RESUMO
Seventeen patients with chronic renal failure of different ages, sexes, and etiologies, selected from Hemodialysis Unit, Children's Hospital, Ain-Shams University, were studied for their phagocytic function [PF] by cytomorphological assessment of Candida killing in human before and after hemodialysis [HD]. The results were compared with PF in 10 healthy, age and sex matched children serving as a control group. The phagocytic PI and lytic indices [LI] before HD [7.8% +/- 1.75 and 2.65% +/- 0.52] were insignificantly lower than those in the control group [8.42% +/- 2.01 and 2.99% +/- 0.53]. While, after HD there was a significant drop of both PI and LI [7.17% +/- 1.29 and 2.33% +/- 0.44] as compared with those before HD and the control group [p <0.05]. The lower values of PF before HD were attributed to uremic toxins, accumulation of calcium in phagocytes due to excess parathormone or nutritional factors. While, after HD the drop of PF was suggested to be secondary to mechanical stress or activation of alternate complement pathway with leukoaggregation and sequestration of granulocytes