Effect of intravenous iron administration frequency on AOPP and inflammatory biomarkers in chronic hemodialysis patients: A pilot study

Objectives Intravenous iron administration (IVIR) is effective for correcting anemia in hemodialysis (HD) patients, but it also enhances the generation of hydroxyl radicals. Previously we demonstrated that IVIR increases oxidized serum albumin levels in HD patients. However, the effect of IVIR frequencies on the oxidative stress has never been studied before. Therefore, we compared the two IVIR schedules recommended by the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy guideline 2004 by measuring oxidized albumin in chronic HD patients. Design and methods Twenty-two HD patients were divided into two IVIR protocol groups (group I: 40 mg of iron 3 times a week for 4 weeks, group II: 40 mg of iron once a week for 3 months). These protocols differ in IVIR frequency, but receive the same amount of iron (total 520 mg). We compared these two regimens by determining the levels of hemoglobin, serum ferritin, advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), and oxidized albumin at 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 weeks. Results Both patient groups resulted in a similar and significant increase in hemoglobin levels, whereas group I markedly induced AOPP and oxidation of serum albumin than group II at 4 weeks (P < 0.05). AOPP and oxidation of serum albumin was also gradually declined by 20 weeks, while the oxidized albumin and AOPP in group II was not significantly changed during the entire experimental period. Transferrin saturation and serum ferritin levels were also increased in group I compared with group II at 4 weeks (P < 0.001). In addition, we found a strong positive correlation between oxidized albumin and serum ferritin levels (r = 0.615, P < 0.05), suggesting the possibility that the accumulation of iron stores has a causative role in the progression of oxidative stress in HD patients treated with IVIR. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that lower frequency IVIR protocol is recommended to reduce IVIR-induced oxidative stress in HD patients.