FAILURE OF A DAILY HEMOFILTRATION PROGRAM USING A HIGHLY PERMEABLE MEMBRANE TO RETURN BETA-2-MICROGLOBULIN CONCENTRATIONS TO NORMAL IN HEMODIALYSIS-PATIENTS

In an attempt to return to normal serum beta-2-microglobulin levels in a group of seven ESRD patients, a programme of daily HF with highly permeable AN69 membranes was undertaken. Pre-HF beta-2-M serum levels stabilized after 4 days at 20 mg/l, only 40% lower than the initial concentration. A total of 985 +/- 20 mg beta-2-M was removed over the week. The beta-2-M release rate averaged 97-mu-g/min with a broad range of values (63-128-mu-g/min). beta-2-M release peaked at 602-mu-g/min 1 h after the end of the HF session before returning to baseline by 12 h post-HF. We conclude that a return to normal blood beta-2-M concentrations in ESRD patients seems quite unrealistic despite a highly intensive extracorporeal therapy. Therefore other therapeutic alternatives have to be designed to prevent or cure beta-2-M amyloidosis.