Correlation of treatment time and ultrafiltration rate with serum albumin and C-reactive protein levels in patients with end-stage kidney disease receiving chronic maintenance hemodialysis: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between treatment time, ultrafiltration rate (UFR) and inflammation has received limited exploration so far.
METHODS: This is a cross-sectional cohort study of 12 hemodialysis clinics. Statistical models explored the association of multiple patient- and dialysis-specific covariates with low albumin (<or=40 g/l) or high C-reactive protein (CRP) (>5 mg/dl) and calculated the ORs and 95% CIs.
RESULTS: 616 patients with a mean age of 60.9 +/- 14.4 years participated in our study. Mean treatment time was 237.3 +/- 23.8 min and mean UFR was 7.0 +/- 4.0 ml/kg/h. In stepwise logistic regression, treatment time >4 h reduced the risk of low albumin (OR 0.397, 95% CI 0.235-0.672, p < 0.001). Congestive heart failure (OR 1.634, 95% CI 1.154-2.312, p = 0.006) and acute infection (OR 1.799, 95% CI 1.059-3.056, p = 0.03) were significant correlates of the risk of high CRP. There was no association between UFR and either CRP or albumin.
CONCLUSION: Treatment time had a significant cross-sectional association with serum albumin but not with CRP.