OBJECTIVE

The inflammatory status is a well-documented factor influencing the development of oxidative stress in dialysis patients. This study intends to evaluate the inflammatory activity and the plasma levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and lipid peroxidation products in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD), by comparison with hemodialysis (HD) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Plasma concentration of TAC, lipid peroxidation products and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in 24 patients on PD, 32 HD patients (pre and post treatment) and 16 normal controls (NC).

RESULTS

All patients had higher levels of TAC and lipid peroxidation products than NC (p < 0.001). Patients on PD, had similar levels to patients before HD but significantly higher (p < 0.001) than those post HD. The CRP concentration was higher in HD than in PD patients (p < 0.05). The percentage of patients with CRP > 10 mg/l was 48% in HD patients and 21% in PD patients. No correlation was observed between CRP and TAC nor CRP and MDA levels.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that although PD and HD patients show an equal susceptibility in oxidative stress, CRP levels are higher in HD patients and this is indicative of a higher degree of inflammatory activity in these patients.