Autonomic Nervous Dysfunction in Patients on Long-Term Hemodialysis

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The level of plasma dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity in subjects at rest was found to be significantly lower in 12 patients on long-term hemodialysis than in a healthy 8-member control group: 28.3 ± 7.2 and 13.6 ± 7.6 IU/l, respectively (p < 0.01). Following immersion of one hand of each subject into cold water (4°C) for 1 min, a significant rise was observed in both groups, 6.1 ± 4.8 IU/l for the control and 1.6 ± 1.4 IU/l for the patient group (p < 0.01). Upon tilting up the head of all subjects, activity in both groups increased significantly, but a markedly smaller rise was found in the patient group: 5.8 ± 4.8 and 1.1 ± 1.6 IU/l for the two groups, respectively (p < 0.01). The data suggest an autonomic nervous dysfunction in patients on long-term hemodialysis.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: