Background: Neutrophil (PMN) activation is stimulated during CABG by both cardio-pulmonary bypass and myocardial ischaemia. PMN activation leads to over-expression of adhesion molecules. As indicated by experimental data, depletion of leucocytes within the ischaemic and reperfusion area by PMN filters should inhibit their injurious effect.
Aim: Our goal was to evaluate the changes in expression of adhesion molecules on the surface of control neutrophils treated by serum collected from CABG patients during CPB with donation of filtered and non-filtered blood cardioplegia.
Materials and methods: Blood from 40 CABG patients was collected from the aorta, vena cava and coronary sinus before ischaemia, during and 25 minutes after reperfusion. Plasma samples were incubated with control PMN and the expression of adhesion molecules was measured by flow cytometry.
Results and conclusion: We observed increasing adhesion molecule expression on neutrophiles after incubation with plasma collected from arterial blood and decreased expression with plasma from venous blood. Use of neutrophil filters to improve blood cardioplegia during each donation did not have any impact on molecule expression.