The inflammatory response to CPB: the role of leukocyte filtration.

Leukocyte activation is a significant component of the systemic inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Various strategies have been developed aiming to reduce leukocyte activation and its deleterious effects on organ function after cardiac surgery. Leukocyte filtration aims to physically remove activated leukocytes from the circulation during CPB. The technique has been used since the mid-1990s but its efficacy in attenuating the effects of inflammatory response remains controversial. This article presents a review of published trials investigating the effects of leukocyte filtration on humans undergoing cardiac surgery.