Renal fibrosis represents the core pathway through which chronic kidney disease progresses to end-stage renal failure. Therapeutic strategies targeting renal fibrosis provide an important approach for clinically mitigating the transition from acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease. Macrophages, owing to their high heterogeneity in origin and phenotype, play a significant role in various stages of acute inflammation, tissue repair, and fibrosis, thereby holding substantial promise for the treatment of renal fibrosis. This review summarizes the pivotal role of renal macrophages in the transition from acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease, with a focus on their temporal phenotypic reprogramming characteristics and the fibrotic microenvironment interaction network constituted by injured tubules, macrophages, and fibroblasts. On this basis, we systematically outline four core categories of macrophage-targeted intervention strategies: modulation of upstream signaling pathways, induction of macrophage phenotypic reprogramming, blockade of profibrotic factors and their downstream pathways, and selective depletion or engineered modification of profibrotic macrophage subsets. This review aims to provide new insights for future exploration of the timing, precision, and efficacy of macrophage-targeted therapies.

Renal Fanconi syndrome (FS) is a rare renal manifestation of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). This study aims to analyze the clinical and prognostic characteristics of patients with pSS-associated renal FS (pSS-FS) and provide insights for clinical management.

Since its establishment in 2016, the National Rare Diseases Registry System of China (NRDRS) has accumulated valuable case data and bio-specimen for basic and clinical research on rare diseases in China. However, the emerging challenges in clinical diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases make it unable for data and resource platform to fully meet the diversified needs. Under this backdrop, we have developed a protocol to optimize and upgrade the system based on the core functions of the NRDRS platform. The goal is to leverage intelligent digital technologies to transform NRDRS into a new platform integrating multimodal data and auxiliary diagnostic and treatment functions. It is specified as the development and construction of "one platform and four intelligent tools." Currently, we have upgraded and developed NRDRS platform, intelligent tool for genotype-phenotype analysis of rare diseases, AI-assisted diagnostic tool for rare diseases, remote multidisciplinary diagnosis and teaching tool for rare diseases, drug screening and validation tool for rare diseases. The next step will focus on the promotion of the application of these tools in clinical settings in order to address the issue of severe imbalance in the allocation of resources for the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases. This article provides an overview of the digital and intelligent upgrades of the NRDRS, the trials in applications in clinical settings, and direction in the future.

A 20-year-old male patient presented to the Department of Dermatology of Peking Union Medical College Hospital with complaints of an 8-year history of facial scarring, swelling of the lower limbs, and a 4-year history of scalp thickening. Physical examination showed thickening furrowing wrinkling of the skin on the face and behind the ears, ciliary body hirsutism, blepharoptosis, and cutis verticis gyrate. Both lower limbs were swollen, especially the knees and ankles. The skin of the palms and soles of the feet was keratinized and thickened. Laboratory examination using bone and joint X-ray showed periostosis of the proximal middle phalanges and metacarpals of both hands, distal ulna and radius, tibia and fibula, distal femurs, and metatarsals.Genetic testing revealed two variants in SLCO2A1, c.1658T > A and c.96+4A > C.Through multidisciplinary consultation, we confirmed the diagnosis of pachydermoperiostosis.

Sodium-glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) encoded by the SLC5A2 gene, is localized on the brush border membrane of renal proximal tubules and mediates the reabsorption of approximately 90% of glucose filtered by the glomeruli. It serves as the molecular basis for familial renal glucosuria (FRG). SGLT2 inhibitors have been widely used to treat diabetes, diabetic nephropathy, chronic kidney disease, and other conditions. The 17 kDa membrane-associated protein (MAP17) regulates SGLT2 function, and mutations in the gene encoding MAP17 can lead to FRG. Investigations into genotype-phenotype correlations in FRG patients and the structural biology of SGLT2 are critical for understanding its physiological mechanisms and pharmacological actions of SGLT2 inhibitors. This review summarizes current knowledge on genotype-phenotype relationships in FRG, advances in SGLT2 protein structure research, and MAP17-mediated regulation of SGLT2. These insights elucidate SGLT2's physiological roles and provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing clinical applications of SGLT2 inhibitors.

