Plasma Renin Activity in Patients on Chronic Dialysis

Abstract

In 73 patients diagnosed as chronic renal failure and externally dialyzed the study was made of Renin, Angiotensin system, water and electrolytes metabolism which was considered as a trigger the development of hypertension, in connection with the blood pressure and further in comparison with Plasma aldosterone concentration (PALD) and plasma catecholamine concentration (PCA) : The results were as follows.1. The high PRA were noted particularly in many cases with chronic glomerulonephritis.2. The cases were classified into the following four groups according to the PRA values before the dialysis and the blood pressure reading, namely group I (high blood pressure, high PRA value), group II (normal blood pressure, high PRA value), group f (high blood pressure, PRA value not high), and group IV(normal blood pressure, PRA value not high).3. The systolic blood pressure fell below 150mmHg. after the dialysis in about a half of group I and about three quarters of group III in the majority of which the blood pressure was judged controllable and deemed to fall with the loss in weight.4. As to the variations of PRA value before & after the dialysis, more of group I and II of high PRA value indicated pronounced elevation while group f and N tended to show rise in general, but to the less extent than the former two groups did.5. In cases of urine volume less than 100ml/day, the systolic blood pressure and the sodium concetration were inversely correlated. While the inverse corrlations were noted regardless of the urine volume between the serum sodium concentration and the systolic blood pressure in group I and II of nigh PRA values, none of such correlations were observed in group III and IV.6. The study was made in 14 cases of the relation between PALD and PRA before and after the dialysis with the findings that PRA value rises PALD level also tends to rise, and the high values of both PALD and PRA, the stronger the influence of the dialysis.7. PCA levels widely range from hign figures to nil or the degree too low to appreciate. Conclusively, no definite or significant result was obtained of the variation by the dialysis, also of the relation with the blood pressure or PRA.