HIV-associated nephropathy: outcome and prognosis factors. Groupe d' Etudes Néphrologiques d'Ile de France.

Records of 102 patients with biopsy-proven HIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) admitted to 18 hospitals in the Paris area from 1984 through 1996 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographics and clinical and laboratory features of the cohort were determined, and prognostic factors of renal and patient survival were analyzed. Renal and patient survival curves were estimated with the actuarial method. Prognostic factors were assessed by uni- and multidimensional analyses based on Cox regression models. Values were expressed as median with interquartile. The total population (median age 34) included 97% blacks and 71.5% males. Median patient follow-up was 165 d (range, 43 to 493). At the time of renal biopsy, median values of serum creatinine, proteinuria, and CD4+ cell count were 496 micromol/L, 6.5 g/24 h, and 48.5 cells/mm3, respectively. Fifteen patients were given steroids after the onset of HIVAN. Overall patient survival at 0.5, 1, and 3 yr was 73 +/- 5, 55 +/- 6, and 38 +/- 7%, respectively. The proportion of patients free of dialysis at 0.5, 1, and 3 yr was 73 +/- 5, 60 +/- 7, and 18 +/- 10%, respectively. Predictors of poor patient prognosis were a low CD4+ cell count (relative risk [RR; per 50 cells/mm3 decrease] 1.35; confidence interval [CI], 1.13 to 1.6) and antiretroviral therapy before the onset of HIVAN (RR 1.9; CI, 1.05 to 3.6). Main independent factors associated with better renal outcome were: steroid therapy (RR 0.29; CI, 0.1 to 0.9); low proteinuria level (RR [per 50% decrease] 0.7; CI, 0.5 to 0.98); low serum creatinine (RR [per 1.1 mg/dl decrease] 0.78; CI, 0.7 to 0.87); and hemoglobin level (RR [per g/dl increase] 0.76; CI, 0.58 to 1.00). HIVAN is not a rare nephropathy in Paris and its suburbs. Renal prognosis and patient survival are better than what was reported previously. Steroids may delay the downward course of HIVAN. It is not certain that in the new era of HIV therapy, the possible renal benefits of corticosteroids outweigh their potential risks. The only reliable predictor of patient survival is the intensity of immunodeficiency.

213 elderly uremic patients over 75 years of age treated with long-term peritoneal dialysis: a French multicenter study.

UNLABELLED: We report our experience in 213 elderly patients over 75 years treated by peritoneal dialysis (PD) as first and exclusive dialysis therapy. The mean age at start of PD was 79.4 +/- 3.6 years, and the cumulative time on PD was 4551 months (mean time: 21.4 +/- 19.8 months). Twenty-six patients lived in institutions and 187 lived at home. Thirty patients had an effective autonomy with the ability to carry on normal activities. One hundred and two patients were cared for by a private nurse at home, and 46 patients were cared for in a family environment. Most cases were treated by three exchanges per day (152 cases) and used a nondisconnect system (175 cases) on account of absence of autonomy. The rate of peritonitis per patient-month was one episode per 16.8 patient-months. Patient survival (Kaplan-Meier curves) was 74%, 59%, 45%, and 19% at one, two, three, and five years, respectively. The causes of death were various with a higher frequency of cardiovascular causes (48.3% of the 116 deaths). Thirty-three patients died in less than six months including 18 patients in less than three months. IN CONCLUSION: elderly uremic patients can be treated with long-term PD with relatively good results. Mortality is high but essentially due to age and poor general status-the dedication of private home nursing is very important in treating elderly PD patients. This fact often is a necessary condition in maintaining these elderly patients at home.

[Treatment by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis for chronic renal insufficiency in the diabetic]. / Le traitement par dialyse péritonéale continue ambulatoire de l'insuffisance rénale chronique chez le diabétique.

