Leukocyte depletion during cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation in high risk patients.
BACKGROUND
Cardiopulmonary bypass is associated with systemic inflammation that may contribute to increased perioperative mortality. Depletion of circulating leukocytes may reduce the inflammatory response. We studied the effect of a leukocyte depleting filter on leukocyte activation during cardiopulmonary bypass in high risk patients.


METHODS
Fifty patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with a preoperative high risk were randomly placed in an arterial line leukocyte filter group (n = 25) with a leukocyte depleting filter. Blood sampling took place from the arterial line to analyze polymorphnuclear elastase and myeloperoxidase at six time points, including: A) before the induction of anesthesia, B) before the induction of the cardiopulmonary bypass C) 1 min after the release of the aorta clamp, D) the end of the operation, E) 1 h postoperative, and F) 24 h postoperative.


RESULTS
Levels of polymorphonuclear elastase, (PMNE), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were found to be higher after the release of the aortic cross clamp in the leukocyte filter group; these levels remained elevated until 24 hours after surgery and were high in comparison to preoperative baseline levels. The differences in PMNE between both groups at time points C and D (p < 0.005) and E (p < 0.05) were statistically significant. The serum levels of the S-100B and neuron specific enolase (NSE) were found to be elevated between time points C and E in both groups without statistical significance. The in-hospital mortality was 16% (4 patients) in leukocyte filter group and 4% in control group (1 patient).


CONCLUSIONS
Interestingly, the activation of neutrophils was more pronounced in the LF group. The use of a leucocyte depleting filter was not advantageous for this patient cohort for clinical or biomedical endpoints.
Bakhtiary
F
F
Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital, 60596 Frankfurt/Main, Germany. farhad@bakhtiary.de
Moritz
A
A
Kleine
P
P
Dzemali
O
O
Simon
A
A
Ackermann
H
H
Martens
S
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D047589:Leukocyte Reduction Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D007962:Leukocytes; D008297:Male; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors
D009195:Peroxidase