Serum levels of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and MCP-1 are increased in HD patients and probably result from either inadequate clearance or enhanced synthesis and release. HD session resulted in a significant increase of the above molecule levels but the exact mechanism(s) responsible for these alterations are yet to be fully elucidated. Increased levels of adhesion molecules are associated with inflammation, dyslipidaemia, and cardiovascular events. However, the potential link between these processes and its clinical significance warrants further investigation.

In HD patients, carotid atherosclerosis is associated with inflammation and circulating levels of soluble adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. The correlations between serum ICAM-1 and IMT and ICAM-1 and survival may indicate that this molecule could be a marker of a process that contributes to the high mortality of HD patients.

HD with the use of VEM resulted in a significant reduction in inflammation and oxidative stress markers. Larger prospective randomized studies will need to confirm the findings of the present observational study.

Efstathios Alexopoulos has passed awayAim: We investigated the effects of simvastatin on markers of inflammation, oxidative stress and endothelial cell apoptosis in hyperlipidemic end-stage renal disease patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD). Methods: In 25 hyperlipidemic HD patients who received 10 mg of simvastatin for 6 months and another 25 controls, the extended lipid profile and serum hsIL-6, MCP-1, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and sE-selectin, plasma oxLDL, and serum sFas and sFasL levels were determined at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. In 18 patients of the simvastatin group, the expression of CD14, CD16, CD62L and CD64 on monocyfes was determined with flow cytometry. Result: Simvastatin treatment resulted in significant reductions in serum lipid levels at 3 months and beyond, compared to at baseline. Moreover, at 6 months, simvastatin caused a significant reduction in CRP ( p 0.001), which correlated to the decrease in total and LDL cholesterol levels, as well as a significant reduction in IL-6 ( p 0.001), sICAM-1 ( p 0.001), sVCAM-1 ( p 0.001), oxLDL ( p 0.001), sFas ( p 0.02) and CD14 expression ( p 0.001), compared to baseline values. No significant changes in the controls were noticed during the study. Conclusion: In conclusion, in hyperlipidemic HD patients, simvastatin treatment resulted in a significant reduction in markers of endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial cell apoptosis and peripheral blood monocyte stimulation. The reduction in CRP appears to be related to the lipid-lowering effects of simvastatin.

Background/Aims: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of increased morbidity and mortality for hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive values of carotid artery atherosclerotic lesions and endothelial adhesion molecule levels for long-term outcome in non-diabetic HD patients. Methods: 112 HD patients (60 male, mean age 59 years) consecutively entered the study. Atherosclerotic disease was assessed by measuring the mean and maximum intima-media thickness (IMT and IMT_max respectively) of the common carotid arteries using an ultrasound scanner. Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) levels were measured by ELISA. Patients were followed for the next 5 years and primary end points on follow-up were all-cause death, death from CVD causes and incidence of a CVD event. Results: Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that survival curves for all-cause mortality, CVD mortality and morbidity differed significantly between the upper and lower tertiles of baseline IMT (p = 0.002, p = 0.01 and p = 0.001 respectively) and IMT_max values (p = 0.0007, p = 0.006 and p = 0.0003 respectively), as well as ICAM-1 (p = 0.008, p = 0.003 and p = 0.02 respectively) and VCAM-1 levels (p = 0.004, p = 0.012 and p = 0.025 respectively). In non-adjusted analysis all-cause mortality and CVD mortality and morbidity were significantly associated with IMT (p = 0.003, p = 0.01 and p = 0.001 respectively) and IMT_max values (p = 0.001, p = 0.007 and p = 0.0007 respectively). After adjusting for other significant covariates, IMT values remained associated only with CVD morbidity (p = 0.03), while IMT_max were associated with both CVD mortality and morbidity (p = 0.03 and p = 0.01 respectively). All-cause mortality and CVD mortality and morbidity were also significantly associated with serum ICAM-1 (p = 0.004, p = 0.005 and p = 0.01 respectively) and VCAM-1 levels (p = 0.008, p = 0.02 and p = 0.03 respectively). After adjusting for the same covariates, the associations between ICAM-1 and all-cause mortality and CVD mortality and morbidity remained significant (p = 0.02, p = 0.01 and p = 0.02 respectively), while serum VCAM-1 levels were independently associated only with all-cause mortality (p = 0.02). Conclusions: In non-diabetic HD patients, carotid atherosclerosis and adhesion molecule levels are independent predictors of long-term clinical outcomes and may be useful surrogate markers for risk stratification in these patients.

