Immunity to Diphtheria in Haemodialysis Patients

Problem statement: The incidence of infectious diseases is increased in patients with chronic renal failure. Chronic renal failure severely influences the immune functions of the host. Diphtheria is of great epidemiological concern. Although mainly observed during childhood, unvaccinated adults and relatively immunocompromised patients are at increased risk for acquiring diphtheria. Approach: To evaluate the anti-Diphtheria immunity level in southern Iranian patients with end stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis and to find its association with sex, age, blood hemoglobin, serum albumin and duration of dialysis. This cross sectional study was carried out on a total of 52 patients, who were on hemodialysis and 52 age and sex matched healthy individuals with without any underlying renal disease as a control group. Subjects in the both groups receiving anti-diphtheria toxoid vaccine or immunoglubins a year prior to the study were excluded. The serum anti-diphtheria IgG antibody levels were measured by an ELISA method. Results: Diphtheria protected individuals in the patients and the control groups were 34.6 and 63.30% respectively. Of the evaluating factors just hemodialysis duration found to affect on diphtheria immunity. Conclusion: Diphtheria protected individuals in the patients group were significantly less than diphtheria protected individuals in the control group (p = 0.011). Hemodialysis duration has significant effect on anti-diphtheria immunity level.