Related topics: kidney disease , kidney function , kidney transplant , transplant
Kidney
hideThe kidneys are paired organs, which have the production of urine as their primary function. Kidneys are seen in many types of animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are part of the urinary system, but have several secondary functions concerned with homeostatic functions. These include the regulation of electrolytes, acid-base balance, and blood pressure. In producing urine, the kidneys excrete wastes such as urea and ammonium; the kidneys also are responsible for the reabsorption of glucose and amino acids. Finally, the kidneys are important in the production of hormones including vitamin D, renin and erythropoietin.
Located behind the abdominal cavity in the retroperitoneum, the kidneys receive blood from the paired renal arteries, and drain into the paired renal veins. Each kidney excretes urine into a ureter, itself a paired structure that empties into the urinary bladder.
Renal physiology is the study of kidney function, while nephrology is the medical specialty concerned with diseases of the kidney. Diseases of the kidney are diverse, but individuals with kidney disease frequently display characteristic clinical features. Common clinical presentations include the nephritic and nephrotic syndromes, acute kidney failure, chronic kidney disease, urinary tract infection, nephrolithiasis, and urinary tract obstruction.
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News tagged with kidney
Gene for devastating kidney disease discovered
Dec 22, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from Children's Hospital Boston and Brigham and Women's Hospital have identified an important genetic cause of a devastating kidney disease that is the second leading cause of kidney failure in ...
Study shows how gene action may lead to diabetes prevention, cure
Dec 11, 2009 |
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A gene commonly studied by cancer researchers has been linked to the metabolic inflammation that leads to diabetes.
Anemia drug not helpful for kidney disease patients
Dec 22, 2009 |
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An international study authored by a UT Southwestern Medical Center researcher has concluded that the anemia drug darbepoetin alfa works no better than a placebo in several other applications previously thought to be promising.
Team makes breakthrough demonstration of pH-regulating protein
Dec 22, 2009 |
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Researchers have identified the protein mechanism that senses bicarbonate fluctuations and adjusts blood pH levels.
TGen analysis identifies biomarkers for diabetic kidney failure
Dec 16, 2009 |
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Researchers using a DNA analysis tool developed by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and UCLA have identified genetic markers that could help treat chronic kidney disease among diabetics.
Gas improves blood flow and organ status during minimally invasive surgery
Dec 14, 2009 |
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As good as laparoscopy is in preventing some of the stresses of open surgery on the body, it does have drawbacks, including reduced blood flow and organ dysfunction. Laparoscopy is a type of surgery in the abdomen done through ...
West Nile virus infection may persist in kidneys years after initial infection
Dec 07, 2009 |
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A new study shows that people who have been infected with West Nile virus may have persistent virus in their kidneys for years after initial infection, potentially leading to kidney problems. The research, which appears in ...
Epilepsy Drug Shows Promise in Treating Kidney Disease
Medicine & Health / Medications
Dec 03, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- An anti-convulsant drug commonly used to treat epilepsy reduces cysts in mice that are associated with polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a difficult to treat ailment that afflicts 600,000 people in the United ...
New cancer study takes major step toward improved treatment
Dec 01, 2009 |
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Cancer researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center have found a way to turn ineffective new cancer drugs into cancer-fighters. By using their patented chemical compound, SHetA2, researchers tricked cancer ...
Reduced skin infections in Northern Australian Aboriginal children
Nov 24, 2009 |
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A community-based program aimed at reducing the burden of skin disease across remote communities in Australia's Northern Territory has been successful according to a study published November 24 in the open-access journal ...
CDC: Rare infection passed on by Miss. organ donor
Dec 19, 2009 |
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(AP) -- An extremely rare infection has been passed from an organ donor to at least one recipient in what is thought to be the first human-to-human transfer of the amoeba, medical officials said Friday.
Are patients losing sleep over blood pressure monitors?
Dec 17, 2009 |
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A widely used test for measuring nighttime blood pressure may interfere with patients' sleep, thus affecting the results of the test, reports a study in an upcoming issue of Clinical Journal of the American Society of Ne ...
Kidney injury in hospital increases long-term risk of death
Dec 17, 2009 |
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Patients with sudden loss of kidney function, called acute kidney injury (AKI), are more likely to die prematurely after leaving the hospital—even if their kidney function has apparently recovered, according to an upcoming ...
Patients meet donors from largest-ever kidney swap
Dec 16, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Thirteen patients with healthy new kidneys from what's believed to be the world's largest kidney exchange met the donors who made it happen Tuesday - including three who are sure to face the question, ...
Researchers discover novel method for detecting MIRCERA
Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry
Dec 16, 2009 |
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Austrian researchers have successfully developed a new electrophoretic method for detecting MIRCERA® and other erythropoietins (EPO) in the blood. The technique, using SARCOSYL-PAGE, has specifically enhanced sensitivity ...
