In vitro evaluation of cellulose acetate hemodialyzer immobilized with heparin

In this study, heparin was immobilized onto cellulose acetate hollow fibers to improve the anticoagulation performance during hemodialysis. In vitro evaluation was carried out using mini-hemodialyzer circulating with fresh porcine whole blood to simulate kidney therapy. The dialysis performance and hemocompatibility were estimated. The results showed that heparinized hemodialyzer could be used through out the whole dialysis time (4hr) without injecting additional heparin to prevent coagulation in the dialysis system. In addition, the hemocompatibility was evaluated by measuring activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and fibrinogen time (M. The complete blood count (CBC) including red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (Hgb), hematocrit (Hct), white blood cell (WBC), and platelet were determined. The results showed that heparinization could keep the CBC stable during dialysis, whereas unmodified cellulose acetate hemodialyzer would cause a decrease in RBC unless heparin was injected during dialysis. Heparinized hemodialyzer showed longer APTT, PT, and FT than unmodified hemodialyzer. Heparinized hemodialyzer also showed slightly higher clearance than unmodified hemodialyzer. These results indicated that the dialysis performance and hemocompatibility of cellulose acetate hemodialyzer could be improved by the immobilization of heparin. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.