Red blood cell lipid peroxidation in predialysis chronic renal failure.

In hemodialysis patients the pentose-phosphate shunt activity is deficient. As a consequence, the lipid peroxidation of the erythrocyte membranes is increased as shown by the increase in malonyldialdehyde concentrations and is accompanied by a decrease of the level of vitamin E in RBC. In the present study we have found that increased lipid peroxidation of the erythrocyte membranes is present also in chronic renal failure patients in the predialysis state, provided that the serum creatinine levels are higher than 5 mg/dl.