Controlled study of renal osteodystrophy in patients undergoing dialysis. Improved response to continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis compared with hemodialysis

To assess the effect of different dialysis modalities on renal osteodystrophy, a controlled study was performed in six patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and six hemodialysis-treated patients. All patients were enrolled at the initiation of dialysis, and age, sex, cause of renal failure, prior treatment of renal osteodystrophy, and baseline serum and bone histologic variables were similar in the two groups. After initial blood samples and bone biopsy specimens (with double-tetracycline labels) were obtained, renal osteodystrophy in both groups received comparable treatment with aluminum hydroxide to maintain serum phosphorus levels between 3.5 and 5.5 mg/dl, and with calcium carbonate and calcitriol to maintain total serum calcium levels between 10 and 11 mg/dl. Blood and bone samples were obtained again after nine months. All patients were asymptomatic at the beginning and end of the study. Phosphorus values were well controlled, and total calcium increased similarly in both groups. Although ionized calcium levels increased in both groups, the final level was higher in hemodialysis-treated patients than in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (2.82 +/- 0.07 meq/liter and 2.5 +/- 0.05 meq/liter, respectively; p = 0.005). Amino-terminal parathyroid hormone levels normalized in both groups, and histologic improvement of osteitis fibrosa occurred in a similar proportion of patients in both groups; however, quantitative improvement was greater in the hemodialysis-treated patients. Osteomalacia, assessed qualitatively and by dynamic histomorphometric measurements, was ameliorated to a much greater degree in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis compared with hemodialysis-treated patients. Bone aluminum staining was absent in all biopsy specimens. Overall, bone histologic findings improved to a greater degree in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. When patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis and receiving similar treatment for renal osteodystrophy were compared, patients treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis appeared to have a greater improvement in their metabolic bone disease.