Japanese Society of Nephrology

JSN NEWS

JSN NEWS 2009

JSN News 2009

#209 Obituary
Dec.21.2009
#208 Concerns with the ESA use for stage 3 to 5 CKD
Dec.14.2009
#207 JSN Fall Executive Board Meeting
Dec.07.2009
#206 WKD2010: Amazing Kidneys
Nov.30.2009
#205 APCN 2010 in Korea
Nov.16.2009
#204 ISN NEXUS 2010 in Japan
Nov.09.2009
#203 KDIGO Controversy Conference
Oct.26.2009
#202 ISN-ISRNM Joint Symposium
Oct.19.2009
#201 WCN2011
Oct.05.2009
#200 XXIII ICTS
Sep.28.2009
#199 First Sun Yat-Sen International Forum on Nephrology
Sep.14.2009
#198 JJN Archives
Sep.07.2009
#197 Outbreak of new-type influenza
Aug.31.2009
#196 The 53rd Annual JSN meeting
Aug.24.2009
#195 CAP-KD study
Aug.17.2009
#194 The 10th Research Forum on Pathophysiology of Kidney Failure
Aug.10.2009
#193 Forefronts in Nephrology
Aug.03.2009
#192 KDIGO - Controversies Conference
Jul.27.2009
#191 IUPS2009 Satellite Symposium
Jul.13.2009
#190 Ninth Nephrology Seminar for clinical trainees
Jul.06.2009
#189 Handbook for measuring GFR and proteinuria
Jun.27.2009
#188 Pan Asian CKD registry
Jun.22.2009
#187 Update of FROM-J
Jun.15.2009
#186 WCN2009 Milan
Jun.08.2009
#185 The 52nd JSN General Scientific Meeting: Kidney Week 2009
Jun.01.2009
#184 The 39th JSN Western Regional Meeting
May.25.2009
#183 The 39th JSN Eastern Regional Meeting
May.18.2009
#182 The JSN Spring Executive Board Meeting 2009
May.11.2009
#181 Third Asian Forum of CKI Initiative in Kaohsiung (3rd AFCKDI2009)
Apr.27.2009
#180 JSN-CKD Practice Guideline2009
Apr.20.2009
#179 Japan Incident Dialysis Cohort Study (J-IDCS)l
Apr.13.2009
#178 JSN Home-page Renewal
Apr.06.2009
#177 The 2nd China-Japan-Korea Nephrology Conference(CJKKC)
Mar.30.2009
#176 ISHD2009
Mar.23.2009
#175 Stop CKD Campaign in Japan
Mar.16.2009
#174 12th APCN2010
Mar.09.2009
#173 ISN NEXUS 2010 in Japan
Mar.02.2009
#172 The Fifth Summer School of Renal Pathology
Feb.23.2009
#171 Up-to-date Nephrology Seminar
Feb.16.2009
#170 The 2nd China-Korea-Japan Nephrology Conference
Feb.09.2009
#169 Research Forum on Chronic Kidney Disease
Feb.02.2009
#168 Eighth Nephrology Seminar for clinical trainees
Jan.26.2009
#167 Announcement of 16th ICRNM2012, Hawaii
Jan.19.2009

Obituary

  (Updated on Dec.21.2009)
We lost following honorable members this year.
Dr. T. Ofuji, who was a professor emeritus of the Okayama University and the 21st President of JSN General Meeting died on April 2, 2009.
Dr B Shimizu (Hiroshima), died on March 21, 2009.
Dr M Nakazono (Tochigi) died on August 1, 2009.
JSN express sincere thanks to them and acknowledge the contribution to the society.

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Concerns with the ESA use for stage 3 to 5 CKD

  (Updated on Dec.14.2009)
At the 2009 Fall JSN board meeting, concerns for the possible adverse reaction of the ESA (Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agent, Darbepoetin) for patients with stage 3 to 5 CKD were expressed. According to the recently published paper, N Engl J Med 2009; 361: 2019-32), death rates due to stroke and malignancies were significantly higher than that of the placebo group. In this paper, the benefits of ESA were only evident in reducing the red-cell transfusion and modest improvement in patient-reported fatigue. There were no differences in the retardation of progression to ESRD or death dates.
JSN is currently collecting data to prove or disprove these findings, if not scientifically. Questionnaire were sent to the JSN members. Dr E Imai is the principal investigator on this project. 

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JSN Fall Executive Board Meeting

  (Updated on Dec.07.2009)
The JSN Fall Executive Board Meeting, chaired by Prof H Makino, was held on Nov 30, 2009, in Tokyo. Important progress and future plans in each committee were reported and discussed.
JSN official journal, Clinical Experimental Nephrology is growing and will soon get the Impact Factor. The number of submitted paper was 185 (85 overseas) in 2008 and 171 (87 overseas) in November 2009. The current number of member was 8599 including 248 new members. Progress of the ISN-Nexus meeting was reported: so-far 145 abstracts were registered among them 28 were from overseas. Prof. Tomino was appointed for the president of the APCN and therefore JSN would support the coming APCN2015 (or 2014?). The vote for the venue will be at the APCN2010 Seoul. Several JSN registries were all reportedly in good progress. To our regret, Lancet paper published on 2003 by one of the JSN members was retracted due to several faults. The 53rd JSN General Scientific Meeting will be held on June 16-18, 2010 at Kobe International Conference Center (JKW2010).
For more information, visit JSN at www.jsn.or.jp.

