Lean body mass assessment based on UV-absorbance in spent dialysate

The aim of the study was to explore the possibility of assessing lean body mass (LBM) based on UV-absorbance measurements in spent dialysate. Nine patients on chronic three-times-a-week haemodialysis (HD) were studied. A double-beam spectrophotometer was used for the determination of UV-absorbance in the collected spent dialysate samples. LBM was calculated based on creatinine concentration in blood (LBM_blood), creatinine concentration in spent dialysate (LBM_dialysate) and UV-absorbance in spent dialysate (LBM_a). Although LBM_a was slightly lower compared to LBM_blood, the estimates based on UV-absorbance in spent dialysate were not statistically different from LBM_blood. In summary, the results show that it is possible to asses LBM based on UV-absorbance in spent dialysate.