title: Pulmonary calcification in hemodialysis patients: correlation with pulmonary artery pressure values.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients receiving chronic hemodialysis (HD) via an arteriovenous (A-V) access often develop unexplained pulmonary hypertension (PHT). This study evaluated the role of pulmonary calcification (PC) in this phenomenon.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical manifestations, systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) values measured by Doppler echocardiography and the presence and the extent of PC expressed by lung uptake of 99mTc-MDP bone scintigraphy, were studied in 49 patients with ESRD receiving chronic HD therapy via A-V access. The correlation between PC and PHT was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 36 men and 13 women with a mean age of 61.7 +/- 13.2 years receiving HD therapy for 38.2 +/- 43.7 months. Twenty (40.8%) patients had PC expressed by increased lung uptake of 99mTc- MDP and 28 (57.1%) patients had PHT with a mean systolic PAP of 46 +/- 11 mm Hg. No correlation was found between PC and PHT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data suggest that PC expressed by lung uptake of 99mTc-MDP has no role in the pathogenesis of PHT among ESRD patients undergoing HD therapy via A-V access.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Rambam Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. m_yigla@rambam.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Mordechai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yigla
authors.forename: Zohar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Keidar
authors.forename: Isra
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Safadi
authors.forename: Naveh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tov
authors.forename: Shimon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Reisner
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nakhoul
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate