About the Authors

Yi-Chun Tsai

Affiliations Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Faculty of Renal Care, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Yi-Wen Chiu

Affiliations Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Faculty of Renal Care, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Jer-Chia Tsai

Affiliations Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Faculty of Renal Care, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Hung-Tien Kuo

Affiliations Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Faculty of Renal Care, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Su-Chu Lee

Affiliation Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Chi-Chih Hung

Affiliations Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Faculty of Renal Care, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Ming-Yen Lin

Affiliation Faculty of Renal Care, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Shang-Jyh Hwang

Affiliations Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Faculty of Renal Care, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Institute of Population Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan

Mei-Chuan Kuo

mechku@cc.kmu.edu.tw

Affiliations Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Faculty of Renal Care, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Hung-Chun Chen

Affiliations Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Faculty of Renal Care, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: Y-CT M-CK. Performed the experiments: S-CL M-CK. Analyzed the data: Y-CT C-CH M-YL. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: Y-WC J-CT H-TK S-JH M-CK H-CC. Wrote the paper: Y-CT M-CK.