Biomedical subjects

M Haberal

Publications and source records attributed to M Haberal.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Burns in Turkish children and adolescents: nine years of experience.

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe information about burns that occur in children and adolescents in Turkey. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The subjects were 362 patients whom were younger than 18 years who were treated at 3 burn centers in 2 different regions of Turkey between 1997 and 2005. The data collected for each case were age, gender, place of residence, cause and extent of burn, body sites affected, environment in which the injury occurred, interval from injury to arrival at a burn center, hospitalization status (inpatient versus outpatient), surgical treatment, and mortality. RESULTS: The 362 patients comprised 35.5% of all 1021 burn victims admitted during the study period. There were 183 boys and 179 girls (ratio 1:0.98) and the mean total body surface area burned was 17.7+/-16.5%. The highest proportion of patients were in the 1-6 years age group. Non-bath (not immersed) hot water scalding (216 cases, 59.7%) was the leading burn cause. The most common environment in which burn injury occurred was the home. The trunk was the body site most frequently affected (62.7%). 241 (66.6%) subjects lived in urban environments and 121 (33.4%) lived in rural areas. 171 patients (47.2%) were taken directly to the burn units, whereas the others (52.8%) were referred from other medical centers. 124 (34.3%) subjects were treated as outpatients and 238 (65.7%) were hospitalized. The overall mortality rate was 8.6% (31 deaths). Of the 238 inpatients, 92 (38.7%) were treated with daily dressings only, 128 (53.8%) required debridement, and 75 (31.5%) needed both debridement and grafting. CONCLUSION: Every country needs a nationwide public education system that is aimed at preventing burns and ensuring that burn victims receive proper first aid and age-appropriate, specialized burn care.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Effect of secondary interventions on patency of vascular access sites for hemodialysis.

PURPOSE: To determine the impact of secondary procedures performed to maintain arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and arteriovenous graft (AVG) patency. METHODS: There hundred and eighty six vascular access procedures were retrospectively evaluated. 156 (40.4%) patients required radiological interventions to treat acute thrombosis, swelling of the extremity with the access site, insufficient hemodialysis, or stenosis at an anastomotic site. RESULTS: The 386 cases comprised 106 AVGs and 280 AVFs. In 138 of the 156 cases, which required a radiological intervention, the treatment was successful and saved the vascular access site. The unassisted post-intervention patency time for these 138 successful cases was 13.1 +/- 12 months (range, 1-65 months). Twenty-nine (63%) of the 46 access sites treated with surgical thrombectomy were saved. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent, regular follow-up of hemodialysis patients with vascular access sites is the best way to diagnose problems early and allow the best chance of long-term function.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Neurosurgical practice at Başkent University, Turkey: a new model.

BACKGROUND: The Turkish Organ Transplantation and Burn Foundation was established in 1980. This was followed by the founding of the Turkish Transplantation and Burn Foundation Hospital in 1985. Under the aegis of this foundation and the Haberal Educational Foundation, Baskent University (BU) was founded in 1993 by Professor Mehmet Haberal, general surgeon and pioneer of organ transplantation in Turkey, and the President of the university since then. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The BU Neurosurgery Department began functioning in January of 1995, with the advancement of the department and with contributions from the other hospitals in cities of Adana, Konya and Alanya. Just 13 years after its foundation, BU became one of the most prestigious universities of the country. While establishing new neurosurgery units within BU health care facilities, the neurosurgeons appointed to the new center spend few months in the neurosurgery department at the BU Ankara Hospital, central hospital, at first in order to get acquainted with the BU medical system. After the new neurosurgery unit begins to operate, senior neurosurgeons from Ankara are called to supervise junior colleagues during major surgical procedures. In addition to these exchanges, residents are sent routinely to these centers as part of the neurosurgical residency programme. As the system is very integrated, neurosurgeons from other centers of the BU also routinely come to Ankara Hospital and Research Center for educational purposes. CONCLUSION: BU as a whole and its health system model in particular are certainly unique in Turkey. The statistical data from all hospitals of the BU reveal growing patient demand and consumer satisfaction.

Academic Medical Centers↗

PubMed2006

Hypophosphatemia in living liver donors.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Some patients who undergo donor hepatectomy for adult living donor liver transplantation develop hypophosphatemia postoperatively. Since this imbalance appears to be a factor in postoperative complications, some authors advocate routine supratherapeutic phosphorus repletion. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of hypophosphatemia after elective donor lobectomy for liver transplantation and to assess whether phosphorus repletion is necessary in this patient group. METHODS: The cases of 26 patients who donated 19 right lobe and seven left lateral lobe grafts between August 2004 and March 2005 were evaluated. Postoperative phosphorus levels and other relevant data were obtained from our institution's transplant database. Presence/severity of hypophosphatemia was categorized as follows: normal (>2.5 mg/dL), mild (1.5 to 2.5 mg/dL), moderate (1.1 to 1.5 mg/dL), and profound (<1.0 mg/dL). RESULTS: No patients undergoing donor hepatectomy suffered profound or life-threatening hypophosphatemia and no donor required hyperalimentation for phosphate repletion. Twenty one donors (80.7%) did not have postoperative hypophosphatemia. In addition there appears to be no increased morbidity related to hypophosphatemia. A left lateral segment donor (3.8%) had moderate hypophosphatemia that alleviated with oral intake gradually. Four patients (15.5%; three of right lobe donor, one of left lateral segment donor) had mild hypophosphatemia. We also appropriately corrected the hypophosphatemia with encouragement of normal oral intake. By postoperative day 5, essentially all donor phosphorus levels were corrected to normal range. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that hypophosphatemia after donor hepatectomy is not as common as previously reported. We find that appropriate early oral intake postoperatively effectively prevents/minimizes hypophosphatemia in patients who undergo donor hepatectomy.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Lamivudine therapy in kidney allograft recipients who are seropositive for hepatitis B surface antigen.

BACKGROUND: There are numerous recent reports on the use of lamivudine for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection after renal transplantation. However, the optimal strategy (prophylactic, preemptive, or salvage approach) for starting lamivudine treatment in this patient group has not been determined. The aim of this study was to assess how the timing of lamivudine therapy affected the HBV serological status and the transaminase levels in renal allograft recipients with chronic HBV infection. METHODS: We investigated outcomes for patients who were seropositive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and underwent transplantation before or after October 2004 (the date our institution implemented a prophylactic lamivudine treatment strategy against HBV). The data included serum liver enzyme levels and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening results for HBV-DNA in serum. RESULTS: Fifteen patients (11 before October 2004, four after October 2004) were included in the study. Preoperatively all patients had normal transaminases levels and 2 of 15 patients had detectable HBV-DNA on PCR. Eight of the 15 total HBsAg-positive patients in our series were not placed on lamivudine at the time of renal transplantation. Half of those who were not treated initially showed transaminase elevations in the first year of follow-up requiring lamivudine therapy at that time. In contrast, all seven individuals who received lamivudine at the time of transplantation were negative for HBV-DNA throughout the follow-up. CONCLUSION: To prevent viral replication in HBsAg-positive patients who are scheduled for renal transplantation, it is best to initiate lamivudine therapy before or immediately after transplantation.

Antiviral Agents↗

PubMed2006

Does colchicine have an antifibrotic effect on development of interstitial fibrosis in renal allografts of recipients with familial Mediterranean fever?

Colchicine, which has been reported to inhibit fibrosis, has been successfully used to treat fibrotic disorders, such as liver cirrhosis, scleroderma, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. We hypothesized that besides its ability to prevent amyloid deposition, colchicine may prevent the development of interstitial fibrosis (IF) in amyloidosis patients who had undergone renal transplantation. We evaluated the influence of colchicine therapy on the development of IF in 25 patients with systemic amyloidosis secondary to familial Mediterranean fever (group 1). Twenty-five nonamyloidotic patients who did not receive colchicine therapy served as controls (group 2). The incidences of recurrence and development of IF in the first, second, and third years after transplantation were evaluated from follow-up allograft biopsies. Only four patients showed amyloid recurrence in their renal allografts. IF developed in 44% (11/25) of group 1 patients and 80% (20/25) of group 2 patients during the 36 months posttransplantation (P < .01). Development of IF in the first, second, and third years posttransplantation was significantly greater among group 2 recipients than group 1 recipients (P < .01). The overall 1-, 2-, and 3-year graft survival rates for group 1 recipients were 96%, 92%, and 80%, and those for group 2 recipients were 96%, 88%, and 60%, respectively. Our results support the thesis that colchicine therapy may help prevent the development of interstitial fibrosis in renal allografts.

Amyloidosis, Familial↗

PubMed2006

Posttransplant tubulointerstitial nephritis: clinicopathological correlation.

As a cause of graft dysfunction, tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) seems to be the third most common pathology after rejection and cyclosporine nephrotoxicity. Among 540 needle biopsies obtained from 280 renal transplant patients between 1996 and 1999, acute TIN was detected in 23 patients (8%). The cause of acute TIN was secondary to bacterial infection in 17 patients and secondary to cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in three patients. The remaining three cases showed granulomatous pyelonephritis due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (n = 2) and Candida albicans (n = 1). During follow-up, 13 of 23 patients (56.5%) showed at least one acute rejection episode. The average number of urinary tract infection (UTI) episodes in the 23 patients was 1.4 +/- 07. We observed that the number of UTI episodes showed a significant association with the development of chronic allograft nephropathy (P = .03) and graft loss (P < .01). Twelve patients (52.2%) lost their grafts during 5 years posttransplantation. Only 6 of 17 patients with bacterial TIN lost their graft at a mean time of 52.5 +/- 14 months. But all patients with CMV TIN or granulomatous TIN lost their grafts at a mean time of 31 +/- 3.1 months and 39 +/- 3 months, respectively (P < .05). In conclusion, these results support the pathological role of tubulointerstitial nephritis as a pathway of graft rejection or renal allograft deterioration among recipients after transplantation.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Among therapy modalities of end-stage renal disease, renal transplantation improves survival in patients with amyloidosis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the results of renal transplantation in amyloidosis patients compared with those on hemodialysis. We compared a group of 25 patients with systemic amyloidosis and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) treated with renal transplantation with a control group of 30 patients with systemic amyloidosis and ESRD treated with hemodialysis. Overall 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival rates were 86.9%, 82.6%, and 78.2%, respectively, for patients, who had renal transplantations versus 60.7%, 50%, and 46.4%, respectively, for patients on hemodialysis treatments (P < .001). Among the control group 15 patients died at 9.4 +/- 7.5 months after starting hemodialysis. Among transplantation group five patients died during follow-up (mean 12.3 +/- 13.6 months); the major cause of death was infection. Only 18 patients experienced recurrences after renal transplantation; their 5-year survival rate was 84.2% versus 50% for patients who had no recurrence (P < .001). Patients with amyloid recurrence also had better long-term survival rates than patients in hemodialysis group (P < .001). In conclusion amyloidotic patients maintained on chronic dialysis have a high mortality rate. Better survival was noted for patients who had renal transplantations despite recurrences. These results encourage transplantation in amyloid renal end-stage disease.

Amyloidosis↗

PubMed2006

Effects of immunosuppressive drugs on serum lipid levels in renal transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Hyperlipidemia is an important metabolic disorder that is common among renal transplant recipients. This study investigated the possible effects of transplantation and immunosuppressive drugs on lipid profiles in this patient group. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the records of 179 patients who underwent renal transplantation between 1996 and 2000, recording lipid profile findings-total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), and triglyceride (TG)-before and at least 6 months after transplantation. We also recorded patient demographics, underlying renal disorder, and immunosuppressive drug regimens. RESULTS: Sixty-nine (38.5%) patients were women and 110 men (61.5%). The mean age (+/- SD) of the 179 recipients was 35.7 +/- 11.8 years (range, 11 to 62 years). The respective pre- versus posttransplantation lipid profile findings were: TC, 171.6 +/- 42.4 mg/dL versus 204.7 +/- 45.3 mg/dL, P < .001; LDLc, 114.5 +/- 34.5 mg/dL versus 142.2 +/- 39.7 mg/dL, P < .001; HDLc, 46.7 +/- 13.6 mg/dL versus 42.5 +/- 12.3 mg/dL, P = .001; TG, 142.9 +/- 55.7 mg/dL versus 178.8 +/- 71.8 mg/dL, P < .001. Increased lipid levels were found to be independent of patient age, sex, donor type, and immunosuppressive drug regimen. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that antihyperlipidemic drugs should be administered routinely to renal transplant recipients irrespective of the immunosuppressive drug regimen or graft source.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Nonvascular complications in pediatric liver recipients: multidetector computed tomography evaluation.

