Abstract
Serum hyaluronan levels are increased in dialysis patients. We evaluated several factors that influence serum hyaluronan levels in 184 patients on chronic hemodialysis (duration 2.3 ± 2.3 [SD] years). The levels were higher than normal in the whole group and in a subgroup of 133 patients without chronic infection, liver disease, or rheumatoid arthritis (215 ± 19 and 205 ± 22 μg/L, respectively). There was a tendency for the levels to be higher in a subgroup of patients with hepatitis c virus (HCV) infection. There was no correlation between hyaluronan levels, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and duration or dose of dialysis. A weak but highly significant negative correlation between serum albumin levels and serum hyaluronan and ferritin levels was seen. The data suggest that chronic inflammation may explain, at least in part, the increased hyaluronan levels found in chronic dialysis patients.
