Comparative analysis of immunophenotypic abnormalities in cellular immunity of uremic patients undergoing either hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the abnormalities of cellular immune responses in patients on hemodialysis (HD) and in those on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).


METHODS
Forty-five (45) healthy volunteers, 34 patients on HD therapy, and 37 patients on CAPD were recruited for the present study. Lymphocyte subpopulations (CD2+, CD3+, CD3+/CD4+, CD3+/CD8+, CD3-/16+56+, CD19, and CD4/CD8) were determined by flow cytometry.


RESULTS
Lymphopenia, decreased absolute counts, and altered percentage values of CD3+, CD3+/ 4+, and CD19+ subpopulations were found in both patient groups. The HD and CAPD patients showed increased percentages of natural killer cells (CD3-/16+56+) compared to controls but CD4+/CD8+ ratio showed no significant changes among uremic patients and controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Replacement therapy may contribute to the quantitative alterations of immune subsets found in HD and CAPD patients compared to normal subjects. We speculate that these changes account, at least in part, for the immune dysregulation observed in patients with chronic renal failure. Analysis of lymphocyte subsets will help the research and the evaluation of the possible causes of immunodeficiency in uremic patients undergoing replacement therapy and will probably contribute to more efficient and preventive strategies.
Griveas
Ioannis
I
Nephrology Department, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. giannisgriv@hotmail.com
Visvardis
George
G
Fleva
Aleka
A
Papadopoulou
Dorothea
D
Mitsopoulos
Eftathios
E
Kyriklidou
Parthena
P
Manou
Eleni
E
Ginikopoulou
Evdoxia
E
Meimaridou
Daphni
D
Paulitou
Aikaterini
A
Sakellariou
George
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017583:Hemodiafiltration; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010531:Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014511:Uremia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal