Platelet and Fibrin(Ogen) Deposition in the Artificial Kidney. The Influence of Haematocrit, Fibrin Monomer and Platelet Inhibitors

Abstract

The effect of variations in haematocrit (hct) on the retention of ⁵¹Cr-labelled platelets and ¹²⁵I-labelled fibrinogen from normal, heparinized, human blood, circulated in an experimental “mini-Kiil” dialyzing system, was studied. Platelet retention (PR) on dialysis membranes and blood lines was found to increase with increasing hct. When only platelet rich plasma was circulated, a significantly lower PR was noted on the blood lines. Fibrin(ogen) deposition on the same surfaces showed a similar tendency. When ¹²⁵I-labelled fibrin monomer was added to normal blood, prior to dialysis, fibrin deposition on the membranes and blood lines was of a much higher degree than in the control. However, PR was not significantly influenced by the presence or deposition of the fibrin monomer. Reduced platelet function, caused by incubation with acetylsalicylic acid prior to dialysis, led to less PR on the blood lines, but not on the membranes. The observed difference was, however, not statistically significant (p=0.06). Pretreatment of platelets with prostaglandin E₁, however, was able to reduce PR significantly both on dialysis membranes and blood lines.