The Kidney Chronicles: A Pediatric Nephrology Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

For this episode on ARPKD interviewed Dr. Lisa Guay-Woodford a clinician scientist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who is a world-renowned expert on cystic kidney diseases. She was part of one of the teams that discovered the ARPKD gene and provides fascinating insight into the history and management of the condition.

References

ARPKD genetic variations: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1096719209002947

Bilateral nephrectomy outcomes: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-71956-1 

We talk to the experts in the Neonatal Kidney Collaborative (NKC) about the recently published guidelines regarding kidney follow-up for NICU graduates, a product of the NIH-supported workshop in 2024 spearheaded by Dr. Michelle Starr of Indiana University/Riley Children's Hospital. Guests include Dr. Marissa DeFreitas, pediatric nephrologist at the University of Miami, Dr. Matt Harer, neonatologist at the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Kat Gist, pediatric cardiac intensivist at Cincinnati Children's, Dr. Heidi Steflik, neonatologist at the Medical University of South Carolina, and Dr. Tom Forbes, pediatric nephrologist at Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. 

Links

Kidney Monitoring for NICU Grads Follow-Up Guidelines: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2823652

AWAKEN study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5933049/ 

Join the NKC! https://www.babykidney.org/ 

As part of the leadership series of podcast episodes, this episode discusses life as a pediatric kidney transplant director. Dr. Jodi Smith, Seattle Children's transplant director and ASPN president, Dr. Gina Barletta, Phoenix Children's transplant director, and Dr. Sarah Kizilbash, co-host and University of Minnesota transplant director, talk about why and how they got to be transplant director, their program's structure, strengths, weaknesses and the greatest joys of their job. 

For more information about the ASPN transplant interest group, check out this link https://aspneph.org/transplant-interest-group/ or email jodi.smith@seattlechildrens.org

For information about UNOS, check out the calendar of events https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/news/calendar-of-events/ 

For UNOS requirements to become a transplant physician, check out this link https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/media/2785/membership_requirements-for_pediatric_components.pdf 

Join us in our discussion with Dr. Deepa Chand, who is a pediatric nephrologist, former dialysis and division director, and now director of patient safety in immunology at Novartis. She also continues to practice pediatric nephrology at the University of Illinois-Peoria. She talks about her journey to where she is today, behind-the-scenes information regarding drug development and approval, and provides practical advice that is valuable for clinicians and researchers alike.  

This is the first episode in our leadership series! We talk with Drs. Sudha Garimella, associate professor of pediatrics at Prisma Health, and Priya Verghese, professor of pediatrics at Lurie Children's/Northwestern University about their roles as division directors in pediatric nephrology. They discuss their career paths, challenges and rewards of the job, tips for recruitment and general leadership advice, helpful for all pediatric nephrologists! 

ASNP

Dr. Vikas Dharnidharka, Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Nephrology Division Director at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, shares his extensive knowledge on PTLD (post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders) in pediatric kidney transplant recipients. He is the first author of a PTLD textbook (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-65403-0) and has published numerous studies and guideline recommendations on the subject. We discuss the pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical presentation, work-up, treatment and prognosis of PTLD in this episode.

References

North American Pediatric Renal Trials and Collaborative Studies Registry (NAPRTCS) and Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium (PNRC) studies regarding the advantages of lower dose thymoglobulin induction therapy in kidney transplantation

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32903852/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33912749/

International Pediatric Transplant Association (IPTA) PTLD guidelines

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36369733/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36369745/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37294621/

We have two fantastic Canadian guest nephrologists discussing IgA nephropathy on this episode. Dr. Sean Barbour is an adult nephrologist and associate professor at the University of British Columbia. He is a glomerulonephritis and epidemiology expert and serves as the chair of the British Columbia GN Committee and Registry. He developed and validated the IgA clinical prediction tool for both adults and children and has participated in the TESTING and NefIgArd clinical trials. Dr. Alexandra Cambier is a clinician-scientist and an associate professor of pediatric nephrology at Montreal University. She also worked on the pediatric IgA prediction tool and has numerous publications regarding biomarkers and genetic variants in children with IgA nephropathy. 

Publications that we discuss in this episode-

IgA prediction tool validation:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30980653/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35490842/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33220356/

CD89 in childhood IgA nephropathy:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34756952/

IgA nephropathy therapies in children:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34756952/

Targeted-release budesonide in adults with IgA nephropathy:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36270561/

Join us for this special episode regarding how to apply for pediatric nephrology fellowship. We will give residents the inside scoop on succeeding in landing their top match in the application and interview process! Guests on this podcast are pediatric nephrology program directors- Drs. Erum Hartung (CHOP), Julie Goodwin (Yale), Elizabeth Ingulli (UCSD/Rady Children's), Carla Nester (University of Iowa) and current pediatric nephrology fellows- Emily Zangla (University of Minnesota), Carlos Becerril-Romero (Lurie Children's), Emilia Cadiz (Emory), Uche Nwaogazie (CHOP), and Kelly Garrity (UCLA).

Questions? Reach out to Emily at doctoremilyz@gmail.com 

Join us for the discussion on neonatal dialysis with expert Dr. David Askenazi from the University of Alabama who pioneered the adaptation of the Aquadex machine to infants!

We cover acute kidney injury, the utilization of peritoneal dialysis, CRRT, Aquadex and Carpediem in neonates and the logistics behind the use of these novel new machines. 

To get involved, visit the Neonatal Kidney Collaborative website at: https://babykidney.org/ 

High-yield papers on neonatal AKI and dialysis:

AWAKEN Study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29732396/

Aquapheresis case series in children: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31462396/ 

CRRT vs. Carpediem outcomes: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34414499/ 

Dr. Brad Rovin, director of the Division of Nephrology and the Vice Chair of Research in Internal Medicine at the Ohio State University, discusses recent advances in lupus nephritis treatment. Dr. Rovin is deputy editor of Kidney International and the co-chair of glomerular disease guidelines for KDIGO. He has published many major landmark nephrology clinical trials in lupus nephritis (listed below), which he highlights in this episode. It's the "golden age" of lupus nephritis treatment! 

Papers we discuss:

BLISS (Belimumab) https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2001180 

AURORA (Voclosporin) https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(21)00578-X/fulltext 

LUNAR (Rituximab) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/art.34359 

NOBILITY (Obinutuzumab) https://ard.bmj.com/content/81/1/100 

TULIP-LN (Anifrolumab) https://ard.bmj.com/content/81/4/496 

Also check out https://kidney.wiki/ pediatric nephrology platform created by Ryan Town, a fellow from Stanford!