The relationships between activation of non-specific inflammatory process and malnutrition in patients on peritoneal dialysis.

Malnutrition is a frequent complication among patients on chronic peritoneal dialysis and early recognition of malnutrition can be a key factor in successful treatment. The aim of the study was to assess the nutritional status of patients on peritoneal dialysis and to search for the relationships between activation of non-specific inflammatory process and progression of malnutrition. The study group included 60 patients (age 50.4+/-14 years) on peritoneal dialysis for 17.6+/-20 months. Fourty-six patients completed the entire 24-month observation period. Nutritional status was assessed using SGA scale, anthropometric measures, bioimpendance, and several biochemical parameters. Inflammatory markers included: IL-6, TNFalpha, fibrinogen and CRP. Severe malnutrition was observed in the range between 8.4% (5 subjects, group C in SGA scale) to 11.7% (7 subjects, BMI <20 kg/m2) of patients. The nutritional status of the entire cohort was constant over 2 years of observation (based on SGA scale), although the mean albumin level decreased significantly after 24 months of observation (from 39.55+/-3.5 to 37.63+/-3.7 g/l; p<0.01). The mean concentrations of CRP (4.8 and 5.25 mg/l), IL-6 (3.45 and 6.8 pg/ml) and leptin (22.95 and 22.2 ng/ml) were above reference ranges both at the initial and final assessment. Moreover, the concentration of IL-6 significantly increased (p<0.001) after 24 months of observation. Patients treated with PD are frequently affected by malnutrition. Our results indicate a strong association between nutritional indices and markers of inflammation.