Peritoneal Dialysis Drop-out: Causes and Prevention Strategies

Selective therapeutic efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitor sorafenib on the restoration of methylglyoxal-induced peritoneal fibrosis

Peritoneal fibrosis, a common complication observed in long-term peritoneal dialysis patients, can gradually lead to ultrafiltration failure and the development of encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis. Although mechanisms of peritoneal fibrosis have been proposed, effective therapeutic options are unsatisfactory. Recently, several tyrosine kinase inhibitors have proven to be anti-fibrosis in rodent models. To assess the potential therapeutic effects of tyrosine kinase inhibitors on peritoneal fibrosis in the larger animal model, a novel porcine model of peritoneal fibrosis induced by 40 mM methylglyoxal in 2.5 % dialysate was established, and two different doses (20 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg) of sorafenib were given orally to evaluate their therapeutic efficacy in this study. Our results showed that sorafenib effectively reduced adhesions between peritoneal organs and significantly diminished the thickening of both the parietal and visceral peritoneum. Angiogenesis, vascular endothelial growth factor A production, myofibroblast infiltration, and decreased endothelial glycocalyx resulting from dialysate and methylglyoxal stimulations were also alleviated with sorafenib. However, therapeutic efficacy in ameliorating loss of mesothelial cells, restoring decreased ultrafiltration volume, and improving elevated small solutes transport rates was limited. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that sorafenib could potentially be used for peritoneal fibrosis treatment, but applying sorafenib alone might not be sufficient to fully rescue methylglyoxal-induced peritoneal defects.

Discontinuation of maintenance peritoneal dialysis in children-A 10-year review from a single center in a low resource setting

INTRODUCTION

In South Africa, only children considered eligible for transplantation are offered dialysis as bridge to kidney transplantation. Maintenance peritoneal dialysis (PD) is preferred and has several advantages over hemodialysis (HD). While awaiting transplantation, PD may be discontinued due to permanent transfer to HD or death while on PD, of which the occurrence and burden is not known in our setting. We investigated the rate of discontinuation of maintenance PD, and associated factors among children awaiting a kidney transplant under challenging socio-economic circumstances in a low resource setting.

METHODS

Single center retrospective analysis of children receiving maintenance PD. Outcomes included the proportion of children who discontinued PD before transplantation, associated factors and timing of discontinuation, and the proportion transplanted. Time to discontinuation or transplantation was displayed using a Kaplan-Meier curve.

RESULTS

Sixty-seven children who received maintenance automated PD as initial dialysis modality were identified from the kidney transplant waiting list between January 2009 and December 2018. Complete data was available for 52 of the 67 children. Four children had prior failed kidney transplants. The median age was 11 years (interquartile range 6.0, 13.1). Overall, 17/52 (32.7%) children discontinued PD, with 13 (25%) transfers to HD and 4 deaths (7.7%), whereas 29/52 (55.8%) received a kidney transplant. Three of the deaths were PD related. Six children remained on maintenance PD at the end of the study period. Over a half of our patients discontinued PD by 12 months, and 80% by 30 months. Most PD discontinuations were associated with peritonitis.

CONCLUSIONS

The proportion discontinuing PD was high, highlighting the need to optimize measures to improve retention rates, especially through prevention of peritonitis.

Peritoneal Dialysis-Induced Encapsulating Peritonitis: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges in Women with Benign Gynecological Pathology

Background: Peritoneal sclerosis (PS) and its most severe form, encapsulating PS (EPS), are rare entities that can occur in various procedures (liver transplantation, intraperitoneal chemotherapy) or secondary to medications (beta-blockers); however, PS or EPS typically occur in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis as a form of renal function substitution. Medical or surgical treatments can be applied, but morbidity and mortality have high rates. This condition typically presents clinically as an intestinal obstruction caused by the inclusion of the intestinal loops in the peritoneal fibrous membrane. Methods: Herein, we present data from a single tertiary surgery center that has dedicated teams for patients receiving dialysis. Over 12 years, we analyzed a group of 63 patients admitted for catheter replacement/removal or for acute surgical pathology. In five cases (7.9%), we diagnosed EPS. Two patients with EPS presented with atypical abdominal pathologies requiring emergency surgery: one case of hemoperitoneum caused by a ruptured ovarian cyst and one case of uterine fibroids and metrorrhagia. Results: The definitive diagnoses were established intraoperatively and by analyzing the morpho-pathological changes in the peritoneum. The possible intraoperative challenges included laborious dissection, difficulties in restoring the correct anatomical landmarks, an increased duration of the surgical intervention and a high rate of incidents and accidents. Conclusions: The aim of the present study was to emphasize the possibility of other surgical pathologies overlapping with EPS, increasing the complexity of the surgical intervention.

Uptake and Outcomes of Peritoneal Dialysis among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People: Analysis of Registry Data

Introduction

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) enables people to use kidney replacement therapy (KRT) outside of healthcare-dependent settings, a strong priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Methods

We undertook an observational study analyzing registry data to describe access to PD and its outcome as the first KRT among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people between January 1, 2004 and December 31 2020.

Results

Out of 4604 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, reflecting 10.4% of all Australians commencing KRT, PD was the first KRT modality among 665 (14.4%). PD utilization was 17.2% in 2004 to 2009 and 12.7% in 2016 to 2020 (P = 0.002); 1105 episodes of peritonitis were observed in 413 individuals, median of 3 (interquartile range [IQR], 2-5) episodes/patient. The crude peritonitis rate was 0.53 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.50-0.56) episodes/patient-years without any significant changes over time. The median time to first peritonitis was 1.1 years. A decrease in the peritonitis incidence rate ratio (IRR) was observed in 2016 to 2020 (IRR, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.52-0.77], P < 0.001) compared to earlier eras (2010-2015: IRR, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.76-1.07], P = 0.23; Ref: 2004-2009). The cure rates decreased from 80.0% (n = 435) in 2004 to 2009, to 70.8% (n = 131) in 2016 to 2020 (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who utilized PD as their first KRT during 2004 to 2020 recorded a higher peritonitis rate than the current benchmark of 0.4 episodes/patient-years. The cure rates have worsened recently, which should be a big concern. There is an exigent need to address these gaps in kidney care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Peritoneal Inflammation in PD-Related Peritonitis Induces Systemic Eryptosis: In Vitro and In Vivo Assessments

Erythrocytes (RBCs) have a highly specialized and organized membrane structure and undergo programmed cell death, known as eryptosis. Our preliminary data show a significant increase in the eryptosis during peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis. The objectives of the present study were assessment of the incrementation of eryptosis in PD patients with peritonitis, evaluation of the relationship between systemic eryptosis in peritonitis and specific peritonitis biomarkers in PD effluent (PDE), and confirmation of the induction of eryptosis by peritonitis in a vitro setting. We enrolled 22 PD patients with peritonitis and 17 healthy subjects (control group, CTR). For the in vivo study, eryptosis was measured in freshly isolated RBCs. For the in vitro study, healthy RBCs were exposed to the plasma of 22 PD patients with peritonitis and the plasma of the CTR group for 2, 4, and 24 h. Eryptosis was evaluated by flow cytometric analyses in vivo and in vitro. PDE samples were collected for biomarkers analysis.The percentage of eryptotic RBCs was significantly higher in PD patients with peritonitis than in CTR (PD patients with peritonitis: 7.7; IQR 4.3-14.2, versus CTR: 0.8; IQR 0.7-1.3; p < 0.001). We confirmed these in vivo results by in vitro experiments: healthy RBCs incubated with plasma from PD patients with peritonitis demonstrated a significant increase in eryptosis compared to healthy RBCs exposed to plasma from the control group at all times. Furthermore, significant positive correlations were observed between eryptosis level and all analyzed peritoneal biomarkers of peritonitis. We investigated a potential connection between systemic eryptosis and peritoneal biomarkers of peritonitis. Up-regulation of inflammatory markers could explain the increased rate of systemic eryptosis during PD-related peritonitis.

Investigation of Factors Affecting Clinical Outcome of Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Background

End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is a global issue. Although the use of kidney replacement therapy measures has improved outcomes for patients with ESKD, the mortality rate remains significant. Identifying modifiable factors that affect patient outcomes can help improve their survival. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors affecting the clinical outcome of peritoneal dialysis patients.

