Serial peritoneal macrophage function studies in new and established continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.

Peritoneal macrophages (PM) perform first-line defense activity against peritonitis, the most important complication in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) therapy. Our longitudinal study has compared the PM function in 20 uremic patients during periods free of peritonitis since they started CAPD therapy in January 1987. The results showed that at the initiation of CAPD, there was a higher bactericidal activity, phagocytosis index, H2O2 production and interleukin-1 (IL-1), gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production ability and MHC expression. As time went on, these progressively decreased, and by 9 months after CAPD therapy had started they were significantly lower than at the beginning. During the 1.5-year follow-up period, there was a significantly increased peritonitis rate in the period 6 months after the beginning of CAPD than in the period before the 6th month (88.3 vs. 11.7% respectively; p less than 0.001). These results indicate that PM of new CAPD patients have a more active function than those of established patients. The established patients had a greater risk of peritonitis. A comparison of the immunological profiles of PM from patients who had a peritonitis history shows that phagocytosis index, bactericidal activity and IL-1 and TNF production of PM were significantly decreased during the period free of peritonitis. This result suggests that these parameters may serve as an indicator in developing peritonitis.