Are there uremic toxins that are present in patients with end stage kidney disease?
There are hundreds of toxins that accumulate in kidney failure. Some of these toxins are middle or large molecules, some are charged particles, and others are protein bound.
Many of these compounds are not well removed by conventional hemodialysis. Urea is a surrogate marker for uremic toxins, although the removal of urea is a poor model for most other uremic toxins.
Additional research is needed in this area to determine the extent and effects of these other uremic toxins on morbidity and mortality of patients with ESRD.