Methods

This prospective cohort study was conducted between 2018 and 2021.Participants: Patients aged between 18 and 75 years with a history of peritoneal dialysis (PD) for at least six months were included. Demographic data, kt/v ratio, medical history, serum levels of albumin, creatinine, triglycerides, total cholesterol, calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, hemoglobin, and ferritin were recorded before starting PD and during the follow-up period, along with clinical outcomes. To describe the data, the central index of mean, frequency, and relative frequency was used, and for analytical statistics, Chi-square test, analysis of variance, and Kruskal-Wallis were used.

Results

A total of 64 patients with a mean age of 51.78 ± 15.31 years were included. Of these, 27 (42.18%) had a history of diabetes mellitus, and 38 (59.37%) had a history of hypertension (HTN). 48 (75%) patients survived until the end of the study, while 47 (73.4%) participants experienced peritonitis. Our findings indicate that variables such as sex, marital status, weight, history of HTN, and serum levels of hemoglobin and ferritin significantly affect outcomes.

Conclusion

We found that factors including sex, marriage, normal weight, HTN, normal hemoglobin, and ferritin can lead to better survival in PD patients. Recurrent peritonitis was the most crucial cause of PD to HD shifts.

Rate and reasons for peritoneal dialysis dropout following haemodialysis to peritoneal dialysis switch: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Patient experiences and survival outcomes can be influenced by the circumstances related to dialysis initiation and subsequent modality choices. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to explore the rate and reasons for peritoneal dialysis (PD) dropout following haemodialysis (HD) to PD switch.

METHOD

This systematic review conducted searches in four databases, including Medline, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (study ID: CRD42023405718). Outcomes included factors leading to the switch from HD to PD, the rate and reasons for PD dropout and mortality difference in two groups (PD first group versus HD to PD group). The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist and the GRADE tool were used to assess quality.

RESULTS

4971 papers were detected, and 13 studies were included. On meta-analysis, there was no statistically significant difference in PD dropout in the PD first group (OR: 0.81; 95%CI: 0.61, 1.09; I2 = 83%; P = 0.16), however, there was a statistically significant reduction in the rate of mortality (OR: 0.48; 95%CI: 0.25, 0.92; I2 = 73%; P = 0.03) compared to the HD to PD group. The primary reasons for HD to PD switch, included vascular access failure, patient preference, social issues, and cardiovascular disease. Causes for PD dropout differed between the two groups, but inadequate dialysis and peritonitis were the main reasons for PD dropout in both groups.

CONCLUSION

Compared to the PD first group, a previous HD history may not impact PD dropout rates for patients, but it could impact mortality in the HD to PD group. The reasons for PD dropout differed between the two groups, with no statistical differences. Psychosocial reasons for PD dropout are valuable to further research. Additionally, establishing a consensus on the definition of PD dropout is crucial for future studies.

Remote monitoring as a surveillance method in patients on automated peritoneal dialysis for preventing complications and COVID-19 contagion

BACKGROUND

Due to the health emergency of COVID-19, telemedicine has become more relevant. Remote monitoring conspicuous as a valuable tool for the clinical follow-up of kidney patients, in this case, who are treated with automated peritoneal dialysis. This study aims to describe the use of remote monitoring as a surveillance method in a cohort of patients on automated peritoneal dialysis prevent complications and COVID-19 contagion.

METHODS

Study of a cohort of patients who initially participated in a randomized block clinical trial in which the use of Automated Peritoneal Dialysis with Remote Monitoring (APD-RM) was compared with conventional treatment. A descriptive analysis was performed of the rates of infection by COVID-19, the time of incidence until this, mortality, and rates of transfer to hemodialysis. In addition, survival was measured by survival curves.

RESULTS

Of the 509 patients, 19 were positive for COVID-19 (incidence rate of 7.0 episodes/100 patient-year), and only six patients recovered from the infection; the death rate was 2.6 % compared to all-cause death of 9.8 %. The most affected group of patients were those over 50 years old, with 71.4 % mortality, in contrast to younger patients infected, with a mortality of 60 %. During the follow-up period, 21 patients were transferred to HD: six due to peritonitis, five due to UF failure, seven due to catheter dysfunction, one due to uremic syndrome, one due to COVID-19, and one by surgical intervention.

CONCLUSION

APD-RM patients have a significant advantage over other dialysis therapies because the use of telemedicine not only provides continuity in the patient's clinical treatment but also favors the prevention of COVID-19 infection, the management and prevention of complications inherent to therapy and the preservation of the life of Peritoneal Dialysis patients.

Patient perspectives on peritoneal dialysis (PD) and the PD catheter: Strategies and Solutions

INTRODUCTION

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter complications reduce quality of life and increase risks for hospitalizations, for unplanned transitions to haemodialysis and for death. Patient PD catheter management is crucial for safe, sustained PD. Patient perspectives on strategies for living with PD and using a PD catheter may inform efforts to reduce PD catheter complications, increase individual patient PD modality persistence, and thus increase overall home dialysis prevalence.

METHODS

We interviewed 32 adult PD patients in Nashville, Tennessee. Qualitative analyses included (1) isolation of themes, (2) development of a coding system and (3) creation of a conceptual framework using an inductive-deductive approach.

RESULTS

Challenges identified by patients as important included drain pain, difficulty eating and sleeping, and fear of peritonitis. Coping strategies included repositioning while draining, adjusting eating patterns, and development of PD patient and helper knowledge and confidence, especially at home after initial training. Patients described a trial-and-error iterative process of trying multiple strategies with input from multiple sources, which led to individualised solutions.

CONCLUSIONS

The trial-and-error process may be crucial for maintaining PD. Individual patient success with PD may be promoted by creating expectations during training that a solution may require multiple attempts, and by a reimbursement policy that supports robust nursing support for safe progression through the trial-and-error process, particularly in the first few months for incident patients. Interventions to support patient motivation and optimal coping behaviour may also support an increase in PD modality duration for individual patients, and thus increase overall PD prevalence.

Patients and nursing-related factors associated with switching from peritoneal dialysis to hemodialysis: A cross-sectional survey

The study aimed at analyzing patients and nursing-related factors associated with switching from peritoneal dialysis to hemodialysis. A telephone survey with 574 patients receiving care at six peritoneal dialysis centers of the Mexican Institute of Social Security was conducted: 64.3% were on peritoneal dialysis, and 35.7% had transitioned from peritoneal dialysis to hemodialysis. Data were collected on participants' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, peritoneal dialysis center size, and nursing workload. Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple Poisson regression analyses were performed. Factors associated with an increased probability of switching from peritoneal dialysis to hemodialysis were a history of catheter dysfunction, peritonitis, and being treated in a large peritoneal dialysis center with a low (<50 patients per nurse per month) or high nursing workload (>70 patients per nurse per month) located in the State of Mexico, compared to a medium-size peritoneal dialysis center with a moderate workload (50-70 patients per nurse per month). To decrease the odds of switching from peritoneal dialysis to hemodialysis, improvement programs should aim to limit nurses' workload to 50-70 patients per nurse per month and implement evidence-based nursing interventions to prevent, detect, and manage peritonitis and peritoneal catheter dysfunction.

Peritoneal dialysis in Dalmatian County, Croatia: 21 years of a single-center experience

INTRODUCTION

With end-stage renal disease becoming more prevalent, the importance of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is expected to rise even more. However, CAPD is associated with several infections with peritonitis being of the biggest importance.

METHODS

We collected data regarding acute peritonitis episodes (APEs), date of birth and CAPD start, BMI, diabetes mellitus (DM) prevalence, year of renal disease discovery, and details about renal replacement therapies. Primary outcomes included death, transplantation, and a switch to hemodialysis (HD).

RESULTS

Hundred and twenty-nine men and 123 women were analyzed. 63 patients had DM. The median age at the start of CAPD was 56. The median length of CAPD treatment was 24 months. In the end, 147 patients were still alive of which 97 were transplanted, 33 were on CAPD, and 26 were switched to HD. A total of 327 APE were observed.

CONCLUSION

Although the incidence is decreasing, efforts are required to enhance the prevention and treatment of APE.

Long-term impact of early non-infectious complications at the initiation of peritoneal dialysis

BACKGROUND

Early non-infectious complications at initiation of peritoneal dialysis (PD) are a major burden with unknown long-term impacts on individuals.

METHODS

Prospective multicentre cohort study using univariable and multivariable Cox regression to identity mortality risk and PD discontinuation risk in those with and without non-infectious complications. All individuals commencing PD between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2018, registered in the New Zealand Peritoneal Dialysis Registry (NZPDR) were followed up to 31 December 2020. Early non-infectious complications defined as functional, catheter-related, exit-site dialysate leak or anatomical leak complications occurring within 30 days of initiation of PD. Primary outcomes were patient survival and time on PD therapy. Secondary outcomes were peritonitis free survival, first PD catheter survival and catheter tunnel infection free survival.

RESULTS

Of 1596 individuals included in the study, 102 experienced an early non-infectious complication. Multivariable analysis demonstrated these complications were associated with higher risk of overall mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 1.71; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.21-2.44), PD discontinuation (HR 1.84; 95% CI 1.41-2.41) and first catheter failure (HR 2.89; 95% CI 2.28-3.66). No difference was found for risk of development of first peritonitis episode or catheter tunnel infection. Mortality risk was associated with functional and exit-site dialysate leak complications and continued beyond 180 days. Risk of PD discontinuation and first catheter loss were associated with catheter and functional complications in the first 180 days.

CONCLUSION

Early non-infectious complications are associated with long-term mortality risk. Further research in risk factors and causes of early non-infectious complications are required.

Peritoneal dialysis first policy in Hong Kong for 35 years: Global impact

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) first policy has been established in Hong Kong since 1985. After 35 years of practice, the PD first policy in Hong Kong has influenced many countries around the world including governments, health ministries, nephrologists and renal nurses on the overall health policy structure and clinical practice in treating kidney failure patients using PD as an important dialysis modality. In 2021, the International Association of Chinese Nephrologists and the Hong Kong Society of Nephrology jointly held a symposium celebrating the 35 years of PD first policy in Hong Kong. In that symposium, experts and opinion leaders from around the world have shared their perspectives on how the PD first policy has grown and how it has affected PD and home dialysis practice globally. The advantages of PD during COVID-19 pandemic were highlighted and the use of telemedicine as an important adjunct was discussed in treating kidney failure patients to improve the overall quality of care. Barriers to PD and the need for sustainability of PD first policy were also emphasized. Overall, the knowledge awareness of PD as a home dialysis for patients, families, care providers and learners is a prerequisite for the success of PD first. A critical mass of PD regional hubs is needed for training and mentorship. Importantly, the alignment of policy and clinical goals are enablers of PD first program.

Epidemiology of peritoneal dialysis outcomes

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an important home-based treatment for kidney failure and accounts for 11% of all dialysis and 9% of all kidney replacement therapy globally. Although PD is available in 81% of countries, this provision ranges from 96% in high-income countries to 32% in low-income countries. Compared with haemodialysis, PD has numerous potential advantages, including a simpler technique, greater feasibility of use in remote communities, generally lower cost, lesser need for trained staff, fewer management challenges during natural disasters, possibly better survival in the first few years, greater ability to travel, fewer dietary restrictions, better preservation of residual kidney function, greater treatment satisfaction, better quality of life, better outcomes following subsequent kidney transplantation, delayed need for vascular access (especially in small children), reduced need for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, and lower risk of blood-borne virus infections and of SARS-CoV-2 infection. PD outcomes have been improving over time but with great variability, driven by individual and system-level inequities and by centre effects; this variation is exacerbated by a lack of standardized outcome definitions. Potential strategies for outcome improvement include enhanced standardization, monitoring and reporting of PD outcomes, and the implementation of continuous quality improvement programmes and of PD-specific interventions, such as incremental PD, the use of biocompatible PD solutions and remote PD monitoring.

The use of peritoneal dialysis (PD) can be advantageous compared with haemodialysis treatment, although several barriers limit its broad implementation. This review examines the epidemiology of peritoneal dialysis (PD) outcomes, including clinical, patient-reported and surrogate PD outcomes.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) has distinct advantages compared with haemodialysis, including the convenience of home treatment, improved quality of life, technical simplicity, lesser need for trained staff, greater cost-effectiveness in most countries, improved equity of access to dialysis in resource-limited settings, and improved survival, particularly in the first few years of initiating therapy.

Important barriers can hamper PD utilization in low-income settings, including the high costs of PD fluids (owing to the inability to manufacture them locally and the exorbitant costs of their import), limited workforce availability and a practice culture that limits optimal PD use, often leading to suboptimal outcomes.

PD outcomes are highly variable around the world owing in part to the use of variable outcome definitions, a heterogeneous practice culture, the lack of standardized monitoring and reporting of quality indicators, and kidney failure care gaps (including health care workforce shortages, inadequate health care financing, suboptimal governance and a lack of good health care information systems).

Key outcomes include not only clinical outcomes (typically defined as medical outcomes based on clinician assessment or diagnosis) — for example, PD-related infections, technique survival, mechanical complications, hospitalizations and PD-related mortality — but also patient-reported outcomes. These outcomes are directly reported by patients and focus on how they function or feel, typically in relation to quality of life or symptoms; patient-reported outcomes are used less frequently than clinical outcomes in day-to-day routine care.

High intraperitoneal interleukin-6 levels predict ultrafiltration (UF) insufficiency in peritoneal dialysis patients: A prospective cohort study

Introduction

UF insufficiency is a major limitation in PD efficiency and sustainability. Our study object to investigate the efficacy of intraperitoneal inflammation marker, IL-6 level as a predictor of UF insufficiency in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients.

Methods

Stable prevalent CAPD patients were enrolled in this prospective study. IL-6 concentration in the overnight effluent was determined and expressed as the IL-6 appearance rate (IL-6 AR). Patients were divided into two groups according to the median of IL-6 AR and prospectively followed up until death, transfer to permanent HD, recovery of renal function, kidney transplantation, transfer to other centers, lost to follow-up or to the end of study (January 31, 2021). Factors associated with UF capacity as well as dialysate IL-6 AR were assessed by multivariable linear regression. Cox proportional hazards model was used to examine the association between dialysate IL-6 AR and UF insufficiency.

Results

A total of 291 PD patients were enrolled, including 148 males (51%) with a mean age of 56.6 ± 14.1 years and a median PD duration of 33.4 (12.7–57.5) months. No correlation was found between dialysate IL-6 AR and UF capacity at baseline. PD duration was found positively correlated with baseline dialysate IL-6 AR, while 24h urine volume was negatively correlated with baseline dialysate IL-6 AR (P < 0.05). By the end of study, UF insufficiency was observed in 56 (19.2%) patients. Patients in the high IL-6 AR group showed a significantly inferior UF insufficiency-free survival when compared with their counterparts in the low IL-6 AR group (P = 0.001). In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, after adjusting for DM, previous peritonitis episode and 24h urine volume, higher baseline dialysate IL-6 AR (HR 3.639, 95% CI 1.776–7.456, P = 0.002) were associated with an increased risk of UF insufficiency. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for baseline IL-6 AR to predict UF insufficiency was 0.663 (95% CI, 0.580–0.746; P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our study suggested that the dialysate IL-6 AR could be a potential predictor of UF insufficiency in patients undergoing PD.

Outcome Analysis of Transition From Peritoneal Dialysis to Hemodialysis: A Population-Based Study

If a technical failure occurs during peritoneal dialysis (PD), the patients undergoing PD may be transitioned to hemodialysis (HD). However, the clinical outcomes of patients who have undergone such a transition are under studied. This study assessed whether patients undergoing HD who have transitioned from PD have the same clinical outcomes as HD-only patients. This research was a retrospective cohort study by searching a National Health Insurance research database for data on patients in Taiwan who had undergone HD between January 2006 and December 2013. The patients were divided into two groups, namely a case group in which the patients were transitioned from PD to HD and a HD-only control group, through propensity score matching at a ratio of 1:4 (n = 1,100 vs. 4,400, respectively). We used the Cox regression model to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause death, all-cause hospitalization, infection-related admission, and major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Those selected patients will be followed until death or the end of the study period (December, 2017), whichever occurs first. Over a mean follow-up of 3.2 years, 1,695 patients (30.8%) died, 3,825 (69.5%) required hospitalization, and 1,142 (20.8%) experienced MACE. Patients transitioning from PD had a higher risk of all-cause death (HR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.21–1.53) than HD-only patients. However, no significant difference was noted in terms of MACE (HR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.73–1.12), all-cause hospitalization (HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.96–1.18), or infection-related admission (HR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.80–1.18) between groups. Because of the violation of the proportional hazard assumption, the piecewise-HRs showed that the risk of mortality in the case group was significant within 5 months of the transition (HR: 2.61; 95% CI: 2.04–3.35) not in other partitions of the time axis. In conclusion, patients undergoing HD who transitioned from PD had a higher risk of death than the HD-only patients, especially in the first 5 months after transition (a 161% higher risk). Therefore, more caution and monitoring may be required for patients undergoing HD who transitioned from PD.

