title: The impact of intima-media thickness of radial artery on early failure of radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula in hemodialysis patients.
abstract: This study was performed to investigate the impact of intima-media thickness (IMT) of radial artery on early failure of radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Ninety uremic patients undergoing radiocephalic AVF operation were included in this study. During the operation, 10-mm long partial arterial walls were removed with elliptical form for microscopic analysis. Specimens were stained with trichrome and examined by a pathologist blinded to the clinical data. And then AVF patency was followed up for 1 yr after the operation. Of the total 90 patients, 31 patients (34%) had AVF failure within 1 yr after the operation. Mean IMT was thicker in failed group (n=31) than in patent group (n=59) (486+/-130 micrometer vs. 398+/-130 micrometer, p=0.004). The AVF patency rate within 1 yr after the operation was lower in patients with IMT > or = 500 micrometer (n=26) than in patients with IMT <500 micrometer (n=64) (p=0.017). Age was an independent risk factor of IMT. Diabetes mellitus tended to be independent risk factor but not statistically significant. Our data suggest that increased radial artery IMT is closely associated with early failure of radiocephalic AVF in HD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Ok
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yeong Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Ji Il
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Soo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byung Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chul Whee
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ho Cheol
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Sun Ae
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Yoon Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Byung Kee
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Bang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure