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Article
August 1974

Immunoglobulin and Dextran Losses During Peritoneal Dialysis

Author Affiliations

Chicago

From the sections of hematology and nephrology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, and the Veterans Administration Research Hospital, Chicago. Dr. Levin is now with the Division of Nephrology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit. Dr. McKelvey is now with the Department of Development at Therapeutics, M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston.

Arch Intern Med. 1974;134(2):266-269. doi:10.1001/archinte.1974.00320200076009
Abstract

Losses of immunoglobulins were measured in ten patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Mean immunoglobulin losses per 80 liter dialysis were as follows: IgG 17.9 gm, IgA 3.8 gm, and IgM 0.78 gm. Bleeding during dialysis generally accounted for less than 10% of these losses. lgA/lgG and lgM/lgG ratios in dialysate and serum were similar suggesting that the peritoneal membrane is permeable to higher molecular weight molecules. This was confirmed by the demonstration of peritoneal permeability to dextrans of greater than 150,000 molecular weight. In the absence of compensatory increases in synthesis, losses of immunoglobulins of the magnitude described in patients on chronic peritoneal dialysis programs could result in hypoglobulinemia and altered host resistance.

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