Heparin cryoprecipitation reduces plasma levels of non-traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis in vitro

Aims: To show that heparin cryoprecipitation (HCP), an in vitro method of plasma purification, reduces the levels of in vivo modified proteins and non-traditional risk factors from plasma of atherosclerotic hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods: HCP was applied to plasma obtained from HD patients and controls, forming a precipitate - cryogel. Levels of fibrinogen, albumin, CRP, TNF-α, IL-6, advanced oxidation protein products, carbonylated fibrinogen and carbonylated albumin were determined in plasma before and after applying HCP and in the cryogel. Results: Treatment of HD plasma with HCP, beyond the significant reduction of the increased levels of all the above-mentioned molecules, reduced fibrinogen, TNF-α, carbonylated fibrinogen and carbonylated albumin to control levels which were simultaneously found in the cryogel. Conclusions: HCP applied to plasma enables the simultaneous precipitation of modified molecules and circulating non-traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis. This study may serve as a base for the future development of a clinical purification technique.