BACKGROUND: Dialysis related amyloidosis (DRA) is a severe complication of the long-term dialysis treatment. beta 2 microglobulin and probably other factors influence the development of amyloid deposits. We investigated some of these factors during hemodialysis session. METHODS AND RESULTS: We investigated 20 patients undergoing regular hemodialysis treatment. Patients were divided into AMYL group (with histologically proven DRA) and NE-AMYL group (without signs of DRA). Plasma levels of following factors were investigated using standard ELISA kits: serum amyloid A (SAA), interleukin-6 (IL-6), macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF). In addition plasma concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) and beta 2 microglobulin (beta 2M) were investigated in the AMYL group. All these parameters were studied during different time periods of the hemodialysis session. Plasma levels of SAA and IL-6 did not increase during hemodialysis session and we did not find any difference in plasma levels of these factors between the group of patients with AMYLand NE-AMYL. Plasma levels of M-CSF increased during hemodialysis and its levels in AMYL group were significantly higher in comparison with NE-AMYL group at the end of hemodialysis session (5345.10 +/- 340.42 vs. 3458.45 +/- 332.15 pg/ml, p = 0.0011). A linear correlation was found between plasma levels of SAA and CRP during hemodialysis whereas no correlation was found between plasma levels of beta 2M and other factors. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that plasma levels of M-CSF are increased in patients with chronic renal failure. Significant increase of M-CSF levels in the AMYL group could lead to greater activation of monocyte-macrophage system and could serve as factor supporting amyloid deposition process.

1 interní klinika 1 LF UK a VFN Praha