Suppression of immunoglobulin and interleukin-6 production from peripheral blood mononuclear cells by dialysis membranes.
 The influence of dialysis membranes on immunoglobulin and interleukin-6 production was estimated in vitro.
 Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 11 patients undergoing hemodialysis were incubated for 7 days on Cuprophan, Hemophan, and polyacrylonitrile flat sheet membranes.
 IgG, IgA, IgM, and IL-6 were assayed in the supernatants with the aid of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques.
 Pokeweed mitogen-stimulated IgG production declined significantly from 319 +/- 40 ng/ml on polystyrole to 162 +/- 26 ng/ml on Cuprophan; 135 +/- 25 ng/ml on Hemophan; and 109 +/- 20 ng/ml on polyacrylonitrile.
 A similar pattern was observed for IgA and IgM production.
 IL-6 production was significantly reduced in the presence of Cuprophan (151 +/- 45 pg/ml), Hemophan (167 +/- 6 pg/ml), and polyacrylonitrile (108 +/- 33 pg/ml) when compared with polystyrole (724 +/- 34 pg/ml).
 It was concluded that the long-term exposure of mononuclear cells to artificial surfaces during dialysis may contribute to the impaired humoral response observed in dialysis patients.
 This effect may be due to a decline in B cell stimulation by monocytes, a possibility suggested by the reduction in monocytic IL-6 production.
