The Mutual Relationship Between Peritonitis and Peritoneal Transport.
♦


BACKGROUND
Preservation of the peritoneum is required for long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD). We investigated the effect of multiple peritonitis episodes on peritoneal transport. ♦


METHODS
Prospectively collected data from 479 incident PD patients treated between 1990 and 2010 were analyzed, using strict inclusion criteria: follow-up of at least 3 years with the availability of a Standard Peritoneal Permeability Analysis (SPA) in the first year after start of PD and within the third year of PD, without peritonitis preceding the first SPA. For the purpose of the study, we only included patients who remained peritonitis-free (n = 28) or who experienced 3 or more peritonitis episodes (n = 16). ♦


RESULTS
At baseline the groups were similar with regard to small solute and fluid transport. However, the frequent peritonitis group had lower peritoneal protein clearances compared to the no peritonitis group, resulting in lower dialysate concentrations of proteins: albumin 196.5 mg/L vs 372.5 mg/L, IgG 36.4 mg/L vs 65.0 mg/L, and α-2-macroglobulin (A2M) 1.9 mg/L vs 3.6 mg/L, p <0.01. No differences in serum concentrations were present. A comparison between the transport slopes over time in both groups showed a positive time trend of mass transfer area coefficient (MTAC) creatinine (p = 0.03) and glucose absorption (p = 0.09) and a negative trend of transcapillary ultrafiltration (p = 0.06), when compared to the no peritonitis group. Frequent peritonitis did not affect free water transport. ♦


CONCLUSIONS
Slow initial peritoneal transport rates of serum proteins result in lower dialysate concentrations, and likely a lower opsonic activity, which is a risk factor for peritonitis. Patients with frequent peritonitis show an increase in small solute transport and a concomitant decrease of ultrafiltration. In long-term peritonitis-free PD patients, small solute transport decreased, while ultrafiltration increased. This suggests that frequent peritonitis leads to an increase of the vascular peritoneal surface area without all the structural membrane alterations that may develop after long-term PD.
Division of Nephrology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands St. Elisabeth Hospital, Nephrology Department and Internal Medicine, Tilburg, The Netherlands s.vanesch@amc.uva.nl.
Sadie
S
van Esch
Division of Nephrology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Anouk T N
AT
van Diepen
Division of Nephrology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Dianet, Amsterdam-Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Dirk G
DG
Struijk
Division of Nephrology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Raymond T
RT
Krediet
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000378:metabolism*; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011446:Prospective Studies
Infection; opsonic activity; peritoneal dialysis; peritonitis; protein transport; standard peritoneal permeability analysis