Departments

Department of Nephrology

Key Figures

Total: 169 staff: 29 doctors, 129 nurses, 11 others

Total: 105 ward beds

Introduction

Founded in 1963, the Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University is one of China’s pioneering institutes in the field of nephrology. The Department has been ranked as a national key discipline as well as national key clinical specialty. Its laboratory (also known as the Institute of Nephrology, Sun Yat-sen University) is a key laboratory of China’s Ministry of Health. As an institute with competency in clinical practice, basic research, and medical education, the Department is internationally recognized for the prevention and treatment of kidney disease. It ranks No.1 in the national review of key clinical specialties, No.2 on the List of Best Specialties complied by Peking University, and No. 3 on the Best Nephrology Specialties complied by Fudan University. Among the staff of the Department, there are Yangtze River Scholar of Ministry of Education (MOE), National Outstanding Youth of NSFC, and Mid-age & Young Professional of the National Talent Program. Dr. Yi Zhou is selected into “Future Female Scientist” Initiative. 2 graduates of the Department have been presented with National Excelled PhD Dissertation Award. The team is recognized by the MOE as Yangtze River Innovative Group.

Clinical Services

The Department is composed of 3 inpatient divisions, a hemodialysis center, a peritoneal dialysis canter, and a laboratory. Internationally recognized by its outstanding medical service and proficiency, the Department becomes an academic hub for nephrology, pioneering in peritoneal dialysis and renal biopsy. It ranks well among the top domestic institutes as regards the diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease,?refractory nephritic syndrome,?IgA nephropathy, Lupus Nephritis, urinary infection,?renal tubular interstitial disease, as well as hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis for the treatment of end stage renal disease (ESRD), et al, some of which even lead the frontier of international community. Annually the Department has over 3100 inpatients and 56000 outpatients. The number of renal biopsy conducted per year reaches 700. Annual operations of hemodialysisand continuous?renal?replacement?therapy (CRRT) are over 42529 times and 46300 hours respectively. Hemofiltration, hemoperfusion, immunoadsorption plasma pheresis and heterozygous dialysis have also been available for intensive care. Following up routinely over 1000 patients, the Department has in place the world largest peritoneal dialysis center, delivering impressive patient survival and technical survival rates. Its research outcomes have been cited and included into multiple international guidelines and the Guangzhou Model for PD is known both at home and abroad.

Education

The Department of Nephrology is among the first group of national authorized institute for PhD education and selected as a national base for Continuing Medical Education. It has 9 PhD mentors and 4 master mentors, fostering annually 4-8 PhD graduates and 3-5 master graduates, all of whom are 100% employed. The Department also performs medical education for graduate students, exchange students and visiting physicians, receiving positive feedback in the field. The Department routinely hosts international and national academic events, including the Sun Yat-sen International Forum on Nephrology, pathological and clinical workshops, and PD research symposia. The Academic Director and major staff of the Department have been frequently invited to deliver lectures and chair sessions at high-level conferences both at home and abroad. The biannual Senior Nephrologists Training Coursehosted by the Department have by now cultivated 1800 qualified nephrologists nationwide, many of whom have become leading experts of their institutions after training. The Department also initiated a County-level Hospital Training Program, which provides training to more than 2100 healthcare practitioners from 28 provinces and autonomous regions in China. The Program helps enhance the capacity building as well as the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases at county-level hospitals.?

Research

Covering a space of over 1000 M2, the Department laboratory, also known as the Institute of Nephrology, Sun Yat-sen University, has been well equipped with flow cytometer, clinical proteomics lab, and bio-bank among others. Focusing on the crucial problems of clinical diagnosis and treatment, the Department has carried out sustained and profound research, making breakthroughs in many fronts, including (1) epidemiology of CKD, (2) biomarkers for early detection, prediction, and intervention targets, (3) life quality improvement of ESRD patients, (4) promotion and application of kidney disease therapy. For past five years, the Department has conducted 69 research projects, including the National Major Research Program – Precision Medicine initiative–and other key NSFC grants. It also sets up a well-established registration mechanism for clinical data, and carries out a cohort study that will last for a decade. Theresearch team of the Department leads or participates in several international RCTs. It has been awarded with 8 national and provincial prizes, including the Second Prize of National S&T Advancement and the First Prize of Guangdong S&T Advancement. In recent five years, the Department has had 6 patents, and 4 CNS publications. ?

International Collaboration

The Department of Nephrology has collaborated with Genome Institute of Singapore, University of Leicester and?University of Nottingham,?to perform the genetic study of IgA nephropathy, including genome wide association study (GWAS), Exome array and copy number variation study. We have identified several novel susceptibility loci that are specific in China; found that SNPs within DEFA genes in 8p23 locus are involved in gene transcriptional regulation; and low total copy numbers of three variants in DEFA region are significantly associated with renal dysfunction in patients with IgAN. These findings expand our understanding on IgAN genetic susceptibility and provide novel biological insights into molecular mechanisms underlying IgAN, which was published in the Journals of Nat Genet, Nat Commun and Sci Transl Med, and supported by the projects of?the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province and Guangzhou City.?The Department also has collaboration with Tufts Medical Center to explore new serum endogenous filtration markers to conveniently and accurately evaluate residual renal function (RRF) and adequacy in PD patients. Having completed sample collection and measurement, we are now performing the data analysis. After finishing this project, the RRF and adequacy of PD patients would be conveniently, accurately and economically monitored using serum levels of endogenous filtration markers, and the results would have clinical implications.

Specialists

Currently, the Department has 169staff, including 20 senior specialists (9 professors and 11 associate professors).

Yu, Xueqing, M.D.

Professor of Medicine, Director of?Institute of Nephrology, Sun Yat-sen University

Yang, Xiao, M.D.

Professor of Medicine, Chief, Department of Nephrology

Li, Zhijian, M.D.

Professor of Medicine, Deputy Chief, Department of Nephrology

Huang, Fengxian, M.D.

Professor of Medicine, Deputy Chief, Department of Nephrology

Mao, Haiping, M.D.

Professor of Medicine, Department of Nephrology