Effects of ulinastatin on postoperative blood loss and hemostasis in atrioventricular valve surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass

Effect of ulinastatin on post-operative blood loss and allogeneic transfusion in patients receiving cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass: a prospective randomized controlled study with 10-year follow-up

Background

Major bleeding and allogeneic transfusion leads to negative outcomes in patients receiving cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Ulinastatin, a urine trypsin inhibitor, relieves systemic inflammation and improves coagulation profiles with however sparse evidence of its effects on blood loss and allogeneic transfusion in this specific population.

Methods

In this prospective randomized controlled trial, 426 consecutive patients receiving open heart surgery with CPB were randomly assigned into three groups to receive ulinastatin (group U, n = 142), tranexamic acid (group T, n = 143) or normal saline (group C, n = 141). The primary outcome was the total volume of post-operative bleeding and the secondary outcome included the volume and exposure of allogeneic transfusion, the incidence of stroke, post-operative myocardial infarction, renal failure, respiratory failure and all-cause mortality. A ten-year follow-up was carried on to evaluate long-term safety.

Results

Compared with placebo, ulinastatin significantly reduced the volume of post-operative blood loss within 24 h (688.39 ± 393.55 ml vs 854.33 ± 434.03 ml MD − 165.95 ml, 95%CI − 262.88 ml to − 69.01 ml, p < 0.001) and the volume of allogeneic erythrocyte transfusion (2.57 ± 3.15 unit vs 3.73 ± 4.21 unit, MD-1.16 unit, 95%CI − 2.06 units to − 0.26 units, p = 0.002). The bleeding and transfusion outcomes were comparable between the ulinastatin group and the tranexamic acid group. In-hospital outcomes and 10-year follow-up showed no statistical difference in mortality and major morbidity among groups.

Conclusions

Ulinastatin reduced post-operative blood loss and allogeneic erythrocyte transfusion in heart surgery with CPB. The mortality and major morbidity was comparable among the groups shown by the 10-year follow-up.

Trial registration

The trial was retrospectively registered on February 2, 2010. Trial registration number: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01060189.

Ulinastatin reduces postoperative bleeding and red blood cell transfusion in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Ulinastatin is a type of glycoprotein and a nonspecific wide-spectrum protease inhibitor like antifibrinolytic agent aprotinin. Whether Ulinastatin has similar beneficial effects on blood conservation in cardiac surgical patients as aprotinin remains undetermined. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to evaluate the effects of Ulinastatin on perioperative bleeding and transfusion in patients who underwent cardiac surgery.

METHODS

Electronic databases were searched to identify all clinical trials comparing Ulinastatin with placebo/blank on postoperative bleeding and transfusion in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Primary outcomes included perioperative blood loss, blood transfusion, postoperative re-exploration for bleeding. Secondary outcomes include perioperative hemoglobin level, platelet counts and functions, coagulation tests, inflammatory cytokines level, and so on. For continuous variables, treatment effects were calculated as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidential interval (CI). For dichotomous data, treatment effects were calculated as odds ratio and 95% CI. Statistical significance was defined as P < .05.

RESULTS

Our search yielded 21 studies including 1310 patients, and 617 patients were allocated into Ulinastatin group and 693 into Control (placebo/blank) group. There was no significant difference in intraoperative bleeding volume, postoperative re-exploration for bleeding incidence, intraoperative red blood cell transfusion units, postoperative fresh frozen plasma transfusion volumes and platelet concentrates transfusion units between the 2 groups (all P > .05). Ulinastatin reduces postoperative bleeding (WMD = -0.73, 95% CI: -1.17 to -0.28, P = .001) and red blood cell (RBC) transfusion (WMD = -0.70, 95% CI: -1.26 to -0.14, P = .01), inhibits hyperfibrinolysis as manifested by lower level of postoperative D-dimer (WMD = -0.87, 95% CI: -1.34 to -0.39, P = .0003).

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis has found some evidence showing that Ulinastatin reduces postoperative bleeding and RBC transfusion in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, these findings should be interpreted rigorously. Further well-conducted trials are required to assess the blood-saving effects and mechanisms of Ulinastatin.

