EARLY ATTACHMENT OF LEUKOCYTES, PLATELETS AND FIBRINOGEN IN ENDOTHELIAL CELL-SEEDED DACRON VENOUS CONDUITS

Background There is a need for prosthetic venous conduits in surgery f or trauma, cancer and thrombotic disease. Such conduits in use today h ave a low patency rate, leaving room for much improvement. Methods Thi s experimental study investigated the dynamics of the early attachment of radiolabelled platelets, leucocytes and fibrinogen to endothelial cell-seeded Dacron venous conduits in sheep. Grafts were placed as jug ular vein interposition grafts, seeded on one side, not seeded on the other, and followed for 4 h. Results No difference could be demonstrat ed between the two graft types. Platelets showed an increasing attachm ent during the whole period, leucocytes an immediate attachment follow ed by an undulating pattern, and fibrinogen an immediate attachment wi th a tendency to decrease. Measurements on the vein itself showed a hi gh attachment and, for platelets, an extremely high attachment when me asured after the graft in the direction of flow. Conclusion The seedin g process did not seem to affect early thrombogenicity. The carefully dissected vein wall showed highly thrombogenic properties, in many way s as high as in the prosthetic graft.