Objective: To examine the gene and protein expression of CD11b, L-selectin and CD45, and the relationship between their expression and leukocytopenia during a hemodialysis session.
Methods: Ten maintenance hemodialysis patients, 20 uremic non-dialysis patients and 10 healthy volunteers were included in this study. The mRNA expression of CD11b, L-selectin and CD45 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was detected by RT-PCR, while cell surface expression of these molecules on monocytes was detected by flow cytometry and leukocyte number was counted manually.
Results: After the start of dialysis, both mRNA expression and cell surface expression of CD11b increased rapidly, while those of L-selectin and leukocyte number fell. The mRNA expression of CD45 first decreased and the cell surface expression increased, followed by a return to pre-dialysis levels, by the end of dialysis.
Conclusions: Hemodialysis using a cuprophane membrane can induce rapid upregulation of CD11b and down-regulation of L-selectin, which might influence the normal adhesion and anti-inflammatory response of leukocytes. In this process CD45 may play a role in regulating and/or transducing activation signal.