Objective: To evaluate the influence of 1.1% amino acid dialysis solutions on nutritional parameters in incident continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients.
Methods: The effect of daily use of 1.1% amino acid solution was studied retrospectively in 32 incident CAPD patients (14 women and 18 men, mean age 54 +/- 13 years) who began CAPD at our tertiary university hospital between July 2005 and February 2009 (amino acid solution (AAS) group). Serum total protein, albumin, and creatinine were assessed for all patients prior to dialysis and at the end of the study period. Thirty-two control patients (12 women and 20 men, mean age 52 +/- 14 years) who started peritoneal dialysis with a standard CAPD program were also investigated and grouped as the dextrose solution (DS) group.
Results: Baseline serum albumin levels were significantly lower in the AAS group compared to the DS group (3.4 +/- 0.4 g/dL vs. 3.7 +/- 0.5 g/dL, p = 0.011). At the end of the 12-month follow-up period, mean serum albumin levels had decreased from 3.4 to 3.3 g/dL in the AAS group (p = 0.218) and increased from 3.7 to 3.8 g/dL in the DS group (p = 0.360). Overall, no significant changes were observed in serum total protein, creatinine, or albumin in either group.
Conclusions: Amino acid solutions conferred no demonstrable benefit on biochemical parameters in incident CAPD patients. The effects of AAS may be different when added to the CAPD regimen of patients undergoing prior CAPD treatment.