BackgroundIsolated pulmonary valve infective endocarditis caused by Candida is rare in chronic hemodialysis patients. The 2009 Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines suggest the combined use of surgery and antibiotics to treat candidiasis; however, successful nonsurgical treatment of Candida endocarditis has been reported.Case presentationA 63-year-old woman with end-stage kidney disease was admitted to our hospital after experiencing disorientation for 5 days. The patient was permanently bedridden because of depression, and denied active intravenous drug use. She received maintenance hemodialysis through a tunneled-cuffed catheter. An initial blood culture grew Candida guilliermondii without other bacteria. Subsequent blood cultures and tip culture of tunneled-cuffed catheter also grew C. guilliermondii, even after caspofungin replaced fluconazole. A 1.2-cm mobile mass was observed on the pulmonary valve. Surgical intervention was suggested, but the family of the patient declined because of her multiple comorbidities. The patient was discharged with a prescription of fluconazole, but she died soon after.ConclusionOur patient is the first case with isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis caused by C. guilliermondii in patients with uremia. Hematologic disorders, in addition to long-term central venous catheter use, prolonged antibiotic intravenous injection, and congenital cardiac anomaly, predispose to the condition. The diagnosis “isolated” pulmonary IE is difficult, and combing surgery with antifungal antibiotics is the appropriate therapeutic management for Candida related pulmonary IE.

BackgroundPatients starting dialysis often have substantial residual kidney function. Incremental hemodialysis provides a hemodialysis prescription that supplements patients’ residual kidney function while maintaining total (residual + dialysis) urea clearance (standard Kt/Vurea) targets. We describe our experience with incremental hemodialysis in patients using NxStage System One for home hemodialysis.Case presentationFrom 2011 to 2015, we initiated 5 incident hemodialysis patients on an incremental home hemodialysis regimen. The biochemical parameters of all patients remained stable on the incremental hemodialysis regimen and they consistently achieved standard Kt/Vurea targets. Of the two patients with follow-up >6 months, residual kidney function was preserved for ≥2 years. Importantly, the patients were able to transition to home hemodialysis without automatically requiring 5 sessions per week at the outset and gradually increased the number of treatments and/or dialysate volume as the residual kidney function declined.ConclusionsAn incremental home hemodialysis regimen can be safely prescribed and may improve acceptability of home hemodialysis. Reducing hemodialysis frequency by even one treatment per week can reduce the number of fistula or graft cannulations or catheter connections by >100 per year, an important consideration for patient well-being, access longevity, and access-related infections. The incremental hemodialysis approach, supported by national guidelines, can be considered for all home hemodialysis patients with residual kidney function.

BackgroundFibronectin glomerulopathy is a rare, inherited, autosomal dominant, glomerular disease characterized by proteinuria, microscopic hematuria, hypertension, massive glomerular deposits of fibronectin, and slow progression to end-stage renal failure. Because the incident of fibronectin glomerulopathy is extremely low, the pathophysiology, genetic abnormalities, epidemiology, and mechanisms remain to be elucidated.Case presentationWe report a 21-year-old woman with fibronectin glomerulopathy, who had been diagnosed with persistent cloaca and congenital esophageal atresia at birth. She developed proteinuria and hematuria 7 months before admission. Urinary protein and serum creatinine levels were 3.38 g/gCr and 0.73 mg/dL. Renal biopsy showed severe mesangial widening due to massive deposits, which was positive periodic acid-Schiff and negative methenamine silver. Immunostaining was negative for immunoglobulin but positive for fibronectin. Electron microscopy showed diffuse mesangial granular deposits. Thus she was diagnosed with fibronectin glomerulopathy, despite a negative family history of kidney disease and lack of any known missense mutations of fibronectin 1 gene.ConclusionWe report a patient who developed fibronectin glomerulopathy during the clinical course of extremely rare congenital malformations, including persistent cloaca and congenital esophageal atresia. We describe a case of this condition in detail and summarize the 75 case reports of fibronectin glomerulopathy.

