Reduced complement activation during cardiopulmonary bypass does not affect the postoperative acute phase response

Objective: In the present study the relationship was evaluated between perioperative inflammation and the postoperative acute phase response in patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) assisted by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). CPB circuits contained either non-coated- (UMS), Carmeda(R)- (BPS) or Trillium(R)-coated oxygenators (BAS). Methods: Prospectively, 71 CABG patients were randomly allocated to one of the oxygenator groups (UMS: n = 25, BPS: n = 25 and BAS: n = 2 1). Terminal complement complexes (TCC) and elastase were determined in plasma samples collected before, during and after bypass. Secretory phospholipase A(2) (sPLA(2)) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined before and after bypass. Results: Demographic, CPB and clinical outcome data were similar for the three groups. TCC and elastase increased during CPB, and decreased thereafter. Significant differences between the groups were present in the levels of TCC at the end of CPB (P = 0.002) and at the first (P = 0.012) and second (P