Identification of proteins absorbed to hemodialyser membranes from heparinized plasma

The protein layers formed during contact of plasma with hemodialysis membranes were studied. Dialysers having membranes of cellulose acetate (CA), saponified cellulose ester (SCE), cuprophane (CUP), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) were used. Heparinized human plasma was recirculated through the dialysers for four hours. They were then rinsed and the proteins adsorbed to the membranes were eluted with 2% SDS. The yields of protein from the different membranes increased in the order: PMMA < CA < SCE < CUP < PAN. This is the probable order of increasing hydrophilicity. SDS-PAGE and Western blots were performed on the dialyser eluates. The blots were positive for most of the twenty proteins tested for. There were some interesting differences in adsorption patterns among the different membrane materials, notably for high molecular weight kininogen (HMWK), plasminogen and the C3 component of complement. HMWK was intact in the eluates from CA, CUP and SCE, whereas on PMMA and PAN there was evidence of cleavage, suggesting that activation of the contact phase of coagulation was more extensive on the latter two materials. Intact plasminogen was visible on all the blots. However, low molecular weight fragments were visible in the PAN eluates, suggesting activation of the fibrinolytic pathway. Low molecular weight fibrinogen fragments eluted from PAN membranes support this conclusion. C3 was visible in the blots obtained for all membrane materials, and the data suggest that complement is activated by all the membranes. A C3 fragment at about 30 kD (possibly C3d) was seen in the blots for the cellulosic membranes but not for PMMA or PAN.