Peritoneal dialysis (PD) has been widely used as one of the major renal replacement therapies (RRT) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Although PD therapy has witnessed remarkable technical advances, and the patient survival early after starting PD is comparable, or superior, to that of hemodialysis, it is currently faced with many challenges. Long-term PD is associated with progressive loss of UF capacity, resulting in increased cardiovascular morbidity or ultimate discontinuation of PD. This is related to the inflammation, new vessel formation (angiogenesis), and fibrotic thickening of the peritoneal membrane (PM). Bioincompatible PD fluid, along with peritonitis, is the major contributor to the PM change. PD has been relatively underutilized for acute renal failure (ARF) management or for the elderly. In order to establish PD as a more general and long-standing renal replacement therapy, clinicians and scientists need to investigate the pivotal issues such as adequate volume control and long-term preservation of the peritoneal membrane.

We are interested in the above-mentioned “contemporary issues of PD therapy” and encourage authors to submit original papers and review articles that could further impact an improvement in long-term outcomes of PD. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Fluid status assessment, Na removal, and adequate volume control
• Dialysis adequacy and nutrition
• Peritoneal immune system, inflammation, and adipokines
• Issues related to ultrafiltration (UF) decrease or failure
• Evidence of biocompatible peritoneal dialysis solutions
• Outcomes of PD patients, including contributing factors and measures for improvement
• Cardiovascular complications, pathophysiology, and outcomes
• Mineral metabolism associated with peritoneal dialysis
• Peritonitis and PD-related infections
• Peritoneal dialysis for specific populations: elderly, children, and acute renal failure
• QoL and psychosocial issues of PD
• Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition–pathogenetic mechanisms; new mediators and inhibitors
• Mechanisms of peritoneal angiogenesis and fibrosis
• Biomarkers and genetics pertaining to peritoneal membrane injury
• Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis–mechanisms, biomarkers, epidemiology, clinical issues, and therapy
• RNA interference (including miRNA) and peritoneal membrane injury

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijn/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/ijn/pda/ according to the following timetable: