COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF FOUR DIFFERENT DIALYSERS ON LYMPHOCYTE SUBSETS

We planned this study to investigate the influence of hemodialysis with different membranes on lymphocytes. 61 hemodialysis patients were included in the study. They were divided into four groups regarding age, sex and dialysis durations. 15 patients in group I had 4 hours of hemodialysis with cellulose triacetate (CTA), 16 patients in group II with hemophan (H), 16 patients in group III with . cuprammonium (CU) and 14 patients group IV with polisulfon (PS) membrane. Lymphocyte subsets, leukocyte and lymphocyte counts, C3cand C4 levels were measured before and after one dialysis session. The leukocyte values ofH and CU groups in minute 30 were significantly low than those of minute 0 and 240 (p<0.01). The changes in CTA and PS were not significant. CTA and CU increased C3cand C4 levels and H only increased C4 levels. In addition, there was no difference between the percentage changes in the leukocyte counts and C3c and C4 levels of all four group. The increment in CD4 values and the decrements in CD8 and CD16 values with CU membrane were significant when compared the predialysis values. The increment in CD4 values and the decrement in CD8 values with PS membrane were significant (p<0.001 and p<0.01, respectively). The postdialysis CD4 and CD8 ratios with PS and CU membranes increased significantly. There was no difference between the percentage changes in the lymphocytes subsets and CD4/CD8 ratios of all four group. As a result, we came to the conclusion that acute effects of the used membrane material type on lymphocyte subsets were not different in hemodialysis patients.