ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The prevalence of blood eosinophilia in patients who are maintained on regular hemodialysis has been well established. Blood eosinophilia in patients initiating peritoneal dialysis has been mentioned, but its prevalence and etiologic factors have not been well delineated. Therefore, we performed this retrospective study to find out prevalence and possible etiologic factors of blood eosinophilia in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. METHODS: Between May 2001 to May 2004, the patients who began continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis at one renal center were included in this study. Patients with allergic history or allergic reaction during observed period were excluded. The routine peripheral WBC counts of 47 patients were reviewed and possible predisposing factors of eosinophilia were investigated. RESULTS: Blood eosinophilia was observed in 17 of 47 patients (35% of all patients). In most patients with blood eosinophilia, the time in which the eosinophil count began to be rise was within 40 days, and duration of eosinophilia was variable (mean+/-SD;74+/-67 days). The mean of the peak eosinophil count was 750+/-257/mm3 (mean+/-SD). Possible predisposing factors included recent parenteral iron therapy, but not statistically significant (p=0.09). CONCLUSION: Our retrospective study showed that the eosinophil counts in patients with end stage renal disease on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis were frequently elevated. Predisposing factors for this eosinophilia were not clear, suggesting that immunologic disturbance by uremia or dialysis itself might have influence on eosinophil homeostasis.