ERA-EDTA president Professor Carmine Zoccali commented: “I am very pleased to be present at the second meeting of the CKD-MBD Working Groups of the JSN and the ERA-EDTA. This continuing scientific collaboration epitomises the special relationship between our two Societies and our joint objectives to improve outcomes for people with kidney disease.”
Speaking on behalf of the JSN Committee on International Relations, Professor Motoko Yanagita said: “I am delighted to see this excellent collaboration between our two societies in this Working Group, and I hope this joint working will continue to progress and be fruitful in future.”
At the second meeting of the ERA-EDTA and JSN Working Groups on CKD-MBD, held under the joint chairmanship of Professor Mario Cozzolino for the ERA-EDTA and Professor Masafumi Fukagawa for the JSN, delegates discussed exciting new scientific studies in the area of CKD-MBD. Topics included the role of magnesium in high phosphate-induced kidney injury, senescent cells as a treatment target, lanthanum carbonate and survival, and the effect of calcimimetic drugs on bone turnover.
CKD-MBD is a systemic disorder of mineral and bone metabolism, and affects CKD stage 3a-5D patients. The condition occurs when the failing kidneys are no longer able to maintain the correct levels of calcium, phosphate, vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) in the blood. It is diagnosed by either one, or a combination of, the following:
- Abnormalities of calcium, phosphorus, PTH or vitamin D metabolism.
- Abnormalities in bone turnover, mineralization, volume, linear growth or strength.
- Deposits of calcium in the blood vessels or other soft tissues.
CKD-MBD is a serious condition because it causes damage not only to the bones, but also to the blood vessels and the heart. Although a successful kidney transplant helps corrects many of the metabolic abnormalities associated with CKD, the condition may persist in some patients and it will worsen again if the transplant fails.
With more than 7,500 members, the ERA-EDTA (“European Renal Association – European Dialysis and Transplant Association”) is one of the biggest nephrology associations worldwide and one of the most important and prestigious European Medical Associations. It supports basic and clinical research in the fields of clinical nephrology, dialysis, renal transplantation and related subjects. It also supports a number of studies as well as research groups and has founded a special “Fellowship Program” for young investigators as well as grant programs. In order to involve young nephrologists in all its activities, ERA-EDTA has created the “Young Nephrologists’ Platform” (YNP), a very active committee whose board includes members who are 40 years old or younger. In addition, it has established various working groups to promote the collaboration of nephrologists with other medical disciplines (e.g. cardiology, immunology). Furthermore, a “European Renal Best Practice” (ERBP) advisory board was established by the ERA-EDTA to draw up and publish guidelines and position statements. Another important goal of the ERA-EDTA is education: The series of CME courses combined with the annual congress offer an attractive scientific program to cover the need for continuous medical education for doctors working in the fields of nephrology, dialysis and transplantation. The association’s journals, NDT (Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation) and CKJ (Clinical Kidney Journal), are currently the leading nephrology journals in Europe; furthermore NDT-Educational is the online educational journal of the society, with free access for all users, as well as being a very important and useful feature of the NDT-Educational “Literature Review”. The ERA-EDTA Registry is a large epidemiologic database comparing countries by assessing nephrology practices throughout Europe. ENP, the European Nephrology Portal, is the latest new initiative of ERA-EDTA, where all those interested in the activities of the Society can find everything that is happening, all in one place. Finally, ERA-EDTA is a member of the European Kidney Health Alliance (EKHA), a consortium of patients, nurses and foundations relating to renal issues that actively interacts with the European Parliament.
