Peritoneal lavage efficiently eliminates protease-alpha-2-macroglobulin complexes and components of the contact system from the peritoneal cavity in patients with severe acute pancreatitis.

Trypsin (Try), plasma kallikrein (KK) and plasmin activities together with coagulation factor XII (F XII, Hageman factor), high-molecular-weight kininogen (HMWK), plasma prekallikrein (PKK), alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2-M), C1 inhibitor (C1Inh), and functional plasma kallikrein inhibition (KKI) values were studied in peritoneal fluid and lavage taps of 9 patients with severe acute pancreatitis treated with peritoneal lavage. Both immunochemical methods and functional techniques based on chromogenic peptide substrate assays were used. In the exudate obtained before peritoneal lavage was performed, F XII was 52%, HMWK was 30%, PKK was 40%, alpha 2-M was 29% and C1Inh was 57% of standard plasma pool values, determined by immunochemical technique. Functional plasma KKI values were zero, whereas Try activities determined by chromogenic peptide substrate technique were markedly elevated in the exudate. Using a prepacked HR 10/30 Superose Tm 12 column (Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden) and chromogenic peptide substrate assays, Try and KK activities were detected in the alpha 2-M containing fractions of the peritoneal exudate demonstrating KK-alpha 2-M and Try-alpha 2-M complex formation. The peritoneal lavage procedure efficiently eliminated components of the contact system and protease activities. In the first lavage tap, Try activities were markedly reduced compared to values found in the exudate and concentrations of F XII, HMWK, PKK, alpha 2-M and C1Inh were all zero. In consecutive lavage taps Try values were also zero. The study shows that the lavage procedures efficiently clears the peritoneal cavity for protease-alpha 2-M complexes generated during acute pancreatitis. Also, components of the contact system found in peritoneal exudate, and which might serve as substrates for the protease-alpha 2-M complexes, are rapidly eliminated by the procedure.