Fat clearance before and after heparin in chronic renal failure--haemodialysis reduces post-heparin fractional clearance rates of intralipid.

The effect of heparin on the kinetics of fat removal was studied in 15 subjects and it became apparent that the fat tolerance test could be performed after the administration of heparin. Therefore, fractional clearance rates of Intralipid were determined before and after heparin in three groups of patients: 18 in chronic renal failure, 11 on peritoneal dialysis and 17 on haemodialysis. Patients on peritoneal dialysis and on haemodialysis had similar serum triglyceride concentrations and comparable fractional clearance rates of Intralipid before heparin was given. However, the latter had significantly smaller increases in fractional rates of Intralipid clearance after the administration of heparin. Either gradual diminution of releasable releasable enzymes by regular heparinisation or activator concentrations becoming rate-limiting could be responsible for the low post-heparin fractional clearance rates observed in haemodialysis patients.