In pediatric liver transplantation postoperative diagnosis of complications is crucial for graft salvage. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is a technique to evaluate complications. In this study we present nonvascular abdominal complications encountered in pediatric recipients after liver transplantation. We retrospectively examined 113 MDCT examinations in 43 pediatric patients who underwent liver transplantation between 1997 and 2005. Computed tomography (CT) examinations were made by a 16-detector multislice CT scanner. The pathological findings on CT images were: intraperitoneal free fluid, intrahepatic bile duct dilatation, graft liver infarction, perihepatic and intraperitoneal fluid collections (six biloma), colonic and/or intestinal dilatation, splenic infarction, perihepatic hematoma, right adrenal hemorrhage, perihepatic abscess, incisional hernia, intrahepatic biloma and periportal collar. In one patient intestinal hemorrhage was suspected. Intestinal perforation was suspected in three patients. Among these three patients, one patient died before any surgical intervention. In two patients the diagnosis was confirmed at surgery. In pediatric patients, the short examination time, brief sedation duration, and high-resolution images make MDCT an effective radiological method to evaluate nonvascular transplant complications.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Frequency of recipient-derived chimerism and relationship with acute rejection and HLA tissue typing in transplanted livers.

BACKGROUND: We sought to determine the extent and time course of recipient-derived chimerism after transplantation and the relationship with acute rejection episodes (ARE) and HLA typing in hepatic allograft patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 18 needle liver biopsy specimens from patients who had undergone orthotopic liver transplantation. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis for X and Y chromosomes was performed in all cases with a sex mismatch. To evaluate the HLA matching, we used serological and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodology. RESULTS: There was a sex mismatch between the recipients and donors in all cases. X and Y chromosome chimerism was detected in 14 of 18 (83%; 31.14 +/- 27.4) patients. Also, no statistical association was found between the presence and the extent of chimerism and clinicopathological parameters (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that chimerism was frequently seen in liver allografts, but it did not influence the occurrence of ARE, tissue compatibility, or histopathological changes in the posttransplantation period. The clinical, immunological, and histopathological relevance of chimerism remain unclear. These results may relate to the small number of patients and disproportion of chimerism-positive versus-negative cases. Further prospective studies will be required to clarify these findings in a larger population of liver transplant patients.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Persistent hypercalcemia is a significant risk factor for graft dysfunction in renal transplantation recipients.

Hypercalcemia is a common problem in renal transplant recipients, although in most cases, spontaneous resolution occurs within 1 year after renal transplantation. This condition may persist in some patients producing effects on renal function which are not well understood. In this study, we sought to analyze the effect of persistent hypercalcemia in the posttransplantation period on the function of renal transplants. A total of 121 recipients (31 women, 90 men; mean age, 34.1 +/- 9.9 years) underwent renal transplantation between 1999 and 2002. All patients underwent prospective evaluation of their serum calcium levels at 6-month intervals. A sustained corrected mean serum calcium level higher than 10.2 mg/dL was defined as "persistent hypercalcemia." Patients who had a gradual increase in their serum creatinine levels to >2 mg/dL or a 50% rise above the baseline were considered to display chronic allograft dysfunction (CAD). Among 121 recipients, 52 patients (43%) developed CAD and 37 patients (30.6%) had persistent hypercalcemia. Among the CAD patients, 22 suffered persistent hypercalcemia, while the other 15 patients were without CAD, a difference that was statistically significant (42.3% vs 21.7%, P = .01). The mean calcium levels were lower among patients without than with CAD, a difference that did not reach statistical significance (9.9 +/- 0.4 mg/dL vs 10.1 +/- 0.6 mg/dL, P = .1). In conclusion, persistent hypercalcemia in the posttransplantation period may significantly contribute to the development of chronic allograft nephropathy.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Risk factors for development of posttransplant diabetes mellitus in renal transplant recipients.

Diabetes mellitus appearing after kidney transplantation--posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM)--is a common complication associated with poor graft and patient survival. The purpose of the current study was to determine the risk factors for developing PTDM in 204 renal transplant recipients who had been followed for at least 30 months. Posttransplant diabetes mellitus was diagnosed according to the American Diabetic Association/WHO criteria, or a requirement for insulin, an oral hypoglycemic agent, or both. Analyses of possible risk factors for PTDM included demographic features, dialysis and posttransplantation duration, smoking, body mass index, medications, co-morbid diseases, HLA mismatches, as well as laboratory metrics of serum creatinine, albumin, calcium, phosphorus, C-reactive protein, parathyroid hormone, and lipid profiles. Twenty-six patients displayed PTDM. Univariate analysis showed that older age, greater body mass index, presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and smoking at the time of renal transplantation were associated with PTDM development. In a multivariate analysis, HCV infection, smoking, and patient age at the time of transplantation were independent risk factors for PTDM. In conclusion, the presence of HCV infection or a smoking habit in addition to older age at the time of transplantation were the main predictors for developing PTDM. Patients should be closely followed regarding their smoking habit and weight gain as modifiable risk factors for PTDM.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Prevalence and etiology of anemia in renal transplant recipients.

We aimed to define the prevalence of anemia and possible causes for it in a group of renal transplant recipients. A total of 229 recipients (65 women; age 36.1 +/- 11.8 years; minimum posttransplant duration, 3 years) were included. Patients with iron, vitamin B(12), and folic acid deficiencies were excluded. Patients were grouped according to number of posttransplant years completed with functioning grafts (3, 5, or 10 years). Demographic data, donor information, HLA mismatches, acute rejection episodes, biochemical parameters, and medications received during the 3 months before transplant and at 3, 5, and 10 years posttransplant were collected retrospectively. The anemia threshold was 13 g/dL for men and 12 g/dL for women. Anemia prevalence was 41.5%, 35.3%, and 93.2% at 3, 5, and 10 years, respectively. Anemic patients had higher creatinine levels for all years. In the anemic patients, hemoglobin values were lower in the pretransplant period than at 3 and 5 years. Anemic patients had higher HLA mismatches for the same years. Three-year hemoglobin levels were positively correlated with pretransplant hemoglobin and negatively correlated with creatinine levels and HLA mismatches. Five-year hemoglobin levels were positively correlated with pretransplant hemoglobin and albumin levels. Ten-year hemoglobin levels were positively correlated with pretransplant hemoglobin and albumin values but negatively correlated with creatinine levels and HLA mismatches. The prevalence of anemia in renal transplant recipients increases in parallel with posttransplant duration. Hemoglobin levels in these patients are closely related with pretransplant hemoglobin, follow-up creatinine levels, and HLA mismatches.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Pulmonary function in renal transplant recipients and end-stage renal disease patients undergoing maintenance dialysis.

The aim of this study was to reveal the pulmonary function status of renal transplant recipients and chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. The study involved 73 subjects, including 49 patients who were either on peritoneal dialysis (n = 22) or hemodialysis (n = 27), and 24 renal transplant recipients. The spirometry results revealed significantly higher residual volume and total lung capacity in the hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis groups than in the transplantation group. Forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity was slightly below normal in the dialysis patients. Preservation of diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide was noted in the hemodialysis group (112.4%). Inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength was reduced in all groups. Only type of dialysis was correlated with this reduction. Inspiratory muscle strength in the peritoneal dialysis group (49.9%) was significantly lower than in the transplantation and hemodialysis groups (54.7% and 66.5%, respectively). The spirometry findings suggest that small-airway disease causes increased residual volume and total lung capacity (hyperinflation) in hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients and that this airway obstruction subsides after renal transplantation. Preserved diffusion capacity in the hemodialysis group was attributed to the use of biocompatible dialyzer membranes. Renal failure complications may be the main explanation for global respiratory muscle weakness in dialysis patients, whereas corticosteroid therapy might be the primary cause in kidney graft recipients. Significantly lower inspiratory muscle strength in the peritoneal dialysis group suggests that presence of intra-abdominal dialysate might interfere with diaphragmatic contraction.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

PubMed2006

Subjective global assessment is a useful method to detect malnutrition in renal transplant patients.

