Abstract: Objective To compare immune function between end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and healthy adults in order to explore the mechanism of abnormal immune function in ESRD patients. Methods ESRD patients from Department of Nephrology, Beijing Boai Hospital, China Rehabilitation Research Center during Jan to Jun. 2016 were enrolled in this study, and healthy adults were used as the controls. Innate immune and acquired immune functions were evaluated in ESRD patients and controls. Innate immune functions included counts of blood leukocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils and natural killer (NK), percentage of NK cells, and serum C3 and C4. Acquired immune functions included count and percentage of lymphocytes, CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocyte counts, CD4+/CD8+ cell ratio. Results A total of 40 ESRD patients [mean age (56.8±12.0) years] and 18 heathy adults [mean age (51.3±12.4) years] were enrolled in this study. For innate immune parameters, white blood cell count (F=2.130, t=2.008. P=0.049), neutrophil count (F=4.587, t= -3.997, P<0.001), neutrophil percentage (F=0.685, t=-3.726, P<0.001) and the serum C4 (F=0.425, t=3.181, P=0.002) were higher in ESRD patients than in healthy adults; NK cell count (F =0.864, t =2.034, P=0.011) and serum C3 (F=0.425, t=3.181, P=0.002) were lower in ESRD patients than in healthy adults. For acquired immune parameters, blood lymphocyte count [(1.32±0.39)×10⁹/L vs. (1.94±0.43)×10⁹/L; F=0.274, t =5.419, P <0.001], blood lymphocyte percentage [(21.39±5.73)% vs. (35.53± 6.10)%; F=0.164, t=8.528, P<0.001], and CD4+ T lymphocyte count [(733.10±298.76)/UL vs. (915.88±289.05)/UL; F=0.903, t=2.160, P=0.035] were significantly lower in ESRD patients than in healthy adults. Conclusion Abnormal innate and acquired immune functions existed in ESRD patients. The abnormal immune functions presented as the increase of white blood cell count, neutrophil count and neutrophil percentage, and the decrease of NK cell count, lymphocyte count, lymphocyte percentage, CD4+ T lymphocyte count, and serum C3 level.

Key words: End-stage renal disease, Innate immune, Acquired immune, Infection