VARIATIONS OF CYTOKINE LEVELS AND PRODUCTION IN CAPD PATIENTS

Macrophages, predominant cells in dialysates of patients on CAPD witho ut peritonitis, produce a wide variety of substances including cytokin es. The aim of this study was to examine the cytokine production in fi ve uninfected patients. This work investigated the presence in dialysa tes of interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, tumor necrosi s factor alpha and the ability of peritonea( macrophages to produce th ese cytokines, These results were compared with values obtained from c ontrol group in non-uremic conditions (peritoneal lavage with isotonic saline or dialysis fluid). All cyiokines were detectable in dialysate s. Interindividual variations in cytokine concentration in dialysates were wider than variations of production of cytokines ex vivo by stimu lated and unstimulated cells. In control group, dialysis fluid inhibit ed the cytokine production and with isotonic saline, cells produced le ss cytokines than dialysis patients' cells. The highest levels of inte rleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor in dialysates and the highest capa city to respond to LPS were observed in patients having the shortest d uration of dialysis. The variability observed did not seem to be due t o cells themselves but to their environment.