Comparison of mesenchymal stromal cells from peritoneal dialysis effluent with those from umbilical cords: characteristics and therapeutic effects on chronic peritoneal dialysis in uremic rats

Background

A long-term of peritoneal dialysis (PD) using a hypertonic PD solution (PDS) leads to patient’s peritoneal membrane (PM) injury, resulting in ultrafiltration failure (UFF) and PD drop-out. Our previous study shows that PD effluent-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (pMSCs) prevent the PM injury in normal rats after repeated exposure of the peritoneal cavity to a PDS. This study was designed to compare the cytoprotection between pMSCs and umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs) in the treatment of both PM and kidney injury in uremic rats with chronic PD.

Methods

5/6 nephrectomized (5/6Nx) Sprague Dawley rats were intraperitoneally (IP) injected Dianeal (4.25% dextrose, 10 mL/rat/day) and were treated with pMSCs or umbilical cord (UC)-MSCs (approximately 2 × 10⁶/rat/week, IP). Ultrafiltration was determined by IP injection of 30 mL of Dianeal (4.25% dextrose) with 1.5-h dewell time, and kidney failure by serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). The structure of the PM and kidneys was assessed using histology. Gene expression was examined using quantitative reverse transcription PCR, and protein levels using flow cytometric and Western blot analyses.

Results

We showed a slight difference in the morphology between pMSCs and UC-MSCs in plastic dishes, and significantly higher expression levels of stemness-related genes (NANOG, OCT4, SOX2, CCNA2, RAD21, and EXO1) and MSCs surface markers (CD29, CD44, CD90 and CD105) in UC-MSCs than those in pMSCs, but no difference in the differentiation to chondrocytes, osteocytes or adipocytes. pMSC treatment was more effective than UC-MSCs in the protection of the MP and remnant kidneys in 5/6Nx rats from PDS-induced injury, which was associated with higher resistance of pMSCs than UC-MSCs to uremic toxins in culture, and more reduction of peritoneal mesothelial cell death by the secretome from pMSCs than from UC-MSCs in response to PDS exposure. The secretome from both pMSCs and UC-MSCs similarly inactivated NOS2 in activated THP1 cells.

Conclusions

As compared to UC-MSCs, pMSCs may more potently prevent PDS-induced PM and remnant kidney injury in this uremic rat model of chronic PD, suggesting that autotransplantation of ex vivo-expanded pMSCs may become a promising therapy for UFF and deterioration of remnant kidney function in PD patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-021-02473-9.

Effectiveness of a continuous interactive communication system for home care nursing assistance of peritoneal dialysis

Background

The Japanese population is aging quickly. New methods of supporting peritoneal dialysis (PD) for elderly patients are essential if we are to increase the number of such patients.

Methods

We established a two-way communication system between a central hospital and stations for visiting nurses. Home care nurses provided physicians at the central hospital with clinical findings for patients undergoing assisted PD. We compared 11 patients undergoing PD assisted by home care nurses in continuous interactive communication with the central hospital (cases) with 11 patients undergoing unassisted PD who were matched by sex, primary disease, estimated glomerular filtration rate at the start of PD, and age at the start of PD (controls). The variables compared were hospitalization due to heart failure, exit-site infection, peritonitis, and the composite of these causes during a 1-year period. In addition, we compared patient clinical factors between groups.

Results

Although differences in the number of hospitalizations attributable to exit-site infection, peritonitis, and heart failure were not significant, the difference in the number of hospitalizations attributable to a composite of these causes was significant. Exit-site scores were significantly better in the case group than in the control group.

Conclusions

PD assisted by home care nurses using an established continuous interactive communication system was associated with significantly better exit-site scores. Fewer cases than controls were hospitalized.

Implementation of PDOPPS in a middle-income country: Early lessons from Thailand

BACKGROUND

Despite the implementation of a 'Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) First' policy in Thailand since 2008, nationwide PD practices and patients' outcomes have rarely been reported.

METHODS

As part of the multinational PD Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (PDOPPS), PD patients from 22 PD centres from different geographic regions, sizes and affiliations, representing Thailand PD facilities, have been enrolled starting in May 2016. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data and patients' outcomes were prospectively collected and analysed.

RESULTS

The pilot and implementation phases demonstrated excellent concordance between study data and validation data collected at enrolment. In the implementation phase, 848 PD patients (including 262 (31%) incident PD patients) were randomly sampled from 5090 patients in participating centres. Almost all participants (95%) performed continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD), and a high proportion had hypoalbuminemia (67%, serum albumin < 3.5 g/dL), anaemia (42%, haemoglobin <10 g/dL) and hypokalaemia (37%, serum potassium < 3.5 mmol/L). The peritonitis rate was 0.40 episodes/year, but the culture-negative rate was high (0.13 episodes/year, 28% of total episodes). The patients from PD clinics located in Bangkok metropolitan region had higher socio-economic status, more optimal nutritional markers, blood chemistries, haemoglobin level and lower peritonitis rates compared to the provincial regions, emphasizing the centre effect on key success factors in PD.

CONCLUSIONS

Participation in the PDOPPS helps unveil the critical barriers to improving outcomes of PD patients in Thailand, including a high prevalence of hypokalaemia, anaemia, poor nutritional status and culture-negative peritonitis. These factors should be acted upon to formulate solutions and implement quality improvement on a national level.

Repeat and Relapsing Peritonitis Microbiological Trends and Outcomes: A 21-Year Single-Center Experience

Peritonitis is a major peritoneal dialysis complication. Despite a high cure rate, relapsing and repeat peritonitis is associated with Tenckhoff catheter biofilm and multiple episodes of peritoneal damage. In relapsing peritonitis, prompt catheter removal is mandatory; otherwise, in repeat peritonitis, there is not a clear indication for catheter removal. It is questionable if the approach to removal should be different. There are few recent data on repeat and relapsing peritonitis microbiology and clinical outcomes since most studies are from the past decade. This study evaluates the microbiology, clinical outcomes, and impact of relapsing and repeat peritonitis on technique survival and the impact of catheter removal in development of further peritonitis episodes by the same microorganism. We developed a single-center retrospective study from 1998 to 2019 that compared repeat and relapsing peritonitis with a control group in terms of causative microorganisms, cure rate, catheter removal, and permanent and temporary transfer to hemodialysis. We also compared repeat and relapsing peritonitis clinical outcomes when Tenckhoff catheter was not removed. Comparing to the control group, the repeat/relapsing group had a higher cure rate (80.4% versus 74.5%, p=0.01) and lower rate of hospitalization (10.9% versus 27.7%, p=0.01). Technique survival was superior in the repeat/relapsing group (log rank = 4.5, p=0.03). Gram-positive peritonitis was more common in the repeat/relapsing group especially Streptococci viridans (43.5% versus 21.3%, p=0.01) and Gram-negatives in the control group (26.6% vs 9.0%, p=0.02). When the Tenckhoff catheter was not removed after a repeat episode, 58.6% developed a new repeat/relapsing episode versus 60.0% in the relapsing group. Although repeat and relapsing peritonitis have a higher cure rate, it leads to further episodes of peritonitis and consequent morbidity. When Tenckhoff catheter was not removed, the probability of another peritonitis episode by the same microorganism is similar in repeat and relapsing peritonitis.

Urinary Liver-Type Fatty Acid-Binding Protein Predicts Residual Renal Function Decline in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis

Background

Liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) is a predictive marker for the early detection of acute kidney injury; however, less is known about how useful it is for predicting residual renal function (RRF) decline in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD).

