Hemoadsorption in cardiac shock with bi ventricular failure and giant-cell myocarditis: A case report

Hemoadsorption in Organ Preservation and Transplantation: A Narrative Review

Cytokine adsorption can resolve different complications characteristic of transplantation medicine, such as cytokine storm activation and blood ABO and immune incompatibilities. Cytokine adsorption is also performed for the treatment of various life-threatening conditions, such as endotoxic septic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and cardiogenic shock, all potentially leading to adverse clinical outcomes during transplantation. After surgery, dysmetabolism and stress response limit successful graft survival and can lead to primary or secondary graft dysfunction. In this clinical context, and given that a major problem in transplant medicine is that the demand for organs far exceeds the supply, a technological innovation such as a hemoadsorption system could greatly contribute to increasing the number of usable organ donors. The objectives of this review are to describe the specific advantages and disadvantages of the application of cytokine adsorption in the context of transplantation and examine, before and/or after organ transplantation, the benefits of the addition of a cytokine adsorption therapy protocol.

Hemadsorption in patients requiring V-A ECMO support: Comparison of Cytosorb versus Jafron HA330

BACKGROUND

ECMO support is associated with the development of a systemic hyper-inflammatory response, which may become quite significant and extreme in some cases. We hypothesize that Cytosorb or Jafron therapy may benefit patients on V-A ECMO in terms of levels of inflammatory markers such as IL-6, complications, and overall outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study of prospectively collected data in a single tertiary care center between January 2021 and April 2022. At the time of the analysis of this article, 20 patients on V-A ECMO had cytokine adsorption while on ECMO support: Cytosorb group (n = 10), Jafron group (n = 10). In 10 ECMO-supported patients cytokine adsorption was not used, this group served as a control group, which may be quite significant in some cases. Evaluation of the level of inflammatory markers (IL-1, 6, 8; CRP, Leukocyte, Lactate, PCT, NT-proBNP, TNF-α) was performed.

RESULTS

There was statistically significant longer CPB time, aortic cross-clamp time and ICU stay in cytokine adsorption groups than in the control group, but there were no differences between subgroups with different types of haemoadsorption used. Moreover, in the control group mortality rate was higher than in the cytokine adsorption groups (60% vs. 20%, p = 0.02). All patients had an elevation of inflammatory markers in the perioperative and immediate postoperative periods. After 72 h of intensive care, blood inflammation markers had a tendency to decline.

CONCLUSION

At the time of writing, hemadsorption in patients requiring V-A ECMO support represents a good therapeutic effect. This effect is permanent for the whole period of extracorporeal cytokine hemadsorption application for both CytoSorb and Jafron HA330 devices.

Use of CytoSorb© Hemoadsorption in Patients on Veno-Venous ECMO Support for Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Systematic Review

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Adjunct hemoadsorption is increasingly utilized to target underlying hyperinflammation derived from ARDS. This article aims to review available data on the use of CytoSorb© therapy in combination with V-V ECMO in severe ARDS, and to assess the effects on inflammatory, laboratory and clinical parameters, as well as on patient outcomes. A systematic literature review was conducted and reported in compliance with principles derived from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. When applicable, a before-and-after analysis for relevant biomarkers and clinical parameters was carried out. CytoSorb© use was associated with significant reductions in circulating levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 (p = 0.039 and p = 0.049, respectively). Increases in PaO2/FiO2 reached significance as well (p = 0.028), while norepinephrine dosage reductions showed a non-significant trend (p = 0.067). Mortality rates in CytoSorb© patients tended to be lower than those of control groups of most included studies, which, however, were characterized by high heterogeneity and low power. In an exploratory analysis on 90-day mortality in COVID-19 patients supported with V-V ECMO, the therapy was associated with a significantly reduced risk of death. Based on the reviewed data, CytoSorb© therapy is able to reduce inflammation and potentially improves survival in ARDS patients treated with V-V ECMO. Early initiation of CytoSorb© in conjunction with ECMO might offer a new approach to enhance lung rest and promote recovery in patients with severe ARDS.

The Potential Role of Extracorporeal Cytokine Removal in Hemodynamic Stabilization in Hyperinflammatory Shock

Hemodynamic instability due to dysregulated host response is a life-threatening condition requiring vasopressors and vital organ support. Hemoadsorption with Cytosorb has proven to be effective in reducing cytokines and possibly in attenuating the devastating effects of the cytokine storm originating from the immune over-response to the initial insult. We reviewed the PubMed database to assess evidence of the impact of Cytosorb on norepinephrine needs in the critically ill. We further analyzed those studies including data on control cohorts in a comparative pooled analysis, defining a treatment effect as the standardized mean differences in relative reductions in vasopressor dosage at 24 h. The literature search returned 33 eligible studies. We found evidence of a significant reduction in norepinephrine requirement after treatment: median before, 0.55 (IQR: 0.39-0.90); after, 0.09 (0.00-0.25) μg/kg/min, p < 0.001. The pooled effect size at 24 h was large, though characterized by high heterogeneity. In light of the importance of a quick resolution of hemodynamic instability in the critically ill, further research is encouraged to enrich knowledge on the potentials of the therapy.

Cytokine Adsorption in Critically Ill Patients Requiring ECMO Support

Systemic inflammation is a key characteristic of sepsis but also also in non-infectious conditions such as post-cardiac arrest syndrome. Cytokine adsorption and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are emerging therapies applied in these critically ill patients, but the experience with their concurrent use is limited. We evaluated cytokine adsorption in critically ill patients requiring support with either veno-venous (vv) or veno-arterial (va) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support and hypothesized that adsorber incorporation into the ECMO circuit was technically feasible and not associated with imminent risk. We analyzed data from the first six cases of a prospective single-center registry of patients undergoing veno-venous (vv) or veno-arterial (va) ECMO therapy. While in most published cases cytokine adsorbers were inserted into a hemofiltration circuit, we directly incorporated the adsorber into the ECMO circuit without interruption of continuous ECMO support. We observed no relevant side effects attributable to cytokine adsorption. Thirty-day mortality was 83% (predicted mortality 87%), indicating that the decision for adding cytokine adsorption may have been considered as an ultima ratio decision in severe cases with poor prognosis. Vasopressor or inotrope use, lactate level, and fluid balance did not change significantly when comparing pre- vs. post-cytokine adsorption values. Interestingly, the real-time course of the mentioned three surrogate parameters remained unaltered in all but two cases, regardless of cytokine removal. Beneficial effects of cytokine adsorption are plausible in two va-ECMO-treated patient, where increasing lactate began to drop after initiation of cytokine adsorption. Taken together, these data suggest that incorporation of cytokine adsorption into the management of critically ill patients requiring continued ECMO support is feasible and easy to handle. Whether cytokine removal improves clinical outcome in ECMO-treated patients should now be investigated in randomized controlled trials.

Rationale of Hemoadsorption during Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and extracorporeal life support are increasingly used for treating various forms of shock, lung failure, protected interventions and life support including resuscitation. Most patients on ECMO are affected by a systemic inflammatory response caused by the underlying disease as well as the ECMO support itself, which contributes to vasoplegia, multi-organ failure, deterioration and death. Unfortunately, effective strategies for control of inflammation and related organ failure and shock on ECMO are lacking. Recently, a new polystyrene-based device for hemoadsorption, which aims to reduce excessive levels of inflammatory molecules such as interleukins, cytokines as well as damage- and pathogen-associated molecular patterns, has become available. Here we summarize the rationale, available data and technical aspects of polystyrene-based hemoadsorption during ECMO support, and give recommendations based on existing experience.