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WKD2010: Amazing Kidneys

  (Updated on Nov.30.2009)
The World Kidney Day (WKD) 2010 will be 11 March, 2010. The World Kidney Day Team, Julie Cooper, ISN - WKD Project Director Jan Lantink, IFKF - WKD Project Director, Marie-Agnès Cederborg, ISN - WKD Project Manager are calling activities for the supports. This year's theme is "Protect your kidneys, control diabetes". The early detection and treatment of CKD can slow or halt the progression to ESRD and CVD.
JSN has been acting for WKD such as handing out flyers and dipstick on a public square, lectures, and press conferences. Details for WKD2010 will be confirmed at the 2009 fall board meeting which will be held on November 30.
For more information: info@worldkidneyday.org,
website: www.worldkidneyday.org

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APCN 2010 in Korea

  (Updated on Nov.16.2009)
The 12th Asian Pacific Congress of Nephrology (APCN2010) will be held on June 5-8 in COEX, Seoul, Korea. COEX is Korea's most prominent international convention and exhibition center and a great landmark in Seoul. The president is Ho Yung Lee, and the chairman is Sung Kyu Ha. Online registration and abstract submission are available at the website (www.apcn2010.org ). APCN will provide a platform for knowledge exchange and networking in the field of Nephrology, in particular Asian countries. The abstract submission deadline is January 15, 2010 and the Pre-registration deadline is February 28, 2010. For young doctors, APSN Award and the Travel Award will be given during the Congress. Before the APCN2010, there will be a meeting of AFCKDI on June 4.
For more information: apcn@intercom.co.kr , website: www.apcn2010.org

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ISN NEXUS 2010 in Japan

  (Updated on Nov.09.2009)
ISN NEXUS 2010 which is the ISN official symposium will be held in Kyoto, Japan. The venue is ANA Hotel Kyoto and the date will be April 15 to 18, 2010. The topic is "CKD and Cardio-vascular disease". This symposium is aimed to stimulate young nephrologists on recent progress in the field of Nephrology and will be the arena to exchange knowledge between basic and clinical researchers. This symposium is officially endorsed by JSN and JSDT. Abstract submission was closed on October 31, 2009. Scientific Program is follows:
 Day 1, Thursday (April 15): Session for Adipobiology, speakers are Ritz E, Kadowaki T, Wanner C, Shoji T, Ha H, and Sharma K.
 Day 2, Friday (April 16): Session for Vascular Calcification, speakers are Drueke T, Shimada T, Floege J, Kuroo M, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Hamano T, Cooper M, Kurtz T, Elder G, Massy ZA, Wolf M, London G, Lin CC, Larsson T, McAllister TN, Kalra P, Bagrov AY, and Oberielthner H.
 Day 3, Saturday (April 17): Session for Oxygen Biology and Cardio-Renal Connection, speakers are Komuro I, Nangaku M, Eckardt KW, Miyata T, Rodriguez-Iturbe B, Nishiyama A, Ito S, Fliser D, Imai E, Li P, Hou FF, Zoccali C, Levin A, Devuyst O,Vaughan D, Leiper J, Fujita T, Matsuo S, and Toto R.
 Day 4, Sunday (April 18): Session for Vascular Senescence, speakers are Kon V, Fogo A, Rabelink T, Forbes J, Benigni A, and Goligorsky M.

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KDIGO Controversy Conference

  (Updated on Oct.26.2009)
KDIGO Controversy Conference was held on October 4-6, 2009 in London. The purpose was to address the following: 1) What are the key outcomes of CKD?, 2) What progress has been made in CKD testing (eGFR and albuminuria)?, 3) What are the key factors determining prognosis (eGFR, albuminuria, others?), 4) Should the current CKD classification (based on eGFR) be modified to include additional factors associated with prognosis?, and 5) Should the current CKD definition be modified? More than 80 researchers were invited included 5 Japanese: Drs Tsukamoto Y, Iseki K, Imai E, Metoki H, and Matsushita K.
During the conference, results of the meta-analysis using a total of 54 cohorts with 1,153,723 subjects were presented and discussed on the outcomes such as all cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, end-stage renal disease, and the progression of CKD. There remained important questions on CKD: 1) Is CKD stage 3 a disease or damage? , 2) Should albuminuria be added for the CKD classification? The conference was well prepared and organized. Position paper will be published in Kidney International.

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ISN-ISRNM Joint Symposium

  (Updated on Oct.19.2009)
JSN has published CKD Practice Guide in 2007 & 2009 and CKD Practice Guideline in 2009. Concerning the "exercise", there is none to cite papers regarding CKD prognosis. Expert opinion is to "recommend regular exercise such as walking in stable patients without cardiac problems. For those with obesity and metabolic syndrome, regular exercise is recommended with diet therapy."
 ISN-ISRNM Joint Symposium on exercise in CKD will be held on 28 May 2010, co-organized by ISN and the International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism. The symposium will close the 15th International Congress on Renal Nutrition and Metabolism (ICRNM 2010) and will be the occasion to celebrate ISN's 50th anniversary. It will take place in Lausanne, Switzerland from 25-28 May 2010.
 More information on ISN Gateway,

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WCN2011

  (Updated on Oct.05.2009)
World Congress of Nephrology (WCN) 2011 will be taking place in the new Vancouver Convention Center which is the most ecologically friendly convention center in North America. In addition, WCN 2011 will focus on sustainability - pertaining to ecology as well as sustainability of health and resources for the treatment and prevention of kidney disease.
The Scientific Programme Committee chaired by Prof. Johnson R (USA) and co-chaired by Prof. Levin A (Canada) and Floege J (Germany) is currently developing an exciting programme. It will feature eight plenary lectures (two per day), and several debates on hot topics with a special emphasis on major recent breakthroughs in our discipline. (Modified from the ISN Newsletter)
WCN 2011 will be held in conjunction with the Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN), and it will take place from 8 to 12 April 2011. For more information; Gateway WCN webpage, www.isn-online.org

