While the effect of early referral to a nephrologist on QoL appeared centre dependent, a smooth transition onto dialysis was associated with significantly better early QoL, independent of other variables.

According to the correlation analysis of the main prognostic risk factors, affecting the progression of IgAN, we can conclude that IgA nephropathy in males progresses more rapidly compared to females.

In summary, creatinine removal during dialysis can be estimated as reduction ratio and total removed creatinine with the UV-absorbance technique.

This study estimates the total removal of uric acid (TR_UA) by online UV absorbance measurements in the spent dialysate in two different dialysis centers in Estonia and Sweden. Sixteen dialysis patients were included. All dialysate was collected that gave the reference for TR_UA. Two regression models were investigated: one for each patient (UV1) and one for the entire material (UV2). TR_UA from the three methods was in the same order but showed a statistically significant difference when the UV2 model was built on data from both centers together. TR_UA, (n = 56) was (mean ± SD, µmol): 5,854 ± 1,377 for reference, 6,117 ± 1,795 for UV1 and 5,762 ± 1,591 for UV2. Six patients were monitored 1 year after the first study session, using the same models as the previous year, still having a nonsignificant difference. The results show the possibility of estimating TR_UA by using UV absorbance. The method appeared to be reliable also in long-term patient monitoring.

In this study, simultaneous removal assessment of marker molecules from three uremic toxin groups was performed during different hemodialysis treatment modalities using optical characteristics of spent dialysate. Results from optical measurements were compared with the results from chemical laboratory. Ten chronic dialysis patients, mean age 59 ± 15 years, were included in the study during 40 hemodialysis sessions. Low-flux hemodialysis (HD), high-flux hemodialysis (HF), and postdilutional online hemodiafiltration (HDF) with different settings were used. The reduction ratio (RR) and total removed solute (TRS) of three uremic solutes were determined: small molecular weight urea, middle molecular β2-microglobulin (B2M), and protein-bound indoxyl sulfate (IS). Concentrations of these solutes in the spent dialysate were measured by laboratory (lab) and optical (opt) methods, in the serum by laboratory methods, and calculated RR values in percentage were compared accordingly. Total removed solute was obtained from the total dialysate collection (TDC) using lab and opt methods. The highest RR values were found for urea and B2M, and the lowest for IS. The difference between RR of lab and opt results estimated as mean accuracy (BIAS) was ≤8.1% for all three solutes. Good correspondence between TRS lab vs. opt was achieved, resulting in strong linear correlation values R from 0.727 for urea to 0.971 for IS. Accuracy for TRS values as BIAS ± standard error (SE), comparing lab vs. opt, showed no statistical difference for any of the observed uremic solutes (P > 0.05). The accuracy of the optical method was not influenced by the dialysis modality (HD, HF, and HDF).