Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in patients undergoing hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

In this study, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities were determinated in the erythrocytes (RBC) from patients with chronic renal failure. The study included healthy subjects (n = 7), patients on hemodialysis (HD) using polyacrylonitrile-type dialysis membrane (before and after HD) (n = 10), patients on HD using cuprophane-type dialysis membrane (before and after HD) (n = 6), and patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) (n = 11). A significant decrease in SOD activity was found in HD groups using polyacrylonitrile- or cuprophane-type dialysis membrane. SOD activity was found to increase in patients undergoing CAPD. We have found that CAT activity is higher in all the CRF groups in respect to the control: with polyacrylonitrile-type dialysis membrane, with cuprophane-type dialysis membrane, and in CAPD treatment.