Protein intake does not depend on the dose of dialysis delivered--provided Kt/V is adequate.
BACKGROUND
A link between malnutrition and the dialysis dose has been recently postulated on the basis of the direct relationship between Kt/V and nPCR and an increase in dialysis therapy has been also proposed in malnourished patients or when nPCR is less than 1 g/kg b.w., but the clinical meaning of such a relationship is unclear.


METHODS
Both dietary protein intake and nPCR were simultaneously determined in a selected population of 35 well-dialysed patients (Kt/V > 0.8) and were related to the delivered dialysis dose.


RESULTS
No relationship was found between measured Kt/V (1.10 +/- 0.20) and dietary protein intake (PI, 0.98 +/- 0.20 g/kg) and similarly no relationship was evident between the dialysis dose and nPCR (0.99 +/- 0.20 g/kg). Although the mean nPCR value was similar to that of protein intake, nPCR exceeded protein intake when PI was less than 1 g/kg b.w.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrate that if the dialysis dose is adequate, protein intake is a dialysis--independent or patient--dependent variable. They also show that at least 0.9 to 1.0 g protein per kg b.w are required to maintain nitrogen balance even in well-dialysed patients.
Panzetta
G
G
Servizio di Nefrologia e Dialisi, Ospedale Maggiore, Trieste, Italy.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism*
D004044:Dietary Proteins; D014508:Urea; D009584:Nitrogen