A higher blood flow window of reduced thrombogenicity and acceptable fragmentation in a hollow fiber hemodialyzer.

ABSTRACT

The effect of pulsatile blood flow on platelet thrombogenicity and platelet fragmentation (PF) in a hollow fiber hemodialyzer (HFD) was quantified with 111In labeled platelets and 125I labeled fibrinogen; 150 ml of blood was collected from Beagle dogs, Yorkshire pigs, and a human volunteer (non-smoker). Platelets were labeled with 111In tropolone (300 microCi) and fibrinogen was labeled with 125I. Sham dialysis (SHD) was performed with 120 HFDs (0.9 meter2) at 37 degrees C, with flow-rates of 150, 250, 500, and 950 ml/min.; after SHD, the washed HD radioactivity was measured with an ionization chamber. PF was measured by flow cytometry with GP IIb-IIIa murine monoclonal antibody. Platelet deposition decreased significantly for 3 species at higher flow; fibrinogen deposition (10-12%, 55-65 mg/m2), was not affected by flow. Adherent platelet thrombus decreased from (8.2 +/- 3.4) to (3.1 +/- 1.0) with human blood as flow rate increased from 150 to 950 ml/min; platelet thrombus level also decreased significantly (p < 0.005) from (20.3 +/- 6.2) to (4.5 +/- 1.9) with canine blood. Higher values were obtained for canine than human and porcine platelets. Platelet fragmentation, on the other hand, increased from 2.1-2.2% to 10.2-11.3% with increase of flow. Like platelets, deposition of canine fibrinogen was slightly higher than that of pig and human. The studies of adherent thrombus and platelet fragmentation identified an important flow-window of reduced thrombogenicity and acceptable fragmentation, encouraging extracorporeal circulation at higher blood flow.