Background— The astonishing thickness of the endothelial glycocalyx, which rivals that of endothelial cells in the microvasculature, was disclosed in the last 15 years. As already demonstrated, this structure plays a key role in the regulation of inflammation and vascular permeability.

Methods and Results— Two components of the glycocalyx, syndecan-1 and heparan sulfate, were measured in arterial blood of 18 patients undergoing surgery of the ascending aorta with cardiopulmonary bypass (n=12 with and n=6 without deep hypothermic circulatory arrest) and of 14 patients undergoing surgery for infrarenal aortic aneurysm. Basal values of syndecan-1 (1.2 μg/dL) and heparan sulfate (590 μg/dL) of patients were similar to those of control subjects. Anesthesia and initiation of surgery caused no changes. Global ischemia with circulatory arrest (n=12) was followed by transient 42- and 10-fold increases in syndecan-1 and heparan sulfate, respectively, during early reperfusion (0 to 15 minutes). After regional ischemia of heart and lungs (cardiopulmonary bypass; n=6), syndecan-1 increased 65-fold, and heparan sulfate increased 19-fold. Infrarenal ischemia was followed by 15- and 3-fold increases, respectively (n=14). The early postischemic rises were positively correlated (r=0.76, P<0.001). Plasma concentrations of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 did not change. Circulating polymorphonuclear granulocytes and the level of postischemic heparan sulfate corresponded negatively. Immunohistochemical imaging and immunoassay of isolated hearts (guinea pig) substantiated syndecan-1 and heparan sulfate as components of the endothelial glycocalyx released into the coronary venous effluent. Electron microscopy revealed shedding of the glycocalyx after ischemia/reperfusion.

Conclusions— This study provides the first evidence in humans for shedding of the endothelial glycocalyx during ischemia/reperfusion procedures.