Behaviour of 12 trace elements in serum of uremic patients on hemodiafiltration

The concentrations of the trace elements As, Au, Cd, Cs, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mo, Rb, Se and Zn were studied in the serum of 5 patients with end-stage renal failure who were undergoing treatment with hemodiafiltration. The concentrations of the following elements differ significantly from the reference values: As, Cd, Cu, Hg and Mo are higher, while Rb, Se, Zn and some of the Cs values are lower. The observed concentration deviations may be due to the uremic state and/or the dialysis process. To asses the contribution of the latter, the elements were determined in the substitution fluid and in the dialysate before and after blood contact and passage through the artificial kidney. Our findings suggest that the concentration abnormalities could be related to the substitution fluid for Cs, Rb, Se and Zn and to the dialysate for Mo and Rb.