Abstract
Male preponderance in the frequency and development of acquired cystic disease of the kidney (ACDK) after long-term hemodialysis led us to investigate the influence of hormones on these kidneys.
Male and female patients on dialysis for more than 10 years for such primary kidney diseases as chronic glomerulonephritis were divided into 4 groups, namely group I, males with typical ACDK≥12cm; group II, males with contracted kidneys≤5cm; group III, females with typical ACDK≥8cm; group IV, females with contracted kidneys≤5cm.
Prolactin, estrone, estradiol, testosterone, c-terminal parathyroid hormone, β2 microglobulin, KT/V and other biochemical parameters were compared among these 4 groups. Average prolactin and testosterone values in group I were higher than in group II, however, no statistically significant differences in any of these parameters were detected when group I was compared with group III, and group II with group IV. The c-PTH level was highest in group I, and significantly higher than in group IV.
Two female typical ACDK-associated renal cell carcinoma patients had a long history of mepitiostane treatment. Although the direct influence of sex hormones on the development of ACDK; the hypothesis proposed by Concolino and others was not supported by the findings in this study, and further investigation of androgens, male sex-hormone related uremic metabolites and parathyroid hormone as causative agents for development of ACDK is needed.
