T. Alp Ikizler is a nephrologist, currently holding the Catherine McLaughlin Hakim chair in Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where he does clinical work and heads a research lab. Born in Istanbul, Turkey, he received his M.D. from the Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine.
Dr. Ikizler's research focuses on the nutritional and metabolic aspects of kidney disease. Specifically, his work involves identifying reliable and practical tests for protein-caloric malnutrition, which is associated with heightened risks of mortality in kidney failure patients, and using these tests to assess different treatment strategies. One study established that dialysis changes protein metabolism in such a way as to stimulate protein degradation in muscle and other tissues.Ikizler, TA, Pupim, LB, Brouillette, JR, Levenhagen, DK, Farmer, K, Hakim, RM, Flakoll, PJ. Hemodialysis stimulates muscle and whole body protein loss and alters substrate oxidation. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 282(1), E107-16, 2002 Work by Ikizler's team showed that dialysis-stimulated proteolysis is partly induced by inflammation;Caglar, K, Peng, Y, Pupim, LB, Flakoll, PJ, Levenhagen, D, Hakim, RM, Ikizler, TA. Inflammatory signals associated with hemodialysis. Kidney Int, 62(4), 1408-16, 2002 and that parenteral nutrition during dialysis,Pupim, LB, Flakoll, PJ, Brouillette, JR, Levenhagen, DK, Hakim, RM, Ikizler, TA. Intradialytic parenteral nutrition improves protein and energy homeostasis in chronic hemodialysis patients. J Clin Invest, 110(4), 483-92, 2002 as well as exercise during dialysis,Pupim, Lara B, Flakoll, Paul J, Levenhagen, Deanna K, Ikizler, T Alp. Exercise augments the acute anabolic effects of intradialytic parenteral nutrition in chronic hemodialysis patients. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 286(4), E589-97, 2004 can mitigate the defects in protein metabolism. Later, papers assessed the effectiveness of oral nutritional supplementation, alone or with resistance exercise.Chertow, GM, Soroko, SH, Paganini, EP, Cho, KC, Himmelfarb, J, Ikizler, TA, Mehta, RL. Mortality after acute renal failure: models for prognostic stratification and risk adjustment. Kidney Int, 70(6), 1120-6, 2006Pupim, LB, Flakoll, PJ, Ikizler, TA. Exercise improves albumin fractional synthetic rate in chronic hemodialysis patients. Eur J Clin Nutr, 61(5), 686-9, 2007Majchrzak, KM, Pupim, LB, Flakoll, PJ, Ikizler, TA. Resistance Exercise Augments the Acute Anabolic Effects of Intradialytic Oral Nutritional Supplementation. Nephrol Dial Transplant, 2007
Selected publications
Caglar, K, Yilmaz, MI, Saglam, M, Cakir, E, Kilic, S, Sonmez, A, Eyileten, T, Yenicesu, M, Oguz, Y, Tasar, M, Vural, A, Ikizler, TA, Stenvinkel, P, Lindholm, B. Serum Fetuin-A Concentration and Endothelial Dysfunction in Chronic Kidney Disease. Nephron Clin Pract, 2008 Fouque, D, Kalantar-Zadeh, K, Kopple, J, Cano, N, Chauveau, P, Cuppari, L, Franch, H, Guarnieri, G, Ikizler, TA, Kaysen, G, Lindholm, B, Massy, Z, Mitch, W, Pineda, E, Stenvinkel, P, Trevinho-Becerra, A, Wanner, C. A proposed nomenclature and diagnostic criteria for protein-energy wasting in acute and chronic kidney disease. Kidney Int, 73(4), 391-8, 2008 Ikizler, TA. Parenteral nutrition offers no benefit over oral supplementation in malnourished hemodialysis patients. Nat Clin Pract Nephrol, 4(2), 76-7, 2008 Ikizler, TA. Resolved: Being Fat Is Good for Dialysis Patients: The Godzilla Effect. J Am Soc Nephrol, 2008 Ikizler, TA. Nutrition, inflammation and chronic kidney disease. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens, 17(2), 162-7, 2008 Ramos, LF, Shintani, A, Ikizler, TA, Himmelfarb, J. Oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with adiposity in moderate to severe CKD. J Am Soc Nephrol, 19(3), 593-9, 2008 Himmelfarb, J, Ikizler, TA. Acute kidney injury: changing lexicography, definitions, and epidemiology. Kidney Int, 2007 Himmelfarb, J, Phinney, S, Ikizler, TA, Kane, J, McMonagle, E, Miller, G. Gamma-tocopherol and docosahexaenoic acid decrease inflammation in dialysis patients. J Ren Nutr, 17(5), 296-304, 2007 Ikizler, TA. Protein and energy intake in advanced chronic kidney disease: how much is too much. Semin Dial, 20(1), 5-11, 2007 Ikizler, TA. Effects of glucose homeostasis on protein metabolism in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. J Ren Nutr, 17(1), 13-6, 2007 Lacson, E, Ikizler, TA, Lazarus, JM, Teng, M, Hakim, RM. Potential impact of nutritional intervention on end-stage renal disease hospitalization, death, and treatment costs. J Ren Nutr, 17(6), 363-71, 2007 Lacson, E, Lazarus, JM, Himmelfarb, J, Ikizler, TA, Hakim, RM. Balancing Fistula First with Catheters Last. Am J Kidney Dis, 50(3), 379-95, 2007 Majchrzak, KM, Pupim, LB, Flakoll, PJ, Ikizler, TA. Resistance Exercise Augments the Acute Anabolic Effects of Intradialytic Oral Nutritional Supplementation. Nephrol Dial Transplant, 2007 Majchrzak, KM, Pupim, LB, Sundell, M, Ikizler, TA. Body composition and physical activity in end-stage renal disease. J Ren Nutr, 17(3), 196-204, 2007 Pupim, LB, Flakoll, PJ, Ikizler, TA. Exercise improves albumin fractional synthetic rate in chronic hemodialysis patients. Eur J Clin Nutr, 61(5), 686-9, 2007 Siew, ED, Pupim, LB, Majchrzak, KM, Shintani, A, Flakoll, PJ, Ikizler, TA. Insulin resistance is associated with skeletal muscle protein breakdown in non-diabetic chronic hemodialysis patients. Kidney Int, 71(2), 146-52, 2007 Trirogoff, ML, Shintani, A, Himmelfarb, J, Ikizler, TA. Body mass index and fat mass are the primary correlates of insulin resistance in nondiabetic stage 3-4 chronic kidney disease patients. Am J Clin Nutr, 86(6), 1642-8, 2007 Wingard, RL, Pupim, LB, Krishnan, M, Shintani, A, Ikizler, TA, Hakim, RM. Early intervention improves mortality and hospitalization rates in incident hemodialysis patients: RightStart program. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol, 2(6), 1170-5, 2007 Chertow, GM, Soroko, SH, Paganini, EP, Cho, KC, Himmelfarb, J, Ikizler, TA, Mehta, RL. Mortality after acute renal failure: models for prognostic stratification and risk adjustment. Kidney Int, 70(6), 1120-6, 2006 Cho, KC, Himmelfarb, J, Paganini, E, Ikizler, TA, Soroko, SH, Mehta, RL, Chertow, GM. Survival by dialysis modality in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury. J Am Soc Nephrol, 17(11), 3132-8, 2006 Ikizler, TA, Himmelfarb, J. Muscle wasting in kidney disease: Let's get physical. J Am Soc Nephrol, 17(8), 2097-8, 2006 Ikizler, TA, Himmelfarb, J. Trials and trade-offs in haemodialysis vascular access monitoring. Nephrol Dial Transplant, 21(12), 3362-3, 2006 Liu, KD, Himmelfarb, J, Paganini, E, Ikizler, TA, Soroko, SH, Mehta, RL, Chertow, GM. Timing of initiation of dialysis in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol, 1(5), 915-9, 2006 Pupim, LB, Cuppari, L, Ikizler, TA. Nutrition and metabolism in kidney disease. Semin Nephrol, 26(2), 134-57, 2006 Pupim, LB, Majchrzak, KM, Flakoll, PJ, Ikizler, TA. Intradialytic oral nutrition improves protein homeostasis in chronic hemodialysis patients with deranged nutritional status. J Am Soc Nephrol, 17(11), 3149-57, 2006 Yilmaz, MI, Korkmaz, A, Kaya, A, Sonmez, A, Caglar, K, Topal, T, Eyileten, T, Yenicesu, M, Acikel, C, Oter, S, Yaman, H, Aktug, H, Oguz, Y, Vural, A, Ikizler, TA. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment augments the efficacy of a losartan regime in an experimental nephrotic syndrome model. Nephron Exp Nephrol, 104(1), e15-22, 2006 Basi, S, Pupim, LB, Simmons, EM, Sezer, MT, Shyr, Y, Freedman, S, Chertow, GM, Mehta, RL, Paganini, E, Himmelfarb, J, Ikizler, TA. Insulin resistance in critically ill patients with acute renal failure. