Abstract: 【Abstract】 Objective To observe the changes of serum IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α and their clinical significance in maintenance hemodialysis patients. Methods We selected 80 uremic patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD group) during April 2009 to June 2010 in the Blood Purification Center, Department of Nephrology, the Affiliated Hospital of Chinese People’s Armed Police Forces Medical College, and 20 healthy individuals as the normal control (control group). Their serum IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, albumin (ALB), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured. Results Serum levels of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, TC and LDL-C were significantly higher in MHD patients than in control group (P<0.01), and ALB was significantly lower in MHD group. Correlation analysis indicated that IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α were negatively correlated with ALB, and were positively correlated with TC and LDL-C in MHD patients. Conclusion Microinflammatory status existed in MHD patients, possibly relating to the malnutrition and dyslipidemia in these patients.

Key words: Interleukin-6, Tumor necrosis factor-α, Maintenance hemodialysis, Microinflammatory status