Kidney and Dialysis · Published 2026-02-10 · DOI 10.3390/kidneydial6010010
<b>Background:</b> Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasingly prevalent, leading to more patients requiring hemodialysis. Medium cut-off (MCO) membranes, such as the ELISIO™ HX dialyzer, may enhance middle-to-large molecule removal and reduce inflammation compared with conventional high-flux membranes. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of ELISIO™ HX versus a standard high-flux dialyzer (Toraylight NS-21S) in terms of molecular reduction rate and inflammation. <b>Methods:</b> We performed a single-center, prospective, randomized crossover study with 12 hemodialysis patients, each treated with Toraylight NS-21S and ELISIO™ HX over four weeks. Pre- and post-dialysis levels of urea, creatinine, albumin, creatine kinase, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and β2-microglobulin were measured. Pre–post differences were assessed using dialyzer analysis, period-effect and carryover analysis, and non-inferiority analysis. <b>Results:</b> ELISIO™ HX was non-inferior to Toraylight NS-21S for creatinine, urea, phosphorus, procalcitonin, and β2-microglobulin. No significant serum albumin changes were observed with either dialyzer. Adverse events were infrequent and comparable between the dialyzers. <b>Conclusions:</b> ELISIO™ HX appears non-inferior to Toraylight NS-21S and suggests good safety and tolerability. These findings should be interpreted with caution given the study’s limited power.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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