Acute kidney injury in COVID-19

A team of researchers at the Institute for Urology and Reproductive Health of Sechenov University have recently arrived at a conclusion that COVID-19, while having a negative impact on the lungs, gastrointestinal tract and nervous system, turned out virtually harmless to kidney function.

This finding is based on a six-month-long clinical study published in Current Opinion in Urology, one of the leading urology journals in the world (IF= 2.15).

The researchers employed computed tomography to monitor changes in tissue, as well as blood and urine tests to check for markers of inflammation and kidney damage. All 330 test subjects included in the study underwent real-time PCR to verify the presence of the virus in their bodies.

The authors explored whether the viral infection had an impact on kidney function, namely elimination of waste products. "Protein in urine means the danger is real. More easily detectable changes (i.e., damage to renal tissue) are also possible and can be assessed by means of computed tomography," said professor Dmitry Enikeev, head of the research team.

Filtration rates were down in 9.6% of patients and only seen in severe cases. At the same time, no visible signs of renal dysfunction could be detected. Moreover, none of the patients displayed viral shedding in urine. The authors speculate that the observed changes do not stem from the virus directly, but rather represent the consequences of severe infection, old age and comorbidities.

The research was carried out at the COVID center of University Clinical Hospital No. 2. Among the research team members was Sergey Efetov, head of the COVID-19 treatment department.

Another ongoing research project is aiming to assess the effects of the coronavirus on the human body, namely the male reproductive function.