title: Biocompatibility parameters of different dialysis membranes assessed during systemic inflammation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We explored whether biocompatible dialyzer membranes modulate the inflammatory response during blood contact in patients with systemic inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  15 patients with end-stage renal disease and systemic inflammation (mean serum C-reactive protein 86 +/- 4 mg/l) were randomly treated with Cuprophan (CU), polyamide (PA) and vitamin-E coated (VEC) membrane-based dialyzers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Changes in blood pressure, capillary blood oxygen saturation and differential blood counts during the hemodialysis session were not significantly different between the three dialyzers. Baseline blood levels of activated circulating complement (C3a) were more than 100 times above normal, and unlike expected they decreased during hemodialysis treatments (CU: from 7,389 +/- 783 to 5,423 +/- 761 ng/ml; PA: from 7,379 +/- 980 to 5,690 +/- 714 ng/ml; VEC: from 7.377 +/- 714 to 5,360 +/- 1,005 ng/ml; all n.s.). No significant differences between treatments were found with respect to changes in blood concentrations of TNF-alpha, interleukin-6 and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist as well as ICAM-1 (CU: from 451 +/- 41 to 477 +/- 41 ng/ml; PA: from 437 +/- 42 to 449 +/- 40 ng/ml; VEC: from 461 +/- 43 to 460 +/- 47 ng/ml). Furthermore, generation of reactive oxygen species by mononuclear blood cells was comparable during hemodialysis with the CU, PA and VEC dialyzer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The choice of dialyzer membrane material does not affect most aspects of biocompatibility when patients have significant systemic inflammation. This confounding variable should be taken into account in studies exploring the effects of biocompatible dialyzer membranes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School Hannover, DE-30625 Hannover, Germany. gueler.faikah@mh-hannover.de
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gueler
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gwinner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schiborr
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klos
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kirsch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiebeler
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haller
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fliser
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D017583:Hemodiafiltration; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial