Lipid abnormalities in chronic renal failure patients undergoing hemodialysis

Lipid abnormalities are common in patients with renal disease, probably con tributing to the high incidence of cardiovascular diseases in this populati on. In this study we determined the plasma and erythrocyte lipid profile in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) along 30 months under hemodialys is. In the same patients the influence of cuprophane and polysulphone dialy sis membranes on the fatty acid pattern of plasma and erythrocytes, before and after dialysis, was also studied. Fluidity in erythrocyte membranes was also assessed by diphenylhexatriene (DPH) fluorescence polarization measur ements. Triglyceride levels were increased in the plasma and in erythrocyte membranes of CRF patients compared to healthy subjects. Plasma polyunsatur ated fatty acids decreased whereas palmitic and monounsaturated acids incre ased in CRF patients. No changes were observed in either the fatty acid pro file or DPH fluorescence anisotropy of erythrocyte membranes. The lipid com position abnormalities persisted after 18 months and they became more notor ious after 30 months. Neither the plasma nor the erythrocyte membrane lipid pattern changed in CRF patients during the dialysis session, regardless of the dialysis membrane used. We conclude that CRF patients under regular he modialysis evidence a gradual deterioration in the fatty acid and triglycer ide abnormalities, a finding that might be relevant to the risk of cardiova scular disease in this setting.