The number of diabetics with end stage renal failure is growing. The best treatment at the lowest cost possible should be offered to all diabetics if therapeutics facilities are available. Such a policy requires that all dialysis methods and transplantation should be available and that transfer from one method to another should always be allowable. Results observed among diabetics are improving steadily, even in the older age group. However they are inferior to those observed in non diabetic people of the same age. In diabetic patients under fifty years of age, renal transplantation using a kidney from a cadaver or a related donor should be the first choice. In some cases kidney and pancreas transplantation is possible. However, for most patients dialysis methods are required as the only treatment or while waiting for a transplant. If home dialysis is considered, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis offers the opportunity to treat many insulin or non insulin-dependent diabetics at home even those in the high risk population because of age and/or cardio-vascular instability with excellent control of blood glucose levels, hypertension, vision, residual renal function, despite the peritoneal infections. These results are obtained from data in the literature and the survey of patients treated at the Hospital de la Pitié.

Is overhydration in CAPD patients a contraindication to renal transplantation?

Over a 14 year period, 56 of 415 CAPD patients (34 male, 22 female), aged 42.7 +/- 11 years, underwent renal transplantation (TR). A cadaver kidney was used in 53 patients (kidney-pancreas in 2), and a human leucocyte antibody (HLA) identical related donor organ was used in 3. Underlying renal diseases were chronic glomerulonephritis in 30 patients, diabetic nephropathy in 10, interstitial nephropathy in 5, vascular in 4, polycystic kidney in 3, and undetermined in 4. Mean duration of CAPD prior to TR was 13 months (2-56 months). A three-week peritonitis episode-free interval was requested prior to TR. At year 1, actuarial patient and graft survival (96% and 86%, respectively), plasma creatinine, and number of rejection episodes were not different from those recorded in patients treated with hemodialysis (HD) prior to TR. At TR, pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) was elevated (average 21.1 +/- 7.4 mm Hg), > or = 25 mm Hg and > or = 30 mm Hg in 36% and 14.6% of CAPD patients, respectively. Post-TR, HD was performed in 4 patients; no peritoneal infection occurred. Postoperative sonography disclosed ascitis in 12.7% of CAPD patients. The PD catheter was removed two months post-TR. Hemodynamic findings at TR suggest a frequently underestimated overhydration in CAPD patients, which should be detected and treated in order to reduce acute cardiovascular complications at TR.

Lipoprotein(a) in patients treated by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] has been identified as an independent, inherited risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease. An elevation of Lp(a) plasma levels has been documented in several series of uremic patients submitted to maintenance dialysis treatment methods or after renal transplantation. We have measured the plasma levels of Lp(a) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent enzyme method in 19 patients treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Mean (+/- SD) concentration of Lp(a) was significantly higher in the patients than in the 19 healthy controls (51 +/- 48 mg/dL v 16 +/- 15 mg/dL, P < 0.005). No significant differences in Lp(a) levels were found between diabetic patients (n = 5) and nondiabetic patients (n = 14) or between patients who had (n = 6) or had not (n = 13) suffered a previous major cardiovascular complication. No correlation was evident between Lp(a) levels and the patients' ages, period of time on CAPD treatment, or any other lipid-lipoprotein investigated parameter. The mechanisms accounting for the elevation of Lp(a) levels in CAPD patients as well as the specific value of increased Lp(a) concentration as a cardiovascular risk predictor in uremic patients remain thus far speculative. Additional experimental and clinical studies are warranted before the administration of drugs to attempt to lower Lp(a) levels in CAPD patients can be recommended.

Rheumatic syndromes and beta 2-microglobulin amyloidosis in patients receiving long-term peritoneal dialysis.

We studied 56 patients who had been receiving peritoneal dialysis for greater than 3 years, to investigate the prevalence of rheumatic diseases suggestive of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) amyloid deposition. Eight patients were found to have carpal tunnel syndrome, 16 had chronic shoulder pain, 8 had subchondral bone cysts, and 13 had destructive arthropathies. Amyloid reacting with anti-beta 2m was demonstrated in the hip synovium of 1 patient. Serum beta 2m levels were elevated in all patients. These data suggest that peritoneal dialysis, like hemodialysis, may lead to the development of an arthropathy associated with beta 2m accumulation and beta 2m amyloid deposition.

Recovery of renal function in patients treated by CAPD.

