Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Objective
Protein carbamylation is a urea-driven post-translational protein modification associated with mortality in dialysis patients. Free amino acids (AAs) are competitive inhibitors of protein carbamylation and animal studies suggest increasing AA concentrations reduces carbamylation burden. We hypothesized that AA therapy in maintenance hemodialysis patients would reduce carbamylation, carrying the potential to improve clinical outcomes.Design
Prospective pilot clinical trial (NCT1612429).Setting
The study was conducted from March 2013 to March 2014 in outpatient dialysis facilities in the Boston metropolitan area.Subjects and intervention
We enrolled 23 consecutively consenting hemodialysis subjects, infusing the first 12 individuals with 250 cc of AAs 3 times per week postdialysis over 8 weeks. The remaining 11 subjects served as controls.Main outcome measure
Change in carbamylated albumin (C-Alb), a measure of total body carbamylation burden, between baseline and 8 weeks was the primary outcome.Results
The treated and control groups had similar clinical characteristics and similar baseline C-Alb levels (mean ± SE 9.5 ± 2.4 and 9.3 ± 1.3 mmol/mol, respectively; P = .61). The treated arm showed a significant reduction in C-Alb compared with controls at 4 weeks (8.4% reduction in the treated arm vs. 4.3% increase in controls; P = .03) and the effect was greater by 8 weeks (15% reduction in the treated vs. 1% decrease in controls; P = .01).Conclusion
In this pilot study, AA therapy appeared safe and effective at reducing C-Alb levels in hemodialysis patients compared with no treatment. The impact of reduced protein carbamylation on clinical outcomes should be further investigated.
SUBMITTER: Kalim S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4469570 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Kalim Sahir S Ortiz Guillermo G Trottier Caitlin A CA Deferio Joseph J JJ Karumanchi S Ananth SA Thadhani Ravi I RI Berg Anders H AH
Journal of renal nutrition : the official journal of the Council on Renal Nutrition of the National Kidney Foundation 20150305 4
<h4>Objective</h4>Protein carbamylation is a urea-driven post-translational protein modification associated with mortality in dialysis patients. Free amino acids (AAs) are competitive inhibitors of protein carbamylation and animal studies suggest increasing AA concentrations reduces carbamylation burden. We hypothesized that AA therapy in maintenance hemodialysis patients would reduce carbamylation, carrying the potential to improve clinical outcomes.<h4>Design</h4>Prospective pilot clinical tri ...[more]