Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of the study population with low and high levels of final turbidity
| Variable | All Patients, n=171 | FT<0.32, AU, n=85 | FT≥0.32, AU, n=86 | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex, n (men/women) | 92/79 | 47/38 | 45/41 | 0.76 |
| Age, yr | 59±11 | 58±12 | 61±11 | 0.09 |
| Dialysis vintage, yr | 6.3±4.4 | 7.0±4.9 | 5.7±3.9 | 0.05 |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 21 (12) | 9 (11) | 12 (14) | 0.64 |
| Type 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0.62 |
| Type 2 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 0.46 |
| Smokers, n (%) | 56 (33) | 30 (35) | 26 (30) | 0.52 |
| Ischemic heart disease, n (%) | 36 (21) | 15 (18) | 21 (24) | 0.35 |
| Peripheral artery disease, n (%) | 10 (6) | 3 (4) | 7 (8) | 0.33 |
| Congestive heart failure, n (%) | 21 (12) | 11 (13) | 10 (12) | >0.99 |
| Access thrombosis, n (%) | 61 (36) | 34 (40) | 27 (31) | 0.27 |
| Access, n (fistula/graft) | 164/7 | 80/5 | 84/2 | 0.28 |
| BP | ||||
| Systolic, mmHg | 139±22 | 140±23 | 139±21 | 0.79 |
| Diastolic, mmHg | 83±13 | 84±14 | 82±11 | 0.26 |
| Anthropometrics | ||||
| BMI, kg/m2 | 23.4±3.8 | 23.8±3.7 | 23.1±3.7 | 0.27 |
| Dialysis parameter Kt/V | 1.28±0.20 | 1.29±0.21 | 1.27±0.20 | 0.41 |
| Laboratory variables | ||||
| Protein, g/L | 66.8±4.6 | 66.8±4.5 | 66.9±4.6 | 0.94 |
| Hemoglobin, g/dl | 9.4±1.6 | 9.3±1.6 | 9.4±1.6 | 0.76 |
| CRP, nmol/L | 751±1127 | 578±1161 | 919±1074 | 0.05 |
| C3, g/L | 0.69±0.37 | 0.59±0.32 | 0.79±0.38 | <0.001 |
| Fibrinogen, μmol/L | 26.5±16.5 | 18.8±10.3 | 33.5±18.2 | <0.001 |
| Medication | ||||
| Platelet inhibition | 48 (28) | 25 (29) | 23 (27) | 0.74 |
| ESA | 110 (64) | 55 (65) | 55 (64) | >0.99 |
| ESA dose per week | 5512±1699 | 5672±1741 | 5365±1659 | 0.41 |
| Vitamin D | 124 (73) | 62 (73) | 62 (72) | >0.99 |
| ACE inhibitor | 59 (35) | 25 (29) | 34 (40) | 0.20 |
| Clot measures | ||||
| Clot lysis time, s | 7285±6067 | 7071±6340 | 7507±5802 | 0.77 |
| Clot FT (AU) | 0.32±0.107 | 0.237±0.052 | 0.403±0.079 | <0.001 |
Data are presented as mean±SD or a percentage for categorical data. FT, final turbidity; AU, arbitrary unit; BMI, body mass index; ESA, erythropoietin-stimulating agent; ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor.