Abstract
Scleritis were induced in about 170 patients, whose hemodialysis were performed with NAC-dialyzer composed of cellulose acetate hollow fibers. Though pain and redness of eyes persisted for about 2 weeks, visual disturbances improved completely except one case. Searches for etiologic agent were carried out. Extracts of the dialyzer injected intravenously to animals caused conjunctivitis in rabbits, and scleritis in dogs. Fractionations of extracts were performed by Sephadex LH-20. When each fraction was injected to animals, Fr. 5 and Fr. 6 produced redness of eyes. Analyses of the Fr. 5 and Fr. 6 by IR. UV and NMR demonstrated that these fractions contained cellulose acetate oligomers and urethane oligomers. Substances were produced experimentally by the reaction of cellulose acetate oligomer and urethane. Extracts of these substances showed in Sephadex fractionation just same Fr. 5 and Fr. 6, and injections of these fractions in dogs produced scleritis. These results indicate that causal factors are composed of cellulose acetate oligomer and urethane oligomer, and produced by reaction of the two at the assembly of dialyzer.
