Acetate free biofiltration. Effects on peripheral blood monocyte activation and cytokine release

Acetate free biofiltration (AFB), a new hemodiafiltration (HDF) technique characterized by a buffer free dialysate and postdilution infusion of a sterile HCO3 solution, was recently proposed as an alternative to HDF performed with acetate or bicarbonate dialysate. To evaluate the effects of dialysate buffer on immune cell activation, release of interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) from peripheral blood monocytes was studied in 12 uremic patients before and after HDF with polyacrylonitrile membranes (Filtral 12, Hospal Laboratories, Bologna, Italy) and consecutive dialysis with acetate, bicarbonate, and AFB. Data were correlated with the monocyte cytoplasmic concentration of Ca++, an index of early cell activation. Levels of bacterial endotoxins in the acetate, bicarbonate, buffer free dialysate, and infusate for AFB were also determined. Results showed that release of IL-1, PGE2, and LTB4, was greater after HDF with acetate than with bicarbonate; after bicarbonate dialysis, however, TNF production was significantly higher. On the other hand, after AFB, minimal production of these cytokines was seen and TNF, in particular, was undetectable. There was a direct correlation between release of cytokines in the monocytes and cytoplasmic Ca++ content. In the bicarbonate dialysate, detectable levels of bacterial endotoxins were found, whereas the acetate, buffer free dialysate, and infusate were endotoxin free. It was concluded that acetate dialysis directly activates peripheral blood monocytes to produce IL-1, PGE2, and LTB4, whereas bicarbonate induced TNF activation occurs through endotoxins. In AFB, which uses a buffer free dialysate and sterile bicarbonate infusion, monocyte activation is negligible.