Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A is an independent short-time predictor of mortality in patients on maintenance haemodialysis.

AIMS: Mortality of maintenance haemodialysis (HD) patients is very high due to polymorbidity, mostly from metabolic and cardiovascular disease. In order to identify patients with high risk for life-threatening complications, reliable prognostic markers would be helpful. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) has been shown to predict cardiovascular events and death in patients with stable coronary artery disease as well as in acute coronary syndrome in patients with normal renal function. It was the aim of this study to evaluate PAPP-A as a marker for death in patients on maintenance HD. METHODS AND RESULTS: PAPP-A serum levels were measured in 170 patients participating in the monitor! trial, a prospective dynamic dialysis cohort multicenter study in Switzerland. Patients were followed up for a median time of 17 months after measuring PAPP-A, and evaluated for death of any cause. Survivors and non-survivors were compared with regard to baseline PAPP-A concentrations. A multivariate logistic regression analysis for death was performed including PAPP-A, age, sex, number of comorbidities, dialysis vintage, Kt/V, IL-6, C-reactive protein, parathyroid hormone (PTH), Ca x PO(4) product, and total serum cholesterol. A cut-off value for PAPP-A was calculated for discrimination between patients with low and high mortality risk, respectively. A total of 23 deaths occurred during follow-up, equalling an incidence rate of 0.1. Baseline median PAPP-A levels were 40% higher in non-survivors vs. survivors (P = 0.023). In a multivariate analysis, only PAPP-A, age, and Ca x PO(4) product were independent predictors of mortality. A cut-off value of 24 mIU/L discriminates significantly (P = 0.015) between patients at low or high risk for death with a negative predictive value of 91%. CONCLUSION: PAPP-A is a novel and independent short-time predictor of mortality in a maintenance HD population. The pathogenetic relevance of PAPP-A, particularly in the development of cardiovascular disease, remains to be further elucidated.

20 years of peritoneal dialysis in a mid-sized Swiss hospital.

PRINCIPLES: Few long term studies exist about peritoneal dialysis (PD). We collected the experiences over nearly 20 years in a single mid-sized centre in Switzerland. METHODS: In a retrospective survey we examined our PD-cohort with respect to mortality, technique survival, peritonitis rate and other complications. We calculated the proportion of PD-patients of the total dialysis population (penetration rate) and measured the time of PD-associated hospitalisations. RESULTS: 50 patients were included during an observation period of 20 years. The mean penetration rate was 23% (range 11% to 34%). The mean treatment time per patient was 2.8 years (median: 3.6 years; range 0.4-9.5 years). Patient survival was 80% at three years and 60% at five years. Technique retention rate was 40% after three, and 20% after five years. Each of the three outcome categories--transplantation, switch to haemodialysis (HD) and death during PD--accounted for one third of the PD drop-out number. CONCLUSION: Compared to the average of Swiss dialysis centres the penetration rate is high. Patient and technique survival correspond to data in the literature, as do the frequency and types of complications. We consider PD as an efficient and well tolerated dialysis modality, which should be offered also in smaller dialysis centres. Since PD is not only feasible, but appears to be less costly than HD, we recommend PD as the first-line dialysis option for patients in end-stage renal disease.