The quality of life analysis in renal transplant recipients and dialysis patients.

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is becoming an important outcome measure in evaluation of various forms of renal replacement therapy (RRT). The Short Form-36 (SF-36), Giessen Subjective Complaints List (GBB-24) and Zerssen's Mood-Scale (Bf-S) are internationally validated questionnaires for the assessment of HRQoL. The goal of the current study was to evaluate and compare the HRQoL of patients on different forms of the RRT. The study population consisted of: 1) 120 patients on hemodialysis (HD); 2) 43 patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD); 3) 9 recipients who lost their grafts and went back to dialysis (PT); 4) 120 age- and sex matched healthy individuals (Controls); and 5) 48 renal transplant recipients (T). The SF-36, GBB-24 and Bf-S questionnaires have been used for the assessment of HRQoL. The mean SF-36 scores were not significantly different between: a) control group and transplant recipients; b) hemo- and peritoneal dialysis patients including previously transplanted patients. The dialysis patients scored significantly worse in all eight SF-36 domains as compared with the transplant recipients and healthy subjects. In all GBB-24 components the transplant recipients scored significantly higher than HD and PD patients. In the following components: "Fatigue tendency", "Limb pain" and "Cardiac complaints", recipients scored significantly higher than the control group subjects. The mood analysis (Bf-S) has shown that the scores of transplant recipients and controls did not differ and were significantly higher than that of the dialysis patients. The HRQoL of patients on hemo- and peritoneal dialysis is similar and lower than that of the general population. Renal transplantation significantly improves HRQoL at least to the level of the healthy individuals. The graft loss is associated with the significant worsening of HRQoL.