\ Laser Doppler Flowmeter Assessment of Skin Microcirculation in Patients with Chronic Renal Insufficiency

Abstract

The cardiovascular system of chronic uremic patients and those on regular hemodialysis is severely affected. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in patients with end-stage renal disease and cardiovascular instability is often a major clinical problem during the hemodialysis session. The aim of the present study is to evaluate skin microcirculation in CRF patients in predialysis stage, to evaluate the effect of regular hemodialysis (HD) and kidney transplantation on microcirculation. Forty-six patients (I5 female and 31 male) with mean age of 44.0 I ±

8.97 years and were studied.l5 patients were in the predialysis stage with, 20

patients were on regular hemodialysis and 11 patients underwent kidney transplantation (for duration ranged from 8 to 132 weeks). Data were compared to those of age and sex matched 21control subjects. Assessment of skin microcirculatory Basal flow (Mean&Maximum),

Time to peak and Percent change using Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF)

3cm above medial malleolus.

There was prolongation of Time to peak m uremic patients (Conservative& On hemodialysis) compared to the control group. Time to peak was found to be positively correlated with both serum creatinine and blood urea. There was not significant difference in microcirculatory tlow after dialysis but there was significant amelioration after transplantation.