title: [Tuberculosis in patients undergoing hemodialysis].
abstract: We studied patients who were diagnosed as active tuberculosis while undergoing hemodialysis at Kurume University Hospital. The observation included immunologic and clinical features. Cellular immunity was depressed in our patients undergoing hemodialysis, as evident from the decreased numbers of lymphocytes and anergy to tuberculin skin tests with purified protein derivative (PPD). Further, in a few patients, hemodialysis was shown to eliminate IFN-gamma from the blood. Various antituberculous chemotherapy regimens have been studied in hemodialysis patients. Although the incidence and mortality of tuberculosis have been reported to be higher in hemodialysis patients than in the general population, the clinical outcome of our cases was favorable in this study. One important notice is to recognize promptly peripheral neuropathy while treating tuberculosis associated with hemodialysis, and this could be prevented by the adequate use of pyridoxine.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume-shi, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan. yokoyama-t@nyc.odn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Toshinobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rikimaru
authors.forename: Rumi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gohara
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Hisamichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aizawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*