Hakki Arikan

Introduction: Sarcopenia, defined as loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, often progresses to frailty and is associated with unfavorable post‐transplant outcomes. Frailty is characterized by diminished physiological capacity and increased vulnerability. On the other hand, kidney transplantation is associated with lower mortality rates and improved quality of life. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of frailty status using two different methods in kidney transplant (KT) recipients, to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and frailty status, and to identify factors that influence both conditions. Methods: We included 123 KT recipients who were admitted to the transplant outpatient clinic between March 2024 and July 2024. EWGSOP2 criteria were used to diagnose sarcopenia. Modified Fried's Frailty Phenotype criteria and FRAIL scale were used to assess frailty. Results: Mean age was 49±12 years and 45.5% were female. Overall, 32.5% and 4.9% of patients were identified as probable sarcopenic and sarcopenic, consecutively. The number of patients with deceased transplantation was higher in sarcopenic patients ( p = 0.004). When grouped according to Modified Fried's Frailty Phenotype 41.5% of patients were prefrail and 4.1% were frail. According to FRAIL scale, 28.5% of participants were prefrail, and 3.3% were frail. Two scales showed substantial agreement. Serum phosphorus was higher in the frail and prefrail patient groups according to both frailty scales compared to robust group ( p p = 0.04). Conclusions: Pre‐frailty and sarcopenia are common in KT recipients and are associated with higher serum phosphorus. Notably, sarcopenia was linked to having a deceased donor transplantation, underscoring the importance of targeted screening and management in this population.

Background: The volume of the left atrium serves as an independent predictor of mortality across a range of medical conditions. Several studies have examined left atrial (LA) changes in dialysis patients using 2-dimensional echocardiogra phy. This study aims to evaluate LA volume and function in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients using real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography. Methods: Twenty-five PD patients and 25 sex- and age-matched controls were included. Since all PD patients had hyper tension, the controls were also selected from people with hypertension. Echocardiography was conducted to assess LA phasic volumes and functional parameters. Results: Left atrial phasic volumes, including maximal volume index, minimal volume index, and pre-atrial contraction volume index, were found to be higher in PD patients. Additionally, the mitral E/e’ ratio, left ventricular (LV) mass index, and deceleration time were elevated in the PD group compared to the control group. Conversely, the septal and lateral E wave velocities were higher in the control group than in PD patients. Left atrial phasic volumes showed a significant correlation with both LV mass index and age. Furthermore, residual kidney function was associated with LA phasic volumes, LV mass index, and the mitral E/e’ ratio. Conclusion: Real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography can identify LA enlargement before clinically overt cardiovascular diseases develop. Early detection of LA enlargement is crucial for preventing the progression of heart failure and minimizing the risk of cardiovascular events. Cite this article as: Barutçu Ataş D, Ataş H, Kanar B, et al. Evaluation of left atrial volume and function with real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography in peritoneal dialysis patients. Turk J Nephrol. 2026;35(1):72-79.

Calcineurin inhibitors,clinical nephrology,immunosuppressive therapy,membranous nephropathy,Rituximab

Background: Vaccine hesitancy has emerged as an important problem in pandemic control all over the world. In this study, the aim was to evaluate vaccination rates, vaccine awareness, reasons for non-vaccination, and hesitations of non-vacci nated patients in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis. Methods: The study is a cross-sectional, descriptive survey study. A total of 343 people, including 146 patients with chronic glomerular disease and 197 age- and gender-matched volunteers without chronic kidney disease, were included. Sociodemographic forms, medical history, and questionnaires about vaccine hesitation regarding COVID-19 vaccines, pre pared by the researchers using the existing literature, were filled out respectively. The questions were asked face-to-face and recorded. Results: The rate of COVID-19 vaccination was similar in both groups (91.8% vs. 92.4%; P = .837). The rate of full dose vaccination was higher in the patient group but did not reach statistical significance (58.9% vs. 48.7%; P = .062). In the patient group, 17.8% stated that they were undecided about the importance of COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, 40.4% of the patients stated that they received information about the vaccine from healthcare professionals. Although 78.1% of the patient group stated that vaccination would increase with the recommendation of nephrologists, only 28.1% said they were informed by a nephrologist. Conclusion: Although a high rate of vaccine acceptance was observed in patients, the rate of full dose vaccination was low. In addition, it was determined that it is important for physicians to provide suggestions and information during patient follow-ups to reduce patients’ hesitation and increase vaccine acceptance. Cite this article as: Bayram N, Pacaci B, Tugcu M, et al. COVID-19 vaccine awareness in glomerulonephritis patients: A cross-sectional survey study. Turk J Nephrol. 2025;34(3):179-187.

