Association of Tubular Solute Clearance with Symptom Burden in Incident Peritoneal Dialysis

Background and objectives Residual kidney function is important to the health and wellbeing of patients with ESKD. We tested whether the kidney clearances of proximal tubular secretory solutes are associated with burden of uremic and heart failure symptoms among patients on peritoneal dialysis with residual kidney function.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements We enrolled 29 patients on incident peritoneal dialysis with residual urine output >250 ml daily. We used targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to quantify plasma, 24-hour urine, and peritoneal dialysate concentrations of ten tubular secretory solutes. We calculated the kidney and peritoneal dialysis clearances of each secretory solute, creatinine, and urea, and we estimated a composite kidney and peritoneal secretion score. We assessed for uremic symptoms using the Dialysis Symptom Index and heart failure–related symptoms using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire. We used linear regression to determine associations of composite secretory solute clearances and GFR_urea+Cr with Dialysis Symptom Index symptom score and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire summary score.

Results Mean residual kidney clearances of creatinine and urea were 8±5 and 9±6 ml/min per 1.73 m², respectively, and mean GFR_urea+Cr was 8±5 ml/min per 1.73 m². The residual kidney clearances of most secretory solutes were considerably higher than creatinine and urea clearance, and also, they were higher than their respective peritoneal dialysis clearances. After adjustments for age and sex, each SD higher composite kidney secretion score was associated with an 11-point lower Dialysis Symptom Index score (95% confidence interval, −20 to −1; P=0.03) and a 12-point higher Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score (95% confidence interval, 0.5- to 23-point higher score; P=0.04). Composite peritoneal dialysis secretion score was not associated with either symptom assessment.

Conclusions Residual kidney clearances of secretory solutes are higher than peritoneal dialysis clearances. Kidney clearances of secretory solutes are associated with patient-reported uremic and heart failure–related symptoms.