title: Anorexia, fatigue, and plasma interleukin-6 levels in chronic hemodialysis patients.
abstract: This study aimed at evaluating the possible relationship between anorexia and fatigue in hemodialysis (HD) patients and at measuring the plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in HD patients with or without anorexia and/or fatigue. The first question of the Hemodialysis Study Appetite questionnaire was used to assess the appetite of the HD patients and the vitality scale of the SF-36 to assess fatigue. The Charlson Comorbidity Index was assessed in each patient. Seventy-six HD patients were studied. Forty-four were males and 32 females. Thirty-two were classified as not-anorexic and not-fatigued, 12 as not-anorexic but fatigued, 6 as anorexic and not-fatigued, and 26 as anorexic and fatigued. Plasma IL-6 levels (pg/mL) were significantly higher in anorexic and fatigued patients (10.9 ± 11.9) than in not-anorexic and not-fatigued (1.6 ± 0.6) (p < 0.001) and in anorexic but not-fatigued patients (1.8 ± 1.7) (p < 0.01). With respect to not-anorexic but fatigued patients (3.1 ± 1.5), the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.058). The plasma CRP levels (mg/dL) also were significantly higher in anorexic and fatigued patients (9.2 ± 6.3) than in not-anorexic and not-fatigued patients (4.1 ± 4.5), in anorexic but not-fatigued patients (2.5 ± 1.6), and in not-anorexic but fatigued patients (4.1 ± 4.4) (p = 0.001). The presence of both anorexia and fatigue in chronic HD patients is associated with significantly higher levels of plasma IL-6 and CRP and a higher frequency of comorbidities.
authors.affiliation: Servizio Emodialisi, Istituto di Clinica Chirurgica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italia. maubosso@tin.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bossola
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luciani
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giungi
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tazza
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000855:Anorexia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis
chemical_list: C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein