Treatment of osteo-arthropathy associated with dialysis-related amyloidosis by push/pull HDF

Twelve long-term hemodialysis patients who complained of shoulder joint pain were selected for the present study. In these patients, cuprophane dialyzer which had been employed t date was changed to PAN-22DX hemodiafilter® (polyacrylonitrile). After hemodialysis treatment with the PAN-22DX hemodiafilter for 4 weeks, hemodialysis were switched to the push/pull HDF using the same hemodiafilter and performed for another 4 weeks. The, the treatment was switched back to hemodialysis using the PAN-22 DX hemodiafilter. The patients showed a significant increase in upper arm movement ranges following the switch to push/pull HDF treatment. The increased upper arm movement ranges were retained for nearly 2 weeks even after the switch back to the original hemodialysis. The pretreatment β₂- microglobulin concentration decreased following the switch from hemodialysis to push/pull HDF.