Seasonal variations in nutritional status and oxidative stress in patients on hemodialysis: Are they related?

Seasonal variations in body composition and parameters that reflect nutritional status are well established in patients on hemodialysis (HD). However, to our knowledge, no study has assessed the changes in oxidative stress (OS). The aims of this study were to assess seasonal variations in OS, body composition, and other nutritional parameters.

Seasonal variations in fat tissue mass (FTM), fat tissue index (FTI), adipose tissue mass (ATM), lean tissue mass (LTM), lean tissue index (LTI), body cell mass (BCM), overhydration (OH) volume, and OS (blood levels of derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites [d-ROMs], thiobarbituric reactive substances, plasma protein reduced thiol content [THIOLS], and ferric reducing ability of plasma) were assessed in 45 patients on HD, 70 y of age (60.5-76.5 y).

FTM (P < 0.001), FTI (P < 0.001), and ATM (P < 0.001) significantly increased, whereas LTI (P < 0.001), LTM (P < 0.001), BCM (P < 0.001), and OH volume (P = 0.004) significantly decreased over the season. Additionally, significant seasonal variations in the levels of d-ROMs (P = 0.02) and THIOLS (P = 0.02) were found. Levels of d-ROMs were found to be a significant predictor of LTM and BCM (β = -0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.08 to -0.06; P = 0.03; β = -0.04; 95% CI, -0.075 to -0.006; P = 0.02). Furthermore, hip circumference was found to be the most significant predictor of the level of d-ROMs (β = 2.66; 95% CI; 0.28-5.04; P = 0.03) and waist-to-height ratio (β = 251; 95% CI, 16.6-477.2; P = 0.03) and serum prealbumin levels of THIOLS (β = 263; 95% CI, 6.8-521.1; P = 0.04).

These results suggest seasonal variations in OS in patients on HD and a possible interaction between OS and nutritional status in these patients.