Early changes in body weight and blood pressure are associated with mortality in incident dialysis patients.

Background: While much research is devoted to identifying novel biomarkers, addressing the prognostic value of routinely measured clinical parameters is of great interest. We studied early blood pressure (BP) and body weight (BW) trajectories in incident haemodialysis patients and their association with all-cause mortality.

Methods: In a cohort of 357 incident patients, we obtained all records of BP and BW during the first 90 days on dialysis (over 12 800 observations) and analysed trajectories using penalized B-splines and mixed linear regression models.

Fine-tuning of the prediction of mortality in hemodialysis patients by use of cytokine proteomic determination.

Background And Objectives: Inflammation-induced atherosclerosis and enhanced susceptibility to infection are linked to immune dysfunction and account for an important part of mortality in hemodialysis patients. This 4-yr prospective study aimed to use cytokine proteomic determination for predicting cardiovascular and noncardiovascular mortality in hemodialysis patients.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: Levels of 12 cytokines were measured using a proteomic biochip system in 134 patients who were on stable hemodialysis and compared with a control group of 150 healthy volunteers.

Association of aminothiols with the clinical outcome in hemodialysis patients: comparison of chromatography and immunoassay for homocysteine determination.

Background: Controversial results on hyperhomocysteinemia and cardiovascular risk in hemodialysis (HD) could be due in part to the methodology used for homocysteine (Hcy) determination.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the influence of the method used for Hcy determination (chromatography or immunoassay) with regard to the association of Hcy with cardiovascular mortality rate in HD patients in a 3-year prospective study.

Methods: A total of 162 patients undergoing HD were included in a cohort study.

Plasma osteoprotegerin is associated with mortality in hemodialysis patients.

Expression of bone proteins resulting from transdifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells into osteoblasts suggests that vascular calcifications are a bioactive process. Regulating molecules such as osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) could play a key role in bone-vascular calcification imbalance. This study investigated the contribution of these proteins as well as mineral metabolism disorders in hemodialysis (HD) patient outcome.

Measurement of circulating troponin Ic enhances the prognostic value of C-reactive protein in haemodialysis patients.

Background: Cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) levels are considered an important diagnostic tool in acute coronary events. They could be of predictive value in haemodialysis (HD) patients. However, the relationship between cTnI and the HD-induced inflammatory state remains unclear.