Clinical biochemistry database analysis: A restricted dialysis cohort

Abstract

Background: A retrospective study was undertaken to investigate the biochemistry data of a restricted cohort of dialysis-related arthropathy patients. The aim of our study was to characterize this specific cohort of dialysis patients using a clinical chemistry database analysis. Methods: An elaboration of more than 160,000 items of biochemical data, collected from 2001 to 2011, was made of 50 patients, 25 with dialysis-related arthropathy and 25 patients asymptomatic for arthropathy. A Student's t-test was applied, considering a P-value less than 0.05 as statistically significant. Results: Significant and relevant unexpected biochemical differences were found between the two groups of patients. The serum level of ß2-microglobulin was similar, while ferritin values were significantly higher in symptomatic patients. We excluded the possibility that the ferritin difference between the two groups was due to different iron storage and to an inflammatory profile. Conclusions: The correct use of a biochemical database could permit to identify significant values which must be correlated with clinical data, but which could be the first step to a wider research.

Keywords

• arthropathy
• ferritin
• ß2-microglobulin
• biochemical panel
• dialysis
• iron storage