Antimicrobial Activity in Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis

Abstract

The antimicrobial activity of serum and dialysate from patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) was assessed by performing bactericidal assays on serum and both fresh and spent dialysate. Fresh dialysate, whether lactate or acetate based, displayed significant bactericidal activity, which could be abolished by the addition of serum or albumin but not urea. Most patients on CAPD lost that killing activity sometime during the course of their dialysis, but a few retained this capability. Serum bactericidal activity was decreased in CAPD patients when compared to that of normal controls or patients on hemodialysis. These studies suggest the need for further work to assess the relationship of such findings to the pathogenesis of peritonitis in patients on CAPD.