Total body water and body composition in chronic peritoneal dialysis patients

In this investigation, total body water (TBW) in ten chronic peritoneal dialysis patients was studied by deuterium (TBW-2H), skinfold thickness (TBW-ST), Watson formula (TBW-WA), 58% of body weight (TBW-58%), and bioelectrical impedance (TBW-BIA), and these results were compared with the reference oxygen18 (TBW-18O) method. We also analyzed the fat-free mass (FFM) by skinfold thickness (FFM-ST), bioelectrical impedance (FFM-BIA), oxygen18 (FFM-18O), and creatinine kinetics method (FFM-CK). In addition, resting metabolic rate was measured by indirect calorimetry. Compared with TBW-18O, TBW-58% and TBW-BIA were significantly different (P < 0.01). TBW-2H overestimated TBW-18O by 4.3%. TBW-ST and TBW-WA gave slightly greater values than TBW-18O, although these values were nonstatistically significant. The best prediction of total body water from these methods was obtained with the Watson formula. When Kt/V was calculated from these results, the values obtained were statistically greater (BIA, P < 0.001) and smaller (58% BW, P < 0.01) than those obtained with either 18O or Watson formula. The fat-free mass estimation also led to discrepant findings. Indeed, FFM-CK was significantly lower (P < 0.05) as compared with FFM-ST, FFM-BIA, or FFM-18O. Resting metabolic rate was strongly correlated with FFM estimated by skinfold thickness (r = 0.91, P < 0.001), bioelectrical impedance (r = 0.85, P < 0.005), and 18O (r = 0.77, P < 0.01), but not when fat-free mass was estimated by the creatinine kinetic method. The water content of fat-free mass estimated by skinfold thickness was found to be 69.7 +/- 6.9% in these patients, a value lower than the standard 73.2% found in healthy adults. This study confirms that there is an abnormal water distribution in chronic peritoneal dialysis patients. However, when compared with the oxygen18 reference method, the Watson formula allows a reliable estimation of Kt/V.