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XXIII ICTS

  (Updated on Sep.28.2009)
The XXIII International Congress of The Transplantation Society (ICTS) will be held on August 15-19, 2010, Vancouver Convention Center, Vancouver, Canada. Abstract submission will open September 2009 and the online registration December 2009. The annual Scientific Conference of the Canadian Society of Transplantation (CST) will precede the Congress. It will take place on 13 and 14 August 2010 at the same venue.
The preliminary program will be available in November 2009. For more information, tts2010@meet-ics.com

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First Sun Yat-Sen International Forum on Nephrology

  (Updated on Sep.14.2009)
The 1st Sun Yat-Sen International Forum on Nephrology was held on Aug 20 t0 22, 2009 in Sun Yat-Sen, China. The chairman was Professor Xueqing Yu, Sun Yat-Sen University. Many prominent foreign scientists were invited for the three-days symposium such as Drs. Couser W, Chan TM, Tang S, Tsukamoto Y, Atkins RC, Ng YY, and other domestic speakers. Titles of the foreign guests are: "Mechanisms of immune glomerular disease-an update" for Dr Couser, "Action of MAP on non-immune cells-clinical implications" for Dr Chan, "Deciphering the final common pathway to kidney failure" for Dr Tang, "Pathogenesis and treatment of membranous nephropathy" for Dr Couser, "CKD current in Asia and preventive strategy" for Dr Tsukamoto, "The global pandemic of diabetic nephropathy" for Dr Atkins, "The appropriate time and type of vascular access for HD patients" for Dr Ng, "Proteinuria: Renal and cardiovascular risk" for Dr Couser W.
CKD is really an emerging social burden in Asian countries. Prof. Yu will host the coming AFCKDI 2011 meeting in Guangzhou, China. For more information: www.jinzou.net

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JJN Archives

  (Updated on Sep.07.2009)
Since 1959, JSN has been publishing the official journal "The Japanese Journal of Nephrology (JJN)" written in Japanese. The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) recently announced that JJN was selected as JST archives from vol. 1 to vol. 49. Therefore, any papers in the JJN will be available through website. Authorship and other legal rights should have belonged to JSN however there are some concerns about legal issues such as case-report or others. Those who may have claims and concerns can be reached to JSN office by September 30, 2009. Otherwise all rights will be transferred to JST. JSN has been servicing to download papers in the JJN from vol. 41 only for JSN members. Soon, JJN papers will be freely available to people who are concerned even for non-members. For more information: www.jsn.or.jp, or fukuda@jsn.or.jp.

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Outbreak of new-type influenza

  (Updated on Aug.31.2009)
Currently, Japan is in the outbreak stage of new-type (swine) influenza. So-far, we have three death cases and two of them are patients on chronic hemodialysis. It has been known that infection is the number two of the causes of death among prevalent dialysis patients. Since dialysis patients are immuno-compromised, it is reasonable to assume the mortality rate is higher than those of the general population. Best protection of influenza is to avoid unnecessary outside activities such as shopping or traveling with public transportation. However, dialysis patients opt to visit dialysis unit at least three-times per week. They may have higher chance to get infection. At this moment, few epidemiological studies exist about dialysis population. Since the vaccine is not available, we are urged to care dialysis patients with conventional ways such as gargling, washing hands, good nutrition, and rest. Tamiflu, Oseltamivir is empirically given to those who might have contracted the disease. For dialysis patients, just 1 tablet only and one tablet for 5 days for dialysis staff.

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The 53rd Annual JSN meeting

  (Updated on Aug.24.2009)
The 53rd Annual JSN meeting will be held on June 16 (Thursday) to 18 (Friday), 2010 in Kobe. This will be held in conjunction with JSDT, Japan Kidney Week 2010. The main theme will be "Kidney as a regulator of the whole body system - High Time for JSN initiated research system to strengthen the activities-. President Prof Makino F will present the presidential address. Three invited speakers are Prof. Kanwar YS (Chicago, USA), and Prof. Ronco P (Paris, France). Call for abstract will open on Nov. 18 and the deadline will be December 24, 2009. For more information, visit www.jsn.or.jp, or jsn53@mtoyou.jp.
From 2010, schedule and program of the JSN meeting will be governed by the JSN committee with collaboration of each appointed president of the meeting.

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CAP-KD study

  (Updated on Aug.17.2009)
CAP-KD study is a multicentre, randomized, controlled trial of a carbonaceous oral adsorbent's effectiveness against the progression of chronic kidney disease conducted throughout Japan. This study is supported by many JSN members and will be published soon in Am J Kidney Dis. Authors are Akizawa T, Asano Y, Morita S, et al. It is available in http://www.ajkd.org/inpress.
Main results are, 1) carbonate oral adsorbent (Kremezin) did not show a significant improvement in composite end-points, 2) the progression rate was slightly slower in Kremezin than control, 3) indication of Kremezin has been set for those with high levels of serum creatinine (≧5mg/dL), however, CAP-KD study showed some benefit among those with CKD patients with serum creatinine <5mg/dL. Total number of studied was 460, 231 Kremedin and 229 conventional therapy.

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The 10th Research Forum on Pathophysiology of Kidney Failure

  (Updated on Aug.10.2009)
The Research Forum on Pathophysiology of Kidney Failure will be held on December 12 (Saturday), 2009 in Tokyo. This will be the 10th anniversary meeting. To celebrate this, three invited foreign speakers are invited such as Prof. Janos Peti-Peterdi on "Novel imaging tools to reveal renal pathophysiology", Prof. Ronco C on "Wearable hemodialysis device", and Prof. Kumar Sharma on "Diabetic nephropathy Up-to-date". Two symposium on "Recent progress on cardio-renal relationship" and "Problems and perspectives of renal replacement therapy" and one Luncheon symposium will be on the program. Poster session is also planned. Topics will be 1) prevention of the progression of CKD, and 2) treatment modality of ESRD. The venue is Nadao-Hall. For more information on the program and mail to desk@mtoyou.jp.

