Peritoneal membrane suffers in some CAPD patients changes which modify its functionalism. In order to know whether these changes could be expected or appropriate, it is necessary to explore the general and particular conditions which can alter peritoneal physiology. Three aspects, smoking, intraabdominal hyperpressure and and omentectomy are situations which have not been included in the studies of peritoneal physiology.
Patients: The control group was constituted by 23 patients. Diabetics were studied as a separate group, with their own 10 patient controls. Smokers (1-20 cigarettes per day): 15 were non-diabetic patients, 9 were females. Diabetic smokers: 7 patients. Intraabdominal hyperpressure was determined by two big polycycstic kidneys (PCKD) in 8 patients, none diabetic. Omentectomy was performed in 6 non-diabetic and 9 diabetic patients. In all cases the procedure was prescribed because of an early catheter entrapment. Smoker patients show significant higher MTCs values for urea and creatinine than controls, but the slightly lower ultrafiltration value did not reached significant difference. Polycystic kidney patients showed lower MTCs values in respect to controls. Ultrafiltration capacity was similar. Omentectomized patients did not show any differences in respect to controls. In the diabetic patients group, neither ultrafiltration nor MTCs values presented significant differences between the established subgroups. So, smoking did not seem to induce higher MTC values as in the non-diabetic group. In conclusion, and according to the present results, two more situations should be taken into account in the evaluation of the peritoneal membrane dialyzing capacities: smoking, which increases diffusion capacity except for diabetics and PCKD with tow big kidneys, which decreases this capacity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)