title: Increased frequency of gallbladder stone and related parameters in hemodialysis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prevalence of gallbladder stone (GBS) is shown to be increased in some studies in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Nevertheless, some other studies did not confirm these findings. The controversial results about the prevalence of GBS in hemodialysis (HD) patients demand new studies to search GBS prevalence and associating risk factors in HD patients. In the present study, we aimed to investigate GBS prevalence and risk factors in our HD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 104 HD and 149 control patients were involved. Complete physical examinations, including measurements of dry body weight and height, were done. Abdominal ultrasonography was conducted by the same experienced radiologist. Blood samples were drawn via venipuncture from the study participants after they had fasted overnight just before a midweek hemodialysis session for laboratory examinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of GBS in HD patients was 34.6 % (36/104), and that was significantly higher than that of control group 12.9% (17/149; p=0.0001). In all study participants (HD patients and control group), patients with GBS were older than patients with no GBS (63.2±14.2 vs 53.7±16.7; p=0.0001). However, in HD patients, mean age was similar in patients with GBS and no GBS (64.3±13.8 vs 60.1±16.6; p>0.05). Patients with GBS had a higher prevalence of units of blood transfusions than patients with no GBS in hemodialysis patients (2.0±2.9 vs 0.9±1.3; p=0.047) CONCLUSION: The present study showed an increased prevalence of GBS in HD patients compared to healthy controls. The number of blood transfusions and autonomic neuropathy may be responsible for the increased prevalence of GBS in HD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gültekin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gençtoy
authors.forename: Sevgül
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ayidağa
authors.forename: Tarkan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ergun
authors.forename: Hatice
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lakadamyalı
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erbayrak
authors.forename: Siren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sezer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult