To investigate the effects of dialysate calcium concentrations on on mineral and bone metabolism in patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).

A retrospective analysis was made in our hospital for more than two years in 123 patients with CAPD treatment, who were divided into low calcium dialysate (LCD) group (calcium concentration 1.25 mmol/L) and standard calcium dialysate (SCD) group (calcium concentration 1.75 mmol/L) to observe their effects on serum calcium, phosphorus, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), bone pain, pruritus, thickness of carotid arteries, and heart valve calcification.

There were no differences in baseline levels of demographic characteristics, peritoneal transport characteristics, and calcium phosphorus metabolism between the two groups (P>0.05). After 2 years of treatment, serum calcium concentration and the target-reaching rate significantly increased in the two groups compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the calcium concentration of SCD group was higher than that of the LCD group but without statistical significance (0.26±0.31 mmol/L vs 0.17±0.29 mmol/L, t=1.621, P=0.108); and the differences between the two groups after treatment were not statistically significant in the serum calcium, phosphorus, the average level of iPTH and its target-reaching rate, carotid artery thickness, cardiac valve calcification proportion, bone pain, and cumulative incidence rate of skin itching (P>0.05); but the proportion of active vitamin D use in LCD group was significantly higher than that in the SCD group (χ²=6.373, P<0.05).

The treatment of CAPD with different dialysate calcium concentrations for 2 years did not have any significant effects on the mineral and bone metabolism of patients.

Peritoneal dialysis; Peritoneal dialysis solution; Parathyroid hormone; Calcium and phosphorus metabolism