Acute plasma ghrelin and leptin responses to oral feeding or intraperitoneal hypertonic glucose-based dialysate in patients with chronic renal failure.

Background: Chronic renal failure (CRF) is associated with increased plasma levels of ghrelin and leptin, but the regulation of the secretion of these hormones has been insufficiently studied, in this setting. The aim of this study was to analyze the acute effects of oral feeding or intraperitoneal 3.86% glucose-based dialysate infusion on plasma ghrelin and leptin levels in patients with CRF undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD).

Peritonitis-related mortality in patients undergoing chronic peritoneal dialysis.

Peritonitis is a well-known cause of mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. We carried out a retrospective study to disclose the clinical spectrum and risk profile of peritonitis-related mortality. We analyzed 693 episodes of infectious peritonitis suffered by 565 patients (follow-up 1149 patient-years).

Plasma ghrelin levels in patients undergoing haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

Background: Ghrelin has been characterized as a relevant physiologic regulator of appetite and body weight in humans. However, the potential relationships between ghrelin levels, inflammation and malnutrition in dialysis patients have not been adequately studied.

Methods: We used a cross-sectional design to study 20 haemodialysis (HD) and 21 peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, and compared their plasma ghrelin (PGhr) levels with that of an age-matched control group.