EFFECTS OF HEMODIALYSIS AND CONTINUOUS AMBULATORY PERITONEAL-DIALYSISON THE PLASMA-CLEARANCE OF AN ALBUMIN-BOUND FURAN DICARBOXYLIC-ACID

Organic acids that are strongly bound to albumin are not removed by di alysis and the plasma concentrations of one such substance, a furan di carboxylic acid (3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropanoic acid; 5- propyl FPA) have been measured by HPLC in healthy subjects (n=21), pat ients on regular haemodialysis (n=30), and patients treated by continu ous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (n=21). The mean (+/-SD) concentrat ions of 5-propyl FPA were significantly higher in haemodialysis (95+/- 44 mu M) compared to CAPD patients (28+/-19 mu M) and both were higher than in healthy individuals (14+/-7 mu M). Haemoglobin concentrations in CAPD patients were significantly higher than in those on haemodial ysis while these patients had significantly higher albumin concentrati ons than CAPD patients. The concentration of 5-propyl FPA was positive ly correlated with the duration of dialysis for haemodialysis patients but not for CAPD patients. The lower concentrations of 5-propyl FPA i n CAPD patients may at least partly explain the higher haemoglobin lev els found in these patients.