Peritoneal Dialysis International: Journal of the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis, 2008
Objective The published mortality data for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and be... more Objective The published mortality data for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and being treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD) are not available. The aim of this study was to determine the mortality of HCV patients undergoing PD. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 538 PD patients in our hospital from 1996 to 2005. Of these patients, 75 (13.9%) were anti-HCV positive at the beginning of PD. We used Kaplan–Meier analysis to compare mortality between patients with and patients without HCV infection. The association between HCV infection and mortality was analyzed using multivariate Cox regression with adjustment for age, gender, residual renal function, and cardiovascular disease. Results A total of 157 patients (39 HCV positive, 118 HCV negative) died during the 10-year follow-up period. The mortality rate (52%, 39/75) of HCV-positive patients was significantly higher than that of HCV-negative patients (25.5%, 118/463; p < 0.001). Cardiovascular mortality was 57.6% (68...
Prolonged QT interval is related to changes of electrolytes in hemodialysis (HD) and is associate... more Prolonged QT interval is related to changes of electrolytes in hemodialysis (HD) and is associated with all-cause mortality in HD patients. It is unknown if prolonged QT interval is associated with all-cause mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients as the electrolytes were relatively stable in PD. We therefore investigated the association of prolonged QT interval and all-cause mortality in chronic PD patients. The QT intervals were measured in 2003 and all patients were followed to Dec 2012. A prolonged QT interval was defined as a QT interval > 450 ms. The association of prolonged QT interval with all-cause and cardiac-specific mortality was analyzed using Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Of 306 patients, 196 (64%) patients had prolonged QT interval. The incidence density rate was 9.7 per 100 persons-years for all-cause mortality and 5.6 for cardiac specific mortality in patients with prolonged QT interval. Prolonged QT interval was associated with all-cause morta...
Multidisciplinary care (MDC) was widely used in multiple chronic illnesses but the effectiveness ... more Multidisciplinary care (MDC) was widely used in multiple chronic illnesses but the effectiveness of MDC in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) was inconclusive. The aim of this meta-analysis is to estimate the effectiveness of MDC for CKD. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and China Journal Full-text Database for relevant articles published in English or Chinese. Studies investigating MDC and non-MDC in patients with CKD were included. Random effect model was used to compare all-cause mortality, dialysis, risk of temporal catheterization, and hospitalization in the two treatment entities. We analyzed 8853 patients of 18 studies in patients with CKD stages 3-5, aged 63±12years. MDC was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.52 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.44-0.88, p=0.01], mainly in cohort studies. MDC was associated with a lower risk of starting dialysis (p=0.02) and lower risk of temporal catheterization for dialysis (p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.01). MDC was not associated with a higher chance of choosing peritoneal dialysis (p=0.18) or a lower chance of hospitalization for dialysis (p=0.13). Limited evidence from randomized controlled trials is currently available to support the benefit of MDC in patients with CKD. MDC is associated with lower all-cause mortality, lower risk of starting dialysis, and lower risk of temporal catheterization for dialysis in cohort studies. MDC is not associated with a higher chance of choosing peritoneal dialysis or a lower chance of hospitalization for dialysis. More studies are needed to determine the optimal professional that should be included in MDC.
The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors associated with end-stage renal disease... more The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors associated with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS).Information about the study participants was extracted from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan for the years 1999 through 2011. We conducted this retrospective cohort study of patients with ARAS to identify the potential risk factors associated with long-term renal outcomes.A total of 2184 patients with ARAS were enrolled, of whom 840 had ESRD and were classified as the study group, and 1344 patients who were without ESRD were included in the comparison cohort. After adjusting for related variables, univariable, and multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that ESRD was associated with higher Charlson-comorbidity index (CCI) score (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 6.78, 95% CI = 4.59-10.0 for CCI = 2; adjusted OR = 20.0, 95% CI = 13.7-29.2 for CCI ≥3), diabetes (adjusted OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1....
Topiramate is an effective anti-epileptic drug and can be associated with increased risk for urol... more Topiramate is an effective anti-epileptic drug and can be associated with increased risk for urolithiasis because of its effects on acid-base profile. Evidences that supported an association of topiramate and urolithiasis were limited to case reports or series. We investigated the association of topiramate and urolithiasis in a nationwide population-based cohort study. We analyzed 1377 patients receiving topiramate and 1377 age- and gender-matched control patients (not receiving topiramate) between 1997 and 2008. The risk of urolithiasis was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis, followed by Cox proportional hazard regression. Of the 2754 patients, 79 (2.9%) patients developed urolithiasis in two (interquartile range: 1.2-4.2) years. The proportion of patients who developed urolithiasis in the patients receiving topiramate was not different from that of the control patients (p=0.138, χ(2) test). The urolithiasis free survival was not different between the patients receiving topiramat...
Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN, 2014
Patients with CKD can benefit from an increase in physical activity. Walking is one of the most c... more Patients with CKD can benefit from an increase in physical activity. Walking is one of the most common exercises in patients with CKD; however, the association of walking with outcomes in patients with CKD is not clear. This study investigated the association of walking with overall mortality and RRT in patients with CKD stages 3-5. All patients with CKD stages 3-5 in the CKD program of China Medical University Hospital from June 2003 to May 2013 were enrolled. The risks of overall mortality and RRT were analyzed using competing-risks regressions. A total of 6363 patients (average age, 70 years) during a median of 1.3 (range=0.6-2.5) years of follow-up were analyzed. There were 1341 (21.1%) patients who reported walking as their most common form of exercise. The incidence density rate of overall mortality was 2.7 per 100 person-years for walking patients and 5.4 for nonwalking ones. The incidence density rate of RRT was 22 per 100 person-years for walking patients and 32.9 for nonwa...
A 47-year-old man with history of alcoholic liver cirrhosis (Child–Pugh class C) and end stage re... more A 47-year-old man with history of alcoholic liver cirrhosis (Child–Pugh class C) and end stage renal disease was admitted because of bilateral flank pain for 2 weeks. He started haemodialysis (HD) via left femoral double lumen because of hyperkalaemia 1 month before admission. He denied a history of muscle strain or trauma and his low back pain got worse …
We report on a young man with large lumbar arteriovenous malformations presenting as high output ... more We report on a young man with large lumbar arteriovenous malformations presenting as high output heart failure and acute renal failure. A 19-year-old obese male with hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and gouty arthritis was admitted because of exertional dyspnoea, bilateral leg oedema, and scrotal swelling for 3 days. In the previous 2 years, he occasionally had exertional dyspnoea, …
Pulse pressure (PP) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular and/or all-cause mortality in p... more Pulse pressure (PP) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular and/or all-cause mortality in patients with underlying cardiovascular disease. We examined whether PP can be used to predict overall mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. We studied 153 PD patients (mean age, 54.5 +/- 14.2 years) with end-stage renal disease. PP was measured monthly for 3 months. At the time of the third PP measurement, baseline demographic, clinical, biochemical, and dialysis data were collected. Patients were stratified into tertiles according to average PP, and the relationship between blood pressure parameters and all-cause mortality over a 30-month follow-up was assessed using Cox regression. There were 27 deaths; three deaths occurred after the change to hemodialysis (HD) (subjects died within 3 months after HD) and were counted as events during survival analysis. The overall 30-month survival (Kaplan-Meier curves) times were significantly different among the tertiles of PP (P < 0.0...
Hemodialysis (HD) prolongs the life of the patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD), but the ... more Hemodialysis (HD) prolongs the life of the patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD), but the survival rates are still lower than the general population. More than half of ESRD patients died from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recent studies have revealed that CVD is a consequence of vascular inflammation, and that there are active inflammatory processes in ESRD patients. Reports have indicated that ESRD patients have fewer CVD events and better survival with hemodiafiltration (HDF), but the reasons for this remain unclear. This study attempts to prove that HDF reduces the CVD-related cytokines. Seventeen adult HD outpatients were put on HDF in our hospital from September 2004 to June 2006. We collected plasma samples before and six months after initiation of HDF. The target pro-inflammatory cytokines selected were interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-18 (IL-18), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and C-reactive protein (CRP). After six months of HDF, most of the biochemical parameters did not changed. Plasma IL-18 and TNF-alpha are decreased significantly (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.05) but IL-6 and CRP are not. IL-18 and INF-alpha decreased significantly after six months of HDF. These cytokines are key factors in atherosclerotic plaque formation and rupture, and a reduction of these inflammatory cytokines in HDF may reduce the CVD incidence and prolong life.
ABSTRACTAim: The aim of this study was to determine whether ankle‐brachial index (ABI) predicts ... more ABSTRACTAim: The aim of this study was to determine whether ankle‐brachial index (ABI) predicts the rate of decline of residual renal function (RRF) in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Previous studies demonstrated the importance of loss of RRF in predicting all‐cause risk and cardiovascular mortality in PD patients. It is also known that patients with a low ABI value have a greater risk for deteriorating renal function in the general population. The relationship between ABI and the declining rate of RRF in PD patients with an additional dialysis‐specific risk factor is uncertain.Methods: Seventy‐four PD patients with RRF of more than 1 mL/min per 1.73 m2 were analyzed. ABI was used as the surrogate measure of pre‐existing cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis burden to further determine the outcome of RRF in this study. The slope of decline of RRF was used to determine the outcome.Results: Based on the multivariate analysis, only ABI (P < 0.001), diabetes (P = 0.02) an...
