AST-120 Treatment in Pre-Dialysis Period Affects the Prognosis in Patients on Hemodialysis

Background/Aims. An oral adsorbent, AST-120, has been shown to retard the deterioration of renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) by decreasing serum nephrotoxic substances such as indoxyl sulfate. Recent studies have suggested that a high level of serum indoxyl sulfate may be one of the mechanisms underlying the progression of atherosclerotic lesion, which is the leading cause of cardiovascular event or death in dialysis patients. In this study, we examined retrospectively whether AST-120 given to patients in the pre-dialysis period influences the prognosis after the initiation of dialysis. Methods. One hundred and ninety-two CKD patients on dialysis were studied. The survival and causes of death after the initiation of dialysis were compared between patients who were administrated AST-120 (AST-120 group, n = 101) and those not administrated AST-120 (non-AST-120 group, n = 91) prior to the initiation of dialysis. Results. The five-year survival rate was 72.6% in the AST-120 group an...