Significance of the concentrated red cell and albumin priming method with particular reference to anaphylatoxin generation

Abstract

Anaphylatoxins generated by cardiopulmonary bypass were observed in basic and clinical studies (n = 120 in the latter). In vitro immunoglobulin fractions denatured by oxygen bubbling produced C4a, C3a, and C5a, but albumin identically treated did not. Therefore concentrated red cells with albumin were used to prime homologous blood for clinical application during cardiopulmonary bypass. Complement levels were compared with type of oxygenator (bubble or membrane) and the ratio of primed homologous blood to circulating autologous blood volume. With the bubble oxygenator at a low ratio of homologous to autologous blood (arbitrarily defined as less than 20%), C3a levels during cardiopulmonary bypass tended to be lower in the concentrated red cells plus albumin priming group than in the ordinary priming group (p less than 0.1, at 60 and 90 minutes of cardiopulmonary bypass). C4a and C3a levels increased less after protamine administration with concentrated red cells plus albumin priming (p less than 0.05, p less than 0.01, respectively, 90 minutes after protamine) than with ordinary priming. Such changes in the membrane oxygenator group were less remarkable. Thus C3a levels were approximately the same in both oxygenator groups primed with concentrated red cells plus albumin. The higher the homologous to autologous ratio, the steeper the C4a and C3a increase from the beginning of cardiopulmonary bypass with the bubble oxygenator. This tendency was less remarkable in the membrane oxygenator group. Early postoperative pulmonary function was improved by concentrated red cells plus albumin priming, especially in the bubble oxygenator group. In conclusion, (1) oxygenator systems primed with concentrated red cells plus albumin produced less anaphylatoxin than those with homologous blood, especially with the bubble oxygenator, and (2) our clinical results support the importance of immunoglobulin denatured by oxygen bubbling in anaphylatoxin generation (by means of the classical pathway), as shown by our in vitro study.