Effects of L-carnitine supplements on inflammatory cytokines, CRP and oxidative stress in hemodialysis patients

Inflammation and oxidative stress are common in patients with chronic renal disease, including hemodialysis patients. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of L-carnitine supplements on inflammatory cytokines, CRP and oxidative stress in hemodialysis patients.

The study was a randomized clinical trial. Thirty-six hemodialysis patients, (23 males and 13 females), were randomly assigned to either carnitine group or the control group. The patients in the carnitine group received 1000 mg/d oral L-carnitine for 12 weeks while the control group did not receive any L-carnitine supplement during the study. At the baseline and the end of 12th week of the study, 5 ml. blood was collected after a 12 to 14-hour fast from each patient before dialysis and then serum free carnitine, CRP, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and ox-LDL were measured.

Mean serum free carnitine concentration increased significantly, by 86%, in the carnitine group at the end of 12th week as compared to the baseline (P<0.001), while serum CRP and IL-6 decreased significantly, by 29% (P<0.05) and 61% (P<0.001), respectively. No significant changes were observed in the serum concentrations of free carnitine, CRP and IL-6 in the control group during the study. There were no significant differences between mean changes of serum IL-1β, TNF-α and ox-LDL concentrations in the two groups.

This study indicated that L-carnitine supplement could improve carnitine deficiency and decrease inflammatory markers of CRP and IL-6 in hemodialysis patients.