Predicting anemia using NIR spectrum of spent dialysis fluid in hemodialysis patients.

Anemia is commonly present in hemodialysis (HD) patients and significantly affects their survival and quality of life. NIR spectroscopy and machine learning were used as a method to detect anemia in hemodialysis patients. The aim of this investigation has been to evaluate the near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a method for non-invasive on-line detection of anemia parameters from HD effluent by assessing the correlation between the spectrum of spent dialysate in the wavelength range of 700-1700 nm and the levels of hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cells (RBC), hematocrit (Hct), iron (Fe), total iron binding capacity (TIBC), ferritin (FER), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) in patient blood.

Cardiovascular risk assessment and coronary artery calcification burden in asymptomatic patients in the initial years of hemodialysis.

The specific tool for cardiovascular risk assessment in hemodialysis population has not yet been proposed, despite high prevalence of cardiovascular morbidity, and mortality in clinically asymptomatic patients. Coronary artery calcium score (CACS), as a reliable predictor of future cardiovascular events, might be a valuable approach. We sought to evaluate coronary artery calcification burden and its association with clinical and laboratory parameters in asymptomatic patients who recently initiated hemodialysis.

Relationship Between Leptin Level, Inflammation, and Volume Status in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients.

Maintenance hemodialysis (HD) patients often experience fluctuations of volume status. Although hypervolemia possibly induces systemic inflammation, the relationship between volume status and leptin has not yet been well defined. The aims of this study were to determine the levels of leptin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and ferritin in relation to volume status and to assess the relationship between leptin and volume and inflammatory status in chronic HD patients.

Work-Related Factors as Predictors of Burnout in Serbian Nurses Working in Hemodialysis.

Nurses who work in hemodialysis (HD) are considered highly susceptible to burnout due to their close relationship with incurable patients and handling sophisticated machinery. A total of 210 nurses from 12 state-owned HD centers in the Republic of Serbia anonymously completed a background information questionnaire providingfactual data on nurses' sociodemographic characteristics and working conditions using the Maslach Burnout Inventory--Health Services Survey. Almost half of the nurses (42.

Levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor during First Six Months of Peritoneal Dialysis.

Introduction: Chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) up-regulates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) synthesis and VEGF is found in drained dialysate (dd).

Objective: Aims of this prospective study were to evaluate serum (s) and ddVEGF concentration during the first six months of PD, relationships between these concentrations and demographic and biochemical parameters, presence of diabetes, peritonitis, and the use of medications.

Methods: The study included 20 patients, with the mean age of 62.

Estimation of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors protein binding degree using chromatographic hydrophobicity data.

Introduction: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors represent a significant group of drugs primarily used in the treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure.

Objective: Selected ACE inhibitors (enalapril, quinapril, fosinopril, lisinopril, cilazapril) were studied in order to establish a fast and easy estimation method of their plasma protein binding degree based on their lipophilicity data.

Methods: Chromatographic hydrophobicity data (parameter C0) were obtained on cellulose layers under conditions of normal-phase thin-layer chromatography (NPTLC), using different binary solvent systems.

Levels of transforming growth factor β1 during first six months of peritoneal dialysis.

Transforming-growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) is a powerful cytokine involved in physiological processes of growth, differentiation, gene expression, embryogenesis, tissue remodelling, wound healing as well as tumorigenesis, immunosuppression and fibrosis, like peritoneal membrane fibrosis on long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD) treatment. The aims of this study were to determine TGF-β1 levels in serum (s) and drained dialysate (dd), to assess their relations to sex, age, diabetes, dialysis modality, peritonitis and use of erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs), inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACEi) and/or statins in 20 patients, 11 men and 9 women, mean age 62.90 ± 12.

Vascular endothelial growth factor in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a glycoprotein which exerts mitogenic effects on endo thelial cells, enhances neoangiogenesis and microvascular permeability, influences leukocyte kinetics when upreg ulated by hypoxia and high-glucose concentration in experimental conditions and in human pathology. Peritoneal synthesis of VEGF has been demonstrated in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) treated with glucose-based dialy sate solutions.

Methods: The aim of the study was to determine the serum and peritoneal effluent VEGF concentrations in patients on chronic PD and to assess the relationship between age, gender, comorbidities, dialysis modality and vintage, therapy with erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESA), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and statins and VEGF concentrations.

Dialysis headache in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis.

Objectives: Headache is among most frequently encountered neurological symptom during hemodialysis (HD), but still under investigated in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and clinical characteristics of dialysis headache (DH) in HD and PD patients.

Material And Methods: A total of 409 patients (91 on PD and 318 on HD) were interviewed using a structured questionnaire, designed according to the diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Classification of Headache Disorders from 2004.

Depression and quality of sleep in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Introduction: Sleep disorders and psychological disturbances are common in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. However, despite their frequency and importance, such conditions often go unnoticed, since all patients do not clearly manifest fully expressed symptoms.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and poor sleep quality and to examine the association between these disorders and demographic, clinical and treatment-related characteristics of ESRD patients on hemodialysis (HD).

Habitual coffee consumption enhances attention and vigilance in hemodialysis patients.

Objective: Coffee drinking is the main source of caffeine intake among adult population in the western world. It has been reported that low to moderate caffeine intake has beneficial effect on alertness and cognitive functions in healthy subjects. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of habitual coffee consumption on cognitive function in hemodialysis patients.

The weekend effect in patients hospitalized for upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a single-center 10-year experience.

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the possible weekend effect in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) on the basis of a 10-year single-center experience in Serbia.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis of hospital records in the University Clinic 'Dr Dragisa Misovic-Dedinje', Belgrade, Serbia, from 2002 to 2012 was conducted. Patients admitted for UGIB were identified, and data on demographic characteristics, symptoms, drug use, alcohol abuse, diagnosis and treatment were collected.

Ultrastructural changes of the peritoneum in a rabbit model of peritoneal dialysis.

Background/aim: The number of patients with end-stage renal diseases treated with chronic dialysis is increasing over the last years. Long-term peritoneal dialysis is associated with progressive development of structural and functional alterations of peritoneal membrane. The aim of the study was to analyze ultrastructural alterations of mesothelial monolayer and submesothelial tissue in a modified nonuremic experimental model of peritoneal dialysis in rabbits.

Lipophilicity Examination of Some ACE inhibitors andHydrochlorothiazide on Cellulose in RP Thin-Layer Chromatography.

In this assay, the evaluation of lipophilicity of four ACE-inhibitors and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) with RP-TLC on cellulose layers was described using three binary solvent systems. The selected ACE inhibitors had sufficiently different structures which can indicate the method suitability for their lipophilicity evaluation as the model substances in comparison with HCTZ. In addition, the linear relationship between the RM-values and composition of mobile phases was established in the current study.

Immunohistochemical study of pathological alterations of peritoneum in patients with terminal renal insufficiency and on peritoneal dialysis.

Background/aim: During peritoneal dialysis (PD) an exchange of substances between blood and dialysate takes place through specific histological structures of peritoneum. Peritoneal double-layered serous membrane has, so far, mostly been studied with electron microscopy on experimental animals. The aim of this study was to assess integrity of peritoneal tissue in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and PD patients using standard light microscopy and immunohistochemical methods.

Kinetics of C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and -10, and phospholipase A2-II in severely traumatized septic patients.

Background/aim: Injury-induced anergy is one of the key factors contributing to trauma victims' high susceptibility to sepsis. This group of patients is mostly of young age and it is therefore essential to be able to predict as accurately as possible the development of septic complications, so appropriate treatment could be provided. The aim of this study was to assess kinetics of interleukin (IL)-6 and -10, phospholipase A2-II and C-reactive protein (CRP) in severely traumatized patients and explore the possibilities for early detection of potentially septic patients.

Morphometric study of healthy jejunal and ileal mucosa in adult and aged subjects.

Small intestine mucosa is often affected with malabsorptive, autoimmune and inflammatory pathological processes. However, morphometric data on the healthy human small intestine mucosa, especially ileum, are scarce. We aimed to obtain histoquantitative data on the healthy jejunal and ileal mucosa and assess the effects of gender and ageing on these parameters.

Stereologic analysis of tissue compartments of gunshot-injured and blunt-injured spleen.

The spleen is composed of several tissue compartments and the respective histoquantitative data are essential for complete understanding of immune or pathological processes in this organ. The aim of our study was to determine and compare the stereologic parameters of all tissue compartments of the gunshot-injured and blunt-injured human spleen. The model-based stereology with point-counting method was utilized to study the volume densities of red pulp, perifollicular zone, marginal zone, white pulp (follicles and periarteriolar lymphoid sheath), and connective tissue.

Malnutrition-inflammation complex syndrome and hepatitis C in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Protein-energy malnutrition and inflammation are among the leading causes of poor outcome in hemodialysis patients. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is accompanied by elevated proinflammatory mediators, also found in dialysis patients with malnutrition-inflammation complex syndrome. We aimed to study the rate and characteristics of malnutrition-inflammation complex syndrome (MICS) in hemodialysis patients, especially those with hepatitis C.

Histomorphometric characteristics of peritoneal blood microvessels.

We assessed histological characteristics and sex related differences in morphometric parameters of healthy persons' peritoneal blood vessels. Eighteen samples of parietal peritoneum were collected from 11 healthy persons with elective abdominal surgery, 6 males and 5 females, age range 44-58. Tissue samples were prepared for light and transmission electron microscopy.

Predicting multiple organ failure in patients with severe trauma.

Objective: Pathophysiological processes in the first days after trauma seem to be important for the development and final outcome in cases of multiple organ failure (MOF). Our objective in this study was to assess the kinetics of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and phospholipase A2 group II (PLA2-II) as predictors of more severe forms of MOF. As well, we sought to assess the criteria for systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II) values and to create predictive models of MOF development.