Background: Currently, urea reduction seems to be the most widely used dialysis dose parameter. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility to monitor beta 2-microglobulin (β2-M) elimination by utilizing the ultraviolet (UV) absorbance of spent dialysate.
Methods: Blood and spent dialysate were collected during two week's sessions in 8 patients, one week in hemodialysis (HD) and one in hemodiafiltration (HDF). Correlation analysis between UV-wavelengths and concentrations of solutes in spent dialysate was performed. The reduction ratio (RR) of concentrations in blood, dialysate and UV-absorbance were compared.
Results: Differences between HD and HDF were discovered in wavelength correlation maxima for the solutes. Relative error in RR (%) was larger (p < 0.05) for β2-M than for the other solutes. The most reasonable explanation is that β2-M does not absorb UV-radiation; instead, the absorbance of surrogate substances is measured.
Conclusion: A high correlation between UV-absorbance and β2-M can be achieved for HDF but not for HD. Still, UV-absorbance could perhaps be used in solely HDF mode for estimation of β2-M removal.