Clinical Impact of Bacteriuria on Chronic Inflammation in Asymptomatic Hemodialysis Patients

When considering occult infections during the diagnostic workup of inflammation in Hemodialysis (HD) patients, the urine-deprived bladder is frequently dismissed as potential site of infection. The urinary tract, even in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on hemodialysis may represent a significant reservoir for infection. Delayed diagnosis is a relevant issue because the urinary tract is often overlooked as a source of infection in dialysis patients, especially because of absence of urinary tract infection (UTI) symptoms in HD patients. Contributing factors to asymptomatic UTI in HD patients include the presence of low urine volume, bladder stasis, and the fact that UTI symptoms are mostly related to voiding, which is reduced or absent in these patients. Persistence of asymptomatic bacteriuria and UTI may be related to higher levels of inflammatory markers in HD population. In view of the association between cardiovascular disease and cardio-vascular and all-cause mortality with inflammation, as expressed by elevated CRP and/or IL-6 levels in HD patients, the investigators questioned whether presence of asymptomatic UTI could contribute to elevated levels of inflammatory markers in patients with ESRD on maintenance HD therapy. Such a finding would provide a potential link between a treatable infection and a potential cardiovascular risk factor in this population.