[The level of neopterin in the plasma of patients with acute kidney failure during treatment with continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration].

Neopterin is a biochemical marker of cellular mediated immune reactions and may be used in elucidating the cause of acute renal failure. 9 patients (6 males, 3 females) aged 23 to 56 years suffering from a severe form of the disease were examined. A continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration was used as a treatment with exchanging 29.2 +/- 2.0 (14-65) kg of fluid during 24 hours. The patients' diet included protein and amino acids of 1.2-1.5 g/kg of body weight, 35-45 Kcal/kg of body weight per 24 hours with meal and parenteral infusions. 4 patients died. Contents of neopterin in the plasma of the healthy equaled to 6.8 +/- 03 (3.4-11.3) nmol/l (radioimmunoassay; Henning; Berlin, GmbH). In patients with acute renal failure plasma neopterin contents were increased, i.e. 130.0 +/- +/- 9.6 (48.2-200.2) nmol/l and in two thirds of the cases and correlated with creatinine levels (r = + 0.60 +/- 0.17; p less than 0.05; n = 23), thus showing a simultaneous influence of anuria and continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration on a neopterin pool amount at the same time, in patients with tropical malaria and hemotransfusion shocks (2 cases), the neopterin contents were extremely high and did not correlate with the creatinine level. During continuous hemofiltration at a rate of 21.6 +/- 1.3 (15.9-36.9) ml/min neopterine clearance was 17.2 +/- 2.1 (6.7-36.2) ml/min. Neopterin hyperproduction after blood transfusion suggests an immune conflict as a possible cause of acute renal failure.