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol, 289(2), F259-64, 2005 Ikizler, TA. Effects of hemodialysis on protein metabolism. J Ren Nutr, 15(1), 39-43, 2005 Ikizler, TA. Protein and energy: recommended intake and nutrient supplementation in chronic dialysis patients. Semin Dial, 17(6), 471-8, 2005 Ikizler, TA, Schulman, G. Hemodialysis: techniques and prescription. Am J Kidney Dis, 46(5), 976-81, 2005 Lim, VS, Ikizler, TA, Raj, DS, Flanigan, MJ. Does hemodialysis increase protein breakdown? Dissociation between whole-body amino acid turnover and regional muscle kinetics. J Am Soc Nephrol, 16(4), 862-8, 2005 Majchrzak, KM, Pupim, LB, Chen, K, Martin, CJ, Gaffney, S, Greene, JH, Ikizler, TA. Physical activity patterns in chronic hemodialysis patients: comparison of dialysis and nondialysis days. J Ren Nutr, 15(2), 217-24, 2005 Pupim, LB, Flakoll, PJ, Majchrzak, KM, Aftab Guy, DL, Stenvinkel, P, Ikizler, TA. Increased muscle protein breakdown in chronic hemodialysis patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Kidney Int, 68(4), 1857–65, 2005 Pupim, LB, Flakoll, PJ, Yu, C, Ikizler, TA. Recombinant human growth hormone improves muscle amino acid uptake and whole-body protein metabolism in chronic hemodialysis patients. Am J Clin Nutr, 82(6), 1235–43, 2005 Pupim, LB, Heimbürger, O, Qureshi, AR, Ikizler, TA, Stenvinkel, P. Accelerated lean body mass loss in incident chronic dialysis patients with diabetes mellitus. Kidney Int, 68(5), 2368–74, 2005 Simmons, EM, Langone, A, Sezer, MT, Vella, JP, Recupero, P, Morrow, JD, Ikizler, TA, Himmelfarb, J. Effect of renal transplantation on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in end-stage renal disease patients. Transplantation, 79(8), 914-9, 2005 Yenicesu, M, Yilmaz, MI, Caglar, K, Sonmez, A, Eyileten, T, Kir, T, Acikel, C, Bingol, N, Oguz, Y, Ikizler, TA, Vural, A. Adiponectin level is reduced and inversely correlated with the degree of proteinuria in type 2 diabetic patients. Clin Nephrol, 64(1), 12-9, 2005 Eustace, Joseph A, Astor, Brad, Muntner, Paul M, Ikizler, T Alp, Coresh, Josef. Prevalence of acidosis and inflammation and their association with low serum albumin in chronic kidney disease. Kidney Int, 65(3), 1031–40, 2004 Flakoll, Paul J, Kent, Pamela, Neyra, Roxanna, Levenhagen, Deanna, Chen, Kong Y, Ikizler, T Alp. Bioelectrical impedance vs air displacement plethysmography and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to determine body composition in patients with end-stage renal disease. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr, 28(1), 13-21, 2004 Himmelfarb, J, Le, P, Klenzak, J, Freedman, S, McMenamin, ME, Ikizler, TA, . Impaired monocyte cytokine production in critically ill patients with acute renal failure. Kidney Int, 66(6), 2354–60, 2004 Himmelfarb, J, McMonagle, E, Freedman, S, Klenzak, J, McMenamin, E, Le, P, Pupim, LB, Ikizler, TA, The PICARD Group, . Oxidative stress is increased in critically ill patients with acute renal failure. J Am Soc Nephrol, 15(9), 2449–56, 2004 Ikizler, T Alp, Sezer, M Tugrul, Flakoll, Paul J, Hariachar, Sree, Kanagasundaram, N Suren, Gritter, Nancy, Knights, Stephanie, Shyr, Yu, Paganini, Emil, Hakim, Raymond M, Himmelfarb, Jonathan, . Urea space and total body water measurements by stable isotopes in patients with acute renal failure. Kidney Int, 65(2), 725-32, 2004 Ikizler, TA. Role of nutrition for cardiovascular risk reduction in chronic kidney disease patients. Adv Chronic Kidney Dis, 11(2), 162-71, 2004 Mehta, RL, Pascual, MT, Soroko, S, Savage, BR, Himmelfarb, J, Ikizler, TA, Paganini, EP, Chertow, GM, . Spectrum of acute renal failure in the intensive care unit: the PICARD experience. Kidney Int, 66(4), 1613–21, 2004 Oberg, B Payson, McMenamin, Elizabeth, Lucas, F Lee, McMonagle, Ellen, Morrow, Jason, Ikizler, T Alp, Himmelfarb, Jonathan. Increased prevalence of oxidant stress and inflammation in patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease. Kidney Int, 65(3), 1009–16, 2004 Pupim, LB, Caglar, K, Hakim, RM, Shyr, Y, Ikizler, TA. Uremic malnutrition is a predictor of death independent of inflammatory status. Kidney Int, 66(5), 2054–60, 2004 Pupim, LB, Flakoll, PJ, Ikizler, TA. Protein homeostasis in chronic hemodialysis patients. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, 7(1), 89-95, 2004