Early attachment of leucocytes, platelets and fibrinogen in endothelial cell-seeded Dacron venous conduits

BACKGROUND: There is a need for prosthetic venous conduits in surgery for trauma, cancer and thrombotic disease. Such conduits in use today have a low patency rate, leaving room for much improvement. METHODS: This experimental study investigated the dynamics of the early attachment of radiolabelled platelets, leucocytes and fibrinogen to endothelial cell-seeded Dacron venous conduits in sheep. Grafts were placed as jugular vein interposition grafts, seeded on one side, not seeded on the other, and followed for 4 h. RESULTS: No difference could be demonstrated between the two graft types. Platelets showed an increasing attachment during the whole period, leucocytes an immediate attachment followed by an undulating pattern, and fibrinogen an immediate attachment with a tendency to decrease. Measurements on the vein itself showed a high attachment and, for platelets, an extremely high attachment when measured after the graft in the direction of flow. CONCLUSION: The seeding process did not seem to affect early thrombogenicity. The carefully dissected vein wall showed highly thrombogenic properties, in many ways as high as in the prosthetic graft.