Recovery of renal function was observed in 10 out of 300 patients (3.3%) treated by CAPD. These 10 patients presented the following primary renal diseases: 4 nephroangiosclerosis, 4 interstitial nephropathies, 1 diabetic nephropathy, 1 unknown nephropathy, and were treated by CAPD for a mean period of 10.2 +/- 5.5 months. CAPD was discontinued when residual renal function reached 12 ml/min. After recovery 8 patients were still alive, including 1 patient who returned to dialysis. 2 patients died. When risk factors such as uncontrolled hypertension, cardiac failure, severe nephrotic syndrome, rapidly progressive renal failure, analgesics or non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug treatments or abuses, chronic urinary obstruction, cholesterol emboli were associated with end stage renal failure, CAPD should be the dialysis treatment of choice, expecting the preservation of the kidney capacities and further a recovery of renal function.

Clinical aspects of continuous ambulatory and continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis in diabetic patients.

The treatment of end-stage renal diabetic nephropathy remains a challenge. A large experience allows us to clearly outline the advantages and the drawbacks of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis (CCPD). Eighty-one patients, mean age 51.3 years, were treated over the last 9 years by CAPD-CCPD. Extrarenal complications, mainly vascular lesions, were present in this high-risk group of patients. The technique was modified in order to inject intraperitoneally, 4 times per day, insulin to control blood glucose level in CAPD patients. Actuarial survival was 92% at 1 year, 50% at 4 years mainly influenced by age: 85% survival at 2 years in 35 patients aged less than 50 years old and 62% at 2 years in 46 patients aged more than 50 years old. The main causes of death were of cardiovascular origin: myocardial infarction, stroke, atherosclerotic vasculopathy. The main causes of transfer to hemodialysis were due to technical complications. Peritonitis rate was one episode every 14 patient-months. Control of blood pressure, blood glucose levels, main biological parameters, and visual status were the clear advantages of the method. Peripheral vascular disease is not influenced by the technique. CAPD-CCPD is the technique of first choice in young diabetics and the preferential technique for home dialysis.

[Prevention of peritonitis during continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Value of disconnectable systems]. / Prévention des péritonites au cours de la dialyse péritonéale continue ambulatoire. Intérêt des systèmes déconnectables.

Peritonitis remains the major obstacle to the acceptance of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis as a long-term dialysis technique. In January, 1985, Y connectors were introduced into our continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis programme, and a two-year prospective randomized trial for all new patients was initiated in which the Y connection system was compared with the conventional technique in the prevention of peritonitis (group I). At the same time, 16 patients (group II), with a high incidence of peritonitis episodes were switched from the conventional technique to the Y connection system, while 55 patients (group III), remained on the conventional technique. Group IA patients (27 new patients using the Y connection system), developed peritonitis every 23 patient-months. Group IB patients (28 new patients using the conventional technique), developed peritonitis every 12.2 patient-months. The difference between these two sub-groups was statistically significant (P less than 0.02). Before their transfer to the Y connection system, group II patients developed peritonitis every 10 patient-months and thereafter one every 24 patient-months (P less than 0.001). Group III patients were divided into 12 continuous cyclic peritoneal dialysis patients with peritonitis every 24 patients-months, and 43 continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients with peritonitis every 11.7 patient-months. The Y connector therefore proved to be a simple and safe procedure effective in reducing the peritonitis rate in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

[Clinical aspects of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in diabetics]. / Les aspects cliniques de la dialyse péritonéale continue ambulatoire chez les diabétiques.

The treatment of end stage renal diabetic nephropathy remains a challenge. A large experience allows us to clearly outline the advantages and the drawbacks of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). 81 patients, mean age 51.3 years, were treated over the past nine years by CAPD-CCPD. Extrarenal complications, mainly vascular lesions, account for qualifying these patients as a high risk population. The technique was modified in order to inject insulin intraperitoneally, four times per day, to control blood glucose level. Peripheral vascular disease was prospectively studied in 19 patients. Actuarial survival was 92% at one year, 50% at four years mainly influenced by age: 85% survival at two years in 35 patients aged less than 50 years and 62% at two years in 46 patients aged more than 50 years. The main causes of death were of cardiovascular origin: arteritis, myocardial infarction, stroke. The main causes for transfer to an alternative method of treatment were technical complications. Peritonitis rate was one episode ever 14 months. Satisfactory control of blood pressure, blood glucose levels, main biological parameters, visual status were the clear advantages of the method. Peripheral vascular disease is not influenced by the technique. CAPD can be the technique of first choice in young diabetics awaiting a kidney transplant and the reference technique for home dialysis.