Effect of gamma radiation versus ethylene oxide sterilization of dialyzers and blood lines on plasma levels of granulocyte elastase in hemodialyzed patients.

The effect of gamma versus ethylene oxide sterilization of different dialyzers (polyacrylonitrile, cuprophan) and blood lines on plasma levels of granulocyte elastase and of lysozyme during hemodialysis was investigated in 17 chronically uremic patients. Plasma levels of granulocyte elastase increased during hemodialysis but significantly less in the presence of polyacrylonitrile compared with cuprophan membranes. In contrast, enhanced lysozyme plasma levels decreased during dialysis using the polyacrylonitrile dialyzer to values of healthy controls and remained unchanged using the cuprophan dialyzer. Both effects were not influenced by the way of sterilization. We conclude that granulocyte activation during hemodialysis occurs independently of the sterilization procedure of dialyzers and blood lines in patients showing no clinical signs of hypersensitivity.