Complement activation during extracorporeal circulation. In vitro comparison of Duraflo II heparin-coated and uncoated oxygenator circuits.

The degree of complement activation during cardiopulmonary bypass is considered a valuable parameter of biocompatibility of the extracorporeal circuit. In an in vitro setting with a heart-lung machine primed with fresh whole blood and saline solution, the C3 activation products C3b, iC3b, and C3c and the terminal complement complex were measured in double-antibody enzyme immunosorbent assays. No differences were found between seven sets treated with Duraflo II heparin coating and seven uncoated sets after 2 hours of circulation. C3 activation products (expressed as median and 95% confidence intervals) increased from 4.5 AU (2.8 to 12.3 AU) to 16.5 AU (10.0 to 19.4 AU) in the uncoated sets (p = 0.02) and from 4.6 AU (2.2 to 5.8 AU) to 19.3 AU (3.5 to 27.1 AU) in the coated sets (p = 0.02). Terminal complement complex increased from 5.7 AU (2.7 to 11.3 AU) to 13.6 AU (8.2 to 17.8 AU) in the uncoated sets (p = 0.02) and from 7.9 AU (4.6 to 11.4 AU) to 17.3 AU (9.4 to 35.1 AU) in the coated sets (p = 0.02). A significant drop in thrombocyte levels was observed in both coated and uncoated sets. In a supplementary series, the sterilization process did not influence the results. Although Duraflo II heparin coating is considered highly effective in preventing coagulation, it did not prevent complement activation in the present in vitro study. We hypothesize that the mode by which the heparin molecule is bound to the surface may be essential to obtain effects on both coagulation and complement system.