OBJECTIVETo investigate the nutritional status of children on maintenance hemodialysis due to stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the clinical significance of nutritional assessment indices.

METHODSA total of 21 children on maintenance hemodialysis due to stage 5 CKD were grouped according to body mass index. The nutritional status was assessed based on anthropometric parameters, biochemical parameters, inflammatory factors, residual renal function, indices of dialysis adequacy, and resting energy expenditure. Related indices were compared between the children with malnutrition and those with normal nutritional status.

RESULTSOf the 21 children, 10 had malnutrition and 11 had normal nutritional status. There were significant differences between the two groups in anthropometric parameters, levels of leptin, insulin-like growth factor-1, interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and mean 24-hour residual urine volume (P<0.05), while there were no significant differences in albumin, prealbumin, CONCLUSIONS: urea clearance index (Kt/V), and measured resting energy expenditure.

CONCLUSIONSAnthropometric parameters, biochemical parameters, residual renal function, and inflammatory factors have an important value in evaluating the nutritional status of children with stage 5 CKD on maintenance hemodialysis. Further studies are needed to investigate the value of the measurement of resting energy expenditure in the evaluation and monitoring of nutritional status in children with stage 5 CKD on maintenance hemodialysis.