Oxidative stress in patients with chronic renal failure: effects of hemodialysis.

OBJECTIVE To investigate blood oxidative status of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and possible effects of hemodialysis on the development of oxidative stress in blood. MATERIALS AND METHODS The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and oxidation resistance (OR) values were measured in blood plasma, erythrocyte hemolysate and erythrocyte membrane fractions of 33 patients with CRF and of 12 healthy controls. Of the 33 patients, 17 subjects were under hemodialysis treatment. RESULTS MDA levels were found to be increased in all blood fractions of the patients. OR values were unchanged in erythrocyte hemolysates but decreased in plasma and erythrocyte membrane fractions of the CRF patients. Moreover, erythrocyte MDA levels were determined to be higher in hemodialyzed patients compared with both controls and non-hemodialyzed patients. OR values were lower in all blood fractions of the hemodialyzed patients relative to controls and non-hemodialyzed patients. CONCLUSION Results suggest that there is a significant oxidative stress (expressed as peroxidation) in blood samples from patients with CRF, which is further exacerbated by hemodialysis.