Adequate nutrition is essential for the well-being of renal transplant patients. While body weight gain is a common widely investigated finding, a considerable fraction of patients exhibit poor nutritional status after successful kidney transplantation. In the present study, the prevalence association with nutritional parameters and clinical data of malnutrition among kidney transplant patients were determined based upon a subjective global assessment. This cross-sectional study in the transplant outpatient clinic included 47 patients (10 women, 37 men) of mean age 37.6 +/- 10.2 years. The same dietitian performed the assessment on all patients, including anthropometric measurements of body mass index (BMI), mid-arm circumference, and triceps skinfold thickness. The patient data including medications, number of hospitalizations in the preceding year, and presence of chronic allograft failure were collected from medical records. The mean laboratory values during the last 6 months included hemoglobin, creatinine, albumin, phosphorus, C-reactive protein levels, and lipid profile. The patients were classified into 3 groups defined as A (n = 31, 66%), B (n = 11, 23.4%), and C (n = 5, 10.6%), namely, A, no malnutrition versus B/C, moderate or severe malnutrition. Comparison of the 2 groups revealed the serum albumin (P < .0001), body mass index (P = .02), and mid-arm circumference (P = .02) to be higher in group A than groups B/C. Group B/C patients showed higher levels of C-reactive protein (P < .0001). When compared to the pretransplantation period, the 31 patients in group A included 26 who had increased body mass index after transplantation versus only 3 of 16 patients in groups B/C had (P < .0001). The hospitalization rates were significantly lower in group A (P = .02). Additionally, the patients in group A tended to have a lower frequency of chronic allograft rejection when compared to group B/C subjects (P = .13). In conclusion, assessment of nutritional status of renal transplant patients combined with intervention in the nutritional intake may decrease the morbidity rates in this patient group.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Successful treatment of a child with fulminant liver failure and coma due to Amanita phalloides poisoning using urgent liver transplantation.

Intoxication due to eating wild mushrooms presents with a variety of signs, ranging from mild diarrhea to severe organ failure. We present the case of an 11-year-old boy with fulminant liver failure and hepatic coma due to Amanita phalloides poisoning treated with an urgent pediatric orthotopic liver transplantation. Successful treatment of patients with fulminant liver failure and hepatic coma caused by Amanita phalloides poisoning is possible using urgent orthotopic liver transplantation when conservative medical treatment modalities are ineffective.

Amanita↗

PubMed2006

Hepatitis C infection in hemodialysis patients: Protective against oxidative stress?

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a common problem that increases morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients. These patients are also at risk of increased oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate possible interactions between HCV infection and oxidative stress indicators in a group of hemodialysis patients awaiting transplantation. We evaluated 73 patients (29 women, 44 men; ages, 49.3 +/- 13.3 years; dialysis duration, 81.7 +/- 48.8 months; Kt/V > or = 1.3). Indicators of plasma oxidative status were monitored at the beginning of a clinically stable hemodialysis session. Measurements were performed for plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and malonyldialdehyde (MDA) by spectrophotometric methods. We retrospectively recorded the prior year's monthly laboratory values for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, lipids, homocysteine, Lp(a), calcium, phosphorus, intact parathyroid hormone, and predialysis blood urea nitrogen (BUN) creatinine, as well as clinical findings of body mass index and pre- and postdialysis blood pressures. We excluded patients with chronic inflammation (mean CRP levels > or = 10 mg/L) or HCV infection of duration <12 months or clinically advanced liver failure. Twenty-six patients had HCV. The sex distribution, mean age, and dialysis duration were similar between groups. HCV-infected patients showed significantly lower levels of MDA, albumin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, predialysis creatinine, and phosphorus. Antioxidative indicator levels were also higher in the HCV group, but they were not statistically significant. In conclusion, HCV infection in dialysis patients is associated with decreased levels of plasma oxidative load.

Adult↗