Background/Aims: Low mean arterial pressure (MAP) is associated with poor outcome in patients wit... more Background/Aims: Low mean arterial pressure (MAP) is associated with poor outcome in patients with cardiovascular disease; however, the prognostic role of MAP for chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients is unknown. This study was conducted to determine the association between MAP and mortality in chronic HD patients. Methods: We prospectively analyzed all chronic HD patients between February 2001 and February 2006. The averages of blood pressure measurements from the beginning of HD treatment or February 2001 were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank tests and stepwise forward Cox regression with adjustments for age, gender, and diabetes. Results: In an average of 36.3 ± 20.2 months, 834 patients (414 men and 420 women) were analyzed and 205 (24.6%) patients died. Patients with predialytic MAP <90 mm Hg and patients with an increase of MAP >15 mm Hg during HD sessions were associated with increasing mortality in Kaplan-Meier analysis (p = 0.033 and p = 0.012). In adju...
BACKGROUNDChronic hepatitis is associated with increased hemoglobin level in patients with end‐st... more BACKGROUNDChronic hepatitis is associated with increased hemoglobin level in patients with end‐stage renal disease. The aim of this study was to define the individual and combined influence of chronic hepatitis B and C infections on red blood cell status.METHODSA total of 524 chronic hemodialysis patients at 5 hemodialysis centers were retrospectively reviewed for the period from March 1 to June 31, 2005. The results of testing using a third‐generation enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay showed that 345 patients (65.8%) had neither HBV nor HCV (NBC), 55 patients (10.5%) had HBV, 108 (20.6%) had HCV, and 16 (3.1%) had concurrent HBV and HCV infection (BBC). Differences between the 4 groups of patients in the parameters studied were investigated using a multivariate general linear model with the Sidak post hoc test.RESULTSThe hemoglobin and hematocrit of patients with HCV were 10.5 ± 1.6 g/dL and 31.6% ± 4.7%, respectively, which were significantly higher than the 9.9 ± 1.4 g/dL and 29....
Peritoneal Dialysis International: Journal of the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis, 2008
Objective The published mortality data for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and be... more Objective The published mortality data for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and being treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD) are not available. The aim of this study was to determine the mortality of HCV patients undergoing PD. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 538 PD patients in our hospital from 1996 to 2005. Of these patients, 75 (13.9%) were anti-HCV positive at the beginning of PD. We used Kaplan–Meier analysis to compare mortality between patients with and patients without HCV infection. The association between HCV infection and mortality was analyzed using multivariate Cox regression with adjustment for age, gender, residual renal function, and cardiovascular disease. Results A total of 157 patients (39 HCV positive, 118 HCV negative) died during the 10-year follow-up period. The mortality rate (52%, 39/75) of HCV-positive patients was significantly higher than that of HCV-negative patients (25.5%, 118/463; p < 0.001). Cardiovascular mortality was 57.6% (68...
Prolonged QT interval is related to changes of electrolytes in hemodialysis (HD) and is associate... more Prolonged QT interval is related to changes of electrolytes in hemodialysis (HD) and is associated with all-cause mortality in HD patients. It is unknown if prolonged QT interval is associated with all-cause mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients as the electrolytes were relatively stable in PD. We therefore investigated the association of prolonged QT interval and all-cause mortality in chronic PD patients. The QT intervals were measured in 2003 and all patients were followed to Dec 2012. A prolonged QT interval was defined as a QT interval > 450 ms. The association of prolonged QT interval with all-cause and cardiac-specific mortality was analyzed using Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Of 306 patients, 196 (64%) patients had prolonged QT interval. The incidence density rate was 9.7 per 100 persons-years for all-cause mortality and 5.6 for cardiac specific mortality in patients with prolonged QT interval. Prolonged QT interval was associated with all-cause morta...
