The passage of a hemodialysis filter affects hemorheology, red cell shape, and platelet aggregation.

We investigated the influence of the passage of a hemodialysis filter on red blood cells (RBCs), platelets, and hemorheological parameters. After one hour of hemodialysis, blood was drawn from 15 patients immediately ahead and behind the dialysis filter. RBCs were fixed for morphological analysis. Blood viscosity was measured with a Couette viscometer (LS-30, Contraves), RBC aggregation with a Myrenne aggregometer, platelet aggregation in flowing whole blood and in platelet rich plasma. The passage of the hemodialysis filter increased the hematocrit from 34.0 ± 3.8 to 44.6 ± 8.7% (p < 0.01). Discocytes decreased from 73 ± 9 to 60 ± 15%, while echinocytes/knizocytes were more abundant 24 ± 9% and 38 ± 15%, respectively, p < 0.01). Blood viscosity increased from 3.77 ± 0.52 to 6.75 ± 2.21 mPa.s (p < 0.01). The RBC aggregation index decreased from 25.8 ± 5.0 to 20.9 ± 5.6 (p < 0.05). These changes were less pronounced when the blood flow rate was reduced from 350 to 100 ml/min. Platelet aggregation was slightly increased in flowing whole blood, but decreased in platelet rich plasma. At the end of hemodialysis, a small increase in abnormally shaped RBCs, hematocrit, and whole blood viscosity persisted; platelet aggregation in flowing whole blood was reduced in all patients. We conclude that the passage of a hemodialysis filter induced RBC shape changes, increased the hematocrit, whole blood and plasma viscosity, decreased RBC aggregation, and affected platelet aggregation.