Material/Methods

The study subjects were 35 patients on PD who underwent multiple peritoneal equilibration tests (PETs) between October 2011 and October 2019. Urinary L-FABP levels were analyzed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relationship between baseline clinical data, including urinary L-FABP levels and the subsequent annual rate of renal Kt/V decline, was investigated.

Results

The median follow-up duration was 11 months and the rate of renal Kt/V decline was 0.29/y. Compared with outcomes in the group with renal Kt/V preservation, renal Kt/V decline was associated with both high daily levels of urinary protein excretion (0.60 g/d [range, 0.50–0.87] vs. 0.36 g/d [range, 0.19–0.48]; P=0.01) and high daily levels of urinary L-FABP excretion (111.2 mg/d [range, 76.1–188.6] vs. 61.5 mg/d [range, 35.7–96.0]; P=0.002). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that only high daily levels of urinary L-FABP excretion were independently associated with renal Kt/V decline (odds ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval 1.00–1.05; P=0.001). Furthermore, higher daily levels of urinary L-FABP excretion were significantly correlated with the higher annual rate of renal Kt/V decline (r=0.71, P<0.001).

Conclusions

We demonstrated that daily levels of urinary L-FABP are associated with RRF decline in patients on PD. The results of the present study indicate that assessment of urinary L-FABP levels may help predict RRF decline in patients on PD.

Importance of non-medical reasons for dropout in patients on peritoneal dialysis

BACKGROUND

To describe the associated factors for non-medical reasons for dropout in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was performed using registry data of adult patients commencing PD as their initial renal replacement therapy in one hospital-facilitated PD center in Taiwan between 2014 and 2018. The collected data included socio-demographics and relevant medical and PD-related parameters. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to determine the impact of non-medical reasons and medical reasons on PD dropout.

RESULTS

The analysis included 224 PD patients, of whom 37 dropped out for non-medical reasons and 187 for medical reasons during the study period. There was significant difference between the two cohorts in age (62.3 years vs. 56.1 years, P = 0.010) and PD vintage (median 3.4 years vs. 4.8 years, P = 0.001). Diabetes was more predominant in the cohort for non-medical reasons than in the one for medical reasons (54.1% vs. 27.3% respectively, P = 0.001). In non-medical reason cohort, two leading reasons given for dropping out were lacking of caregivers (n = 12) and losing confidence (n = 10), whereas PD-related peritonitis (n = 101) was the main medical reason for PD dropout. Using Kaplan-Meier curve analysis, patients in the non-medical reason cohort demonstrated higher cumulative dropout rate compared to patients in the medical reason cohort during a 10-year period (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The main characteristics of PD dropout patients for non-medical reasons are age, diabetes, patients' perception and caregiver support.

Evaluating Factors Contributing to Dropout in a Large Peritoneal Dialysis Program

BACKGROUND

The low prevalence of peritoneal dialysis (PD) (9%) vs. hemodialysis (HD) (88.2%) is partly due to patient dropout from therapy.

METHODS

This retrospective study identified patients who withdrew from PD between 2016 and 2018 in our program. We evaluated all other factors as controllable losses. Analysis included time on therapy at dropout (very early, early or late) and method of initiation (HD to PD conversion, unplanned PD, or planned start).

RESULTS

Eighty-three patients enrolled into our PD program. 27 dropped out; 24 were due to controllable factors, 3 due to death, with a median age at dropout of 52 years old. We determined psychosocial factors (PF) to be the largest controllable factor influencing dropout; contributing a 63% rate among all controllable factors. When considering time until dropout, 100% of very early dropout patients and 50% of late dropout patients did so due to PF. Among early dropout patients 67% dropped out due to other medical reasons. The mean time to dropout for PF, other, and infection (INF) were 13, 26, and 33 months, respectively. When considering type of initiation, we found PF to be the largest attributable factor with 50% of unplanned, 100% of planned, and 50% of conversions stopping therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study indicates that the primary reason for controllable loss from therapy was secondary to PF regardless of the time on therapy or the method of initiation to therapy.

Fatigue in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients and an Exploration of Contributing Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study

CONTEXT

Fatigue is a common and detrimental symptom in dialysis patients; however, our understanding of it and investigation of its contributing factors is still very limited, especially in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.

OBJECTIVES

To assess fatigue in PD patients and identify contributing factors.

METHODS

One hundred eight PD patients in a comprehensive hospital in China were recruited. The fatigue severity of the participants was assessed using the Chalder Fatigue Scale 11. Demographic factors and results of physiological tests were collected. Quality of sleep, mental health, and social support were assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Symptom Checklist 90, and Social Support Rating Scale, respectively. Multiple linear regression models were conducted with candidate variables with a P-value of less than 0.1 on univariate analysis and variables that were clinically relevant to identify contributing factors for fatigue.

RESULTS

The fatigue level in PD patients was significantly higher than the community population, and 78.7% of them were suffering from fatigue. The factors that were significantly associated with fatigue were quality of sleep, normalized protein nitrogen appearance, transferrin, alkaline phosphatase, and total cholesterol (adjusted R squared 0.86). Among them, quality of sleep, transferrin, alkaline phosphatase, and total cholesterol were significant contributors for physical fatigue, whereas the quality of sleep and normalized protein nitrogen appearance were contributing factors for mental fatigue.

CONCLUSION

Fatigue is a common symptom in PD patients, suggesting that increased awareness of this symptom is required. The identification of correlates by extensive exploration of multidimensional factors in this study may help practitioners to identify patients at higher risk and to develop a multidimensional and targeted intervention plan.

Flexibility in peritoneal dialysis prescription: Impact on technique survival

Background:

Patient burnout is a major cause of technique failure on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Reducing the PD prescription on an individual basis, dependent upon residual kidney function (RKF), may have a role in prolonging time on PD by reducing dialysis burden. This retrospective study aimed to determine the safety and impact of flexible PD prescribing on technique and patient survival.

Methods:

All patients (186) from our centre starting PD from 1st January 2012 to 31st December 2016 were included. Data on dialysis prescription were collected for each patient from the time they had started PD, and dialysis adequacy measured regularly (3–6 monthly) using PD Adequest.

Results:

Median age at start of dialysis was 61 years. Only 49% started on PD 7 days a week and this dropped to 27% at 3 months following the first clearance test. Over 90% achieved creatinine clearance > 50 L/week/1.73 m2 up to 2 years of follow-up, with 87% achieving this standard at 3 years. Patient and technique survival at 1, 2 and 3 years were 91%, 81%, and 72%, and 89%, 87% and 78% respectively. Factors on univariate analysis affecting technique survival included increasing age (HR 0.98, p = 0.04, 95% CI (0.96–0.999)), two or more episodes of PD-associated peritonitis (HR 4.52, p = 0.00, 95% CI (1.87–10.91)) and increasing PD intensity (HR 3.30, p = 0.02, 95% CI (1.22–8.93)). After multivariate adjustment which included baseline kidney function, low PD intensity continued to be associated with better technique survival (HR 0.17, p = 0.03, 95% CI (0.03–0.85)).

Conclusion:

Tailoring the PD prescription to RKF enables days off dialysis while still maintaining recommended levels of small solute clearance. This approach reduces dialysis burden and is associated with higher technique survival.

Establishing a Core Outcome Set for Peritoneal Dialysis: Report of the SONG-PD (Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology-Peritoneal Dialysis) Consensus Workshop

Outcomes reported in randomized controlled trials in peritoneal dialysis (PD) are diverse, are measured inconsistently, and may not be important to patients, families, and clinicians. The Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology-Peritoneal Dialysis (SONG-PD) initiative aims to establish a core outcome set for trials in PD based on the shared priorities of all stakeholders. We convened an international SONG-PD stakeholder consensus workshop in May 2018 in Vancouver, Canada. Nineteen patients/caregivers and 51 health professionals attended. Participants discussed core outcome domains and implementation in trials in PD. Four themes relating to the formation of core outcome domains were identified: life participation as a main goal of PD, impact of fatigue, empowerment for preparation and planning, and separation of contributing factors from core factors. Considerations for implementation were identified: standardizing patient-reported outcomes, requiring a validated and feasible measure, simplicity of binary outcomes, responsiveness to interventions, and using positive terminology. All stakeholders supported inclusion of PD-related infection, cardiovascular disease, mortality, technique survival, and life participation as the core outcome domains for PD.

