Abstract
Carnitine deficiency contributes to developing various pathological conditions, such as cardiac dysfunction, muscle weakness, and erythropoietin-resistant anemia in patients undergoing hemodialysis. However, a conclusion has not been reached concerning the prevalence and the effect of carnitine deficiency in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). In this study, the prevalence of carnitine deficiency and the clinical factors associated with carnitine deficiency were investigated in 60 patients undergoing PD. The median age of the patients was 62.5 years (52.5–72.5 years), the proportion of male sex was 44/60 (73.3%), and the median PD period was 24 months (12–45 months). Carnitine deficiency (acyl carnitine/free carnitine ratio >0.4) was detected in 56/60 (93%) patients. Multiple regression analysis showed that the erythropoietin resistance index was independently associated with carnitine deficiency (β = 0.283, p = 0.04). These results suggest that carnitine plays pivotal roles in hematogenesis in patients undergoing PD.
Highlights
Carnitine is an essential amino-acid derivative and plays pivotal roles in fatty-acid metabolism in skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle [1–3]
We found that carnitine deficiency was significantly correlated with the erythropoietin resistance index
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to show the correlation between carnitine deficiency and erythropoietin resistance in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD)
Summary
Carnitine is an essential amino-acid derivative and plays pivotal roles in fatty-acid metabolism in skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle [1–3]. Carnitine is present in two forms in the body, acyl carnitine and free carnitine, and the sum of them is defined as total carnitine [4]. Free carnitine is converted to acylcarnitine by binding to an acyl residue. Acyl carnitine functions as a transporter of fatty acids to mitochondria and as a scavenger of excess and harmful acyl residues in cells [4]. A total of 75% of carnitine in the body is obtained by dietary intake, such as red meats, and the remaining 25% is biosynthesized by the kidney and liver [5,6]. Most of the free carnitine is re-reabsorbed in the kidney, and acyl carnitine is preferentially excreted into urine. Carnitine homeostasis in the body is maintained by this mechanism
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
