicated in tubular injury, were also found in the urine specimens.