Achieving dialysis adequacy: A global perspective

One-year Survival of End-Stage Kidney Disease Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis in Indonesia

Background

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) represents a significant global health challenge, with Indonesia experiencing the highest surge in End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) prevalence over the past decade. Kidney registries are essential for reporting health outcomes, evaluating healthcare services, advocating for policy change, and informing health infrastructure development. Survival rates in ESKD patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) are a critical outcome measure. However, there is a lack of survival analysis data for ESKD patients receiving HD in Indonesia.

Objective

This study aims to assess the one-year survival rate of ESKD patients undergoing HD in Indonesia, while examining risk factors associated with survival, including age, gender, CKD etiology, and dialysis adequacy.

Methods

This analytical observational study employed a retrospective cohort design, utilizing patient data from Indonesia Renal Registry between 2016 and 2019. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated, and Log rank test was applied to assess the significance of survival differences across subgroups based on age, gender, CKD etiology, and dialysis adequacy.

Results

A total of 122,449 ESKD patients on HD were analyzed, with a mean age of 52 years; majority (55.5%) were male, and hypertensive kidney disease was the leading cause of CKD (43.7%). The overall one-year survival rate was 91.5% (95% CI: 91.3-91.6). Survival decreased significantly with advancing age (p < 0.01), and female patients exhibited lower survival rates compared to males (p < 0.01). Patients with diabetic nephropathy had the lowest survival rate among CKD etiologies (p < 0.01). Dialysis adequacy, assessed in 11,633 patients, revealed that 69.2% had a Kt/V below 1.8. Those with inadequate dialysis had significantly lower survival rates (p=0.00015).

Conclusion

The one-year survival rate for ESKD patients undergoing HD in Indonesia is 91.5%. Increased age, female, diabetic nephropathy as the underlying CKD etiology, and inadequate dialysis adequacy are associated with reduced survival rates.

Structures for quality assurance and measurements for kidney replacement therapies: A multinational study from the ISN-GKHA

AIM

Optimal care for patients with kidney failure reduces the risks of adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular events and death. We evaluated data from the third iteration of the International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA) to assess the capacity for quality service delivery for kidney failure care across countries and regions.

METHOD

We explored the quality of kidney failure care delivery and the monitoring of quality indicators from data provided by an international survey of stakeholders from countries affiliated with the ISN from July to September 2022.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty seven countries participated in the survey, representing about 97.4% of the world's population. In countries where haemodialysis (HD) was available, 81% (n = 134) provided standard HD sessions (three times weekly for 3-4 h per session) to patients. Among countries with peritoneal dialysis (PD) services, 61% (n = 101) were able to provide standard PD care (3-4 exchanges per day). In high-income countries, 98% (n = 62) reported that >75% of centers regularly monitored dialysis water quality for bacteria compared to 28% (n = 5) of low-income countries (LICs). Capacity to monitor the administration of immunosuppression drugs was generally available in 21% (n = 4) of LICs, compared to 90% (n = 57) of high-income countries. There was significant variability between and within regions and country income groups in reporting the quality of services utilized for kidney replacement therapies.

CONCLUSION

Quality assurance standards on diagnostic and treatment tools were variable and particularly infrequent in LICs. Standardization of delivered care is essential for improving outcomes for people with kidney failure.

Effect of hemodiafiltration and hemodialysis on mortality of patients with end-stage kidney disease: a meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses comparing Hemodiafiltration (HDF) with conventional hemodialysis (HD) on the effectiveness of HDF for mortality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients have yielded contrasting results. Importantly, we sought to compile the available information to provide the most up-to-date and reliable evidence.

METHODS

We systematically searched PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library for RCTs up to January 14, 2024. Review Manager 5.3 software was used to analyze relevant data and evaluate the quality of evidence.

RESULTS

Our study involved 10 randomized controlled trials with 4654 chronic dialysis patients. Compared to hemodialysis, hemodiafiltration demonstrated a reduction in all-cause mortality (relative risk [RR] 0.84, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.72-0.99, P = 0.04) and cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.61-0.90, P = 0.002). However, it did not reduce the rate of sudden death (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.64-1.34, P = 0.68) and infection-related mortality (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.47-1.03, P = 0.07). A subgroup analysis revealed that HDF demonstrated superiority over high-flux hemodialysis in terms of all-cause mortality, while not over low-flux hemodialysis (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.69-0.96, P = 0.01; RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.77-1.12, P = 0.44, respectively). Furthermore, a subgroup analysis for convection volume found that hemodiafiltration with a convection volume of 22 L or more reduced all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.65-0.88, P = 0.0002, RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.54-0.94, P = 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSION

In maintenance hemodialysis patients, hemodiafiltration can reduce mortality compared to conventional hemodialysis. Furthermore, this effect is more pronounced in HDF with high convection volume.

How Is Body Composition and Nutrition Status Associated with Erythropoietin Response in Hemodialyzed Patients? A Single-Center Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Anemia is the most common finding in patients with end-stage kidney disease undergoing renal replacement therapy. A certain percentage of patients does not respond adequately to erythropoietin (EPO) treatment, not being able to reach desirable hemoglobin levels even when treated with large-dose EPO and intravenous/oral iron. In our study, we wanted to further investigate how nutritional status is associated with erythropoietin responsiveness. To quantify EPO response, we used the Erythropoietin Resistance Index (ERI), which is defined as the weekly weight-adjusted dose of EPO divided by the hemoglobin level. Patients and methods: Seventy-eight patients undergoing hemodialysis were included. All of them were measured by a SECA mBCA body composition analyzer and evaluated by Kalantar-Zadeh’s MIS score. Routine biochemical tests were also taken into account. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to study the distributions of quantitative variables, which were significantly different from normal (p < 0.05). We used nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test to compare groups. Correlations were studied by means of Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Bonferroni correction for multiple testing was performed. To find independent determinants of ERI, we additionally performed multivariate analysis using the General Linear Model (GLM). Results: In terms of body composition, factors that are associated with high ERI are low BMI, low fat mass, low visceral fat volume, high total body water percentage, low phase angle and low fat-free mass. In addition to body composition parameters, total MIS score and IL-6 serum levels correlated positively with ERI value. IL-6 was an independent determinant of ERI value, based on multivariate analysis. After correction for multiple analysis, BMI and eGFR both remained significant factors associated with EPO response. Conclusions: It seems crucial to prevent inflammatory malnutrition as a part of a holistic approach to anemia treatment in dialysis patients.

