A modified dialyzer with vitamin E and antioxidant defense parameters

Background. Oxidative stress, increased lipid peroxidation, and decreased a ctivity of antioxidant systems may contribute to the accelerated developmen t of atherosclerosis in patients receiving hemodialysis therapy for chronic renal failure. We investigated the influence of vitamin E on antioxidant d efense parameters in hemodialysis patients who were using a modified dialyz er. Methods. In eight hemodialyzed patients, erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes, s uperoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), plasma total an tioxidant capacity (TAC), the concentration of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) , and vitamins A, E, and C were investigated. Each parameter was measured b efore and after hemodialysis. The study was divided into three periods. Eac h period lasted three weeks, and during this time, 10 hemodialyses were per formed. The first and second periods were carried out using the conventiona l dialyzer, Terumo CL-S15, but during the second period, patients received vitamin E 400 mg perorally after each hemodialysis. The third period was ca rried out using a modified dialyzer with vitamin E, Terumo CL-E15. All hemo dialyzed patients were treated by erythropoietin and received vitamin C 50 mg/day and pyridoxine 20 mg/day during the entire study. Results. The peroral administration of vitamin E led to a significant incre ase of serum vitamin E (22%), and no influence on other antioxidant defense parameters was found. The modified dialyzer with vitamin E led to a signif icant increase of serum vitamin E (33%) and TAC and to the significant decr ease of plasma MDA. Conclusion. The results of our study suggest that the modified dialyzer wit h vitamin E provided more effective antioxidant defense than peroral admini stration of vitamin E in our hemodialysis patients.