Hyperlipidemia in Pediatric Hemodialysis and Renal Transplant Patients

Fasting serum cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels were determined in 15 maintenance hemodialysis (MH) and 35 renal transplant (RT) patients. Fourteen of 15 MH patients (93%) had elevated triglyceride levels (greater than 140 mg/100 ml) compared to 11 of 35 RT recipients (31%) (P less than .001). Two of 15 MH patients (13%) had elevated cholesterol levels (greater than 230 mg/100 ml), compared to 18 of 35 RT recipients (51%) (P = .03). In MH patients, a positive correlation was noted between serum triglyceride levels and carbohydrate intake (P = .03). Autopsy material from 12 children who underwent MH or RT was compared to material from 16 age-matched controls; an increased collagenous content of intima, a possible early indicator of coronary artery disease, was noted more frequently (P less than .006) in index patients compared to controls. Our data demonstrate that hyperlipidemia is a frequent finding in pediatric patients treated with MH and RT, and may be associated with premature coronary artery disease.