Multidisciplinary care (MDC) was widely used in multiple chronic illnesses but the effectiveness ... more Multidisciplinary care (MDC) was widely used in multiple chronic illnesses but the effectiveness of MDC in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) was inconclusive. The aim of this meta-analysis is to estimate the effectiveness of MDC for CKD. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and China Journal Full-text Database for relevant articles published in English or Chinese. Studies investigating MDC and non-MDC in patients with CKD were included. Random effect model was used to compare all-cause mortality, dialysis, risk of temporal catheterization, and hospitalization in the two treatment entities. We analyzed 8853 patients of 18 studies in patients with CKD stages 3-5, aged 63±12years. MDC was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.52 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.44-0.88, p=0.01], mainly in cohort studies. MDC was associated with a lower risk of starting dialysis (p=0.02) and lower risk of temporal catheterization for dialysis (p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.01). MDC was not associated with a higher chance of choosing peritoneal dialysis (p=0.18) or a lower chance of hospitalization for dialysis (p=0.13). Limited evidence from randomized controlled trials is currently available to support the benefit of MDC in patients with CKD. MDC is associated with lower all-cause mortality, lower risk of starting dialysis, and lower risk of temporal catheterization for dialysis in cohort studies. MDC is not associated with a higher chance of choosing peritoneal dialysis or a lower chance of hospitalization for dialysis. More studies are needed to determine the optimal professional that should be included in MDC.
The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors associated with end-stage renal disease... more The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors associated with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS).Information about the study participants was extracted from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan for the years 1999 through 2011. We conducted this retrospective cohort study of patients with ARAS to identify the potential risk factors associated with long-term renal outcomes.A total of 2184 patients with ARAS were enrolled, of whom 840 had ESRD and were classified as the study group, and 1344 patients who were without ESRD were included in the comparison cohort. After adjusting for related variables, univariable, and multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that ESRD was associated with higher Charlson-comorbidity index (CCI) score (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 6.78, 95% CI = 4.59-10.0 for CCI = 2; adjusted OR = 20.0, 95% CI = 13.7-29.2 for CCI ≥3), diabetes (adjusted OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1....
Topiramate is an effective anti-epileptic drug and can be associated with increased risk for urol... more Topiramate is an effective anti-epileptic drug and can be associated with increased risk for urolithiasis because of its effects on acid-base profile. Evidences that supported an association of topiramate and urolithiasis were limited to case reports or series. We investigated the association of topiramate and urolithiasis in a nationwide population-based cohort study. We analyzed 1377 patients receiving topiramate and 1377 age- and gender-matched control patients (not receiving topiramate) between 1997 and 2008. The risk of urolithiasis was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis, followed by Cox proportional hazard regression. Of the 2754 patients, 79 (2.9%) patients developed urolithiasis in two (interquartile range: 1.2-4.2) years. The proportion of patients who developed urolithiasis in the patients receiving topiramate was not different from that of the control patients (p=0.138, χ(2) test). The urolithiasis free survival was not different between the patients receiving topiramat...
Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN, 2014
Patients with CKD can benefit from an increase in physical activity. Walking is one of the most c... more Patients with CKD can benefit from an increase in physical activity. Walking is one of the most common exercises in patients with CKD; however, the association of walking with outcomes in patients with CKD is not clear. This study investigated the association of walking with overall mortality and RRT in patients with CKD stages 3-5. All patients with CKD stages 3-5 in the CKD program of China Medical University Hospital from June 2003 to May 2013 were enrolled. The risks of overall mortality and RRT were analyzed using competing-risks regressions. A total of 6363 patients (average age, 70 years) during a median of 1.3 (range=0.6-2.5) years of follow-up were analyzed. There were 1341 (21.1%) patients who reported walking as their most common form of exercise. The incidence density rate of overall mortality was 2.7 per 100 person-years for walking patients and 5.4 for nonwalking ones. The incidence density rate of RRT was 22 per 100 person-years for walking patients and 32.9 for nonwa...
A 47-year-old man with history of alcoholic liver cirrhosis (Child–Pugh class C) and end stage re... more A 47-year-old man with history of alcoholic liver cirrhosis (Child–Pugh class C) and end stage renal disease was admitted because of bilateral flank pain for 2 weeks. He started haemodialysis (HD) via left femoral double lumen because of hyperkalaemia 1 month before admission. He denied a history of muscle strain or trauma and his low back pain got worse …
We report on a young man with large lumbar arteriovenous malformations presenting as high output ... more We report on a young man with large lumbar arteriovenous malformations presenting as high output heart failure and acute renal failure. A 19-year-old obese male with hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and gouty arthritis was admitted because of exertional dyspnoea, bilateral leg oedema, and scrotal swelling for 3 days. In the previous 2 years, he occasionally had exertional dyspnoea, …
Pulse pressure (PP) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular and/or all-cause mortality in p... more Pulse pressure (PP) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular and/or all-cause mortality in patients with underlying cardiovascular disease. We examined whether PP can be used to predict overall mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. We studied 153 PD patients (mean age, 54.5 +/- 14.2 years) with end-stage renal disease. PP was measured monthly for 3 months. At the time of the third PP measurement, baseline demographic, clinical, biochemical, and dialysis data were collected. Patients were stratified into tertiles according to average PP, and the relationship between blood pressure parameters and all-cause mortality over a 30-month follow-up was assessed using Cox regression. There were 27 deaths; three deaths occurred after the change to hemodialysis (HD) (subjects died within 3 months after HD) and were counted as events during survival analysis. The overall 30-month survival (Kaplan-Meier curves) times were significantly different among the tertiles of PP (P < 0.0...
