Background: The expression of neutrophil integrin CD11b is up-regulated after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and is the neutrophil adhesive molecule of most importance in neutrophil- endothelial adherence. This neutrophil-endothelial adherence is responsible for post-CPB neutrophil-induced reperfusion injury. Low-dose aprotinin protocols inhibit the CPB-induced neutrophil CD11b up-regulation. This investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effects of pump prime only aprotinin (280 mg) on the CPB-induced up-regulation of this neutrophil integrin.
Methods: Twenty-two patients scheduled for elective myocardial revascularization were randomized into two groups: (1) control (n = 12), or (2) pump prime only aprotinin (280 mg) (n = 10). Neutrophils were isolated at baseline, 50 minutes of CPB, and 30 minutes after CPB and neutrophil CD11b expression was measured.
Results: The control group demonstrated a significant (p < 0.05) increase in neutrophil CD11b immunofluorescent staining at 50 minutes of CPB and at 30 minutes after CPB when compared to same group baseline and to the pump prime only aprotinin group at similar time intervals.
Conclusions: These results indicate that pump prime only aprotinin modulates the CPB-induced up-regulation of neutrophil CD11b integrin, an important indicator of the systemic inflammatory response to CPB. In addition to blunting of the CPB-induced up-regulation of this neutrophil integrin expression, this pump prime only dose of aprotinin is also reported to be effective at reducing post-CPB bleeding and transfusion requirements. This salutary effect of pump prime only aprotinin suggests that such low-dose regimens can be both therapeutically effective and cost effective.