Chronic kidney disease is a worldwide public health problem with growing epidemic effects. As the disease progresses to the end-stage renal disease, the risks for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are significantly increased. During recent years, oxidative stress has emerged as a novel, independent risk factor for several adverse events in these patients, including mortality. Oxidative stress is present even in the early stages of uremia, which is gradually increased with renal function deterioration and is further exacerbated by renal replacement therapies. Moreover, it is partially inversed in kidney transplant recipients. In end-stage renal disease, oxidative stress is severely interrelated with conditions such as inflammation, anemia and malnutrition which predispose to premature death and accelerated atherosclerosis. Therefore, understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of oxidative stress in uremic patients may lead to the discovery of strategies to prevent or even treat various oxidative stress-mediated complications.

Over the past few decades, there has been a growing body of evidence highlighting the pivotal role of oxidative stress in end-stage renal disease patients. However, the etiology of this heavy oxidative burden seen in these patients and the possible beneficial effects of antioxidant agents have not been thoroughly studied.

In this Special Issue, we invite investigators to contribute original research and review articles that will help elucidate the effect of oxidative stress in end-stage renal disease patients (including kidney transplant recipients, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis). We encourage the submission of in vitro, in vivo, clinical studies and reviews describing the interplay between oxidative stress and inflammation, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these associations and the modulatory roles of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Oxidative stress in kidney transplant recipients
• Oxidative stress in hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis: comparison between dialysis modalities
• Strategies to prevent/treat oxidative stress (role of antioxidants such as exogenous supplementation with Vitamins C+E, N-acetylcysteine, use of Vitamin E coated membranes, use of on-line hemodiafiltration with ultrapure dialysate, use of alternative methods and types of intravenous iron infusion)
• Effect of dialysis membranes on the clinical management of hemodialysis patients
• Molecular mechanisms of oxidative stress: impact of dialysis modalities and kidney transplantation and effect of intravenous or orally administered medication on formation of pro-inflammatory molecules and reactive oxygen species
• Oxidative stress as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality