Apolipoprotein E phenotypes and gene frequencies were determined in 560 patients receiving long-term hemodialysis. In addition, fasting plasma lipid- and apolipoprotein-concentrations were evaluated in 245 of these individuals. The distribution of the three major apolipoprotein E alleles (epsilon 4, epsilon 3, and epsilon 2) and that of the six common apolipoprotein E phenotypes (E4/4, E3/3, E2/2, E4/2, E4/3, and E3/2) in the dialysis group was nearly identical to that of healthy controls. Patients with the apolipoprotein E phenotypes E2/2, E4/4 and E4/3 (comprising 24% of the whole group) had higher mean plasma cholesterol- and triglyceride-concentrations than those with the apolipoprotein E phenotypes E3/3 and E3/2 (72% of the whole group). Thus, the genetic polymorphism of apolipoprotein E may contribute to the individual risk of accelerated atherosclerosis in patients under maintenance hemodialysis.

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HGBM were isolated from kidneys of 22 diabetic patients and 32 normal control persons. All diabetic kidneys showed severe alterations of glomerulosclerosis. The amount of basement membranes isolated from diabetic kidneys was significantly higher. The HGBM preparations were individually analyzed for phosphorus, DNA, amino acids, and carbohydrates. The cystine concentration was found to be lower in the diabetic than in normal HGBM. Contrary to other reports, there was no increase in the amounts of hydroxylysine, glucose, and galactose, nor was there a decrease in the lysine content. Glucose and mannose were shown to be significantly lower in the diabetic HGBM. The mean value for sialic acid content was lower in diabetic HGBM; the value did not reach statistical significance. This study's data could not confirm the finding of a specific alteration of diabetic HGBM as proposed previously.

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