Granulocyte-related bioincompatibility of hemodialysis: inhibition of oxidative metabolism, degranulation reaction, enzyme release and leukocyte sequestration in the lung.

Hemodialysis (HD) induced contact of granulocytes with cuprophan and modified cuprophan, i.e. hemophan, membranes leads to over-stimulation of their oxidative metabolism. This is shown by the fact that after starting HD the peripheral granulocytes are less stimulable to chemiluminescence (CL) and peroxide production (cytochrome C reduction). Such alterations are likely to be connected with a granular staining loss, enzyme release and sequestration of granulocytes in the lung, which coincides with reported clinical features like dyspnoea and drop in arterial oxygen pressure. HD with polysulfone membranes causes a degranulation reaction too, but does not produce granulocyte inhibition and pulmonary sequestration of leukocytes, clearly indicating that these phenomena strongly depend on the different dialyzer membranes.