Ankle-brachial blood pressure index predicts all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in hemodialysis patients.

A reduction in ankle-brachial BP index (ABPI) is associated with generalized atherosclerotic diseases and predicts cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in several patient populations. However, a large-scale analysis of ABPI is lacking for hemodialysis (HD) patients, and its use in this population is not fully validated. A cohort of 1010 Japanese patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis was studied between November 1999 and May 2002.

Elevated levels of serum sulfite in patients with chronic renal failure.

Sulfite, a well known air pollutant, is toxic for humans, especially those with sulfite hypersensitivity. Sulfite is also generated endogenously, during normal metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids. Mammalian tissues contain the enzyme sulfite oxidase, which detoxifies both endogenous and exogenous sulfite by oxidation to sulfate.