Auto-immunity in patients with end-stage renal disease maintained on hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Auto-immunity as assessed by rheumatoid factor, anti-DNA, antinuclear, smooth muscle and mitochondrial circulating antibodies was evaluated in 2 groups of 25 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) being maintained either on hemodialysis or on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). In the group of hemodialysis patients, 56% showed at least one serological abnormality on pre-dialysis samples: anti-DNA (8%), antinuclear (8%), smooth muscle (40%) and mitochondrial (4%) antibodies; on post-dialysis samples, 64% of the patients demonstrated abnormalities due to a rise in the incidence of anti-DNA antibodies from 8-24%. In the group of CAPD patients, 44% showed at least one serological abnormality: rheumatoid factor (4%), anti-DNA (16%), antinuclear (24%) and smooth muscle (4%) antibodies. These serological changes were generally scattered randomly within both groups. In the hemodialysis group, 2 abnormalities were present in 1 patient pre-dialysis and in 3 post-dialysis. One CAPD patient had 2 abnormalities. No correlation of these findings with age, sex, duration of dialysis and nature of renal disease could be found. The results are discussed in the context of possible abnormal antigenic stimulation in ESRD patients maintained on either form of dialysis.