Sodium-Lithium Countertransport in Red Cells

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To the Editor: Woods et al. (May 26 issue)1 provide evidence for a decrease in the rate of sodium–lithium countertransport in red cells after hemodialysis, and suggest that this effect is related to the removal of a plasma factor. They did not observe a difference in ouabain-dependent sodium efflux during hemodialysis, but this conclusion is based on data in only two patients. This latter observation disagrees with previous data, which demonstrated a decrease in the sodium–potassium pump activity in patients with chronic renal failure.2 We have recently studied the sodium exchange in the red cells of 11 patients receiving hemodialysis . . .