Plasma levels of main granulocyte components during hemodialysis: effects of immunosuppression.

Abstract

Plasma levels of granulocyte lactoferrin, granulocyte myeloperoxidase and granulocyte elastase in complex with alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor were investigated during hemodialysis in oliguric patients following cadaveric renal transplantation (CRT). The results were compared with those of patients undergoing regular hemodialysis treatment (RDT) using different membrane materials. In RDT patients, plasma lactoferrin levels increased from 61.9 +/- 10.2 to 417.9 +/- 96.7 using dialyzers made of cuprophane. Dialyzers made of polymethyl methacrylate induced an increase of lactoferrin from 166.6 +/- 28.5 to 712.5 +/- 165.9 and dialyzers made of polyacrylonitrile an increase from 122.6 +/- 23.5 to 647.7 +/- 203.6 ng/ml. In CRT patients, in contrast, plasma lactoferrin levels increased from 49.1 +/- 10.9 to 199.6 +/- 45.9 (cuprophane), from 30.1 +/- 6.9 to 252.5 +/- 46.9 (polymethyl methacrylate), and from 43.3 +/- 9.1 to 174.2 +/- 39.3 ng/ml (polyacrylonitrile). On the other hand, the plasma levels of myeloperoxidase and elastase in complex with alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor increased comparably in both groups of patients. Our data suggest that immunosuppression might prevent degranulation of specific granules independently of the used dialyzer membrane material, whereas no effect was observed on two main components of azurophilic granules.