THE EFFECTS OF INTRAVENOUS ESSENTIAL AMINOACID ADMINISTRATION ON CELLULAR AND HUMORAL IMMUNITIES OF CHRONIC HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS

One of the factors responsible for suppression of cellular and humoral immune system is essential aminoacid (EAA) deficiency in the patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) . It has been reported that the functions of the immune system are improved by administering EAA solutions intravenously to the patients in each dialysis session. The immune system of 15 healthy persons (8M, 7F) whose ages between 19-49 (mean age: 32±8) , 28 chronic hemodialysis patients (18M, lOF) whose ages between 21-82 (mean age: 56±13) and the alterations occured in the immune responses of the patients after EAA replacement were investigated by determining the levels of serum total protein and albumin, the counts of serum total leukocytes, granulucytes, lymphocytes, monocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cell subpopulations (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD 14, CD16I CD56, CD19, CD25, CD38, CD45) and CD4/ CD8 ratio. When compared to healthy control group , the levels of serum total protein and albumin decreased , cellular and humoral immune responses were suppressed in chronic hemodialysis patients. The solutions of EAA, administered to chronic hemodialysis patients in a month, did not cause significant alterations on serum total protein levels , increased serum albumin levels, improved the cellular immune response suppressed previously and did not cause any positive effect upon humoral immune response. When compared to control group, in chronic hemodialysis patients to whom administered parenteral EAA , total protein and albumin levels continued to be low , the counts of total T lymphocytes and T-helper inducer cells attained to the physiological limits and the other paremeters remained subnormal. Our study demonstrated that EAA administration improved immune system relatively in chronic hemodialysis patients.