Introduction: We aimed to determine whether unfractionated heparin (UH) and low molecular weight heparin (LH) contribute to aberrant carnitine metabolism in patients receiving hemodialysis.
Methods: The rate of increase in serum free fatty acids (FFAs) and the ratio of acylcarnitine to free carnitine (AC/FC) from before to after hemodialysis were determined in patients receiving UH and LH. Additionally, the effect of switching patients to UH from LH was examined.
Results: AC/FC was significantly higher in the UH group. In addition, serum FFAs in that group increased to 0.825 ± 0.270 after dialysis from 0.172 ± 0.160 before dialysis, showing a positive correlation with AC/FC. Furthermore, AC/FC was observed to be significantly higher in patients who were switched to UH from LH at 3 months after the change.
Conclusion: Compared with UH, LH has a lesser effect on lipid metabolism, suggesting that it also has a lesser effect on carnitine metabolism.
Keywords: AC/FC ratio; FFA; carnitine metabolism; hemodialysis; heparin.
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