Since ancient times it has been known that elimination of toxins from the body helps
to relieve symptoms, heal patients; for that hot baths, sweating techniques, enemas,
and phlebotomy were used in the treatment of severe diseases.
Blood purification is still practiced today, but using modern techniques. The theoretical
basis for the elimination of toxins by osmosis and dialysis through a semipermeable
membrane was laid by Thomas Graham in the 19th century, but the first “artificial
kidney”, was built and used successfully by Kolff only in 1943, in patients with acute
renal failure [1, 2].
Since then, blood purification has developed a lot, today it is possible to eliminate
endo- and exotoxins in acute and chronic renal failure, liver failure, intoxications
with various substances, but also the elimination of mediators formed in excess in
sepsis and systemic inflammatory syndrome of other etiologies, and elimination of
immune complexes in autoimmune and graft versus host diseases.
In intensive care, we often encounter situations in which patients have a strong inflammatory
response triggered either by a pathogen (bacterial endo/ or exotoxins, fungal beta-glycan
or viral genetic material) through PAMP (Pathogen Associated Molecular Pattern), or
through DAMP (Damage Associated Molecular Pattern), which is released in massive tissue
injury in post-traumatic conditions, extensive burns, or caused by hypoperfusion in
shock states. The systemic inflammatory syndrome can develop also by using advanced
technology as vital support (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation - ECMO, cardiopulmonary
bypass - CPB or even blood purification techniques that use extracorporeal circulation),
triggered by the contact of blood with the foreign surfaces of extracorporeal circuit.
This inflammatory syndrome is meant to defend the body against the invasion of microorganisms,
to attenuate infection, to localize tissue necrosis, but in some conditions, these
reactions are exaggerated, and instead of leading to recovery, they lead to multiple
organ dysfunctions and even death [3, 4].
In the last decades, different methods, different drugs have been tried to alleviate
this inflammatory syndrome, but without clear benefits. The lack of expected results
is possible due to the fact that in these systemic inflammatory syndromes a series
of cells are activated and dozens of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators are released,
so the elimination or neutralization of only one of them, will not improve the patient’s
condition. Ideally, they should be all eliminated by a single technique. Experimental
and clinical trials in recent years show that hemoadsorption is close to this goal.
Various filters capable of adsorption and elimination of cytokines and/ or endotoxins
have been developed.
Toraymixin (Toray Industries, Tokyo, Japan) uses a polystyrene fiber column, which
contains polymyxin B, capable to adsorb endotoxins. Several studies (EUPHAS I and
II) have shown that after using these cartridges, hemodynamic parameters improved
and 28 days-mortality decreased in patients with sepsis or septic shock caused by
Gram-negative bacteria [5, 6]. In contrast, the ABDOMIX multicenter trial could not
demonstrate any benefit, on the contrary, they observed an insignificant, but higher
rate of death in those with endotoxin hemoadsorption than in the patients with conventional
therapy [7].
Cytosorb cartridge (CytoSorbents Corporation, Monmouth Junction, NJ, USA) is the most
commonly used and the most studied to date. It is able to adsorb cytokines, chemokines,
complement, myoglobin, free hemoglobin, bilirubin and bile acids, toxins, and drugs
up to 55 kDa. It has an area of 40,000 m2, being composed of polystyrene and divinylbenzene
micro-spheres, and is able to absorb hydrophobic molecules, such as cytokines. The
removal of substances is concentration-dependent, so normal levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory
mediators are practically unaffected [8]. Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness
of hemoadsorption with Cytosorb cartridges, especially if hemoadsorption is established
early in the evolution of sepsis [9, 10], but there are also studies in which no improvement
was observed in septic patients [11].
The HA330 cartridges (Jafron, Zhuhai City, China) are composed of styrene divinylbenzene
copolymers as adsorbent, and are able to remove cytokines, complement and free hemoglobin,
as well as other molecules between 15-60 kDa [12].
Oxiris (Baxter, Meyzieu, France), an enhanced AN69 membrane cartridge copolymer, consisting
of a hydrophobic molecule of acrylonitrile and a hydrophilic molecule of sodium methallylsulfonate,
and thus is able to retain both positively charged molecules such as cytokines and
also those negatively charged, such as endotoxins. It is treated on the surface with
polyethyleneimine, which increases its adsorption capacity to endotoxins, and is treated
also with heparin, which reduces its thrombogenicity and allows longer use. It is
practically the only cartridge so far, which targets both the cause (endotoxins) and
the consequences (cytokines and other pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators) of the
systemic inflammatory syndrome [8].
Compared to Cytosorb, there are relatively few studies with Oxiris. Several studies
have observed a decrease in the level of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, interferon, as well as
an improvement in hemodynamic status, a decrease in lactate levels, and a decrease
of the SOFA score in patients with septic shock [13, 14]. Schwindenhammer et al. show
that even if the lactate level decreased and the pH returned to normal, no significant
improvement of the SOFA score and hemodynamic status was observed [15].
An experimental study analyzing the 3 cartridges (Toraymyxin, Cytosorb and Oxiris)
shows that the ability to absorb and eliminate inflammatory mediators of Cytosorb
and Oxiris filters are comparable, with small differences in the elimination of TNF-α
(90.1% by Oxiris, compared to 98.4% of Cytosorb), IL-1b (86.8% by Oxiris, compared
to 97.2% by Cytosorb) and IL-12 (22.1% by Oxiris, compared to 76.5% by Cytosorb).
Endotoxin adsorption is faster with Toraymyxin, but without significant differences
comparing to Oxiris [16].
Regarding the use of hemoadsorption techniques, we must keep in mind that so far there
are no large, randomized trials. Even multicenter studies have analyzed small groups
of patients. So we have relatively few data on the effectiveness and safety of hemoadsorption
techniques, and sometimes these studies are contradictory.
There are other concerns too, on which we don’t have answers yet. If we disrupt the
normal immune response by filtering pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators, what will
happen in the organism? Eliminating proinflammatory mediators, we practically destroy
the body’s defense mechanisms. Adsorbing anti-inflammatory cytokines, we can maintain
a continuous inflammatory state, promoting microvascular thrombosis, which leads to
multiple organ dysfunction syndrome [8, 17].
We have different hemoadsorption techniques as useful tools, their use can help us
change the prognosis of patients with sepsis and septic shock, and in the systemic
inflammatory syndrome of other etiology. It is important to select carefully the patients
for hemoadsorption, depending on their cytokine-level. These filters adsorb mediators
that play a role in systemic inflammatory syndrome in a dose-dependent manner, so
patients with increased levels of cytokines will benefit more. But cytokine-level
monitoring is not yet a routine, not even in large centers. Early onset of hemoadsorption
seems to influence the patients’ prognosis more, but this goal is often difficult
to achieve, given that patients at admission in intensive care can be far in advanced
stages of sepsis or systemic inflammatory syndrome. Hemoadsorption seems to be a promising
technology, so in the near future, we will have to find solutions to these problems.
And it is also necessary to conduct large, multicenter, randomized trials to certify
the effectiveness and safety of these filters.