Summary
Incubation of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with dilutions
of peritoneal dialysis effluents (PDEs) from 11 individual patients undergoing continuous
ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) induced cellular procoagulant activity in a
dose and time dependent manner. This procoagulant activity could be attributed to
tissue factor (TF) expression since it was blocked by rabbit anti-TF IgG. These data
was confirmed by FACS analysis yielding surface TF expression; In addition PDEs induced
the expression of E-selectin in HUVECs. This TF and selectin inducing activity was
heat labile and could be inhibited by protease inhibitors. Partial purification could
be achieved using a benzamidine-Sepharose column. The TF inducing activity could not
be attributed to LPS, IL-1, TNF-α, mast cell tryptase, active thrombin, or complement
factor D. We therefore conclude that the peritoneal cavity contains a protease activity
that induces a procoagulatory and proinflammatory phenotype in HUVECs.
Key Words
Peritoneal dialysis - endothelial cells - tissue factor - adhesion molecules