BackgroundImmunoglobulin G4-related kidney disease characterized by immunoglobulin G4-positive plasma cell-rich tubulointerstitial nephritis has distinctive serological and radiological findings. Renal prognosis is good because of a good response to glucocorticoids. Here we report a case of successful treatment of highly advanced immunoglobulin G4-related kidney disease presenting renal mass-like regions with end-stage kidney failure.Case PresentationA 59-year-old Japanese man was referred to our hospital because of uremia with a creatinine level of 12.36 mg/dL. Urinalysis revealed mild proteinuria and hyperβ2microglobulinuria, and blood tests showed hyperglobulinemia with an IgG level of 3243 mg/dL and an IgG4 level of 621 mg/dL. Non-contrast computed tomography revealed renal mass-like regions. Based on the findings, immunoglobulin G4-related kidney disease was suspected, however, further radiological examination showed unexpected results. Ga-67 scintigraphy showed no kidney uptake. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging revealed high-intensity signals which corresponded to mass-like regions and multiple patchy low-intensity signals in kidney cortex. Finally, the patient was diagnosed with immunoglobulin G4-related kidney disease by renal pathology of severe immunoglobulin G4-positive plasma cell-rich tubulointerstitial nephritis and characteristic fibrosis. He received 50 mg oral prednisolone, which was tapered with a subsequent decrease of serum creatinine and IgG4 levels. One year after initiation of treatment, he achieved normalization of serum IgG4 level and proteinuria, and remained off dialysis with a creatinine level of 3.50 mg/dL. After treatment with steroids, repeat imaging suggested bilateral severe focal atrophy. However, mass-like regions did not show atrophic change although renal atrophy was evident in patchy low-intensity lesions on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. These findings suggest that multiple patchy low-intensity signals and high-intensity mass-like regions were mildly atrophic lesions of immunoglobulin G4-related kidney disease due to severe fibrosis and normal parts of kidney, respectively.ConclusionsIn immunoglobulin G4-related kidney disease with severe kidney failure, radiological findings should be carefully examined. In addition, renal prognosis may be good despite highly advanced tubulointerstitial nephritis and fibrosis.

BackgroundJuvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a common rheumatic disease in children and adolescents. Although JIA may cause secondary amyloidosis, this is a rare complication in patients with JIA and other rheumatic diseases. Many previous studies have revealed that common heterozygous or homozygous mutations in the MEFV gene are associated with systemic-onset JIA (SJIA).Case presentationWe herein report a case involving a 19-year-old female patient with difficult-to-control SJIA. She developed progressive proteinuria without clinical signs or symptoms of edema. Renal amyloidosis was diagnosed by renal pathologic examination, which demonstrated deposition of eosinophilic amorphous material in the interlobular arteries, arterioles, and interstitium. Electron microscopy showed fibrillary material deposits with a diameter of 8 to 10 nm. A heterozygous E148Q mutation in the MEFV gene was identified. Conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and etanercept had been used to treat the SJIA, but the disease could not be controlled. Therefore, we decided to start tocilizumab to control the disease activity. However, the patient was unable to receive a standard dose of tocilizumab in the early period of treatment because of socioeconomic limitations. Her disease course was still active, and proteinuria was found. Therefore, tocilizumab was increased to a dose of 8 mg/kg every 2 weeks (standard dose of SJIA), and the patient exhibited a clinical response within 3 months.ConclusionRefractory SJIA associated with renal amyloidosis is an uncommon cause of proteinuria in adolescents. Tocilizumab may be a beneficial treatment for renal amyloidosis in patients with SJIA.

BackgroundNail-patella syndrome (NPS) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the LMX1B gene and is characterized by nail dysplasia, skeletal abnormalities, and nephropathy. We herein report a case of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) prior to overt orthopedic symptoms in a patient with NPS.Case presentationA 24-year-old woman presented to our hospital with knee pain. She had poorly developed nails, hypoplastic patellas, dislocation of the elbows, and iliac horns in the pelvis. At the age of 7, she developed nephrotic syndrome and was diagnosed with primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis by renal biopsy. She received long-term corticosteroid therapy with no obvious response. Her clinical course and orthopedic manifestations indicated NPS, and a genetic analysis showed a de novo mutation in the LMX1B gene (c.819 + 1G > A). Nephropathy in this case was considered to be associated with NPS. Therefore, we discontinued corticosteroids without the exacerbation of nephrotic syndrome.ConclusionsPatients with NPS may develop nephrotic syndrome prior to overt orthopedic symptoms and only show non-specific findings in renal biopsy at an early stage of NPS nephropathy. Hereditary nephrotic syndrome, often presenting as childhood-onset SRNS, may also be difficult to diagnose in patients with the following conditions: renal symptoms prior to overt extrarenal symptoms, de novo mutations, and non-specific findings in renal biopsy. Therefore, in the management of SRNS in children, we need to reconsider the possibility of hereditary diseases such as NPS even without a family history.