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Forefronts in Nephrology

  (Updated on Aug.03.2009)
The Forefronts in Nephrology will be held on September 17-20, 2009 in Florence, Italy. The topic is "Renal and Extrarenal Control of Acid-Base Homeostasis in Health and Disease". The registration was open on April 27 to July 25, 2009. The chairpersons are Capasso G, (Italy) Krapf R (Switzerland), Moe OW (USA), and Wagner CA (Switzerland). From the ISN News No. 30, June 2009, " This symposium will explore various aspects of acid-base regulation in physiological and pathophysiological processes integrating cellular and systemic sensor and effector mechanisms. Topics range from acid-base regulation in model organisms to human disease and its treatment. Bringing together scientists and clinicians from a broad range of fields related to pH-regulation, this symposium will provide a unique platform for interdisciplinary discussions of these scientifically exciting and clinically important processes." For more information on the program and register online is www.isn-online.org/forefronts.

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KDIGO - Controversies Conference

  (Updated on Jul.27.2009)
KDIGO Controversies Conference: Definition, Classification, and Prognosis in CKD will be held on October 4 to 6, 2009 in London, England. For this meeting, data from three kinds of cohorts such as population-based studies and non-referred clinical populations, CKD cohorts' studies and related clinical populations, and high risk cohort studies and clinical populations (hypertension, diabetes & CVD) are collected and the results of meta-analysis from relevant study cohort data will be presented. Outcomes of CKD are examined in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, ESRD, and AKI.
Question to be addressed at the meeting will be:
1. What are the key outcomes of CKD?
2. What progress has been made in CKD testing (eGFR and albuminuria)?
3. What are the key factors determining prognosis (eGFR, albuminuria, others)?
4. Should the current CKD classification (based on eGFR) be modified to include additional factors associated with prognosis?
5. Should the current CKD definition be modified?
According to the tentative conference agenda, there will be two papers from Japan such as K Iseki on Okinawa Study and E Imai on CKD-JAC will be presented.

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IUPS2009 Satellite Symposium

  (Updated on Jul.13.2009)
The XXXVI International Congress of Physiology will be held from July 27 to August 1, 2009 in one of the world's traditional cities, Kyoto, Japan. The International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) 2009 satellite symposium focused on "The Kidney and Hypertension", which will be held in Tokyo, Japan. The venue is Club Kanto 19F, Tokyo Ginko Kyokai Bldg on July 24 (Friday) and Lecture Room (#1501) and Kitasato Hall, Kitasato University Pharmaceutical Sciences (KUPS) on July 25 (Saturday). The meeting will be collaborated with ISN and be co-hosted by Kitasato University. The topics of the meeting are basically in a range of kidney (patho)- physiology, such as body fluid regulation, kidney ion transport, and hypertension. There will be four invited foreign speakers, 10 oral and 30 posters will be presented at the symposium. Secretary: Yumiko Nakabayashi, seirinak@med.kitasato-u.ac.jp

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Ninth Nephrology Seminar for clinical trainees

  (Updated on Jul.06.2009)
It will be held on August 8 to 9 at Nadao Hall, Kasumigaseki, Tokyo. The opening remarks will be made by Prof. Y Tomino, organizer of this seminar. The tentative schedule for August 8, Saturday, is as follows: "ABC of Nephrology, Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Disease" by Drs I Osawa and H Sudo, "Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) at Emergency Clinic" by Drs T Kakuta and T Yasuda, and "Panel Discussion on Nephrology Practice" by Dr C Hamada. After the panel discussion, there will be a get-together party at Kasumigaseki-Bldg 35F in Tokyo which is located near the Hall. On August 9, Sunday, lectures on "Essence of Renal-pathology" by Dr K Jyo and "Diagnosis and treatment of glomerulonephritis" by Drs M Endo and T Kawamura, and "Water, electrolyte, and acid-base balance: case studies" by Dr S Uchida. After the lunch, there will be a lecture by Dr H Imai on "Water, electrolyte, acid-base balance: case studies" and followed by "Group Conference". JSN task force members will support the seminar with attending the group conference of the clinical trainees. This seminar is really the opportunity for both the staffs and the attendees as they learn "the joy of Nephrology from senior doctors and veterans". Clinical nephrology has both aspects such as dynamic and static, and is the most suitable subspecialty for women as they are choosy but are highly tolerable. For further information, send E-mail: jinzou@mtz.co.jp

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Handbook for measuring GFR and proteinuria

  (Updated on Jun.27.2009)
New book titled "Handbook for measuring GFR and proteinuria" was released on June 15, 2009 from JSN. Editors are Drs Y Orita, F Gejyo, M Horio, and M Sakatume. This book was written for nephrologists and junior staff as describing the standard and practical method, indication, and assessment of renal function test. JSN has been working on the issues to obtain the feasible method of measuring GFR and proteinuria since 1995. In 2003, JSN has published "Guideline for measuring GFR and proteinuria". Precise measurement of GFR and proteinuria is vital for nephrology practice. Although, the inulin clearance is a gold standard for GFR measurement, it is cumbersome in a setting of outpatient clinic. In case of clinical research or kidney transplantation, it would be better than using GFR estimation. CKD is now accepted as a common disease more than a subspecialty medical term. "CKD Practice Guide 2007" book is distributed more than 130,000 copies. However, needs for more precise definition and measurements of GFR and proteinuria are increasing among nephrologists. JSN created a new Japanese eGFR equation and it was just published in Am J Kidney Dis. The book is available Tokyo Igakusha Ltd, Tokyo, 2520 Japanese Yen, http://www.tokyo-igakusha.co.jp

