C-reactive protein in haemodialysis patients with dialysis arthropathy.

Increased plasma C-reactive protein was found in one-third of 99 patients on maintenance haemodialysis and there was a significant correlation between C-reactive protein and years on haemodialysis. Patients with dialysis arthropathy had a significantly higher mean C-reactive protein than the patients with no joint symptoms. Our results suggest that chronic inflammatory reactions occur in long-term haemodialysis patients and that dialysis arthropathy may have an inflammatory basis.