Beta-2-microglobulin and main granulocyte components in hemodialysis patients

Plasma levels of granulocyte elastase in complex with alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor (E-alpha 1-PI) increased during hemodialysis from 110 +/- 10 to 506 +/- 66 micrograms/L using dialyzers made of polyamide, from 95 +/- 2.2 to 211 +/- 54 micrograms/ml with hemophane and from 114 +/- 10 to 203 +/- 25 using dialyzers made of polysulfone. Plasma lactoferrin values were also significantly higher during hemodialysis with polyamide (772 +/- 110 micrograms/L) compared with hemophane (268 +/- 2.2) and the polysulfone (278 +/- 31 micrograms/L) dialyzer. After dialysis each dialyzer was rinsed. We found the lowest concentration of lactoferrin (902 +/- 254 micrograms/L) and E-alpha 1-PI (739 +/- 162 micrograms/L) after rinsing polysulfone dialyzers, whereas the highest concentrations were observed after rinsing the polyamide dialyzer (lactoferrin: 2,426 +/- 314; E-alpha 1-PI: 1,134 +/- 144 micrograms/L). Hemodialysis with polysulfone dialyzers caused significantly lower plasma levels of beta-2-microglobulin compared with polyamide or hemophane membranes despite significantly lower levels in the rinsing solutions. Our data indicate that low plasma levels of main granulocyte component observed with polysulfone and hemophane dialyzers are not the result of higher membrane adsorption of E-alpha 1-PI and lactoferrin. These main granulocyte components are not related to beta-2-microglobulin levels of both plasma and rinsing solutions.