Cardiac hypertrophy and arterial dysfunction have been described in end-stage renal disease (ESDR) in adults. The incremental elastic modulus (Einc), is a marker of vascular wall material stiffness and an independant predictor of cardiovascular mortality in adults with ESRD on hemodialysis. The relationship between arterial changes and the heart is unknown in the children with ESRD in the same conditions. Using a high-resolution vascular ultrasound and a computerized system of measurement (Iotec), we assessed noninvasively 10 ESRD patients (mean +/- SD, age, 11.5 +/- 4 years; blood pressure [BP], 120 +/- 10/63 +/- 4 mmHg) and 10 age-, sex-, and BP-matched controls (mean +/- SD, age, 11 +/- 4 years; BP, 114 +/- 8/58 +/- 8 mmHg). The systolic and diastolic diameter of the common carotid artery (CCA), the thickness of the wall (intima-media thickness, IMT), the cross sectional compliance (CSC), the cross sectional distensibility (CSD) and the (Einc) were determined. CSC and CSD were evaluated at the same level of pressure. The CCA pressure waveform was obtained by applanation tonometry to assess the reflected wave by the augmentation index (AI). Further the left ventricular mass index was assessed. The flow mediated dilation (FMD) (endothelium-dependent function) and the vasodilation induced by glyceryl-trinitrate (GTNMD) (GTN, an endothelium-independent dilator) were evaluated at the brachial artery site. Compared to control subjects, ESRD patients have mechanical artery dysfunction with lower CSC and CSD (0.11 +/- 0.04 vs 0.18 +/- 0.05 mm2.mmHg-1; p < 0.01; 0.43 +/- 0.10 vs 0.82 +/- 0.20 mmHg-1.10(-2); p < 0.001) and higher Einc (2.60 +/- 1.00 vs 1.40 +/- 0.30 mmHg.10(3); p < 0.001). Furthermore an earlier return of the reflected pulse wave (AI -0.24 +/- 0.08 vs -0.58 +/- 0.06; p < 0.005) is correlated to LV mass index (r = 0.55, P < 0.01) that is significantly increased (134 +/- 63 vs 69 +/- 25 g/m2; p < 0.005). These patients have an impaired FMD (4 +/- 2 vs 7 +/- 1%; p = 0.02) with a normal GTNMD. This study shows that early arterial dysfunction can occur in children with ESRD.