Dialysate protein losses with bleach processed polysulphone dialyzers

Dialysate protein losses with bleach processed polysulphone dialyzers. We measured dialysate protein losses from polysulphone dialyzers undergoing repetitive processing with bleach and formaldehyde. The entire dialysate was collected during the first, fifth and tenth use of F-80 dialyzers. Dialysate protein concentration was 1.5 ± 0.4 mg/dl (N = 11, ± SEM) during the first use, 2.1 ± 0.3 mg/dl during the fifth use and 3.6 ± 0.5 mg/dl (N = 10) during the tenth use. In a follow-up study, dialyzers were evaluated for up to 25 uses. After 12 to 15 uses dialysate protein was 7.9 ± 0.8 mg/dl (N = 13), after 16 to 20 uses; 12.0 ± 1.2 mg/dl (N = 13) and after 23 to 25 uses; 19.9 ± 2.1 mg/dl (N = 5). Mean dialysate volume was 83.9 ± 1.1 liters (N = 63) yielding total protein losses of up to 20.7 grams per treatment. Dialysate albumin losses, which were unmeasurable during the first use of the dialyzers, revealed a similar increase with reuse resulting in a mean value of 14.4 ± 3.2 mg/dl after 23 to 25 reuses (N = 5). Dialysate beta-2 microglobulin (β2m) levels were 1.05 ± 0.13 mg/l for dialyzers bleached 10 times (N = 31, P