Table 1.
Anthropometric and clinical characteristics at baseline
| Basal parameters | Placebo group (n = 14) | Probiotics group (n = 14) |
|---|---|---|
| Gender (M/F) (n) | 6/8 | 9/5 |
| Age (years) | 58.2 ± 6.2 | 61.3 ± 5.2 |
| Weight (kg) | 74.6 ± 3.8 | 77.1 ± 1.9 |
| BMI | 26.2 ± 2.7 | 25.2 ± 3.1 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 130 ± 14.7 | 132 ± 14.2 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 82 ± 6.7 | 84 ± 8.6 |
| Glucose (mg/dl) | 99.6 ± 14.5 | 98.9 ± 12.6 |
| BUN (mg/dl) | 79.5 ± 12.5 | 80.5 ± 10.6 |
| Serum creatinine (mg/dl) | 1.8 ± 0.3 | 1.78 ± 0.4 |
| EPI-eGFR (ml/min/1.73 m2) | 48.4 ± 7.4 | 49.3 ± 5.8 |
| Cystatin C (mg/dl) | 1.0 ± 0.3 | 0.99 ± 0.1 |
| Uric acid (mg/dl) | 4.7 ± 0.5 | 4.6 ± 0.4 |
| Albumin (g/dl) | 4.16 ± 0.2 | 4.05 ± 0.1 |
| TSAT (%) | 18.4 ± 6.8 | 19.4 ± 5.4 |
| Iron (mcg/dl) | 57.4 ± 9.7 | 60.7 ± 8.7 |
| Transferrin (g/l) | 2.25 ± 0.10 | 2.40 ± 0.10 |
| Ferritin (ng/ml) | 181 ± 65.5 | 177.9 ± 152.3 |
| Hemoglobin (g/dl) | 12.3 ± 2.6 | 13.2 ± 3.3 |
| Phosphate (mg/dl) | 3.2 ± 0.2 | 3.3 ± 0.4 |
| Potassium (mmol/l) | 4.35 ± 0.2 | 4.29 ± 0.1 |
| Calcium (mg/dl) | 8.8 ± 0.2 | 8.7 ± 0.1 |
| Magnesium (mg/dl) | 2.03 ± 0.10 | 2.06 ± 0.9 |
| Sodium (mmol/l) | 141.2 ± 0.8 | 142.1 ± 0.9 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dl) | 165 ± 12.8 | 158 ± 14.3 |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dl) | 44 ± 7 | 46 ± 5 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dl) | 143 ± 21 | 152 ± 14 |
| iPTH (pg/ml) | 203 ± 70.8 | 218.9 ± 56.2 |
| C-reactive protein (mg/l) | 23.6 ± 13.9 | 25.5 ± 15.4 |
| Β2-microglobulin (mg/l) | 5.6 ± 2.7 | 6.4 ± 1.8 |
| Blood bicarbonate (mmol/l) | 23.8 ± 2.1 | 24.1 ± 1.7 |
| Estimated dietary protein intake (g/Kg/day) | 0.86 ± 1.5 | 0.88 ± 1.3 |
| Estimated calories intake (cal/Kg/die) | 34 ± 7 | 33 ± 5 |
| ACE inhibitor/AT1-receptor blockers (n) | 12 | 14 |
| Vit D analogues (n) | 1 | 0 |
| Furosemide/hydrochlorothiazide (n) | 8 | 7 |
| Oral antidiabetic drugs | 4 | 2 |
| Therapy with insulin | 1 | 2 |
| Eritropoietin | 0 | 0 |
| Therapy with phosphate chelants | 0 | 0 |
| Therapy with statins/fibrates | 11 | 13 |
| Kidney diseases | ||
| Nephroangiosclerosis (n) | 4 | 5 |
| Non-nephrotic diabetic nephropathy (n) | 5 | 4 |
| Autosomal polycystic kidney disease (n) | 2 | 1 |
| Non-nephrotic unknown nephropathy (n) | 2 | 2 |
| Biopsy proven IgA nephropathy (n) | 1 | 2 |