Aluminum removal by peritoneal dialysis: intravenous vs. intraperitoneal deferoxamine

Aluminum removal via peritoneal dialysis was evaluated after the administration of deferoxamine in patients treated with CAPD and CCPD. The intravenous administration of deferoxamine, 40 mg/kg, led to a 730 +/- 139% increase in aluminum removal, compared to an increase of 641 +/- 178% after the drug was administered intraperitoneally. The mean dialysate: plasma concentration ratio for aluminum rose from 0.17 +/- 0.03 to 0.32 +/- 0.03 with intravenous deferoxamine administration, and from 0.19 +/- 0.05 to 0.38 +/- 0.07 with the intraperitoneal instillation of deferoxamine. In the seven patients with paired studies using both modalities of administration, there were no significant differences in the increments in plasma aluminum or in aluminum removal over a 24-hour period. In patients from whom effluent dialysate was collected for several days after the administration of deferoxamine, daily aluminum losses increased from 218 +/- 76 micrograms/24 hours before the administration of desferrioxamine to 1521 +/- 339, 1120 +/- 232, and 948 +/- 328 micrograms/24 hours over three successive days after deferoxamine. These data indicate that aluminum is effectively removed after the administration of either intravenous or intraperitoneal deferoxamine. The enhanced rate of removal of aluminum by peritoneal dialysis persists for several days after a single dose of deferoxamine. The efficacy and safety of long-term treatment with intraperitoneal deferoxamine requires further study.