BackgroundTreatment with selective vitamin D receptor activators such as paricalcitol have been shown to exert an anti-inflammatory effect in patients on hemodialysis, in addition to their action on mineral metabolism and independently of parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. The objective of this study was to evaluate the additional antioxidant capacity of paricalcitol in a clinical setting.MethodsThe study included 19 patients with renal disease on hemodialysis, of whom peripheral blood was obtained for analysis at baseline and three months after starting intravenous paricalcitol treatment. The following oxidizing and inflammatory markers were quantified: malondialdehyde (MDA), nitrites and carbonyl groups, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), tumor necrosis factor alfa (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-18 (IL-18) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Of the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory markers, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, reduced glutathione (GSH), thioredoxin, and interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels were obtained.ResultsBaseline levels of oxidation markers MDA, nitric oxide and protein carbonyl groups significantly decreased after three months on paricalcitol treatment, while levels of GSH, thioredoxin, catalase and SOD activity significantly increased. After paricalcitol treatment, levels of the inflammatory markers CRP, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-18 were significantly reduced in serum and the level of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was increased.ConclusionsIn renal patients undergoing hemodialysis, paricalcitol treatment significantly reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, two well known factors leading to cardiovascular damage.

Bisphenol A (BPA), a component of some dialysis membranes, accumulates in CKD. Observational studies have linked BPA exposure to kidney and cardiovascular injury in humans, and animal studies have described a causative link. Normal kidneys rapidly excrete BPA, but insufficient excretion may sensitize patients with CKD to adverse the effects of BPA. Using a crossover design, we studied the effect of dialysis with BPA-containing polysulfone or BPA-free polynephron dialyzers on BPA levels in 69 prevalent patients on hemodialysis: 28 patients started on polysulfone dialyzers and were switched to polynephron dialyzers; 41 patients started on polynephron dialyzers and were switched to polysulfone dialyzers. Results were grouped for analysis. Mean BPA levels increased after one hemodialysis session with polysulfone dialyzers but not with polynephron dialyzers. Chronic (3-month) use of polysulfone dialyzers did not significantly increase predialysis serum BPA levels, although a trend toward increase was detected (from 48.866.8 to 69.1610.1 ng/ml). Chronic use of polynephron dialyzers reduced predialysis serum BPA (from 70.668.4 to 47.167.5 ng/ml, P,0.05). Intracellular BPA in PBMCs increased after chronic hemodialysis with polysulfone dialyzers (from 0.03960.002 to 0.04360.001 ng/10 6 cells, P,0.01), but decreased with polynephron dialyzers (from 0.04560.001 to 0.03660.001 ng/10 6 cells, P,0.01). Furthermore, chronic hemodialysis with polysulfone dialyzers increased oxidative stress in PBMCs and inflammatory marker concentrations in circulation. In vitro, polysulfone membranes released significantly more BPA into the culture medium and induced more cytokine production in cultured PBMCs than did polynephron membranes. In conclusion, dialyzer BPA content may contribute to BPA burden in patients on hemodialysis.

This study demonstrates for the first time that BPA causes mitochondrial injury, oxidative stress and apoptotic death in tubular cells. These results characterize BPA as an exogenous toxin that, similar to uremic toxins, may contribute to CKD progression.

IntroductionBisphenol A (BPA) is an ubiquitous environmental toxin that is also found in dialyzers. Online hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) more efficiently clears high molecular weight molecules, and this may improve BPA clearance. However, the BPA contents of dialysis membranes may be a source of BPA loading during OL-HDF.MethodsA prospective study assessed plasma BPA levels in OL-HDF patients using BPA-free (polynephron) or BPA-containing (polysulfone) dialyzers in a crossover design with two arms, after a run-in OL-HDF period of at least 6 months with the same membrane: 31 patients on polynephron at baseline were switched to polysulfone membranes for 3 months (polynephron-to-polysulfone) and 29 patients on polysulfone were switched to polynephron for 3 months (polysulfone-to-polynephron).ResultsAfter a run-in OL-HDF period of at least 6 months with the same membrane, baseline pre-dialysis BPA was lower in patients on polynephron (8.79±7.97 ng/ml) than in those on polysulfone (23.42±20.38 ng/mL, p<0.01), but still higher than in healthy controls (<2 ng/mL). After 3 months of polynephron-to-polysulfone switch, BPA was unchanged (8.98±7.88 to 11.14±15.98 ng/mL, ns) while it decreased on the polysulfone-to-polynephron group (23.42±20.38 to 11.41±12.38 ng/mL, p<0.01).ConclusionOL-HDF for 3 months with BPA-free dialyzer membranes was associated to a significant decrease in predialysis BPA levels when compared to baseline BPA levels while on a BPA-containing membrane.

Background: The influence of a dialysis session using hemodiafiltration with on-line regeneration of the ultrafiltrate (HFR) is compared with that of a conventional hemodialysis session with polysulfone (HD-PS) and with a group of healthy individuals. Methods: Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), antioxidants, i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD) glutathione peroxidase (GPX), reduced glutathione (GSH) and catalase, and biomarkers of oxidative stress were evaluated in plasma, whole blood and lymphocytes. Results: The study showed decreased plasma TAC, decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes and decreased GSH levels along with increased thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances and 8–hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels in lymphocytes. The antioxidants and biomarkers of lipid and protein damage after dialysis sessions with HFR were similar or better than following HD-PS. Thus, the blood GPX activity was comparable to that of healthy controls and significantly better than following HD-PS. An increase in 8-OHdG levels was observed in the HD-PS group after dialysis but not in the HFR group. Conclusions: These results show that HFR induces less oxidative stress than HD-PS.