Study on the Clinical Implications of NLR and PLR for Diagnosing Frailty in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients and Their Correlations with Patient Prognosis

Objective

To explore the clinical implications of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) for diagnosing frailty in patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and their correlations with patient prognosis.

Methods

A total of 185 patients with MHD admitted to the hemodialysis center of our hospital were selected, 72 of whom were diagnosed with frailty according to the Chinese version of Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI). The relevant data were collected, and the influencing factors of frailty in MHD patients were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate logistic regression. The value of NLR and PLR in diagnosing frailty in MHD patients was observed, and patients' all-cause mortality was compared during the 3-year follow-up. The influences of different levels of NLR and PLR on the survival of MHD patients were investigated.

Results

Multivariate regression analysis identified that serum albumin, dialysis adequacy, NLR, and PLR are independent risk factors for frailty in MHD patients (P < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of NLR and PLR in diagnosing frailty in MHD patients was 0.859 and 0.799, respectively. Compared with the nonfrailty group, the 3-year mortality was higher, and the 3-year survival rate assessed by survival analysis was lower in the frailty group (P < 0.05). Patients with high NLR and PLR levels showed a lower 3-year survival rate.

Conclusions

Dialysis adequacy, serum albumin, NLR, and PLR are independently associated with frailty in MHD patients. NLR and PLR are of a certain diagnostic value for frailty in MHD patients. MHD patients with frailty have an unfavorable prognosis, as of those with high NLR and PLR levels.

Cytokines and chemokines systemic levels are related to dialysis adequacy and creatinine clearance in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis

Although the clearance of low-molecular weight toxins is modulated by dialysis dose, the relationship between dialysis adequacy and middle systemic inflammatory mediators is often overlooked. Thus, the relationship between dialysis adequacy, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in hemodialysis (HD) patients was investigated. Forty-eight HD patients (19 women and 25 men) were investigated. Age, body mass index, time in HD, nutritional status, Kt/V and blood biochemical parameters was similar in patients of both sexes (P > 0.05). Thus, patients were stratified by dialysis adequacy measured by Kt/V method (adequate Kt/V ≥ 1.2). Post-HD urea, creatinine, cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10) and chemokines (CCL-2, CCL-5, CXCL-8 and CXCL-10) were higher in patients with Kt/V < 1.2 (P < 0.05). Kt/V exhibited significant correlation with CXCL-10/IP-10 serum levels. Positive correlation between creatinine with IFN-γ, CCL-2/MCP-1, and CXCL-10/IP-10, and negative correlation with IL-10 was identified in patients with Kt/V < 1.2 (P < 0.05). In patients with Kt/V ≥ 1.2, only IL-10 was positively and CXCL-10/IP-10 negatively correlated with creatinine levels (P < 0.05). Kt/V and creatinine levels exhibited variable predictive value (Kt/V = 27% to 37%, creatinine = 29% to 47%) to explain cytokines and chemokines circulating levels in patients with adequate and inadequate dialysis dose. Taken together, our findings provide evidence that in addition to modulating uremic toxins levels, such as urea and creatinine, dialysis dose is associated with circulating levels of inflammatory mediators. Thus, low Kt/V results and creatinine accumulation are potential indicators of the systemic inflammatory stress determined by up-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and downregulation of anti-inflammatory cytokines.

A novel method to rapidly calculate the urea clearance index and urea reduction rate based on parameters obtained during hemodialysis

Background

The efficacy of hemodialysis (HD) is closely associated with patient survival time and quality of life. The classical method (CLM) to calculate the urea clearance index (Kt/V) and urea reduction rate (URR) requires multiple blood tests. A novel method that may be used as a noninvasive alternative to CLM is required.

Methods

Based on the urea kinetic model, a new method, named the “assessment method” (ASM), was established to calculate blood urea nitrogen after HD, based on parameters obtained during HD. The consistency of the Kt/V and URR values between the ASM and CLM was evaluated in 41 patients from the China–Japan Friendship Hospital between September 2017 and December 2018.

Results

Forty-one patients (24 males and 17 females; mean age, 55.7 ± 14.2 years) undergoing regular HD in our hospital were randomly selected for this study. The blood flow rate was 244.5 ± 19.6 mL/min and the dialysate flow rate was 500 mL/min. We obtained Kt/V (CLM = 1.40 ± 0.06, ASM = 1.37 ± 0.07) and URR (CLM = 68.6 ± 6.4%, ASM = 67.7 ± 7.2%) values. Paired t-test indicated no significant differences between the ASM- and CLM-derived values. The intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.907 and 0.916 for Kt/V and URR, respectively. Similarly, Bland–Altman plots suggested good concordance between the 2 methods.

Conclusions

The Kt/V and URR values calculated using the ASM and CLM were in significant agreement, and both can be used to effectively assess the adequacy of HD in patients undergoing maintenance HD. The ASM is an effective, rapid, inexpensive, and noninvasive alternative to the CLM for obtaining Kt/V and URR values. The ASM has good potential for clinical application, particularly for patients in areas of low socioeconomic status.