Dynamics of morphometric parameters of peripheral blood platelets as a criterion in assessing thrombogenicity of dialysis membranes

: The study enrolled 45 patients with terminal chronic renal failure (CRF) aged 24-57 years on hemodialysis (a study group) and 30 healthy subjects of matched age (a control group). Morphofunctional condition of circulating platelets in situ was assessed by vital computer morphometry using computer phase-interference microscope, the analysis was made of opticogeometric parameters and morphological features of live platelets reflecting the degree of their activation. CRF patients' proportion of different platelet types in circulating population was 56.5, 34, 8.7 and 0.8% (platelets in situ, platelets with low, high activation, degenerative) versus 59.4, 28.1, 10.5 and 2% in the controls, respectively. Changes in morphological composition and opticogeometric parameters of circulating platelets were found in the dialysis membrane after a hemodialysis procedure. The changes were less or more pronounced depending on the dialysis membrane type. Thus, vital morphometric platelet parameters reflect condition of the platelets allowing quantitative assessment of impairment of the structure and functional activity of the cells in CRF progression. Hemodialysis procedure results in characteristic alterations of morphofunctional status of circulating platelets related, to a certain degree, to the material of extracorporeal outline. This dictates necessity of objective evaluation of such impact and prognosis of thrombogenic complications. Morphometric parameters of platelets can serve objective criteria of dialysis membrane thromboginicity.