Introduction: This study was carried out to investigate the impact of duration of different renal replacement therapies such as hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis on potential overproduction of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and pulmonary function
tests in these patients.
Materials and methods: The study included 26 patients (14 males, mean age 54.9±16.2 years) with end stage renal diseases (ESRD)
receiving regular hemodialysis (HD) and 23 patients (10 males, mean age 55.8±15.8 years) with ESRD treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The spirometry values were recorded before the onset of HD and prior to emptying the peritoneal
cavity in CAPD patients and ET-1 was measured using the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) methodology. Two groups of patients (groups 1
and 2) were further divided into subgroups (group A and group B). Groups A (1-A and 2-A) included patients treated with any type of
renal replacement therapy (RRT) (HD or CAPD) less than 5 years, and groups B (1-B and 2-B) included patients treated with any type
of RRT (HD or CAPD) longer than 5 years.
Results: Patients treated with HD or CAPD for more than five years were found to have significantly higher serum levels of ET-1 (HD =
41.49±21.28 vs. 185.13±73.67, p<0.01; PD = 51.24±32.11 vs. 139.53±42.42, p<0.01, respectively). Values of most pulmonary function parameters differed significantly between groups treated longer or shorter than 5 years: FVC (HD = 108.4±13.34 vs. 80.82±11.26, p<0.01;
CAPD = 97.20±18.99 vs. 73.25±10.73, p<0.01, respectively), FEV1 (HD = 108.33±15.8 vs. 76.73±4.9, p<0.01; CAPD = 100.67±18.31 vs.
66.75±6.25, p<0.01, respectively).
Conclusions: Prolonged duration of any type of renal replacement therapy is associated with higher serum levels of ET-1 and with
lower pulmonary function tests in ESRD patients.
