Impairment of phagocytic activity of macrophages as studied by the skin window test in patients on regular hemodialysis treatment.

In 7 patients with less than 4 months of regular hemodialysis treatment (RDT), in 28 patients with more than 4 months RDT and in 9 normal subjects, the skin window technic of Rebuck and Crowley was used to study the cellular response and the phagocytic activity of macrophages. Phagocytosis of carbon particles is decreased in the patients with less than 4 months dialysis, whereas it is not significantly different from the normals in those being dialyzed for longer periods.