2020 Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 55-60
Various types of dialysis membranes are used in continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF), including polysulfone (PS) membranes, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) membranes, and acrylonitrile (AN69ST) membranes. Each type of membrane has a characteristic structure and differences in the adsorption and filtration properties for these membranes have been reported. In this study, we focused on proteins in filtrate during CHDF and proteins adsorbed to the membranes after CHDF in order to assess the adsorption and filtration characteristics of PS, PMMA, and AN69ST membranes. Subjects were patients with sepsis or septic shock who underwent CHDF. Proteins in filtrate and proteins adsorbed to the surface of membranes were evaluated using filtrate samples taken during CHDF and hollow fibers removed from the membranes after CHDF. We found that the AN69ST membrane preferentially adsorbed proteins with wide isoelectric points, and the PMMA membrane had a preference for high molecular weight proteins. The PS membrane had a very high filtration efficiency, in particular, for proteins with a molecular weight of up to about 10 kDa. These differences suggested the involvement of membrane structure and protein binding properties, as well as differences in the negative charge of the membranes. The properties uncovered in this study may be involved in the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of these membranes.
