Aluminium Toxicity in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis

Santhi Silambanan; Manikandan A; Subha Palaneeswari; Soundararajan P

Volume : IV, Issue : VI, June - 2015

Aluminium Toxicity in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis

Santhi Silambanan, Manikandan A, Subha Palaneeswari, Soundararajan P

Abstract :

Aims: Aluminium toxicity is encountered in chronic kidney disease patients who are on regular hemodialysis. It presents as dialysis encephalopathy, bone disease, microcytic anemia etc. This study was undertaken to compare the serum aluminium levels in chronic kidney disease patients on maintenance hemodialysis with that of apparently healthy individuals. Methodology: It is a Case–Control Study consisting of 50 chronic kidney disease patients who were undergoing low–flux hemodialysis in Nephrology department of Sri Ramachandra Medical College, Chennai, for atleast 6 months and 50 apparently healthy individuals with normal kidney functions. Aluminium was estimated in Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP–OES) of Perkin Elmer Optima 5300DV. Results: The mean and SD in control and case groups were 31.14 � 4.46 �g/L and 56.93 � 21.90 �g/L respectively with p value < .0001 showing that there is significant increase in serum aluminium levels in chronic kidney disease patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Conclusion: Aluminium toxicity is encountered in patients undergoing hemodialysis, which might be due to increased aluminium content in water supply, defect in water/dialysate fluid purification and distribution system within the individual dialyzers. Aluminium toxicity is one of the factors in increasing the morbidity in chronic kidney disease patients.