Serum Level of Hydrogen Sulfide and Its Influential Factors in Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis

Objective: To investigate the serum level of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and its influential factors in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Methods:Based on screening and exclusion criteria, 150 patients undergoing MHD were enrolled. Meanwhile, 17 healthy volunteers were collected as healthy controls. Venous blood samples of MHD patients were obtained before and after dialysis, and fasting blood samples were collected from healthy controls. The levels including serum H₂S, nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), and sulfhemoglobin were detected and the correlations among them were analyzed. Results:The levels of serum H₂S, NO, NO/ET-1 and sulfhemoglobin in patients undergoing MHD were significantly lower than those in healthy control group before dialysis (P<0.01), while, there was no significant difference regarding ET-1 and Vitamin B₆ levels between these two groups (P>0.05). Before dialysis, serum H₂S level was positively correlated with NO, NO/ET-1, sulfhemoglobin and eGFR (P<0.01), while negatively correlated to serum creatinine. After dialysis, serum H₂S level increased significantly, while NO, NO/ET-1 decreased significantly. However, the levels of ET-1, sulfhemoglobin and Vitamin B₆, compared with those before dialysis, did not change significantly after dialysis. Conclusions:Serum H₂S level in patients undergoing MHD decreases significantly and it is significantly correlated with NO, sulfhemoglobin and renal function. Compared with that before hemodialysis, the serum H₂S level increased significantly after hemodialysis.