Histologic change of peritoneal membrane in relation to adequacy of dialysis in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background: Long-term exposure of peritoneal membrane to bioincompatible dialysis solutions leads to structural changes and loss of ultrafiltration capability.

Objective: We studied the possible relationship between histologic change and the transport characteristics of peritoneal membrane and adequacy of dialysis in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients.

Patients And Methods: The study included 18 CAPD patients (11 men, 7 women) who underwent a peritoneal biopsy either at initiation of treatment (group A, n = 9) or after a mean of 4 years on CAPD (group B, n = 9).

Urinary transforming growth factor-beta1 excretion in renal allograft recipients during the early post-transplantation period.

Background: Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), the major fibrogenic growth factor, is implicated in the pathogenesis of renal scarring in experimental and clinical nephropathies as well as in chronic allograft nephropathy. In this study we examined the pattern of changes of TGF-beta1 excretion in the urine and the sites of TGF-beta1 expression in the kidney of transplanted patients during the early post-transplantation period.

Methods: Eighteen renal allograft recipients were included in the study.