Serum inhibitor of C5 fragment-mediated polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotaxis associated with chronic hemodialysis.

Abnormal granulocyte chemotaxis has been described in chronic hemodialysis patients. In this study, sera from 53 hemodialysis patients were tested for chemotactic inhibitory activity by a modified Boyden technique. Chemotactic inhibitory activity, defined as >20% inhibition of normal granulocyte chemotaxis, was found in 45% of patients. Only sera from patients having undergone >3 mo hemodialysis displayed chemotactic inhibitory activity and retained this inhibitory activity when retested 9 mo later. Four of five patients who had initially undergone <3 mo hemodialysis and lacked serum chemotactic inhibitory activity developed inhibitory activity when tested 9 mo later. Clinical evaluation of patients with serum chemotactic inhibitory activity showed that these patients did not have a significantly increased incidence of infection, although a trend toward decreased mortality during the time of study was observed (P = 0.0721). Serum chemotactic inhibitory activity was heat stable at 56 degrees C for 30 min and concentration dependent. The major inhibitory component was found to have a sedimentation coefficient of 4S by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The chemotactic inhibitory activity was not precipitated by 30% ammonium sulfate, but was partially precipitated by 50% ammonium sulfate. Inhibitory sera effectively suppressed neutrophil migration in response to chemotactic C5 fragment and Escherichia coli derived chemotactic factor but was least effective in a system mediated by casein. Furthermore, normal neutrophils preincubated in hemodialysis patient sera displayed normal chemotactic responsiveness indicating a lack of cell-directed inhibition. Serum fractions that contained the inhibitor were found to directly act on the chemotactic C5 fragment, reducing its chemotactic activity. This study indicates that a circulating 4S, heat-stable, factor-directed inhibitor of granulocyte chemotaxis is present in the sera of many hemodialysis patients and probably results from the hemodialysis procedure.