N-Acetylcysteine in hemodialysis diabetic patients resets the activation of NF-kB in lymphomonocytes to normal values.

Background: Oxidative stress pathways are activated in diabetes, particularly when dialysis is required (DD). NF-kB is activated in this clinical condition. Since N-Acetyl-cysteine (NAC) is an anti-oxidant, we aimed at investigating its effect in modulating NF-kB activation in lymphomonocytes (PBMC) of DD patients.

Effect of dialysis membrane biocompatibility on polymorphonuclear granulocyte activity in dialysis patients.

Background: Among patients with defects of the phagocytic component of the immune system, chronic haemodialysis patients are highly susceptible to microbial infections characterized by high morbidity/mortality, related to an impairment of the phagocytic response. Therefore the potential influence of dialysis membrane biocompatibility on the activity of polymorphonuclear (PMN) granulocytes from dialysis patients was investigated in this study.

Methods: Nineteen patients in haemodialysis were included in the protocol and divided into two groups: a control group (7 patients) and a study group (12 patients).