The Effect of Membrane Characteristics on Tumour Necrosis Factor Kinetics During Haemodialysis

Abstract

We measured serum β₂-M and TNFα before and after a 4-h haemodialysis performed on two membranes with different characteristics, either cuprophane (n = 40) or polyacrylonitrile (AN69) (n = 31). Kinetic studies including determinations at 0, 15, 30, 60 and 240 min were also performed during haemodialysis sessions on cuprophane (n = 14) and AN69 (n = 12). After a 240-min haemodialysis, TNFα increased on cuprophane (21.95 ± 3.46 to 37.20 ± 4.60 pg/ml, P< 0.001) but remained stable on AN69 (16.70 ±2.60 to 19.90±2.90 pg/ml, NS). Kinetic studies revealed that on cuprophane, β₂-M increased progressively from 40.72 ± 4.41 to 45.71 ±4.77 mg/l (PP2M (13.4%), a finding suggestive of net generation of TNFα. On AN69, β₂-M decreased progressively from 31.82 ± 2.70 to 27.30±2.26mg/l (P2-M production and thus in the genesis of dialysis amyloidosis.