Atherosclerotic lesion of coronary artery frequently accompanies intimal hyperplasia of radial artery. We have reported that the lesion of radial artery (intimal hyperplasia) in hemodialysis (HD) patients is associated with early access failure (EAF) as well as ischemic heart disease (IHD) (Am J Kidney Dis. 2003; 41: 422-428). Objective: This study was designed to determine the impact of IHD on the EAF in nondiabetic HD patients. Methods: This study enrolled 125 nondiabetic HD patients who received radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula operation for the first time. We evaluated IHD before the operation through clinical symptoms and electrocardiography and then investigated EAF within 1 year after the operation. We analyzed the access patency rates between the patients with and without IHD, using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors of the EAF. Results: The mean age of the patients was 48 AE 14 years, and the number of females was 54 (43.2%). Of the total 125 patients, 19 patients (15.4%) had IHD before the operation. The EAF developed in 23 patients (18.4%) within 1 years after the operation. The access patency rate in the patients with IHD was lower than that in the patients without IHD (39.7 vs. 88.3%, p < 0.001). IHD and old age were independent risk factors of the EAF in nondiabetic HD patients. But sex, smoking history, hypertension, and the levels of hemoglobin, serum creatinine, albumin, and total cholesterol checked before the operation were not associated with the EAF. Conclusion: This study suggests that IHD is closely associated with EAF in nondiabetic HD patients. Dialysis Staff Time and SupplyCost for the LifeSite System vs. Hemodialysis Catheters D. Shore, S. Vega. West Palm Dialysis --Preferred Medical Group, West Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.The LifeSite System is a new subcutaneous vascular access option for hemodialysis patients. As the procedure for accessing the Life-Site differs from hemodialysis catheters, we prospectively studied the differences in time required to initiate and discontinue treatments for LifeSite patients compared to patients with hemodialysis catheters. We also collected data on the cost of supplies and the number of alarms during dialysis for both groups. 5 LifeSite and 5 catheter patients were chosen at random for participation in the study. The time required for the ON and OFF procedures was recorded for 3 consecutive dialysis sessions for each patient for a total of 15 observations/group. The average staff time required per session for supply preparation, ON/OFF procedure, dressing changes, and responding to alarms was 15.9 min for the LifeSite and 16.9 min for catheters. Catheter patients experienced 4.5Background: Hemodialysis is often complicated by cardiovascular instability (CVI). We studied factors contributing to

Background: We investigated the effects of the use of vitamin E-coated membrane (VEM) dialyzer in comparison to simvastatin on markers of chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial cell apoptosis in ten patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD), aiming at distinguishing the different treatment effects and their time sequence on these pathogenetic routes. Methods: Ten HD patients were sequentially submitted to a 6-month treatment with the use of VEM and 10 mg of simvastatin daily, interrupted by a 3-month washout period. At baseline, at 3, and 6 months of each trial, serum C-reactive protein (CRP), apolipoprotein (Apo) A1 and B, lipoprotein-a [Lp(a)], high-sensitivity interleukin-6 (hsIL-6), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin), soluble Fas (sFas), soluble Fas ligand (sFasL), and plasma oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) levels were determined. Results: VEM treatment resulted in a significant decrease in CRP, IL-6, sICAM-1 at 3 months, and oxLDL at 6 months, compared to baseline. Simvastatin resulted in a significant decrease in CRP, which correlated with decreases in both total (r ¼ 0.87, p < 0.05) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, IL-6, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, oxLDL, and sFas at 6 months, compared to baseline. Simvastatin effects on sVCAM-1 (mean difference ¼ 652 ng/mL; 95% CI ¼ 294 to 2686; p < 0.05) and sFas (mean difference ¼ 1284 pg/mL; 95% CI ¼ 510 to 1910; p < 0.05) differed significantly from the corresponding VEM effects. Conclusions: The 6-month use of VEM resulted in more direct and immediate anti-inflammatory effects compared with those caused by the 6-month treatment with simvastatin. Simvastatin caused a more intense decrease in the markers of inflammation, which was in part correlated with its lipid-lowering effects.

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