Peritoneal clearance and peritoneal transfer of oxalic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin B6 during continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

The peritoneal clearance and peritoneal transfer of oxalic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin B6 in 32 patients during continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) using peritoneal dialysis solutions containing 1.5% or 2.5% glucose were examined. The plasma level of oxalic acid was significantly elevated in all patients, plasma vitamin C was in the normal range or in the upper margin of the normal range, and plasma vitamin B6 was in the normal range. The peritoneal clearance of oxalic acid was significantly lower, and the peritoneal clearance of vitamin B6 was the lowest in comparison to the peritoneal clearance of urea. With the exception of vitamin B6, the peritoneal clearance and peritoneal transfer of the examined parameters increased using the dialysis solution containing 2.5% glucose. We found direct relationships between the plasma levels of oxalic acid and creatinine as well as plasma vitamin C and between the peritoneal transfer of oxalic acid and the peritoneal transfer of vitamin C as well as vitamin B6. The significant hyperoxalemia of our patients was found to persist despite the relatively high peritoneal transfer of oxalic acid during CAPD. These results suggest that CAPD is not a method effective enough for permanent reduction of the plasma levels of oxalic acid.