Since the discovery of anti-phospholipase A2 receptor antibodies, the diagnosis of primary membranous nephropathy has evolved from reliance on renal tissue biopsy to the use of serum assays in certain patients, owing to continuously developing and improving methodologies. The advancement of detection methods and the discovery of new antigens are driving primary membranous nephropathy to personalized diagnosis and treatment. This article summarizes the evolution of antigens and antibodies detection techniques related to primary membranous nephropathy, aiming to explore the advantages, disadvantages, and possible future directions of methodology.

Sodium-glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) encoded by the SLC5A2 gene, is localized on the brush border membrane of renal proximal tubules and mediates the reabsorption of approximately 90% of glucose filtered by the glomeruli. It serves as the molecular basis for familial renal glucosuria (FRG). SGLT2 inhibitors have been widely used to treat diabetes, diabetic nephropathy, chronic kidney disease, and other conditions. The 17 kDa membrane-associated protein (MAP17) regulates SGLT2 function, and mutations in the gene encoding MAP17 can lead to FRG. Investigations into genotype-phenotype correlations in FRG patients and the structural biology of SGLT2 are critical for understanding its physiological mechanisms and pharmacological actions of SGLT2 inhibitors. This review summarizes current knowledge on genotype-phenotype relationships in FRG, advances in SGLT2 protein structure research, and MAP17-mediated regulation of SGLT2. These insights elucidate SGLT2's physiological roles and provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing clinical applications of SGLT2 inhibitors.

Since the discovery of anti-phospholipase A2 receptor antibodies, the diagnosis of primary membranous nephropathy has evolved from reliance on renal tissue biopsy to the use of serum assays in certain patients, owing to continuously developing and improving methodologies. The advancement of detection methods and the discovery of new antigens are driving primary membranous nephropathy to personalized diagnosis and treatment. This article summarizes the evolution of antigens and antibodies detection techniques related to primary membranous nephropathy, aiming to explore the advantages, disadvantages, and possible future directions of methodology.

Postsurgical hypoparathyroidism is a common cause of hypoparathyroidism, with a variety of clinical manifestations. It is life-threatening in acute and severe cases, and may lead to poor quality of life in chronic patients. It is imperative to consistently enhance the identification and governance of such circumstance. Focusing on the pathophysiological changes, clinical and biochemical features, acute and chronic treatments of postsurgical hypoparathyroidism, a consensus was developed by domestic experts from surgery, endocrinology and nephrology.

A 31-year-old man sought medical evaluation for a 2-year history of edema and proteinuria, with prior pathology suggesting atypical membranous nephropathy (MN). Despite treatment with a combination of steroids, calcineurin inhibitors, and four courses of rituximab (1 g, intravenous injection), the patient′s nephrotic syndrome showed no relief (24 h urine protein peaked at 31.18 g/d), indicating refractory nephrotic syndrome. Later in the disease course, a sudden surge of creatinine level (322.5 μmol/L) prompted a renal biopsy, which revealed concurrent acute interstitial nephritis. Further treatment involving steroids, cyclophosphamide, and a fifth rituximab infusion (1 g, intravenous injection) resulted in improvement in renal function (serum creatinine: 322.5?147 μmol/L), but the MN failed to achieve partial relief. Subsequent treatment with the novel humanized CD20 monoclonal antibody obinutuzumab (1 g, intravenous injection) was initiated. In the latest follow-up, anti-phospholipase-A2-receptor antibody (PLA2R) antibody were negative, B cells were eliminated, serum albumin was 36 g/L, urine protein-to-creatinine ratio was 4 810 mg/g, and serum creatinine was 162 μmol/L. This case underscores the potential efficacy of obinutuzumab in refractory MN. For advanced MN cases, prompt identification of the cause of acute kidney injury is crucial, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to potentially stall renal function decline.