Objective: Automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) becomes the first option for peritoneal dialysis, nowadays overtaking continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) in many countries. The comparison of peritoneal membrane alteration in CAPD and APD is inconclusive. The authors therefore compared the peritoneal membrane changes in patients undergoing CAPD and APD.
Material and method: In naive end stage renal disease patients, the choice of PD modes (CAPD or APD) was dependent on the patient's decision. Thirty-six CAPD and 25APD patients with a total of 287 patient-months were compared. The peritoneal mass parameter, exfoliated mesothelial cell (MTC) and dialysate CA-125, as well as modified peritoneal equilibrium test (mPET) with 4.25% dextrose solution was simultaneously evaluated at 1 and 6 month follow-up.
Results: Although the peritoneal function (as measured by D/P creatinine, D/D0 glucose, sodium dipping, and dialysate protein loss), adequacy, serum albumin, nutritional status, and residual renal function showed no significant differences between groups at 1 and 6 months, CA-125 but not MTC was higher in APD compared with CAPD at the first month of PD beginning. Due to the single time-point measurement limitation, the authors compared the peritoneal mass parameter differences between 1 and 6 month. During 6-month follow-up, CA-125 decreased 30 +/- 5% vs. 7 +/- 5% and MTC decreased 5 +/- 12% vs. 40 +/- 11% in APD and CAPD, respectively. The higher CA-125 reduction in APD and greater changes of MTC in CAPD suggested that there was less viable mesothelial cell in APD compared with CAPD.
Conclusion: The authors observed that both APD and CAPD damaged peritoneum. However, there might be higher peritoneal injury in APD patients. The proper randomization study in longer follow-up period is mandatory to confirm this observation.