Biocompatibility of different hemodialysis and plasmapheresis membranes

The biocompatibility of different membranes was assessed by measuring changes in different white blood cell counts, PGE2 concentrations, thromboplastin activity, production of anaphylatoxins and clinical parameters during treatment. The in vivo recorded complement activation was compared with in vitro experiments. Hemodialysis (HD) treatment was performed with 5 different membranes. Plasmapheresis was run with cellulose diacetate membranes in single (SMF) and double (DMF) membrane filtration and with a new polycarbonate membrane in SMF. The polysulfone membrane was found to be the most, and the cuprophane membrane the least biocompatible membrane in HD. However, large individual differences from one HD patient to the other were found. In contrast to the cellulose diacetate membrane, the polycarbonate membrane apparently activated no complement along the blood-membrane interface during plasmapheresis, but activated large amounts within the membrane matrix. High blood concentrations of C5a were promptly cleared in the body, while high concentrations of C3a seemed to block the removal of this substance from the blood compartment. Even when the patients had high blood concentrations of anaphylatoxins throughout the plasmapheresis treatments using cellulose diacetate membranes and when a significant activation of PGE2 was found in patient plasma, no activation of thromboplastin was recorded on the surface circulating monocytes.