Determination of extra renal clearance and generation rate of beta2-microglobulin in hemodialysis patients using a kinetic model.

Beta-2-microglobulin (beta2-m) has been proposed as a marker of middle molecules to assess one aspect of the efficacy of dialysis. Until now, few data have been published about extra renal (metabolic) clearance and generation rates of beta2-microglobulin, which are necessary for calculation of total clearance and mass removal of beta2-m in hemodialysis patients. We have developed a simple method to derive extra renal clearance and generation rates of beta2-m by measuring the pre and post dialysis blood concentrations of beta2-m using kinetic modeling.