We combed through multiple medical journals looking for the latest research on the Integrative approach to kidney health. We know your time is valuable, so we curated and summarized these studies for you. Welcome to the InKidney October Research and News.
Escherichia- Shigella dysbiosis is common in IgA nephropathy patients
This study conducted by investigators in Xijing Hospital, China examined 127 patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) who were treatment-naive and 127 matched healthy controls. They also studied 40 patients with membranous nephropathy.
Fecal microbiota samples were collected from all participants and analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing.
Expansion of the taxonomic chain Proteobacteria–Gammaproteobacteria–Enterobacteriales–Enterobacteriaceae–Escherichia-Shigella was observed in patients with IgAN who were treatment-naive.
Escherichia-Shigella contributed the most and was determined to be the optimal bacterial classifier of IgAN.
Gut dysbiosis in predisposed patients may be a trigger in a chain reaction that leads to IgAN in some cases. Correcting it may help reverse this process. However, every patient is different and these types of studies should not be interpreted as the sole association with IgAN. Because the trigger of IgAN can vary from patient to patient.
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Air pollution may increase the risk of kidney failure in patients with IgA nephropathy
Since we are discussing IgAN, let’s discuss this new study that was published in Kidney International. Here investigators studied 1979 patients with IgAN from different provinces in China.
PM2.5 exposure from 1998 to 2016 was derived from satellite aerosol optical depth data. The severity of PM2.5 exposure in different regions was correlated with regional kidney failure burden.
Each 10 μg/m3 increase in the annual average concentration of PM2.5 exposure before or after the study entry was associated with an increased risk for kidney failure after adjusting for other variables.
When thinking about autoimmune kidney diseases (glomerulonephritis) from an Integrative medicine approach, we think about predispositions, triggers, mediators, and inflammation.
Air pollution, in this study, is proven to be a mediator in the progression of IgAN.
Plasma cadmium levels are associated with kidney stone
This case-control study assessed 940 patients with confirmed kidney stones and controls. Investigators measured plasma heavy metals.
They found a correlation between plasma cadmium levels and kidney stones. This association remained strong after adjusting for other confounders.
Exposure to cadmium mainly occurs through ingesting contaminated food, water, or inhalation. The most significant sources of cadmium exposure include batteries, pigments and coatings, plastics, phosphate fertilizers, and tobacco cigarettes.
Cadmium is associated with many adverse outcomes such as cancer and organ toxicity. It has been associated with kidney injury as we discussed in this blog.
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