Although the efficacy of hepatitis B vaccines in patients under chronic hemodialysis treatment has been well documented, the persistence of immunity in this population remains largely unknown. In this study we have followed 60 hemodiaysis patients up to 3 years after primary hepatitis B vaccination (four doses of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine; Engerix B, 20 mg/dose) to evaluate the persistence of immunity (as indicated by serum levels of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen – anti-HBs – higher than or equal to 10 mlU/ml). Four-ty-four (73%) patients developed anti-HBs levels above 10 mlU/ml after vaccination; the remaining 16 (27%) vaccinees were considered nonresponders and were given a booster dose that again failed to elicit an immunoresponse. After 3 years of follow-up, 18 out of 44 (41 %) responders had no detectable anti-HBs levels in the serum (antibody loss occurring within 8 and 12 months in 3 cases, within 1 and 2 years in 13, and within 2 and 3 years in 2 other cases). When compared with the responders that lost their antibodies during the follow-up period, those who remained immunoreactive 3 years after vaccination was initiated were younger and had higher anti-HBs levels at 8 months of follow-up. Two hepatitis B virus infections were detected among nonresponders during the follow-up period. Based on these data, we conclude that patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis therapy not only have lower response rates to hepatitis B vaccination than healthy adults, but also that these are frequently transient. We then recommend for this population (1) anti-HBs testing soon after vaccination and (in case of response) every 6 months thereafter and (2) to give a booster dose to primary responders whenever their antibody levels decrease below 10 mlU/ml.

The radiocephalic and the humerobasilic a-v fistulae are the two types of VA with the longest duration of function, although a high rate of initial failure is seen with the radiocephalic a-v fistula. Age, female gender, presence of diabetic nephropathy, start of dialysis with a catheter, and failure to wait for initial maturation of the VA are risk factors, and account for the majority of VA failures during RRT.

In order to analyze the relationship between lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] and other lipoproteins during chronic renal failure and once renal function is restored after kidney transplantation, we determined the serum levels of total lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterols, total and very-low-density lipoprotein triglycerides, apohpoproteins A-I, B, C-II, C-III, and E, and E, and Lp (a) in 30 patients with chronic renal failure before and 12 months after renal transplantation. During the 1st year after transplantation, all patients were treated only with ciclosporin and prednisone and had serum creatinine levels < 1.6 mg/dl (140 μmol/l) and proteinuria < 500 mg/day. No patients had chronic hepatic disease. To determine reference values we studied a control group of 60 healthy volunteers. Before renal transplantation, the study group showed higher concentrations of triglycerides, very-low-density triglycerides, very-low density lipoprotein cholesterol, apohpoproteins, C-II and C-III, and Lp(a) than the control group. There was no correlation between Lp(a) and any of the studied variables. After renal transplantation, the serum levels of total lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein and apohpoproteins A-I and B increased significantly. Apohpoproteins C-II and C-III and Lp(a) decreased and normalized. After these changes had taken place, there was no relationship between Lp(a) and other parameters of lipoprotein metabolism. We conclude that the increase in Lp(a) during the chronic renal failure phase is basically related to the loss of renal function and does not depend on the resultant alterations which are produced in other lipoprotein variables.

Abstract. This study investigated the relationship between the circulating levels of the endothelial cell glycoproteins plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1), tissue plasminogen activator (TPA), and thrombomodulin (TM) and the major vascular risk factors described in dialysis patients. In addition, the role of these endothelial cell products as independent predictors of coronary artery disease (CAD) was analyzed. Levels of TM, TPA antigen (Ag), TPA activity, PAI-1 Ag, PAI-1 activity, TPA/PAI complexes, thrombin-antithrombin complexes, fibrinopeptide A, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α, lipids, apoproteins A1 and B, and albumin were measured in a group of 200 nondiabetic dialysis patients and 100 healthy matched volunteers. When compared with healthy controls, dialysis patients showed increased levels of CRP, TM, TPA, and PAI-1 and evidence of increased thrombin-dependent fibrin formation. Increased levels of active PAI-1 were associated to a great extent with major classic vascular risk factors and to a lesser extent with CRP and serum triglycerides. Forty-six patients (23%) had evidence of CAD. Variables associated with CAD in the univariate analysis included age, time on dialysis, male gender, number of packs of cigarettes per year, high BP, fibrinogen, apolipoprotein B, albumin, PAI-1 activity, CRP, thrombin-antithrombin complexes, and fibrinopeptide A. Logistic regression analysis found age, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, gender, high BP, CRP, time on dialysis, and PAI-1 activity to be independent predictors of CAD. This model classified correctly 85% of patients as having CAD and showed adequate goodness of fit for all risk categories. Our data support a pathogenic link among activated inflammatory response, endothelial injury, and CAD in hemodialysis patients and suggest that assessment of circulating PAI-1 levels could be an additional tool to identify dialysis patients who are at risk for developing atheromatous cardiovascular disease.

Serum concentration of apoprotein A-I (apo A-I) and cholesterol content in high density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions have been studied in 19 men and 11 women at the end stage of chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis. HDL₂ cholesterol concentration was decreased in males [0.33 ± 0.12 (mean ± SD) mmol/l, controls 0.45 ± 0.09 mmol/l; p < 0.001]; in females HDL₂ cholesterol was also decreased although without statistical significance (0.45 ± 0.15 vs. 0.55 ± 0.10 mmol/l). HDL₃ cholesterol was significantly decreased in men (0.65 ± 0.11 vs. 0.77 ± 0.04 mmol/l; p < 0.001) and also in women (0.61 ± 0.12 vs. 0.82 ± 0.07 mmol/l; p < 0.005). However, serum concentration of apo A-I was within the normal range (1.13 ± 0.16 g/l in males and 1.25 ± 0.17 g/l in females; controls 1.24 ± 0.17 and 1.35 ± 0.19 g/l, respectively). The raised apo A-I/HDL₂ cholesterol ratio in both men and women suggests the existence of qualitative changes in HDL subfractions as has been proposed in previous studies measuring total apo A and total HDL cholesterol in patients with chronic renal failure receiving hemodialysis. These abnormalities in the relative composition of HDL subfractions could play an important role as a vascular risk factor in patients with chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis.