Activity of some lysosomal enzymes in peritoneal lymphocytes from patients with terminal renal failure treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis.

Acid phosphatase (AcP), beta-glucuronidase (GR) and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity was determined, using semiquantitative cytochemical methods, in the peritoneal fluid lymphocytes obtained from 50 patients with terminal renal failure treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis. The control group included 30 subjects with normal renal function. The percentage of AcP and NAG-positive lymphocytes was significantly lower and that of the GR-positive cells significantly higher in dialysed patients than in the control group.

[Activity of selected neutrophil enzymes of patients maintained on hemodialysis and treated with erythropoietin (rHu EPO)].

The peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, beta-glucuronidase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activity was assessed using a semiquantitative cytochemical methods in peripheral blood neutrophils from 10 maintenance haemodialysed patients treated with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHu EPO) due to severe anaemia. The examination was performed immediately prior to rHu EPO treatment, after 10 weeks and 32 weeks of therapy. A statistically significant increase in the beta-glucuronidase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activity was observed after 10 weeks, while all the enzymes studied except peroxidase showed a significant elevation of their activity after 32 weeks of the treatment as compared with the values obtained prior to therapy.

[Recombinant human erythropoietin stimulates synthesis of fetal hemoglobin in patients with renal anemia treated by repeated hemodialysis].

Effect of intravenously administered recombinant human erythropoietin (rHu EPO) on haemoglobin (Hb) level, haematocrit (Ht), reticulocyte count and foetal haemoglobin (HbF) concentration was assessed in 10 patients with anaemia, treated by repeated haemodialysis due to end-stage kidney. As compared to the initial values, erythropoietin treatment brought about a significant increase in all the parameters examined. During the subsequent therapy with lower, supporting doses of erythropoietin, the elevated HbF values fell back to normal, whereas the higher level of total Hb and Ht were maintained.

Effect of heparin and prostacyclin-heparin infusion on blood coagulation in haemodialysed patients.

In 10 patients (8 men and 2 women) aged 28 to 58 years (mean 44.4 years) treated by repeated haemodialysis due to end-stage renal failure, the bleeding time, whole-blood coagulation time, one-stage prothrombin time, thrombin time of plasma, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen level and euglobulin lysis time have been determined (1) during a 4-hour haemodialysis using heparin as an antithrombotic agent, and (2) one week later in the course of another haemodialysis using prostacyclin-heparin. The values for any of the above parameters with both anticoagulant treatment types did not differ.

Functional characteristics of peritoneal macrophages of renal failure patients on peritoneal dialysis.

Functional activity of peritoneal macrophages of 50 patients with end-stage renal failure on intermittent peritoneal dialysis (IPD) and of 30 control subjects with normal renal function was determined. Phagocytosis of latex particles by macrophages of dialyzed patients was significantly lower as compared with the controls. Further depression of the phagocytic activity was observed during bacterial peritonitis.

Ultrastructural study of human macrophages from peritoneal dialysate.

Peritoneal macrophages obtained from 30 patients with end-stage kidney treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis and from 30 subjects with normal renal function (relative control) were investigated by light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Two populations of peritoneal macrophages were distinguished in both dialysed and control patients. In the former group, the main population consisted of macrophages similar to monocytes from peripheral blood, while the majority of macrophages in control patients showed larger size, more prominent vacuolization of the cytoplasm and stronger spreading on glass surface.

Peroxidase activity in peritoneal neutrophils of patients with terminal renal failure treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis.

Peroxidase activity was assessed cytochemically in the peritoneal dialysate neutrophils of 50 patients with terminal renal failure treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis. In 22 patients cells were harvested for the second time after they developed peritonitis as a complication of the treatment. The results obtained were compared with those in the control group consisting of 30 patients with normal renal function.

Acid phosphatase, beta-glucuronidase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activity of peritoneal neutrophils in patients with terminal renal failure treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis.

Acid phoshatase (AcP), beta-glucuronidase (GR) and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity in neutrophils obtained from the peritoneal fluid of 50 patients with terminal renal failure treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis, and of 30 control subjects with normal renal function was semiquantitatively scored using a cytochemical method. This study was repeated in 22 dialyzed patients during the course of bacterial peritonitis. A significant decrease in the AcP score and an increase in the GR score were found in the neutrophils from dialyzed patients.

Usefulness of light microscopic and Cytur test estimation of peritoneal dialysate in early diagnosis of peritonitis.

In 50 patients with terminal renal failure treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis quantitative and qualitative assessments of peritoneal cells present in six successive changes of dialysate were performed using light microscopy and the Cytur test (Boehringer). The examination was repeated in 25 patients in the course of peritonitis. The Cytur test was positive in all patients with and in only some patients without peritonitis.