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Pan Asian CKD registry

  (Updated on Jun.22.2009)
During the third Asian Forum of CKI Initiative which was held on April 18 (Saturday) and 19 (Sunday) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, work group 2 was launched to create Pan Asian CKD registry. Group leaders are Dr Vivekanand Jha and Iseki K. It is widely accepted that CKD is common, harmful, and treatable. Whether this is applicable in Asian countries is not shown yet. Both social and medical conditions are variable and the prevalence and incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are quite different. DM is increasing in particular Asian countries in both developed and developing countries, and it eventually leads to increase in CKD and ESRD. Chronic Glomerulonephritis is still common in Asian countries and the dipstick hematuria is often the first clue to early detection. Universal screening for children and adult population is under a strict evaluation of cost-effective strategy in Japan. In certain areas in Asia, chronic interstitial nephritis is endemic. These specific findings are not fully appealed in the world arena. In Europe and Latin America, CKD registries are also just started. It would be interesting to compare backgrounds and outcomes of CKD between these registries and Asians. It would be helpful to know the neighbor's status. Against these backgrounds, AFCKDI proposed to put the work-group creating CKD registry at the third meeting in Kaohsiung in April 2009. Follow-up meeting was held in at the WCN2009 in Milan. Call for registry is now getting started. Better late than never!

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Update of FROM-J

  (Updated on Jun.15.2009)
Update of Frontier of Renal Outcome Modifications in Japan (FRM-J) was reported at the 52nd JSN meeting in Yokohama. The project is currently underway with a total of 596 general physicians (Kakaritsuke-i) and 527 nephrologists. Number of registered CKD patients was 2417 (1211 in group A, 1206 in group B). Intervention program in group B was started on Oct 20 and more than 95% of the CKD patients were interviewed and instructed by the certified dietician (N=317). In both groups, patients were treated as the management policy written in the JSN "Practice Guide". The primary outcomes are; 1) the drop-out rate, 2) the referral rate to registered nephrologists, and 3) progression rate of CKD to ESRD. The expected difference in the ESRD incidence is 15% in 5 years. CKD is a new National target disease for the strategic medical research in Japan. Japan Kidney Foundation and JSN are actively supporting the project. The study period will finish on March 2011. According to the JSDT annual report, the prevalence of ESRD on chronic dialysis therapy is exceeded 2200 per million population at the end of 2008.

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WCN2009 Milan

  (Updated on Jun.08.2009)
World Congress of Nephrology (WCN) 2009 was held in Milan, Italy on May 22 to 26. As the Congress President Prof. Locatelli F promised WCN2009 were collected "the best presentations in the world" to form an extraordinary scientific programme. Total attendee was more than 11000 and they were satisfied with the scientific programme and enjoyed the opening ceremony and other social events. The weather was very fine and was too hot during the Congress. Unfortunately, some colleagues from Japan were not able to attend due to the swine-influenza epidemic. The next WCN will be located in Vancouver, April 8 to 12, 2011. From the North Asia, Prof. Suhnggwom Kim was elected as a new ISN Councillor. During the Congress, Hong Kong has chosen as venue for the WCN 2013.

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The 52nd JSN General Scientific Meeting: Kidney Week 2009

  (Updated on Jun.01.2009)
 The 52nd JSN General Scientific Meeting will be held on June 3 (Wednesday) to June 5 (Friday), 2009 in Yokohama. The convention venue is the Pacifico-Yokohama. Professor T. Fujita, president of the meeting, put the slogan of the meeting: Harmonization of Basic and Clinical Medicine. The presidential lecture will be "Kidney and hypertension: from the past 30 years research". Special invited lecture will be given by Drs S. Yamanaka on iPS Cells: Perspectives and Challenge." There will be three invited lectures by Drs Ellison DH on "A WNK signaling complex regular sodium and potassium transport by the kidney", Coffman TM on "The kidney in hypertension Guyton revisited", and Rodoriguez-Iturbe B on "Renal infiltration of immunocompetent cells: cause and effect of salt sensitive hypertension". This meeting is joined with the 54th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy (JSDT). For more information: www.jsn.or.jp

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The 39th JSN Western Regional Meeting

  (Updated on May.25.2009)

 The 39th JSN Western Regional Meeting will held on October 16 (Friday) to 17 (Saturday) in Wakayama. The convention venue is the Wakayama Prefectural Culture Center and Hotel Avalorm Kinokuni. Professor N. Yoshikawa, president of the meeting, put the slogan of the meeting: Early detection and treatment of kidney disease. Two vice presidents, Prof T Shigematsu and I Hara support the meeting.
 Invited speakers are Dr. J Feehally, University of Leicester, on "Pathogenesis and treatment of IgA nephropathy" and Dr K Nanjyo, Dean of the Wakayama Prefectural University, on "My Dream". Professor N. Yoshikawa addresses a presidential lecture titled "Clinical research for establishing evidence for treatment." JSN president, Prof H Makino will address the Goals and perspective of JSN activity. The main symposium is titled "CKD by Shigematsu T and Kimura G. Three workshops are planned.
More information about this meeting is available at: jinseibu39@mtoyou.jp

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The 39th JSN Eastern Regional Meeting

  (Updated on May.18.2009)
 The 39th JSN Eastern Regional Meeting will be held on October 2 (Friday) to 3 (Saturday) in Tokyo. The convention venue is the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa, International Convention Center PAMIR. Professor T. Hosoya, president of the meeting, put the slogan of the meeting: Numerator of Medicine and Denominator of Medical Science. Dr Hosoya counts the importance of the case-report. Two titles of symposium are 1) CKD and medical liaisons by Drs T Watanabe and K Yamagata, and 2) Basic and clinical science of DM nephropathy by Drs K Kaizu and Y Tomino, and those of the workshop are 1) Comprehensive treatment of kidney failure by Drs T Akizawa and K Tanabe, and 2) perspectives of and RAAS research by Drs H Ito and S Kuriyama. There will be 15 educational lectures. More information about this meeting is available at: jsntobu39@mtoyou.jp

