Variability of peritoneal protein loss in diabetic and nondiabetic patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

In order to evaluate the influence of diabetes mellitus on peritoneal membrane permeability, we studied the peritoneal protein loss in two groups of patients. Group A consisted of 16 patients (9 nondiabetics and 7 diabetics) who were in the first month of treatment on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Group B consisted of 13 patients (7 nondiabetics and 6 diabetics) who had been on CAPD for approximately 15 months. In both groups we measured the body weight, serum total protein, albumin, and total protein, urea, and glucose in the peritoneal fluid. We did not find any difference in groups A and B between diabetics and nondiabetics as far as the estimated parameters were concerned. Age, body weight, serum biochemistry, and protein and urea content in peritoneal fluid were similar, when group A was compared to group B. Patients of group B had on average higher protein losses than those who had been on the method for a short period (mean 7.9 g/dL, vs 6.09 g/dL). Six patients were followed for over 15 months and were found to have significantly increased protein losses (p = 0.02). Glucose levels in peritoneal fluid were significantly lower in patients in group B, p < 0.05 (mean 51.8 g/dL vs 37.1 g/dL). Peritoneal protein loss does not seem to differ between diabetic and nondiabetic patients with end-stage renal disease treated with CAPD, at any given time of the treatment. We observed an increase in protein loss in some patients and a tendency to increase the protein loss in others.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)