Curcumin ameliorates peritoneal fibrosis via inhibition of transforming growth factor-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) pathway in a rat model of peritoneal dialysis

Background

Peritoneal fibrosis (PF) remains a serious complication of long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD). The goal of this study was to investigate the anti-fibrotic effects of curcumin on the PF response to PD and its’ mechanism.

Methods

Male Sprague–Dawley rats were infused with 20 mL of 4.25% glucose-based standard PD fluid for 8 consecutive weeks to establish PF model and then divided into five groups: Control, received sham operation and 0.9% physiological saline; PD, received 4.25% standard PD fluid; Curcumin, PD rats injected intraperitoeally with curcumin for 8 weeks at doses of 10, 20 or 40 mg/kg. Masson’s staining was performed to evaluate the extent of PF. Peritoneal Equilibration Test (PET) was conducted to assess ultrafiltration volume (UFV) and mass transfer of glucose (MTG), quantitative RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry or western blotting were performed to measure the expression levels of inflammation and fibrosis-associated factors. We also detected the TGF-β1 in peritoneal fluid by ELISA.

Results

Compared with the control group, the PD rats showed decreased UFV (2.54 ± 0.48 to 9.87 ± 0.78 mL, p < 0.05] and increased MTG (18.99 ± 0.86 to 10.85 ± 0.65 mmol/kg, p < 0.05) as well as obvious fibroproliferative response, with markedly increased peritoneal thickness (178.33 ± 4.42 to 25.26 ± 0.32um, p < 0.05) and higher expression of a-SMA, collagen I and TGF-β1. Treatment with curcumin significantly increased UFV, reduced MTG and peritoneal thickness of PD rats. The elevated TGF-β1 in peritoneal fluid of PD rats was significantly decreased by curcumin. It attenuated the increase in protein and mRNA of TGF-β1, α-SMA and collagen I in peritoneum of PD rats. The mRNA expressions of TAK1, JNK and p38, as well as the protein expressions of p-TAK1, p-JNK and p-p38 in peritoneum of PD rats were reduced by curcumin.

Conclusions

Present results demonstrate that curcumin showed a protective effect on PD-related PF and suggest an implication of TAK1, p38 and JNK pathway in mediating the benefical effects of curcumin.

Protection of the Peritoneal Membrane by Peritoneal Dialysis Effluent-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in a Rat Model of Chronic Peritoneal Dialysis

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a renal replacement option for patients with end-stage renal disease. However, a long-term exposure to hypertonic PD solutions leads to peritoneal membrane (PM) injury, resulting in ultrafiltration (UF) failure. This study was designed to primarily evaluate efficacy of PD effluent-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (pMSCs) in the prevention of PM injury in rats. The pMSCs were isolated from PD effluent. Male Wistar rats received daily intraperitoneal (IP) injection of 10 mL of Dianeal (4.25% dextrose) and were treated with pMSCs (1.2‐1.5 × 10⁶/rat/wk, IP). UF was determined by IP injection of 30 mL of Dianeal (4.25% dextrose) with dwell time of 1.5 h, and PM injury was examined by histology. Apoptosis was quantitated by using flow cytometric analysis, and gene expression by using the PCR array and Western blot. Here, we showed that as compared to naive control, daily IP injection of the Dianeal PD solution for 6 weeks without pMSC treatment significantly reduced UF, which was associated with an increase in both PM thickness and blood vessel, while pMSC treatment prevented the UF loss and reduced PM injury and blood vessels. In vitro incubation with pMSC-conditioned medium prevented cell death in cultured human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) and downregulated proinflammatory (i.e., CXCL6, NOS2, IL1RN, CCL5, and NR3C1) while upregulated anti-inflammatory (i.e., CCR1, CCR4, IL9, and IL-10) gene expression in activated THP1 cells. In conclusion, pMSCs prevent bioincompatible PD solution-induced PM injury and UF decline, suggesting that infusing back ex vivo-expanded pMSCs intraperitoneally may have therapeutic potential for reduction of UF failure in PD patients.

Deletion of connective tissue growth factor ameliorates peritoneal fibrosis by inhibiting angiogenesis and inflammation

Background

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) regulates the signalling of other growth factors and promotes fibrosis. CTGF is increased in mice and humans with peritoneal fibrosis. Inhibition of CTGF has not been examined as a potential therapeutic target for peritoneal fibrosis because systemic CTGF knockout mice die at the perinatal stage.

Methods

To study the role of CTGF in peritoneal fibrosis of adult mice, we generated CTGF conditional knockout (cKO) mice by crossing CTGF floxed mice with RosaCreERT2 mice. We administered tamoxifen to Rosa-CTGF cKO mice to delete the CTGF gene throughout the body. We induced peritoneal fibrosis by intraperitoneal injection of chlorhexidine gluconate (CG) in wild-type and Rosa-CTGF cKO mice.

Results

Induction of peritoneal fibrosis in wild-type mice increased CTGF expression and produced severe thickening of the peritoneum. In contrast, CG-treated Rosa-CTGF cKO mice exhibited reduced thickening of the peritoneum. Peritoneal equilibration test revealed that the excessive peritoneal small-solute transport in CG-treated wild-type mice was normalized by CTGF deletion. CG-treated Rosa-CTGF cKO mice exhibited a reduced number of αSMA-, Ki67-, CD31- and MAC-2-positive cells in the peritoneum. Analyses of peritoneal mRNA showed that CG-treated Rosa-CTGF cKO mice exhibited reduced expression of Cd68, Acta2 (αSMA), Pecam1 (CD31) and Vegfa.

Conclusions

These results indicate that a deficiency of CTGF can reduce peritoneal thickening and help to maintain peritoneal function by reducing angiogenesis and inflammation in peritoneal fibrosis. These results suggest that CTGF plays an important role in the progression of peritoneal fibrosis.

Comparison of Clinical Presentation and Outcomes of Peritonitis in the Elderly and Younger Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Background

The incidence of elderly patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD) has increased. This study aimed to examine the clinical presentation and outcomes of peritonitis in elderly PD patients compared with younger PD patients.

Methods

This single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study included all adult PD patients who developed peritonitis between January 2011 and December 2014. Elderly was defined as ≥ 65 years old at PD initiation. The primary outcome was medical cure, defined as a peritonitis episode cured by antibiotics without being complicated by catheter removal, transfer to hemodialysis (HD), relapsing peritonitis, or death. The secondary outcomes were clinical manifestations (fever, cloudy dialysate) and complications (catheter removal, transfer to HD, relapse, hospitalization, and mortality). Peritonitis outcomes were compared using multivariable logistic regression.

Results

Overall, 377 peritonitis episodes occurred in 247 patients. Of these, 126 episodes occurred in 79 elderly patients and 251 episodes occurred in 168 younger patients. Baseline demographic data were comparable between the 2 groups, except that elderly patients were significantly more likely to have diabetes mellitus (66% vs 46%), diabetic nephropathy (55% vs 39%), and a lower serum albumin than younger patients. Medical cure was comparable between the 2 groups (71% vs 72%, respectively, p = 0.67, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52 – 1.53). Compared with younger patients, elderly patients experiencing peritonitis had lower odds of fever (OR 0.53, 95% CI: 0.30 – 0.94), cloudy dialysate (OR 0.45, 95% CI: 0.23 – 0.88), and catheter removal (AOR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.26 – 0.98), but similar odds of transfer to HD (AOR 0.70, 95% CI: 0.32 – 1.51), relapse (AOR 1.57, 95% CI: 0.46 – 5.40), hospitalization (AOR 1.55, 95% CI: 0.52 – 4.56), and all-cause mortality (AOR 1.88, 95% CI: 0.83 – 4.26).

Conclusions

Compared with younger patients, elderly PD patients with peritonitis achieved similar medical cure rates, a lower catheter removal rate, and comparable rates of HD transfer, relapse, hospitalization, and death. Elderly PD patients experiencing peritonitis were less likely to present with fever or cloudy dialysate.

