Biocompatibility study based on differential sequestration kinetics of CD14+CD16+ blood monocyte subsets with different dialyzers.

The immune defect in hemodialysis (HD) patients is associated with a monocyte dysfunction, including an increase in the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Blood membrane contact leads to an increase in cellular activation and sequestration into the capillary bed of the lung. The influence of the sequestration on the number of mature monocytes was studied by analyzing the fate of monocytes, particularly, the CD14+CD16+ subpopulation, during HD treatment. In thirty stable HD patients, the distinct cell populations were determined by differential blood counts and flow cytometry. Patients with diabetes or systemic vasculitis, those showing evidence of infectious complications or malignancy, or those taking immunosuppressive medications were excluded from the study. Cells from this study population were analyzed before the start, 30 min thereafter, and at the end of HD treatment, each time using a different dialyzer: hemophan, methylmethacrylate (PMMA), triacetate membrane, cuprophane/vitamin E, acrylonitrile, and sodium methallylsulfonate polymer (AN69). The CD14+CD16+ subset decreased at 30 min and remained suppressed for the course of dialysis. To examine whether currently used biocompatible membranes differ in their effect on the sequestration of monocyte subpopulations, temporal monocytic changes were comparatively analyzed during HD with a different dialyzer. The drop in the first 30 min until the end of HD treatment was significant (p<0.05), very uniform, and sharp in all patients, and was independent upon membrane type. The CD14+CD16+ monocyte subpopulation showed increased and longer margination from the blood circulation during HD. Given the fact that CD14+CD16+ monocytes represent a sensitive marker for inflammation or cellular activation, the depletion of these cells may offer an easily accessible parameter that is more sensitive than complement activation for biocompatibility studies on forthcoming, improved dialyzer membranes.

Comparative analysis of immunophenotypic abnormalities in cellular immunity of uremic patients undergoing either hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

AIM: To investigate the abnormalities of cellular immune responses in patients on hemodialysis (HD) and in those on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-five (45) healthy volunteers, 34 patients on HD therapy, and 37 patients on CAPD were recruited for the present study. Lymphocyte subpopulations (CD2+, CD3+, CD3+/CD4+, CD3+/CD8+, CD3-/16+56+, CD19, and CD4/CD8) were determined by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Lymphopenia, decreased absolute counts, and altered percentage values of CD3+, CD3+/ 4+, and CD19+ subpopulations were found in both patient groups. The HD and CAPD patients showed increased percentages of natural killer cells (CD3-/16+56+) compared to controls but CD4+/CD8+ ratio showed no significant changes among uremic patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Replacement therapy may contribute to the quantitative alterations of immune subsets found in HD and CAPD patients compared to normal subjects. We speculate that these changes account, at least in part, for the immune dysregulation observed in patients with chronic renal failure. Analysis of lymphocyte subsets will help the research and the evaluation of the possible causes of immunodeficiency in uremic patients undergoing replacement therapy and will probably contribute to more efficient and preventive strategies.