Hemodialysis (HD) prolongs the life of the patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD), but the ... more Hemodialysis (HD) prolongs the life of the patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD), but the survival rates are still lower than the general population. More than half of ESRD patients died from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recent studies have revealed that CVD is a consequence of vascular inflammation, and that there are active inflammatory processes in ESRD patients. Reports have indicated that ESRD patients have fewer CVD events and better survival with hemodiafiltration (HDF), but the reasons for this remain unclear. This study attempts to prove that HDF reduces the CVD-related cytokines. Seventeen adult HD outpatients were put on HDF in our hospital from September 2004 to June 2006. We collected plasma samples before and six months after initiation of HDF. The target pro-inflammatory cytokines selected were interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-18 (IL-18), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and C-reactive protein (CRP). After six months of HDF, most of the biochemical parameters did not changed. Plasma IL-18 and TNF-alpha are decreased significantly (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.05) but IL-6 and CRP are not. IL-18 and INF-alpha decreased significantly after six months of HDF. These cytokines are key factors in atherosclerotic plaque formation and rupture, and a reduction of these inflammatory cytokines in HDF may reduce the CVD incidence and prolong life.
ABSTRACTAim: The aim of this study was to determine whether ankle‐brachial index (ABI) predicts ... more ABSTRACTAim: The aim of this study was to determine whether ankle‐brachial index (ABI) predicts the rate of decline of residual renal function (RRF) in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Previous studies demonstrated the importance of loss of RRF in predicting all‐cause risk and cardiovascular mortality in PD patients. It is also known that patients with a low ABI value have a greater risk for deteriorating renal function in the general population. The relationship between ABI and the declining rate of RRF in PD patients with an additional dialysis‐specific risk factor is uncertain.Methods: Seventy‐four PD patients with RRF of more than 1 mL/min per 1.73 m2 were analyzed. ABI was used as the surrogate measure of pre‐existing cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis burden to further determine the outcome of RRF in this study. The slope of decline of RRF was used to determine the outcome.Results: Based on the multivariate analysis, only ABI (P < 0.001), diabetes (P = 0.02) an...
Background/Aims: Low mean arterial pressure (MAP) is associated with poor outcome in patients wit... more Background/Aims: Low mean arterial pressure (MAP) is associated with poor outcome in patients with cardiovascular disease; however, the prognostic role of MAP for chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients is unknown. This study was conducted to determine the association between MAP and mortality in chronic HD patients. Methods: We prospectively analyzed all chronic HD patients between February 2001 and February 2006. The averages of blood pressure measurements from the beginning of HD treatment or February 2001 were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank tests and stepwise forward Cox regression with adjustments for age, gender, and diabetes. Results: In an average of 36.3 ± 20.2 months, 834 patients (414 men and 420 women) were analyzed and 205 (24.6%) patients died. Patients with predialytic MAP <90 mm Hg and patients with an increase of MAP >15 mm Hg during HD sessions were associated with increasing mortality in Kaplan-Meier analysis (p = 0.033 and p = 0.012). In adju...
BACKGROUNDChronic hepatitis is associated with increased hemoglobin level in patients with end‐st... more BACKGROUNDChronic hepatitis is associated with increased hemoglobin level in patients with end‐stage renal disease. The aim of this study was to define the individual and combined influence of chronic hepatitis B and C infections on red blood cell status.METHODSA total of 524 chronic hemodialysis patients at 5 hemodialysis centers were retrospectively reviewed for the period from March 1 to June 31, 2005. The results of testing using a third‐generation enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay showed that 345 patients (65.8%) had neither HBV nor HCV (NBC), 55 patients (10.5%) had HBV, 108 (20.6%) had HCV, and 16 (3.1%) had concurrent HBV and HCV infection (BBC). Differences between the 4 groups of patients in the parameters studied were investigated using a multivariate general linear model with the Sidak post hoc test.RESULTSThe hemoglobin and hematocrit of patients with HCV were 10.5 ± 1.6 g/dL and 31.6% ± 4.7%, respectively, which were significantly higher than the 9.9 ± 1.4 g/dL and 29....
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Papers by Che-yi Chou