Clinical Research Directory

HYDROchlorothiazide to PROTECT Polycystic Kidney Disease Patients and Improve Their Quality of Life

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by progressive formation of renal cysts which ultimately lead to a loss of renal function. Tolvaptan (a V2R antagonist) is currently the only effective treatment for preserving renal function in ADPKD. However, side-effects such as polyuria limit its tolerability and thereby the therapeutic potential. This study will test whether co-administration with hydochlorothiazide can improve V2RA efficacy (slowing kidney function decline) and tolerability (quality of life) in ADPKD. Approximately 300 patients will be enrolled.

Somatosensory Phenotyping of ADPKD

Over 60% of patients with ADPKD suffer from pain, mostly in the abdomen, flank and back, often leading to the diagnosis. It is challenging to manage and cure the pain; approximately 39% of patients are not satisfied with their pain treatment, since the pain prevents them from doing various activities, affecting their quality of life. Pain can be present before enlargement of the kidneys, the source of the pain is often unknown and common analgesics are insufficient to manage the pain or cannot be taken due to renal impairment. By further investigating and characterizing the pain phenotype of the ADPKD population, pain management might be improved and alternative therapeutic approaches might be developed. In this clinical study, pain will be assessed in patients with ADPKD using Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) on the dominant hand and the lower back, together with four questionnaires regarding pain and quality of life. These results will be compared with the somatosensory profile of matched healthy volunteers.

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) Study

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is the most common genetic cause of renal failure. For several decades, ADPKD was regarded as an adult-onset disease. In the last decade, it has become more widely appreciated that the disease course begins in childhood. However, evidence-based guidelines on how to manage and approach children diagnosed with or at-risk for of ADPKD are lacking. Overall, there is insufficient data on the clinical course during childhood. The study intends to get more information on Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) and other hepato/renal fibrocystic diseases. Additionally, the study intends to expand web-based resources so anyone can learn about ADPKD or other hepato/renal fibrocystic diseases. Individuals diagnosed with the dominant form of a hepato/renal fibrocystic condition are invited to be in the study.

Statin Therapy in Patients With Early Stage ADPKD

This study plans to learn if pravastatin is helpful in slowing down the progression of kidney disease in adults with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Pravastatin has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adults for treatment of hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol levels). The investigators are using pravastatin in this study as an investigational drug for treatment of ADPKD.

Kidney Sodium Functional Imaging

The corticomedullary gradient is largely responsible for developing the gradients that are needed to concentrate urine (more solutes and less water). The ability of the kidneys to produce concentrated urine is a major determinant of the ability to survive the warm weather. When temperatures are high, we lose water through sweat, and so the kidneys retain water to maintain fluidity in the blood. The maintenance of a sodium (salt) gradient is required for urine concentration because increased medullary sodium concentration increases the reabsorption of water into the kidney, to be redistributed in the blood. The purpose of this study is to know if the corticomedullary gradient is altered in patients across a wide spectrum of kidney disease using sodium Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a machine that takes pictures and measures the salt content in the kidneys. 23Na kidney MRI, will provide functional MR of the kidney as a non-invasive tool to describe medullary function to improve management of chronic and kidney disease.

Analysis of Patients With Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney

The main objective of the study is to establish a database of clinical data and genetic data of patients diagnosed with ADPKD, with particular focus on those who have undertaken a specific therapy (Tolvaptan or Octreotide), afferent to the Integrated Renal Genetic Diseases Outpatient Clinic of the U.O. Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation of the Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic directed by Prof. La Manna. In-depth analysis and comparison on clinical, laboratory and instrumental outcomes will be performed within this population. A thorough personal and family history will be obtained, and once informed consent is obtained, data will be entered and updated during subsequent outpatient monitoring. Attention is paid to the clinical course of the disease in relation to genetic variants (genotype-phenotype correlation) and treatments performed by patients, in order to monitor the progression of the disease to end-stage renal failure (ESRD) and the impact that specific therapy has on various parameters identified as indicating such progression. In particular, monitoring of the reduction in renal function, as assessed by creatinine, eGFR, 24-hour proteinuria, and urinary osmolarity values, with attention to comparing developmental trends toward ESDR between patients not receiving therapy and patients on specific therapy, and monitoring of the numerical and/or volumetric increase in renal cysts, as assessed by imaging comparison of the TKV value at the time of diagnosis of polycystic kidney disease and at subsequent re-evaluation, with attention to the extent of progression following the initiation of specific therapy, will be performed.

Genetics in the Progression of Nephropathies

This study evaluates the role of genetic in the development and progression of different nephropaties with particular attention to: * AKI * CKD * Hypertension * ADPKD * CKD-MBD * Patients with decompensated heart failure undergoing either medical or surgery therapy * Patients with hematologic cancer exposed to chemotherapeutic agents or undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplantation * glomerular diseases