Dialysis-related genotoxicity: sister chromatid exchanges and DNA lesions in T and B lymphocytes of uremic patients. Genomic damage in patients on hemodiafiltration.
OBJECTIVE
Patients with chronic renal failure show the presence of massive oxidative genome damage but the role played by dialysis is still a controversial issue. The aim of our study was to verify the genomic damage in B- and T-lymphocyte subpopulations of uremic patients after a single hemodiafiltration session.


METHODS
We enrolled 30 patients on maintenance acetate-free biofiltration and 25 age-matched healthy volunteers and studied chromosomal alterations.


RESULTS
Our data show that the basal levels of DNA damage, the number of sister chromatid exchanges and basal high-frequency cells levels are significantly higher in patients on hemodiafiltration than in controls and in T lymphocytes than in B cells.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that hemodialytic treatment could represent a potential source of damage, maybe through the oxidative action of the extracorporeal circuit components, which might explain the well-known T-specific immunodeficiency correlated with uremia.
Buemi
M
M
Chair of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. buemim@unime.it
Floccari
F
F
Costa
C
C
Caccamo
C
C
Belghity
N
N
Campo
S
S
Pernice
F
F
Bonvissuto
G
G
Coppolino
G
G
Barillà
A
A
Criseo
M
M
Crascì
E
E
Nostro
L
L
Arena
A
A
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D004249:DNA Damage; D005260:Female; D017583:Hemodiafiltration / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D014511:Uremia / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy