Study of beta2-Microglobulin Removal by Standard Versus New High Cut-Off Haemodialysis Membrane

Despite advances in treatment of kidney diseases, morbidity and mortality of chronic dialysis patients remains unsatisfactory. Standard haemodialysis membranes remove middle-sized molecule solutes poorly such as beta2-microglobulin, which has a pathogenic role in dialysis-related amyloidosis. Pre-dialysis beta2-microglobulin concentration has been shown to be independently predictive of mortality. A new polyamide haemodialysis membrane has been developed with increased pore size to increase the removal of middle-sized uraemic toxins such as beta2-microglobulin. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the new membrane in beta2-microglobulin removal compared with standard haemodialysis membrane in dialysis patients and the degree of increased loss of albumin as a potential limiting factor of its use.