Because most hemodialysis access fails at the venous side, we studied sampl
es of brachial vein obtained during access creation in 15 patients with end
-stage renal disease who gave consent. Veins were examined by computer-assi
sted histomorphometry, and the results correlated with the patients' clinic
al data. The mean venous medial width was 239 +/- 31 mu m, and mean intimal
width was 6.0 +/- 0.9 mu m. Mean venous medial width was 358 +/- 74 mu m a
nd mean venous intimal width was 9.2 +/- 1.2 mu m in the 4 patients who had
been undergoing dialysis more than 6 months, compared with 196 +/- 23 mu m
and 4.9 +/- 0.8 mu m, respectively, in the 11 patients undergoing dialysis
less than 6 months (P < 0.01), The number of months undergoing hemodialysi
s correlated well with venous medial width (r = 0.79; P < 0.001), Correlati
on between number of months undergoing dialysis and intimal width did not r
each statistical significance. Medial and intimal widths of the 4 patients
with diabetes were not significantly different from those of the patients w
ithout diabetes. Serum parathyroid hormone level did not correlate with eit
her medial or intimal venous width, We conclude there may be changes in the
veins of hemodialysis patients with time that cause thickening of layers,
even in veins not directly used for access. This may affect the creation or
survival of subsequent vascular accesses. (C) 1999 by the National Kidney
Foundation, Inc.