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Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) membranes were first developed in Japan in 1977. Over its 30-year history, use of PMMA has given rise to a new generation of dialysers and continues to evolve. In long-term observation of patients treated with PMMA membranes (BK series), it has been found that serum β2-microglobulin is maintained at a significantly lower level than in haemodialysis (HD) patients undergoing treatment with conventional cellulosic membranes. Regarding long-term side effects, radiolucent bone cysts (RBC) and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) have developed in relatively few patients undergoing HD with PMMA membranes.The profiles of various proteins in the blood of HD patients differ from those in normal subjects. PMMA membranes remove a wide variety of solutes not only via permeation, but also adsorption. Numerous reports have noted that pruritus can be ameliorated with the use of slightly anionic PMMA membranes (BG series). We have been performing proteomic analysis of plasma from HD patients with pruritus. We have confirmed that slightly anionic PMMA membranes can adsorb components with a molecular weight of 160 000 Da, which have stimulatory effect on mast cells from pruritus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The prevalence of obesity has markedly increased in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Studies on the impact of exercise focusing on obese CKD patients are scarce. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise performed either in an exercise centre or at home on visceral fat in overweight non-dialysed CKD patients. Methods Twenty-seven sedentary men (52.1 ± 9.5 years, body mass index 30.4 ± 3.8 kg/m2, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 27.5 ± 11.6 mL/min) were randomly assigned to a centre-based exercise group (n = 10), home-based exercise group (n = 8) or control group (n = 9). The aerobic training was prescribed according to ventilatory threshold and performed three times per week during 12 weeks. Body composition was assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and the distribution of abdominal fat by computed tomography. Results In the centre-based group, visceral fat and waist circumference decreased 6.4 ± 6.4 mm (P < 0.01) and 2.0 ± 2.3 cm (P = 0.03) and leg lean mass increased 0.5 ± 0.4 kg (P < 0.01). No significant changes were observed in the home-based group. Visceral fat increased 5.0 ± 4.4 mm in the control group (P = 0.01). In relation to the control, a group-by-time interaction was significant for visceral fat and waist circumference for both exercise groups and for leg lean mass for the centre-based group. Mean blood pressure decreased in both exercise groups (centre-based 13%, P < 0.01 and home-based 10%, P = 0.03) and eGFR increased 3.6 ± 4.6 mL/min (P = 0.03) in the centre-based group. These parameters remained unchanged in the control group. Conclusions Centre-based aerobic exercise is an effective approach to reduce visceral fat besides promoting relevant clinical benefits in male overweight CKD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]