Longitudinal patterns of health-related quality of life and dialysis modality: a national cohort study

Background

Health-related quality of life (HrQoL) varies among dialysis patients. However, little is known about the association of dialysis modality with HrQoL over time. We describe longitudinal patterns of HrQoL among chronic dialysis patients by treatment modality.

Methods

National retrospective cohort study of adult patients who initiated in-center dialysis or a home modality (peritoneal or home hemodialysis) between 1/2013 and 6/2015. Patients remained on the same modality for the first 120 days of the first two years. HrQoL was assessed by the Kidney Disease and Quality of Life-36 (KDQOL) survey in the first 120 days of the first two years after dialysis initiation. Home modality patients were matched to in-center patients in a 1:5 fashion.

Results

In-center (n=4234) and home modality (n=880) patients had similar demographic and clinical characteristics. In-center dialysis patients had lower mean KDQOL scores across several domains compared to home modality patients. For patients who remained on the same modality, there was no change in HrQoL. However, there were trends towards clinically meaningful changes in several aspects of HrQoL for patients who switched modalities. Specifically, physical functioning decreased for patients who switched from home to in-center dialysis (p< 0.05).

Conclusions

Among a national cohort of chronic dialysis patients, there was a trend towards different patterns of HrQoL life that were only observed among patients who changed modality. Patients who switched from home to in-center modalities had significant lower physical functioning over time. Providers and patients should be mindful of HrQoL changes that may occur with dialysis modality change.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12882-018-1198-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Planning Vascular Access in Peritoneal Dialysis-Defining High-Risk Patients

BACKGROUND

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an effective renal replacement technique. However, every year a considerable number of patients are transferred to hemodialysis (HD). Our aim was to identify those at risk, in order to place an arteriovenous fistula (AVF).

METHODS

Case-control study enrolling all prevalent patients in 2014 and 2015 in our clinic. Groups: 72 case patients who were transferred definitively to HD, 111 control patients (remaining on PD, transplanted, recovered renal function, or deceased).

RESULTS

A total of 183 patients were eligible, with a mean age of 55.2 ± 14.8 years, 56.3% male, 31.1% diabetic, and 49.7% on continuous ambulatory PD. The mean follow-up time was 42.1 ± 25.6 months. Eighty-five patients had an AVF. The groups differed in diabetic nephropathy etiology, and in some PD-related characteristics (Kt/V, creatinine clearance, residual renal function, mean ultrafiltration, natriuretic peptide, peritonitis, hospitalizations, and hypervolemia). In multivariate analysis, Kt/V < 1.7 (odds ratio [OR] 3.00, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20 - 7.50], albumin < 35 g/L (OR 4.03, 95% CI: 1.26 - 12.92), number of hospitalizations 1 to 3 (OR 2.74, 95% CI: 1.15 - 6.53) and 4 or more (OR 10.48, 95% CI: 3.62 - 30.36), and 2 or more peritonitis episodes (OR 2.50, 95% CI: 1.03 - 6.07) were predictors of PD transfer to HD. In those patients who were transferred to HD, 34 initiated HD by AVF, 2 needed a catheter due to a non-functioning AVF, and 36 did not have an AVF needing catheter placement.

CONCLUSIONS

Low Kt/V, low albumin, higher number of hospitalizations, and peritonitis were factors associated with PD transfer to HD, probably indicative of a high-risk PD population where arteriovenous access should be weighed.

Health Insurance and the Use of Peritoneal Dialysis in the United States

BACKGROUND

Many patients in the United States have limited or no health insurance at the time they develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We examined whether health insurance limitations affected the likelihood of peritoneal dialysis (PD) use.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort analysis of patients from the US Renal Data System initiating dialysis therapy in 2006 through 2012.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS

We identified socioeconomically similar groups of patients to examine the association between health insurance and PD use. Patients aged 60 to 64 years with "limited insurance" (defined as having Medicaid or no insurance) at ESRD onset were compared with patients aged 66 to 70 years who were dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid at ESRD onset.

PREDICTOR

Type of insurance coverage at ESRD onset.

OUTCOMES

The likelihoods of receiving PD before dialysis month 4, when all patients qualified for Medicare due to ESRD, and of switching to PD therapy following receipt of Medicare.

RESULTS

After adjusting for observable patient and geographic differences, patients with limited insurance had an absolute 2.4% (95% CI, 1.1%-3.7%) lower probability of PD use by dialysis month 4 compared with patients with Medicare at ESRD onset. The association between insurance and PD use reversed when patients became Medicare eligible; patients with limited insurance had a 3-fold higher rate of switching to PD therapy between months 4 and 12 of dialysis (HR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.8-4.6) compared with patients with Medicare at ESRD onset.

LIMITATIONS

Because this study was observational, there is a potential for bias from unmeasured patient-level factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite Medicare's policy of covering patients in the month that they initiate PD therapy, insurance limitations remain a barrier to PD use for many patients. Educating providers about Medicare reimbursement policy and expanding access to pre-ESRD education and training may help overcome these barriers.

Effects of RNA interference-mediated gene silencing of VEGF on the ultrafiltration failure in a rat model of peritoneal dialysis

We investigated the effects of RNAi-mediated gene silencing of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on ultrafiltration failure (UFF) in rats with peritoneal dialysis (PD). Sprague–Dawley (SD) male rats were classified into normal, sham operation, and uremic model groups. Uremic rats were subcategorized into uremia, PD2, VEGF shRNA-2, vector-2, PD2 + Endostar, PD4, VEGF shRNA-4, Vector-4, and PD4 + Endostar groups. Peritoneal Equilibration Test (PET) was conducted to assess ultrafiltration volume (UFV) and mass transfer of glucose (MTG). mRNA and protein expressions of VEGF were detected using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect microvessel density (MVD). Compared with the normal group, decreased UFV and increased MTG were observed in rest of the groups. Compared with the uremia group, UFV decreased, while MTG, expression of VEGFs, and number of new blood capillaries increased in the PD2, Vector-2, PD4, and Vector-4 groups. The PD4 and Vector-4 groups exhibited lower UFV and higher MTG than the PD2 group. In the VEGF shRNA-2, PD2 + Endostar, VEGF shRNA-4, and in PD4 + Endostar group increased UFV, reduced MTG and expression of VEGF, and decreased number of new blood capillaries were detected. Compared with the PD4 group, in the VEGF shRNA-4 and PD4 + Endostar groups, UFV increased, MTG and expression of VEGF decreased, and number of new blood capillaries reduced. VEGF expression was negatively correlated with UFV, but positively correlated with MTG. The results obtained in the study revealed that down-regulation of VEGF by RNAi could be a novel target approach for the treatment of UFF.

Multicenter Registry Analysis of Center Characteristics Associated with Technique Failure in Patients on Incident Peritoneal Dialysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Technique failure is a major limitation of peritoneal dialysis. Our study aimed to identify center- and patient-level predictors of peritoneal dialysis technique failure.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

All patients on incident peritoneal dialysis in Australia from 2004 to 2014 were included in the study using data from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry. Center- and patient-level characteristics associated with technique failure were evaluated using Cox shared frailty models. Death-censored technique failure and cause-specific technique failure were analyzed as secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

The study included 9362 patients from 51 centers in Australia. The technique failure rate was 0.35 (95% confidence interval, 0.34 to 0.36) episodes per patient-year, with a sevenfold variation across centers that was mainly associated with center-level characteristics. Technique failure was significantly less likely in centers with larger proportions of patients treated with peritoneal dialysis (>29%; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.73 to 0.94) and more likely in smaller centers (<16 new patients per year; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.21) and centers with lower proportions of patients achieving target baseline serum phosphate levels (<40%; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 1.29). Similar results were observed for death-censored technique failure, except that center target phosphate achievement was not significantly associated. Technique failure due to infection, social reasons, mechanical causes, or death was variably associated with center size, proportion of patients on peritoneal dialysis, and/or target phosphate achievement, automated peritoneal dialysis exposure, icodextrin use, and antifungal use. The variation of hazards of technique failure across centers was reduced by 28% after adjusting for patient-specific factors and an additional 53% after adding center-specific factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Technique failure varies widely across centers in Australia. A significant proportion of this variation is related to potentially modifiable center characteristics, including peritoneal dialysis center size, proportion of patients on peritoneal dialysis, and proportion of patients on peritoneal dialysis achieving target phosphate level.

