Peritoneal protein losses and cytokine generation in automated peritoneal dialysis with combined amino acids and glucose solutions.

OBJECTIVES

Protein-energy malnutrition as a consequence of deficient protein intake frequently occurs in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Previously, we showed that peritoneal dialysate containing a mixture of amino acids (AA) and glucose has anabolic effects. However AA-dialysate has been reported to increase intraperitoneal protein and AA losses and the release of proinflammatory cytokines (interleukine-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha)). We investigated the effect of AA plus glucose (AAG) solutions on peritoneal protein losses and cytokine generation.

METHODS

In 6 patients on standard automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) 12 APD sessions of 6 cycles each were performed during the night using dialysate containing 1.1% AA plus glucose or glucose alone as control. Protein losses and TNFalpha and IL-6 concentrations were measured in dialysates separately collected from nightly cycling and daytime dwell.

RESULTS

The 24 hour-protein losses with AAG (median 6.7 g, range 4.7-9.4 g) were similar to control dialysate (median 6.0 g, range 4.2-9.2 g). Daytime dialysate IL-6 levels were higher after nightly AAG dialysis than after control dialysis (142 pg/ml and 82 pg/ml, respectively, P<.05). TNFalpha concentrations were very low.

CONCLUSION

Nightly APD with amino acids containing dialysate was associated with an increase in peritoneal IL-6 generation during the day. The addition of AA to standard glucose dialysis solutions did not induce a significant increase of peritoneal protein losses.