ABSTRACT

Aluminum is found naturally in small amounts in the body and its function is not totally known. In hemodialysis patients, intestinal absorbtion of aluminum from Al (0H)3 preparates which are used to prevent the intestinal absorbtion of phosphorus and the aluminum in dialysis fluid and parenteral solutions that can not eliminated by urine are the causes of tissue storage of aluminum and aluminum toxicity. We have estimated basal aluminum levels (BAL) in 126 cases in our u nit. BAL values we're detected to be high in 38 % of the cases, and desferrioxamine (DFO) test was applied to these cases. Results were positive in 86 % of the cases. Cases with high and normal BAL values were compared according to the parameters of age, sex, primary causes of the disease, and no difference was found. A linear relationship was detected with BAL values and the duration of hemodialysis. BAL values of patients with 3 years of hemodialysis experience is statistically different that those of patients w ith 1-3 years of hemodialysis experience, and significantly higher than patients below 1 year experiency. In patinets with positive DFO test, 27 % showed clinically of Al toxicity. In those patients with positive result sof DFO test, hematocrit, erythrocytes, hemoglobin levels were found to be low and considered as statiscally meaningful.