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The JSN Spring Executive Board Meeting 2009

  (Updated on May.11.2009)

 The JSN Spring Executive Board Meeting, chaired by Prof H Makino, was held on April 27, 2009, in Tokyo. Important progress and future plans in each committee were reported and discussed.
 JSN CKD guideline was published on March 31 which was summarized by Prof. S Sasaki and his sub-committee members. It is a good start and should be refined in near future. It is also needed to be translated into English. ISN-Nexus symposium will be held in Kyoto on April 15 to 18, 2010, under the auspices of JSN. Importantly, JSN is actively working for the invitation of 2013 WCN in Tokyo. Final decision on the 2013 venue city will be made on WCN2009 in Milan. Many Japanese delegates would like to hear the good news there and also participate at the meeting.
 From 2009 to 2011, JSN scientific meeting will be held in conjunction with JSDT: Japan Kidney Week. Several issues related to JKW that are good and bad for JSN were discussed. The JSDT meeting is always held on week-end, Friday to Sunday. Therefore, JSN meeting will be put forward or afterward of JSDT meeting. Some JSN members have to stay several days and it will be difficult for those working at hospital and clinic. Also, there are some financial problems to be solved.
 For more information, visit JSN at www.jsn.or.jp

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Third Asian Forum of CKI Initiative in Kaohsiung (3rd AFCKDI2009)

  (Updated on Apr.27.2009)

 The third Asian Forum of CKI Initiative was held on April 18 (Saturday) and 19 (Sunday) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. There was a record high attendance of more than 800.
 The final program included: 1) "Special epidemiology & risk factors" by Vivekanand Jha (India), Zuo Li (China), Yang CW (Taipei), and Tomino Y (Japan), 2) "Cardiovascular versus renal outcomes in CKD" by Langham R (Australia) and Iseki K (Japan), 3) "Cost-effectiveness of the community-based or nation-wide CKD prevention programs" by Yamagata K (Japan), Chen N (China), Liu J (Urumgi), and Hsu CC (Taipei), 4) "Implications of CKD for Asia" by Tsukamoto Y, 5) "Special lecture" by Ritz E and Collins A, 6) "Diagnosis & management of CKD" by Matsuo S (Japan), Guh JY (Taiwan), Hou FF (China), and Tan SY (Malaysia), 7) "Care plan and issues for the timely initiation of dialysis in CKD" by Yu A (Hong Kong), Saito A (Japan), Harris D (Australia), and Chen YM (Taiwan), and finally "Consensus meeting on CKD & position statement" by Tsukamoto Y and Chang JM.
 The steering committee announced a plan to start the projects by work groups: WG 1 for GFR estimation and creatinine standardization, WG 2 for CKD registry and risk analysis, WG 3 for CKD implementation tools, and WG 4 for AFCKDI website as a portal for CKD initiative in Asian Pacific area. The fourth AFCKDI will be held on June 5, 2010 in Seoul, Korea. The 12th Asian Pacific Congress of Nephrology (APCN) will be held afterward on 5th-8th June in the same convention center. There will be a hot discussion on the epidemiology of CKD in Asian countries, and strategy for CKD prevention. JSN and JSDT are supporting the Congress and AFCKDI. Several members from Japan will participate at meeting.
For more information: visit tsukamoto@jinzou.net

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JSN-CKD Practice Guideline2009

  (Updated on Apr.20.2009)

JSN-CKD Practice Guideline2009 was released on March 31, 2009.The working committee was organized on 2006 and the leader was Prof Sasaki S. Four groups such as definition, diagnosis, treatment, and pediatric CKD worked very hard to read and evaluate papers on CKD and summarized the recommendation. It is the evidence-based practice guideline for the treatment of CKD. Unfortunately, many are foreign papers, and there are some areas needed to be modified for Japanese. Therefore, JSN initiated clinical research governed by JSN itself (J-KDR).
Concept of CKD is to standardize the practice to prevent CVD and ESRD. In this regard, it is urgently required to show the data of ourselves. In the GL working group, 30 young JSN members gathered and devoted their time to finalize the GL. Their energy will continue to the next version.
The publisher is Igakusha, Tokyo: URL. http://www.tokyo-igakusha.co.jp,
E-mail: hanbai@tokyo-igakusha.co.jp

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Japan Incident Dialysis Cohort Study (J-IDCS)l

  (Updated on Apr.13.2009)

Japan Incident Dialysis Cohort Study (J-IDCS) is started this April. The principal investigator is Dr Iseki K. This study was designed by the Subcommittee, Task Force for the Validation of Urine Examination as an Universal Screening (VALUE-US), of JSN. Aim of the study is to examine the process of CKD progression of the incident dialysis patients in Japan. In particular, the questionnaire focused on the history of screening, proteinuria, treatment, complications, and the duration from the referral to start dialysis. Registration is preformed using the JSN Kidney Disease Registry (J-KDR) which is similar to other renal disease registries by JSN format.
Important research question is to examine critically the effect of referral time on survival of dialysis patients. Preliminary data of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy (JSDT) showed that late-referral might have impact on survival of dialysis patients. Also, the significance of universal screening program in Japan will be tested by showing the prevalence of patients without proteinuria or screening. J-IDCS should suggest the importance of pre-ESRD care and CKD treatment should be done continuously from the beginning of CKD probably with collaboration between general physicians and nephrologists.

