[Effect of intraoperative stored blood transfusion on plasma neutrophil elastase and its modification by ulinastatin].

The effect of intraoperative stored blood transfusion on the changes in plasma neutrophil elastase (PMN-E) was studied in packed red cell, and in the patients transfused with stored blood (400-1000 ml) during surgery (n = 22), compared with the control in patients who had not received transfusion (n = 6). PMN-E was measured as elastase.alpha 1-antitrypsin complex (EAC) and the effect of ulinastatin (UTI) treatment on EAC was also evaluated. There was a significant correlation between transfusion volume and EAC or EAC/WBC (r2 = 0.65, P < 0.05 and r2 = 0.51, P < 0.05; respectively). There was no significant correlation between transfusion volume and EAC (r2 = 0.44, P > 0.05) in patients with UTI treatment during blood transfusion. These results and increased H2O2 concentration of expired breath in the patient whose plasma EAC exceeded 1,000 micrograms.l-1, suggested PMN-E is released from triggered neutrophil by increased EAC.