Formation, Viscosity and Degradation of Artificial Thrombi after Cadaveric-Donor Kidney Transplantation

Summary

Dynamic (VFTV) coagulation and thrombus formation studies were carried out on 15 patients who had undergone cadaveric-donor kidney transplantation and 6 patients with end-stage renal failure awaiting transplantation.

All patients whose kidney graft functioned successfully and without major medical complications showed a coagulation VFTV pattern similar to that of healthy normals. This pattern was present as early as 1 week after transplantation.

Abnormal VFTV pattern (i.a., greatly elevated viscosity), characterised patients awaiting transplantation (6 patients) and 4 patients with serious medical complications following transplantation.

Viscosities of thrombi were two and a half to three-fold higher, and rates of thrombus degradation two to ten fold higher, in the complicated than in the successful kidney transplants.

The viscosity increase is not counteracted by haemodialysis or immunosuppressive drugs.

The difference of VFTV parameters between patients awaiting transplantation and normals and between complicated transplant patients and normals were significant to p <0.005 and p <0.001 respectively.

^* Senior Research Fellow of the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, at the Department of Medicine, University of Sydney and Honorary Consulting Biorheologist and Head of Haemorheology Unit, Sydney Hospital. 1970/71 Cornrnonwealth Visiting Professor, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland.

^** Renal Physician in Charge of the Immunology and Renal Unit and Associate Director of Medical Research, Kanematsu Institute, Sydney Hospital.

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