Home Dialysis in the Prospective Payment System Era

The ESRD Prospective Payment System introduced two incentives to increase home dialysis use: bundling injectable medications into a single payment for treatment and paying for home dialysis training. We evaluated the effects of the ESRD Prospective Payment System on home dialysis use by patients starting dialysis in the United States from January 1, 2006 to August 31, 2013. We analyzed data on dialysis modality, insurance type, and comorbidities from the United States Renal Data System. We estimated the effect of the policy on home dialysis use with multivariable logistic regression and compared the effect on Medicare Parts A/B beneficiaries with the effect on patients with other types of insurance. The ESRD Prospective Payment System associated with a 5.0% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 4.0% to 6.0%) increase in home dialysis use by the end of the study period. Home dialysis use increased by 5.8% (95% CI, 4.3% to 6.9%) among Medicare beneficiaries and 4.1% (95% CI, 2.3% to 5.4%) among patients covered by other forms of health insurance. The difference between these groups was not statistically significant (1.8%; 95% CI, -0.2% to 3.8%). Conversely, in both populations, the training add-on did not associate with increases in home dialysis use beyond the effect of the policy. The ESRD Prospective Payment System bundling, but not the training add-on, associated with substantial increases in home dialysis, which were identical for both Medicare and non-Medicare patients. These spill-over effects suggest that major payment changes in Medicare can affect all patients with ESRD.

Relationship between uric acid and technique failure in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: a long-term observational cohort study

OBJECTIVES

Uric acid (UA) is the product of purine or nucleotide metabolism via the pathway of xanthine oxidase or xanthine dehydrogenase. Although epidemiological studies assessing the role of UA in cardiovascular disease or mortality have produced inconsistent results, the correlation between UA and technique failure in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) remains to be assessed.

DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Patients starting CAPD between 2001 and 2009 in a single centre in Taiwan.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 371 patients on CAPD.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

All-cause and peritonitis-related technique failure.

RESULTS

A cohort of 371 participants (43.9% male) was enrolled in the study with a mean age of 55.7±15.9 years at the start of CAPD. During the study period, technique failure occurred in 41 (34.4%) patients in the hyperuricaemia group compared with 49 (19.4%) in the normouricaemia group (p=0.003). In the multivariate Cox regression models, hyperuricaemia at baseline was significantly associated with both a higher risk of technique failure (HR 1.24; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.42, p=0.001) and peritonitis-related technique failure (HR 1.29; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.57, p=0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

UA was shown to be associated with all-cause and peritonitis-related technique failure in our study. Patients on CAPD with hyperuricaemia should be closely monitored and strategies of increasing survival on CAPD should be taken.

Preserving the peritoneal membrane in long-term peritoneal dialysis patients

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) has been widely used by patients with end-stage renal disease. However, chronic exposure of the peritoneal membrane to bioincompatible PD solutions, and peritonitis and uraemia during long-term dialysis result in peritoneal membrane injury and thereby contribute to membrane changes, ultrafiltration (UF) failure, inadequate dialysis and technical failure. Therefore, preserving the peritoneal membrane is important to maintain the efficacy of PD. This article reviews the current literature on therapeutic agents for preserving the peritoneal membrane.

METHODS

A literature search of PubMed was conducted using the search terms peritoneal fibrosis, peritoneal sclerosis, membrane, integrity, preserve, therapy and peritoneal dialysis, but not including peritonitis. Published clinical trials, in vitro studies, experimental trials in animal models, meta-analyses and review articles were identified and reviewed for relevance.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

We focus on understanding how factors cause peritoneal membrane changes, the characteristics and mechanisms of peritoneal membrane changes in patients undergoing PD and the types of therapeutic agents for peritoneal membrane preservation. There have been many investigations into the preservation of the peritoneal membrane, including PD solution improvement, the inhibition of cytokine and growth factor expression using renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockade, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), L-carnitine and taurine additives. In addition, there are potential future therapeutic agents that are still in experimental investigations.

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION

The efficacy of many of the therapeutic agents is uncertain because there are insufficient good-quality clinical studies. Overall membrane preservation and patient survival remain unproven in using more biocompatible PD solutions. With RAAS blockade, results are still inconclusive, as many of the clinical studies were retrospective. With GAGs, L-carnitine and taurine additives, there is no sufficiently long follow-up clinical study with a large sample size to support its efficacy. Therefore, better quality clinical studies within this area should be performed.

A Global Overview of the Impact of Peritoneal Dialysis First or Favored Policies: An Opinion

Given the ever-increasing burden of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in a global milieu of limited financial and health resources, interested parties continue to search for ways to optimize dialysis access. Government and payer initiatives to increase access to renal replacement therapies (RRTs), particularly peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD), may have meaningful impacts from clinical and health-economic perspectives; and despite similar clinical and humanistic outcomes between the two dialysis modalities, PD may be the more convenient and resource-conscious option. This review assessed country-specific PD-First/Favored policies and their associated background, implementation, and outcomes. It was found that barriers to policy-implementation are broadly associated with government policy, economics, provider or healthcare professional education, modality-related factors, and patient-related factors. Notably, the success of a given country's PD-Favored policy was inversely associated with the extent of HD infrastructure. It is hoped that this review will provide a foundation across countries to share lessons learned during the development and implementation of PD-First/Favored policies.

Novel diagnostic method of peritoneal injury using dual macromolecular markers

Long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD) frequently produces morphological and functional changes of the peritoneum, which makes continuation of PD difficult. Moreover, the progression of peritoneal injury causes complications and poor prognosis. Since therapeutic treatments for peritoneal injury during PD have yet to be established, it is important to diagnose peritoneal injury as early as possible. The aim of this study was to develop a method of monitoring peritoneal function to diagnose peritoneal injury. Model rats of peritoneal injury were prepared by intraperitoneal injection of methylglyoxal (MGO) for five consecutive days. Then, marker substances of various molecular weights (phenolsulfonphthalein, fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FD)-10, FD-40, FD-70, FD-2000 or tetramethylrhodamine-dextran (RD)-10) were injected into the peritoneal cavity. At 120 min after injection, the remaining amounts of all marker substances were significantly decreased in the MGO-treated rats compared with those in the vehicle-treated rats. Molecular weight dependence of the peritoneal permeability was observed. A substance with a molecular weight of approximately 10000 was found to be suitable to diagnose peritoneal injury. Moreover, coadministration of RD-10 with FD-2000 enabled us to monitor enhanced peritoneal permeability and the transfer of water simultaneously, without the recovery of whole PD fluid, even in the case of different ultrafiltration volumes. We demonstrated the usefulness of administering substances to evaluate peritoneal permeability and the transfer of water simultaneously to diagnose peritoneal injury. This study should be valuable for safe and effective PD.

Determinants of peritoneal dialysis technique failure in incident US patients

OBJECTIVES

Switching from peritoneal dialysis (PD) to hemodialysis (HD) is undesirable, because of complications from temporary vascular access, disruption of daily routine, and higher costs. Little is known about the role that social factors play in technique failure.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, MEASUREMENTS

We followed for 3 years a nationally representative cohort of US patients who initiated PD in 1996 - 1997. Technique failure was defined as any switch from PD to HD for 30 days or more. We used Cox regression to examine associations between technique failure and demographic, medical, social, and pre-dialysis factors. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

We identified an inception cohort of 1587 patients undergoing PD. In multivariate analysis, female sex (HR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.64 to 0.95) was associated with lower rates of technique failure, and black race [compared with white race (HR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.20 to 1.82)] and receiving Medicaid (HR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.86) were associated with higher rates. Compared with patients who worked full-time, those who were retired (HR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.07 to 2.08) or disabled (HR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.88) had higher rates of failure. Patients with a systolic blood pressure of 140 - 160 mmHg had a higher rate of failure than did those with a pressure of 120 - 140 mmHg (HR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.52). Earlier referral to a nephrologist (>3 months before dialysis initiation) and the primary decision-maker for the dialysis modality (physician vs patient vs shared) were not associated with technique failure.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms that several socio-demographic factors are associated with technique failure, emphasizing the potential importance of social and financial support in maintaining PD.