Volume 13 Issue 6, June 2017

New findings challenge the dogma that high salt intake leads to increased thirst, water intake and diuresis. Titze and colleagues show that salt loading activates an adaptive regulatory network in the kidney, muscle and liver, which enables the reprioritization of energy metabolism to conserve plasma water in the setting of high salt intake.

A recent study reports that coronary artery calcification (CAC) predicts the risk of heart failure, myocardial infarction and stroke in patients with moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD). This finding suggests that even in CKD, CAC is a marker of cardiovascular risk rather than a benign indicator of vessel healing and stability.

Hypertension in pregnancy is a known risk factor for increased cardiovascular risk for both the mother and her offspring. New findings suggest the offspring of normotensive pregnancies should also be considered at risk of high blood pressure if their mother has had hypertension in other pregnancies.

T cells are critical drivers of autoimmunity and related organ damage, by supporting B-cell differentiation and antibody production or by directly promoting inflammation and cytotoxicity. This Review discusses the immune features of autoimmune nephropathies, with a focus on systemic lupus erythematosus and the role of T cells.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects numerous organs and systems, which in turn have effects on kidney function. This Review provides an overview of CKD as a systemic disease and discusses the multidirectional links between the kidney, bone, nervous and immune systems, and metabolism.

Accumulating evidence indicates that activation of the complement system is crucial for the development of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). This Review provides an overview of the role of complement activation in AAV, and discusses how targeting this pathway can provide opportunities for treatment.

Chronic kidney disease accelerates atherosclerosis via augmentation of inflammation, perturbation of lipid metabolism, and other mechanisms. Here, the authors describe the role of the immune system in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and discuss potential opportunities for therapy.