Altered erythrocyte membrane band 3 profile in chronic renal failure patients under haemodialysis

Our aim was to study changes in RBC membrane band 3 profile, as a cumulative marker of RBC changes, in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients under haemodialysis and recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) therapy and its linkage with resistance to this therapy. We studied 63 CRF patients, 32 responders and 31 non -responders to rhEPO therapy, and 26 healthy individuals matched for age and gender. We evaluated the band 3 profile and membrane -bound haemoglobin (MBH). Total serum bilirrubin, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase activities, RBC count, haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration, haematimetric indices and reticulocyte were also evaluated. CRF patients presented anaemia, slightly regenerative, as showed by the decreased RBC count, Hb and haematocrit, alongside with an increased reticulocyte count, RPI and RDW values. CRF patients showed a statistically significant decrease in high molecular weight aggregates and proteolytic fragments (Pfrag), and a rise in Band 3 monomer. A rise in GPx and a trend to lower values of MBH were also found in CRF patients. A positive correlation was found between Pfrag and, Hb and haematocrit. When comparing the haematological data between the two groups of CRF patients, we found that non -responders patients were more anaemic, and presented a statistically significant decrease in Pfrag, and a trend for a rise in MBH, suggesting a higher RBC damage. Our data suggest that band 3 profile seems to be a good marker of erythrocyte changes in CRF patients. These changes seem to be associated with a younger RBC population, but also with a rise in RBC damage, which is enhanced in non -responders CRF patients. Band 3 profile could be used as a marker of RBC changes in these patients and in the understanding of the mechanism of resistance to rhEPO therapy.

Keywords

Renal failure Band 3

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10198/513

Citation

Costa, Elísio; Rocha, Susana; Rocha-Pereira, Petronila; Castro, Elisabeth; Reis, Flávio; Teixeira, Frederico; Miranda, Vasco; Sameiro-Faria, Maria; Loureiro, Alfredo; Quintanilha, Alexandre; Belo, Luís; Santos-Silva, Alice (2007). Altered erythrocyte membrane band 3 profile in chronic renal failure patients under haemodialysis. In Vascular Wall and Endothelium. Lisboa: Sociedade Portuguesa de Hematologia. p. 73-77.