Background: The aim of the study was to show the influence of glucose in the dialysate on the intensity of oxidative stress, activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) and concentration of selenium in patients undergoing regular hemodialysis.
Methods: The study was comprised of 85 patients hemodialyzed with dialysate containing glucose [HD-g(+)] or not containing glucose [HD-g(-)], patients with chronic renal failure on conservative treatment and control group. The concentrations of the products of reaction with thiobarbituric acid (TBARS), concentration of selenium in erythrocytes and plasma, concentration of copper in erythrocytes and the activity of GSHPx were determined.
Results: GSHPx had significantly higher activity in HD-g(-) group before HD than in control group. In HD-g(+) group before hemodialysis, the activity of GSHPx was significantly lower than in the control group. After HD, the activity showed a statistically significant increase. In both hemodialyzed groups, selenium concentration before hemodialysis both in plasma and erythrocytes was significantly lower, compared to control group. In the group of patients with CRF on conservative treatment, selenium concentration in RBC was significantly higher, compared to concentrations obtained in other groups except for control group. The increase of copper concentration in erythrocytes was accompanied by the increase of oxidative stress and increase of TBARS concentration. The opposite relationship was observed for selenium-its concentration was inversely correlated to copper concentration.
Conclusions: In both groups of hemodialyzed patients, hemodialysis caused the increase of GSHPx in erythrocyte activity and increase of plasma and erythrocyte selenium concentration.