Effects of Ulinastatin on Perioperative Inflammatory Response and Pulmonary Function in Cardiopulmonary Bypass Patients

The aim of this study was to investigate whether ulinastatin (UTL) has protective effects on perioperative proinflammatory cytokines and lung injury in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) patients. The study included 60 patients undergoing CPB who were randomly divided into a UTL group and a control group. Blood routine examination and inflammatory cytokines concentrations were detected after anesthetic induction (T1), immediately after aortic valve opening (T2), and 4 (T3) and 24 (T4) hours after weaning from CPB. Flow cytometry was used to detect TLR4 and HSP70 expressions. Arterial blood gas and respiratory function were analyzed at the same time points. Compared with the control group, the levels of IL-2, IL-8, TNF-α, NE, TLR4, PA - aDO2, and RI at T2 were significantly lower, whereas HSP70, PaO2, OI, Cd, and Cs were higher in the UTL group (all P < 0.05). Relative to the control group at T3, white blood cell count, TLR4, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, NE, and RI decreased significantly, whereas IL-10, HSP70, PaO2, OI, and Cs increased in the UTL group (all P < 0.05). At T4, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, TLR4, and PaCO2 in the UTL group were significantly lower, and PaO2, IL-10, HSP70, and Cs were higher than in the control group (all P < 0.05). Our data show strong evidence that UTL suppresses proinflammatory cytokine elevation and upregulates release of anti-inflammatory mediators, reducing pulmonary injury and improving pulmonary function after CPB.

Lack of Efficacy of Ulinastatin Therapy During Cardiopulmonary Bypass Surgery

Background:

It was believed that inflammatory response induced by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was blamed for complications after cardiac surgery. To improve the outcome, many pharmacological interventions have been applied to attenuate inflammatory response during CPB. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of ulinastatin (urinary trypsin inhibitor [UTI]) on outcome after CPB surgery.

Methods:

Totally, 208 patients undergoing elective valves replacement between November 2013 and September 2014 were divided into Group U (n = 70) and Group C (n = 138) based on they received UTI or not. Categorical variables were compared between groups using Fisher's exact test, and continuous variables using unpaired Student's t-test or Mann–Whitney U-test. One-way analysis of variance and Dunnett's or Tukey's tests were used to compare values at different time points within the same group. The risk of outcomes was estimated and adjusted by multivariable logistic regression, propensity scoring, and mixed-effect models for all measured variables.

Results:

Both the serious complications in total, including death, acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome and acute kidney injury, and the other complications, including hemodialysis, infection, re-incubation, and tracheotomy were similar between the two groups (P > 0.05). After adjusted by multivariable logistic regression and the propensity score, UTI still cannot be found any benefit to improve any outcomes after cardiac surgery. Also, no statistical differences with regard to duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation, the length of Intensive Care Unit and hospital stays (P > 0.05).

Conclusion:

UTI did not improve postoperative outcomes in our patients after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery.

Effect of urinary protease inhibitor (ulinastatin) on cardiopulmonary bypass: a meta-analysis for China and Japan

OBJECTIVES

A meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of ulinastatin treatment on adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

METHODS

Seven electronic databases were searched for reports of randomized, controlled trials conducted up to February 2014 in which patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB were administered ulinastatin in the perioperative period.

RESULTS

Fifty-two studies with 2025 patients were retained for analysis. The results showed that the ulinastatin can attenuate the plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhance the anti-inflammatory cytokine levels in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB. Meanwhile, the ulinastatin had a significant beneficial effect on myocardial injury. The mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of biochemical markers were -63.54 (-79.36, -47.72) for lactate dehydrogenase, -224.99 (-304.83, -145.14) for creatine kinase, -8.75 (-14.23, -3.28) for creatine kinase-MB, and -0.14 (-0.20, -0.09] for troponin I (all P<0.01). However, neither hemodynamics nor cardiac function improved significantly, except that the MD and 95% CI of mean arterial pressure were 2.50 (0.19, 4.80) (P = 0.03). There were no statistically significant differences in the use of inotropes, postoperative bleeding, postoperative complications, the intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and the hospital stay; however, the frequency of auto resuscitation increased significantly (OR 1.98, 95%CI 1.19 to 3.30, P<0.01), the duration of intubation (MD -1.58, 95%CI -2.84 to -0.32, P<0.01) and the duration of mechanical ventilation (MD -3.29, 95%CI -4.41 to -2.17, P<0.01) shortened significantly in patients who were treated with ulinastatin.

CONCLUSIONS

Ulinastatin can reduce the plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and elevate anti-inflammatory cytokine in patients from China and Japan undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB. Ulinastatin treatment may have protective effects on myocardial injury, and can increase the frequency of auto resuscitation, shorten the duration of intubation and mechanical ventilation.