The effects of modified hemofiltration on inflammatory mediators and cardiac performance in coronary artery bypass grafting

Cardiopulmonary bypass increases the blood levels of various immune mediators, thereby leading to a systemic inflammatory response syndrome, e.g. sepsis, with some hemodynamic alterations, such as vasodilatation, tachycardia, and a decrease in systemic vascular resistance. Perioperative hemofiltration is one of the treatment modalities proposed to prevent this syndrome. Modified hemofiltration has been introduced recently by investigators who recommend that the former standard techniques are ineffective in eliminating the inflammatory mediators. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the modified technique on these mediators and on hemodynamic parameters. Forty patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were randomized into equal control and hemofiltered groups. The hemodynamic parameters, as well as blood samples, were taken before and after hemofiltration to assess blood concentrations of interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and neopterin. The hemodynamic parameters and immune mediator levels did not differ between the two groups during the course of the study, except in the immediate postoperative periods, where cardiac output, cardiac index, and systemic vascular resistance values were significantly greater in the hemofiltered group while there were no differences in the immune mediators. The results of our study suggest that the effects of modified hemofiltration on immune mediators are still debatable. The improvement found in cardiac performance could be attributed to the prevention of hemodilution and hypervolemia.