Effect of heparin and prostacyclin/heparin infusion on platelet aggregation in hemodialyzed patients.

The number of circulating platelet aggregates determined according to the method of Wu and Hoak and the platelet morphology revealed by scanning electron microscopy were investigated in 10 patients (8 males, 2 females) age 28-58 years) with end-stage renal failure treated by repeated hemodialysis. The examination was carried out twice: during a 4-hour hemodialysis session with the use of heparin alone and 1 week later during the course of another dialysis in the presence of both heparin and prostacyclin. During each dialysis session the platelet system was examined three times: prior to, after 90 min, and at the end of the procedure.

[Evaluation of the effectiveness of hemodialysis using only heparin or prostacyclin with heparin].

In ten patients treated by maintenance hemodialysis due to end-stage renal failure evaluation of dialysis efficiency was performed during the treatment with heparin alone as well as in the course of prostacyclin -heparin infusion. Statistically significant lower level of urea at the end of dialysis and significantly higher urea clearance were found during hemodialysis with prostacyclin -heparin infusion in comparison with infusion of heparin alone.

Peroxidase activity in peritoneal macrophages of patients with terminal renal failure treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis.

Peroxidase activity was assessed cytochemically in macrophages from peritoneal dialysate of 50 patients with terminal renal failure treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis. In 22 patients cells were harvested for the second time after development of peritonitis as the complication of the treatment. The obtained results were compared with those of the control group consisting of 30 patients with normal renal function.

Activity of some lysosomal enzymes in peritoneal macrophages of patients with end-stage renal failure treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis.

Acid phosphatase, beta-D-Glucuronidase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase were assessed cytochemically in peritoneal macrophages obtained from 50 patients with end-stage renal failure treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis and from 30 control subjects with normal renal function. A statistically significant increase in beta-D-glucuronidase activity accompanied by a decrease in acid phosphatase activity were observed in peritoneal macrophages of dialysed patients, as compared with the control group. In patients with dialysis-associated peritonitis, the activity of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase was significantly higher than that observed in the same patients during the complication-free period of the treatment.

Phagocytic activity of neutrophils from the peritoneal dialysate of patients with chronic renal failure treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis.

The phagocytic activity of peritoneal neutrophils was assessed using Bacto-Latex in 50 patients with chronic renal failure treated with intermittent peritoneal dialysis, and in 30 control patients with normal renal function. In the group of patients treated with peritoneal dialysis 20 were additionally investigated while developing peritonitis. A significant decrease in the phagocytic activity of neutrophils was observed in the both dialysed groups, as compared with control subjects.

Beta-glucuronidase activity in neutrophils of patients with malignancies.

The human neutrophils induce cytotoxic effects on mammalian tumor cells. Hence it may be expected that intracellular enzymatic deficiencies of neutrophils may represent another cancer risk factor. In 205 patients with various malignancies the neutrophil beta-glucuronidase activity has been determined using a semiquantitative cytochemical method.

Beta-glucuronidase-positive lymphocyte population with intact enzyme-positive lysosomes in patients with malignancies.

In 234 patients with various malignant diseases including cancer of the larynx, cancer of the lung, cancer of the stomach, cancer of large intestine as well as patients with Hodgkin's disease, plasma cell myeloma and precancerous states of the larynx, the count of peripheral blood lymphocytes showing intact beta-glucuronidase-positive lysosomes was determined using a semiquantitative histochemical method. All the patients studied, except patient with cancer of the lung, showed a tendency toward a low count of such cells significant in patients with precancerous states of the larynx, cancer of larynx, cancer of the larynx after radiotherapy and Hodgkin's disease and nonsignificant in cancer of the stomach, cancer of the large intestine and plasma cell myeloma. In patients with cancer of the lung the count of lymphocytes with intact beta-glucuronidase-positive lysosomes was significantly increased as compared with that in healthy subjects.

Changes in activity of selected lysosomal enzymes in peritoneal macrophages of renal failure patients on peritoneal dialysis.

Activity of acid phosphatase (AP), beta-glucuronidase (GR), N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (GZ), and peroxidase (P) was assessed using a semiquantitative cytochemical method in peritoneal macrophages of 30 patients with end-stage renal failure treated by intermittent peritoneal dialysis and of 30 control patients with normal renal function. The dialysed patients showed a significantly higher activity of GR and P at the beginning of the treatment as compared with the respective activities observed in the control group and a further significant rise of these activities after 4 months of dialysis. Activity of AP at the beginning of the treatment was insignificantly lower than in the control group and the difference became significant at the end of the investigated period.