ENHANCEMENT OF REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES PRODUCTION AND CELL-SURFACE MARKERS EXPRESSION DUE TO HEMODIALYSIS

Leukocyte activation during haemodialysis (HD) was evaluated by reacti ve oxygen species (ROS) production and cell surface markers expression (CD11b: C3bi receptor and CD25: IL2 receptor). Eight end-stage renal disease patients were exposed to three dialysis phases according to a A/B/A protocol study. During phase A polysulphone (PS) membranes were used and during phase B cuprophane (CU) membranes were used. Each phas e lasted 3 weeks. Timed samples were collected during the last session of each phase at 0, 15, and 30 min of HD. Flow cytometry analysis was performed both on monocytes (MO), polymorphonuclears (PMN), and lymph ocytes (Ly). Hydroethydine was used as a marker of cell-ROS production . Specific monoclonal antibodies were used to analyse the cell surface markers. CU increased ROS production in PMN and MO by 10- and 2.4-fol d respectively and had no significant effect on Ly. CU enhanced 16-fol d CD11b expression on PMN, and increased also CD11b and CD25 expressio n on MO by 7- and 40-fold respectively. On the contrary, PS did not af fect either ROS production or cell surface markers expression in MO, P MN, Ly. We conclude that oxydative metabolism and cell surface markers expression of PMN and MO were significantly increased with cuprophane membranes and not with polysulphone membranes, suggesting that comple x cell-cell interactions were involved in membrane-related bioincompat ibility phenomena.