High cut-off hemofiltration versus standard hemofiltration: Effect on plasma cytokines

Abstract

Purpose: To study the effects of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH) with high cut-off filters (CVVH-HCO) on plasma cytokine levels, sieving coefficient and clearance compared to CVVH using standard filters (CVVH-Std) in a nested cohort within a double-blind randomized controlled trial in severe acute kidney injury (AKI) patients. Methods: We measured plasma and post-filter levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-8, IL-1 beta, RANTES, IL-10, IFNgamma and IFN-alpha in both study groups. We also measured cytokine levels in the ultrafiltrate and calculated sieving coefficients and clearances. Results: By 72 hours of treatment, IL-6 had decreased during both treatments (p = 0.009 and 0.005 respec..