Clinical Research Directory

How a Plant-Based Diet Affects Blood Pressure and Gut Health in Kidney Transplant Patient

Kidney transplant improves the quality of life (QoL) and survival of appropriate patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). However, these patients still have higher mortality compared to the general population and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality. Among several metabolic complications post-transplantation, hypertension is one of the common risk factors for CVD. In addition to cardiometabolic alteration post-transplant, there is often observed gut microbial dysbiosis, marked by a decrease in microbial diversity and an increase in the relative abundance of Proteobacteria compared to individuals in a healthy state. Different dietary patterns can lead to distinct gut microbiota compositions. Diets rich in plant-based foods, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables tend to promote a more diverse and beneficial gut microbiota characterized by a higher abundance of fiber-degrading bacteria. On the other hand, diets high in saturated fats, refined sugars, and processed foods have been associated with dysbiosis, characterized by a reduction in beneficial bacteria and an overgrowth of potentially harmful microbes. While there is data in the normal population suggesting that a healthy diet can alter gut microbiota composition, the impact of a plant-based diet on gut microbiota-associated hypertension in kidney transplant recipients remains understudied. To address this gap, the investigators propose a single-center, single-blinded, 1:1 parallel randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of consuming a plant-based diet (intervention group) for 12 weeks on the change in blood pressure, gut microbiota, and patient report outcomes compared to the habitual diet (control group) in kidney transplant recipients with stable kidney allograft function at least 6 months post-transplantation. The investigators hypothesize that the adoption of a plant-based diet decreases in blood pressure, induces significant changes in gut microbiota composition and does not change in QoL.

Renal Function Prediction in Living Donor Transplant Using Baseline Data

This study aims to predict early post-transplant kidney function in living donor kidney transplant recipients using baseline characteristics of donors and recipients. The study involves analyzing pre-transplant data to develop a machine learning model that predicts serum creatinine levels one year post-transplant. This research may improve decision-making and outcomes for transplant patients

Furosemide Stress Test Predicting Early Graft Function in Kidney Transplantation

Furosemide is an old drug that has been used frequently in the postoperative period of kidney transplantation, aiming to achieve adequate urine output. There is no previous study that directly evaluate the urine response to standardized dose of furosemide in the postoperative period. The objective is to measure the urine output after standardized dose of furosemide is delivered, as a biomarker to predict the graft function in perioperative period.

Prospective Cohort Study of 4,837 Post-myocardial Infarction Patients (Alpha Omega Cohort)

The Alpha Omega Cohort is a prospective study of 4,837 state-of-the-art drug-treated Dutch patients aged 60-80 years who had a clinically diagnosed myocardial infarction up to 10 years before enrolment. During the first 40 months of follow-up, patients took part in an experimental study of low doses n-3 fatty acids (Alpha Omega Trial, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00127452). At baseline (2002-2006), data on medical history, medication use, diet, lifestyle and other factors were collected by means of questionnaires. Patients were physically examined by trained research nurses and blood samples were obtained. Follow-up for vital status and cause-specific mortality is ongoing. The trial was approved by a central medical ethics committee (Haga Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands) and all patients provided written informed consent.