An accumulation of protein-bound uremic toxins (PBUTs) is one of major reasons for development of uremia-related complications. We examined the PBUT removal ability of a hexadecyl-immobilized cellulose bead (HICB)-containing column for patients undergoing hemodialysis. Adsorption of indoxyl sulfate (IS), a representative PBUT, to HICBs was examined in vitro. The HICB column was used in patients undergoing hemodialysis for direct hemoperfusion with a regular hemodialyzer. The serum IS, indole acetic acid (IAA), phenyl sulfate (PhS), and p-cresyl sulfate (PCS) levels were measured before and after passing the column. HICBs adsorbed protein-free (free) IS in a dose-and time-dependent manner in vitro (55.4 6 1.4% adsorption of 1 millimolar, 251 mg/mL, IS for 1 h). In clinical studies, passing the HICB-containing column decreased the serum level of free IS, IAA, PhS, and PCS levels significantly (by 34.4 6 30.0%, 34.8 6 25.4%, 28.4 6 18.0%, and 34.9 6 22.1%, respectively), but not protein-bound toxins in maintenance hemodialysis patients. HICBs absorbed some amount of free PBUTs, but the clinical trial to use HICB column did not show effect to reduce serum PBUTs level in hemodialysis patients. Adsorption treatment by means of direct hemoperfusion with regular hemodialysis may become an attractive blood purification treatment to increase PBUT removal when more effective materials to adsorb PBUTs selectively will be developed. Key Words: Protein-bound uremic toxins-Direct hemoperfusion-Hexadecylimmobilized cellulose beads-AdsorptionHemodialysis.An accumulation of protein-bound uremic toxins (PBUTs) is associated with various diseases related to chronic kidney disease (CKD), including cardiovascular diseases (1,2). The circulating levels of PBUTs, such as indoxyl sulfate (IS), p-cresyl sulfate (PCS), and indole acetic acid (IAA), increase with the progress of CKD, and the high blood levels of these toxins are related to all-cause or cardiovascular mortality in patients with CKD, especially those undergoing dialysis treatment (3-5). Recent progress in dialysis treatment has improved the removal of water-soluble small-and middle-molecular-weight molecules; however, the removal of PBUTs is not enough because of their high binding property to albumin, which is difficult to remove with diffusion in hemodialysis treatment (6). For example, the proteinbinding rate of IS was reported to be 98%, and the reduction rate (RR) with regular hemodialysis of total including both protein-bound and unbound IS was only from 32% to 50% (7-9). Some amount of PBUTs are removed by a regular hemodialysis;

Background Uremic toxins are associated with various chronic kidney disease-related comorbidities. Indoxyl sulfate (IS), a protein-bound uremic toxin, reacts with vasculature, accelerating atherosclerosis and/or vascular calcification in animal models. Few studies have examined the relationship of IS with clinical outcomes in a large cohort of hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods We included 1170 HD patients from the Japan Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study Phase 5 (2012–15). We evaluated the associations of serum total IS (tIS) levels with all-cause mortality and clinical outcomes including cardiovascular (CV)-, infectious- and malignancy-caused events using Cox regressions. Results The median (interquartile range) serum tIS level at baseline was 31.6 μg/mL (22.6–42.0). Serum tIS level was positively associated with dialysis vintage. Median follow-up was 2.8 years (range: 0.01–2.9). We observed 174 deaths (14.9%; crude rate, 0.06/year). Serum tIS level was positively associated with all-cause mortality [adjusted hazard ratio per 10 μg/mL higher, 1.16; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–1.28]. Association with cause-specific death or hospitalization events, per 10 μg/mL higher serum tIS level, was 1.18 (95% CI 1.04–1.34) for infectious events, 1.08 (95% CI 0.97–1.20) for CV events and 1.02 (95% CI 0.87–1.21) for malignancy events after adjusting for covariates including several nutritional markers. Conclusions In a large cohort study of HD patients, serum tIS level was positively associated with all-cause mortality and infectious events.

Dialysis-related amyloidosis (DRA), a serious complication among long-term hemodialysis patients, is caused by amyloid fibrils of β2-microglobulin (β2m). Although high serum β2m levels and a long dialysis vintage are the primary and secondary risk factors for the onset of DRA, respectively, patients with these do not always develop DRA, indicating that there are additional risk factors. To clarify these unknown factors, we investigate the effects of human sera on β2m amyloid fibril formation, revealing that sera markedly inhibit amyloid fibril formation. Results from over 100 sera indicate that, although the inhibitory effects of sera deteriorate in long-term dialysis patients, they are ameliorated by maintenance dialysis treatments in the short term. Serum albumin prevents amyloid fibril formation based on macromolecular crowding effects, and decreased serum albumin concentration in dialysis patients is a tertiary risk factor for the onset of DRA. We construct a theoretical model assuming cumulative effects of the three risk factors, suggesting the importance of monitoring temporary and accumulated risks to prevent the development of amyloidosis, which occurs based on supersaturation-limited amyloid fibril formation in a crowded milieu.

Protein-bound uremic toxins (PBUTs) are difficult to remove using conventional dialysis treatment owing to their high protein-binding affinity. As pH changes the conformation of proteins, it may be associated with the binding of uremic toxins. Albumin conformation at pH 2 to 13 was analyzed using circular dichroism. The protein binding behavior between indoxyl sulfate (IS) and albumin was examined using isothermal titration calorimetry. Albumin with IS, and serum with IS, p-cresyl sulfate, indole acetic acid or phenyl sulfate, as well as serum from hemodialysis patients, were adjusted pH of 3 to 11, and the concentration of the free PBUTs was measured using mass spectrometry. Albumin was unfolded at pH <4 or >12, and weakened interaction with IS occurred at pH <5 or >10. The concentration of free IS in the albumin solution was increased at pH 4.0 and pH 11.0. Addition of human serum to each toxin resulted in increased free forms at acidic and alkaline pH. The pH values of serums from patients undergoing hemodialysis adjusted to 3.4 and 11.3 resulted in increased concentrations of the free forms of PBUTs. In conclusion, acidic and alkaline pH conditions changed the albumin conformation and weakened the protein binding property of PBUTs in vitro.