Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease 2010: 12th International Conference on Dialysis, New Orleans, La., January 2010. Special Issue: Blood Purification 2010, Vol. 29, No. 2

The proceedings of the International Conference on Dialysis, organized by the Renal Research Institute, New York, are published annually in "Blood Purification". Among the topics discussed in the current volume are: the potential of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents for tissue protection; treatment of hypertension in dialysis patients; the potential role of gelsolin in dialysis-related protein-energy wasting; salt restriction in dialysis patients; blood-pressure-independent effects of aldosterone on nonepithelial tissues; improvement of the course of cardiovascular disease by modulating immune response; the potential of intestinal therapeutic interventions to reduce uremic toxin generation and absorption; the 'obesity paradox' in dialysis patients; the significance of endothelial progenitor cells and endothelial vesicles in CKD; the management of calcium balance in chronic dialysis patients; and, the role of peripheral ultrafiltration in the management of acute decompensated heart failure. Last but not least, several papers are dedicated to regional citrate anticoagulation as an alternative to systemic heparin anticoagulation. Focusing on recent developments in operational areas, technology, biology of uremia and epidemiology, this publication is a helpful reference tool for both clinicians and basic investigators involved in CKD.