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JSN Home-page Renewal

  (Updated on Apr.06.2009)

 Renewal of the JSN Home-page was made this April. It has been discussed by the JSN Public Relations (PR) Committee to increase the number of "hit" to www.jsn.or.jp. JSN is now working very actively on CKD campaign to the public and also has established the cohort studies using Japan Kidney Disease Registry (J-KDR). Therefore, a lot of activities will be done through internet. The old-version had several drawbacks and has been suffering the scarcity of "hit" from the public and foreign researchers. To cope with such demands, JSN-PR Committee has made the renewal of home-page. JSN official journal, Clinical Experimental Nephrology, will obtain the Impact Factor soon. This is another reason to renew the English page. For more information, shirane@jsn.or.jp

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The 2nd China-Japan-Korea Nephrology Conference(CJKKC)

  (Updated on Mar.30.2009)

 The 2nd China-Japan-Korea Nephrology Conference (CJKKC) was held in Shanghai, China, on March 21st, 2009. The venue was Skyway Hotel Shanghai and the topic was "Immunosuppressive treatment of glomerular diseases". The president of the conference was Prof. Xiangmei Chen. Total attendees were more than 100, including 18 JSN members. Opening remarks were presented by Drs. Zhihong Liu (Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command, China), Suhnggwon Kim (Seoul National University, Korea), and Hirofumi Makino (Okayama University, Japan). Ten 10 papers from three countries were presented and there were hot discussions. The third CJKKC will be held in Seoul on March 14, 2010. The topic will be DM nephropathy or AKI. This conference will continue for, at least another round (Japan, China, and Korea).
For more information, visit http://www.skywaylandis.com/

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ISHD2009

  (Updated on Mar.23.2009)

 The 2nd Congress of International Society for Hemodialysis (ISHD) 2009 will be held August 28-30, 2009. The venue is Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center. The subtitle is "From Hemodialysis Unit to ICU". The organizer is International Society for Hemodialysis, President Prof. Claudio Ronco, and the host organizer is Hong Kong Society of Nephrology, President of Organizing Committee, Prof. Alex WY Yu. Deadline for abstract submission is April 1, and the deadline for early bird registration is June 30. Chairman of Scientific Committee is Prof. Philip KT Li.
For more information: www.ishd2009.org

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Stop CKD Campaign in Japan

  (Updated on Mar.16.2009)

 Stop CKD meeting was held to inaugurate the 2009 World Kidney Day (WKD2009) on March 8, Sunday, in Tokyo. It was organized by the J-CKDI and Japan Kidney Foundation and also supported by the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Labor, and Japan Medical Association, IKEA-J. The venue was Tokyo Garden Palace.
Following the opening remarks by the JSN president, Dr Makino H, several greetings were given by guest speakers such as Ueda H from Ministry of HWL, Uchida T (JMA), Couser WG (ISN-COMGAN), Kurokawa K, Sakai T, and Yui S. Invited lectures were given by Prof Yamagata K, Imai S, and Horio M. Panel discussion by Drs Iitake K (general physician), Matsukawa Y (public health nurse), Nakamura T (dietician), Mizuki Y (nurse), Hirata S (pharmacist), and Watanabe T (Nephrologist) was held on CKD as a target practice system with co-medical staffs. Reports of AFCKI (Dr Tsukamoto Y) and IKEA-J (Dr Takahashi S) were also presented. Dr Matsuo S declared the statement of the future projects and goal of the JCKDI. Closing remarks were given by the JSDT president Dr Akizawa T.

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12th APCN2010

  (Updated on Mar.09.2009)

 The 12th Asian Pacific Congress of Nephrology (APCN) 2010 will be held in Seoul, Korea on June 5 (Saturday) to 8 (Tuesday), 2010. The president is Prof. Ho Yung Lee.
 Message from Dr Lee as follows: The 12th APCN is a unique meeting of physicians and researchers to interchange ideas and the latest research, to identify and discuss the persistent issues, and to support clinical and scientific research in the field of nephrology. Carefully planned academic sessions will support research in all aspects of nephrology, allowing the participants to learn the state-of-the-art information about diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases such as electrolyte disturbances and hypertension as well as dialysis and renal transplantation. Moreover, entertaining social events will also provide opportunities for interaction and strengthening friendships, further encouraging the development of collaborative projects for our region. Being the largest Congress of its kind in Asia as well as a premium international event both in scale and quality, we are making the utmost preparations to stage a successful and productive gathering with great participation. The Organizing Committee and Korea welcome you to take advantage of this forthcoming and cherish unforgettable memories. Come and join us at the APCN2010 in Seoul.
For more information: www.apcn2010.com

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ISN NEXUS 2010 in Japan

  (Updated on Mar.02.2009)

  ISN NEXUS 2010 which is the ISN official symposium will be held in Kyoto, Japan. The venue is ANA Hotel Kyoto and the date will be April 15 to 18, 2010. The topic is "CKD and Cardio-vascular disease". This symposium is aimed to stimulate young nephrologists on recent progress in the field of Nephrology and will be the arena to exchange knowledge between basic and clinical researchers.
 Since its initiation on October 2006, NEXUS Symposium was held periodically such as "The Bone and the Kidney" in Copenhagen, Denmark (October 12 to 15, 2006), "Hypertension and the Kidney" in Vienna, Austria (November 29 to December 2, 2007), "Diabetes and the Kidney" in Dublin, Ireland (June 26 to 29, 2008), "Transplantation and the Kidney" in Rome, Italy (September 25 to 28, 2008).
 This symposium is officially endorsed by JSN and JSDT.

