In vivo analysis of the Lundia 5 (PRO 5) and Lundia 3 (PRO 3) dialyzers with Gambrane polycarbonate membranes.

The physical, solute transfer and biocompatibility properties of two new parallel plate dialyzers using Gambrane polycarbonate (PC) membrane of 0.8 m2 (L-3 PC) and 1.1 m2 (L-5 PC) were studied in 6 volunteer chronic dialysis patients. Two of these 6 had suffered severe first-use syndromes with Cuprophan. Samples were collected under carefully controlled conditions. Mass transport properties were confirmed by total dialysate collection and found to compare favorably with other standard dialyzers. For the L-3 PC, KUF was 3.59 ml/h/mm Hg TMP-14.5 and standard whole blood clearances were BUN 142, creatinine 121 and inorganic phosphate 69 ml/min. For the L-5 PC, KUF was 6.27 ml/h/mm Hg TMP-28.66 and standard clearances were BUN 155, creatinine 134 and inorganic phosphate 89 ml/min. Using bicarbonate dialysate no consistent hypoxemia occurred and all dialyses were well tolerated. The L-3 PC and L-5 PC dialyzers induced more leukopenia and C3a generation than PAN but less than Cuprophan. Thus these new dialyzers offer conventional mass transfer and ultrafiltration rates with much improved membrane biocompatibility.