Fibrinolysis Profiles and Platelet Activation After Endothelial Cell Seeding of Prosthetic Vascular Grafts

There is no convincing evidence that endothelial cell seeding of prosthetic grafts in humans confers any of the advantages seen in animals. However, partial endothelial coverage might exert a subtle effect not detectable with indirect end points such as patency or scintigraphy. This study examined seeded cell function by measuring fibrinolytic and platelet activation markers in patients receiving seeded and control prosthetic grafts. Thirty-two patients were randomly assigned to seeded (n = 15) and control (n = 17) groups. Preoperatively and 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively, plasma levels of fibrinopeptide A (FPA), Bp1–42 fragment, cross-linked fibrin degradation products (XL-FDP), thromboxane A 2, (TXA 2), platelet factor 4 (PF4), and β-thromboglobulin (βTG) were measured. Patients with seeded grafts had significantly lower levels of FPA at 6 and 12 months ( p