A reduction in proteinuria and albuminuria has long been proposed as a surrogate biomarker for clinically validated end points for interventional trials in patients with kidney disease. Taken together, the findings of two recent landmark meta-analyses present a formidable argument favouring such surrogacy but some uncertainty remains.

The analyses in the 2017 Global Burden of Disease Study demonstrate the growing burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD), mainly driven by population ageing; absolute levels for every CKD metric considered rose significantly, whereas age-standardized rates were fairly stable. The prevalence of key metabolic CKD risk factors, particularly obesity, also show a worrying increase.

Diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) includes anatomical distinctions because the severity of infection and treatment decisions depend on the infected organ; however, bacterial prostatitis is usually absent from discussions regarding UTI. By considering bacterial prostatitis a UTI, we can increase understanding of the pathogenesis and immune response in the prostate to develop improved therapeutics.

New findings demonstrate that endothelial nitric oxide synthase regulates major metabolic pathways in the kidney proximal tubule, which confers protection against oxidative stress during acute kidney injury (AKI). These findings give new insights into AKI pathophysiology and nitric oxide biology, and identify new targets for the treatment of AKI.