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The Fifth Summer School of Renal Pathology

  (Updated on Feb.23.2009)

  The Fifth Summer School for Renal Pathology will be held on August 22 (Saturday) and 23 (Sunday) at Kagawa. This summer school is a part of JSN activities for continuing education for renal pathology. The main purpose is to standardize the histological diagnosis of renal biopsy specimen. Therefore, young physicians and those who would like to learn more about renal pathology are the expected audiences. There will be lectures, small group discussions, and sessions to meet the experts. It would be a great opportunities to strengthen the specialties. The venue is Kagawa University and the expected number of attendees will be 96. Fee is 20,000 yen for handouts including CD-ROM, lunch and others. Former school sites were Matsumoto (1st), Sapporo (2nd), Fukuoka (3rd), and Osaka (4th) which were finished with great success.
For more information: byouribu@med.kagawa-u.ac.jp

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Up-to-date Nephrology Seminar

  (Updated on Feb.16.2009)

  Up-to-date Nephrology Seminar was held on February 11, Tuesday, 2009 in Tokyo. This seminar was organized by the JSN and the Committee for the International Liaisons. The venue was Sanjo-Kaikan, Tokyo University. Following the opening remarks by the JSN president, Prof. Makino, four Japanese speakers such as Drs Ueda S on "Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) as a novel therapeutic target for patients with chronic kidney disease", Mori K on "Diagnosis and treatment of renal disorders by a novel iron-transporting protein, Ngal", Nangaku M on "Abnormal oxygen metabolism in chronic kidney disease", and Miyata T on "Emerging targets for diabetic nephropathy", special invited guest speaker, Dr Floege J from RWTH University of Aachen gave lectures. Dr Floege talked "From cage to bedside: New approaches to the treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease". This seminar was really the up-to-date of the field of Nephrology.

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The 2nd China-Korea-Japan Nephrology Conference

  (Updated on Feb.09.2009)

  The 2nd China-Korea-Japan Nephrology Conference will be held on March 21, Saturday, 2009 in Shanghai, China. The venue is Skyway Landis Shanghai, Shaghai, China; www.skyway-hotel.com. The theme is "Immunosuppressive treatment of glomerular disease". There will be 10 invited speakers on this topic. This Conference is a part of the activities of the JSN subcommittee for International Communication, Prof. Tomino Y and Prof. Uchida S. The first Conference was held in Japan with combination of Japan-China and Japan Korea Nephrology Conference.  
For more information: tsuge@juntendo.ac.jp  

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Research Forum on Chronic Kidney Disease

  (Updated on Feb.02.2009)

 The third Research Forum on Chronic Kidney Disease will be held in Nagoya on Feb 7 (Sat.), 2009. This Forum is organized by Prof. S Matsuo who is actively leading the JCKDI. The venue is Nagoya University Hospital. Official language is English so as to exchange information with Asian countries. Invited speakers are Drs. H Ishii (Nagoya), H Nishi (Tokyo), K Tanaka (Fukushima), T Takenaka (Saitama), Y Nagasawa (Osaka), M Yanagita (Kyoto), N Kashihara (Kurashiki), Y Yuzawa (Nagoya), Y Kaida (Kurume), Kiminori Kato (Niigata), H Maruyama (Niigata), H Yokoyama (Kanazawa), M Horio (Osaka), Y Tsukamoto (Saitama), Hung-Chun Chen (Taiwan), Beom Seok Kim (Korea), Zaki Morad Mohamad Zaher (Malaysia), Kriang Tungsanga (Thailand), Philip Li (Hong Kong), and G Kimura (Nagoya). Dr Tsukamoto will talk about the AFCKDI up date 2009.
 This Forum has been regarded as a part of JSN activities on CKD prevention. It is interesting to exchange information with Asian countries and is to promote collaboration on CKD research.
 For more information: ckdforum@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp

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Eighth Nephrology Seminar for clinical trainees

  (Updated on Jan.26.2009)

 It will be held on February 14 (Saturday) to 15 (Sunday) at Nagoya University Hospital in Nagoya. This seminar is organized by Dr S Matsuo under the support of JSN subcommittee for the pre- and post-graduate education. The first day program will start 13:00 on the session 1 "case studies on the acid-base imbalance", and session 2 "case studies on glomerulonephritis and nephrotic syndrome". After the case studies, special program sponsored by the new JSN Committee for Gender Equality in Nephrology will be held. The topics will be "career-paths for young physicians, in particular women". In the evening, there will be a get-together party to exchange individual ideas and thoughts, and to meet the mentors.
On Day 2, session 3 "water and electrolyte disturbance", session 4 "case studies on fluid replacement treatment", and session 5 "case studies on kidney failure". Registration was already finished.
For further information, visit jinzou@mtz.co.jp, or JSN home-page, www.jsn.or.jp

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Announcement of 16th ICRNM2012, Hawaii

  (Updated on Jan.19.2009)

 Invitation letter from the president of the 16th ICRNM2012

"Dear esteemed colleagues of the Japanese Society of Nephrology,
The International Society of Renal Nutrition & Metabolism (ISRNM, www.renalnutrition.com ) plans to hold its 16th International Congress for Renal Nutrition & Metabolism during June 20-24, 2012, in Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii. The venue is located within 20 minutes of driving from Honolulu International Airport, which has non-stop flights to several cities in Japan and South East Asia.
As the chair of the 2012 Renal Nutrition Week Program Committee, I would like to invite you to kindly share your thoughts and suggestions with me and whether you could kindly assist us with the organization of this historical event. In particular we are interested in high numbers of participating nephrologists, nutritionists, dietitians and other clinicians and scientists from South East Asia and Pacific Ocean area.
Sincerely,
Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh"

Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh, MD, PhD, MPH
FAAP, FACP, FASN, FAHA
Associate Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics & Epidemiology*
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, and UCLA School of Public Health*, Los Angeles, CA
Director, Dialysis Expansion Program & Epidemiology, Harbor-UCLA Division of Nephrology & Hypertension
Director, Harold Simmons Center for Kidney Disease Research & Epidemiology
Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Director, DaVita Harbor-UCLA/MFI, Long Beach, CA
Board Certified Internist, Pediatrician & Nephrologist
Mailing Address: Harbor-UCLA Medical Center 1124 W Carson St, C-1 Annex, Torrance, CA 90502-2064
Tel: 310-222-3891, Fax: 310-782-1837, Cell: 310-686-7908
Pager: 310-501-2692, Email Address: kamkal@ucla.edu

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