R Re es sp pi ir ra at to or ry y m mu us sc cl le e s st tr re en ng gt th h d du ur ri in ng g c co on nt ti in nu uo ou us s a am mb bu ul la at to or ry y p pe er ri it to on ne ea al l d di ia al ly ys si is s ( (C CA AP PD D) ) N Maximum pressures, spirometry and lung volumes were measured before dialysis, 4 h after the administration of 2 l of dialysate into the peritoneal cavity, and just after the next drainage. In addition, biochemical indices (urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphorus) and haematological indices (haemoglobin (Hb) and haematocrit (Hct)) were measured once before the treatment.The results showed that mean PImax and PEmax were normal, with a very wide range between patients, before CAPD. However, seven patients (27%) showed a PImax of <75% predicted (pred) and eight (31%) a PEmax <75% pred. Maximal pressures decreased significantly during CAPD and increased again after the drainage of fluid. Similarly, lung volumes were within the normal range before and decreased significantly during CAPD. The forced expiratory volume in one second to forced vital capacity (FEV 1 /FVC) ratio did not change.We conclude that respiratory muscle strength was preserved in the majority of the patients with chronic renal failure treated with CAPD. During CAPD, lung volumes and respiratory muscle function were decreased, demonstrating an effect of the abdominal cavity on the mechanics of the respiratory system. However, the decrease in the maximum pressures was less than 20%, indicating that CAPD is a safe procedure in patients without pre-existing pulmonary disease or uraemic pulmonary complications. Respiratory muscle strength increased immediately after the drainage of fluid.

CD23 is a protein on the surface of certain hemopoietic cells and it is considered to be the low affinity receptor for immunoglobulin IgE, (FcεRll/CD23). The regulation of the expression of CD23 depends on the type of cell on which it is found. Like most of the FcR receptors, it is released in a soluble form (sCD23) in the extracellular fluid. This form is found in increased levels in the serum of allergic patients and in neoplastic diseases. We studied total IgE and sCD23 in the serum of 30 allergic patients undergoing immunotherapy, 15 allergic patients treated only symptomatically for grass pollen (GP) allergy, 15 healthy and subjects. We found that the mean values of total IgE and sCD23 after the course of hyposensitization were decreased compared to those before treatment as well as to those GP allergic patients under conventional therapy and to healthy adults. However, only the CD23 decrease was statistically significant. Therefore, we speculate that determination of sCD23 may be useful for (a) the general evaluation of allergic patients and (b) the immunological monitoring of patients under immunotherapy.

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