Introduction: Ferritin to albumin ratio (FAR) is a combined marker for inflammation and nutritional status. This study aims to investigate FAR and its relationship with mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.Methods: One hundred seventy‐seven PD patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. Prevalence of all‐cause mortality and associated factors were analyzed.Results: Patients were divided into two groups according to mortality status. While patients were older and the presence of diabetes mellitus was more common in the mortality group, urine volume and normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR) were higher in nonmortality patients. The mortality group had higher levels of FAR (p = 0.001). We further analyzed patients according to FAR levels. The 75th percentile of FAR was defined as the high FAR (> 143.4) group, and in the Kaplan–Meier Survival Analysis, the low FAR group had better survival than the high FAR group (p = 0.011). FAR was positively correlated with age and C‐reactive protein (CRP) and negatively correlated with urine volume. Cox regression analysis revealed that age (p < 0.001), FAR (p = 0.008), nPCR (p = 0.002), and urine volume (p = 0.039) were independent predictors of all‐cause mortality.Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that FAR is an independent predictor of all‐cause mortality among PD patients.

Anxiety–depression,COVID-19 pandemic,drug adherence,insomnia–sleep quality,perceived stress,systemic lupus erythematosus

Introduction and Aim: Peritonitis is a critical complication in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, making compliance with personal hygiene essential. This study examines the impact of the COVID‐19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) pandemic on hygiene behaviors and peritonitis incidence in PD patients.Materials and Methods: Fifty‐two PD patients were assessed for hygiene behaviors, demographic, and medical data. Laboratory parameters and peritonitis culture results were compared before and after COVID‐19.Results: Post‐COVID‐19, significant improvements were observed in 11 hygiene behaviors, including hand washing (p < 0.001). The peritonitis rate decreased from 28.8.% to 13.5%, though this was not statistically significant (p = 0.093). Among those without post‐COVID peritonitis, hand washing before connecting the transfer set and regular exit site dressing were more frequent.Conclusion: Following COVID‐19, PD patients demonstrated improved hygiene behaviors and reduced peritonitis rates. Emphasis on hand washing and exit site care is recommended in all PD programs.

Objective: Patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are prone to infections. This study aims to clarify infectious complications in terms of both the disease and the specific treatments used. Patients and Methods: Sixty-three patients with SLE and AAV with kidney involvement treated with rituximab or cyclophosphamide were included. Patients were examined regarding infections, comorbidities, immunosuppressives, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), use of prophylactic antibiotics, hospitalization, and death. Results: Patients with SLE experienced more genitourinary infections in general (p=0.009). In the rituximab group, SLE patients had a higher incidence of genitourinary infections, septicemia, and intensive care unit admissions. Furthermore, lupus patients with serious infections were all treated with rituximab and had a higher incidence of low respiratory tract infections (p=0.003). On the contrary, treatment with rituximab did not cause an increased risk of infection among AAV patients compared to cyclophosphamide. In general, patients with serious infections had lower IgG and total Ig levels (p

Objective: Cardiovascular diseases are the main causes of mortality in the anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurement and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were performed to determine atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness as cardiovascular risk markers. Patients and Methods: The data of 31 patients with AAV were compared with 21 healthy controls. Demographic and laboratory findings were recorded. Results: Seventeen patients (54.8%) were male. Mean age was 52.6±11.5 years. CIMT was higher in the patient group [0.74 (0.65 – 0.84) vs 0.63 (0.57-0.74) mm; p=0.048]. PWV [7.9 (6.7-9.3) vs 7.8 (6.8-8.5) m/s; p=0.295] and augmentation index (AI) [22.5 (11.0-30.0) vs. 23 (9.5-30.5) mm/Hg, p=0.801] were similar in both groups. CIMT was correlated with age (r: 0.538, p

Objectives: Hyperuricemia is common in CKD patients. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum uric acid and the progression of CKD in stage 2 and 3 non-diabetic patients with CKD. Methods: The study sample included non-diabetic patients with stage 2 and 3 CKD, aged between 30 and 90 years, who were on nephrology follow-up for more than a year at our hospital. Serum uric acid levels recorded at presentation were considered baseline uric acid levels and annual eGFR, was calculated based on MDRD whereas BUN and blood creatinine values measured during patient visits were recorded retrospectively, as annual mean values. Results: 71 patients were included. Annual reductions in eGFR were significantly higher in male patients (3.8±4.7 ml/min/1.73 m²) compared to female patients (1.7±2.3 ml/min/1.73 m²) (p<0.032). In a multivariate linear regression analysis, the variables associated with annual reductions in eGFR measurements were baseline serum albumin level, baseline eGFR, and annual mean uric acid levels. No statistically significant differences were found between patients with hyperuricemia (n: 49) and patients without hyperuricemia (n: 22) in annual eGFR decline (2.9±4.5 vs. 2.0±2.71 ml/min/1.73 m², respectively; p=0.894) and annual eGFR decline in patients treated with allopurinol was comparable to those in patients who were not treated with allopurinol (2.2±2.4 vs. 3.2±4.3 ml/min/1.73 m², p=0.323; respectively). Conclusion: We couldn’t find any significant association between baseline serum uric acid levels and declines in eGFR. This finding reinforces the notion that hyperuricemia may arise from declining eGFR rather than accelerating CKD progression.