title: The authors reply.
authors.affiliation: 1] Gemeinschaftspraxis Karlstrasse, Düsseldorf, Germany [2] Medical Faculty, Department of Nephrology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kleophas
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karaboyas
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bommer
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reichel
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Icks
authors.forename: Lars C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Rump
authors.forename: Ronald L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Pisoni
authors.forename: Bruce M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Friedrich K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Port
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000639:trends*; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms / Q000639:trends*; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000191:economics*