Functional abnormalities of human neutrophils collected by continuous flow filtration leukopheresis.
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Continuous flow filtration leukopheresis (FL) is a relatively simple, inexpensive, and efficient technique of harvesting blood neutrophils from normal donors for transfusion into neutropenic recipients. There has been concern, however, that neutrophils may be functionally altered druing this leukopheresis procedure. Human neutrophils obtained by various FL techniques were studied for in vitro chemotaxis by a 51Cr-radiolabel method and for in vitro killing and phagocytosis of Staphylococcus aureus. We compared their function with neutrophils obtained by the NCI-IBM cell separator and by dextran sedimentation from whole blood. FL neutrophils eluted from nylon filters after 3-hr collection periods were functionally abnormal by all parameters tested, while neutrophils obtained by cell separator after similar collection times were not significantly different from control cells. However, neutrophils from 3-hr FL collections were found to include both normal and abnormal populations of cells. Loosely adherent cells, eluted after tapping the filters, were functionally normal; more adherent cells, eluted after tapping the filters and representing the bulk of cells collected, were progressively more abnormal the less readily they were eluted. Shortened FL collection times (1-2 hr) were found to decrease the functional defects. Also, administration of dexamethasone to donors prior to filtration leukopheresis diminished the functional defects of FL neutrophils perhaps by altering adherence characteristics of the cells. These studies show that neutrophils obtained by filtration leukopheresis are functionally abnormal in relation to the time and extent of adherence to nylon filters. (+info)
Rasmussen's encephalitis: the relevance of neuropsychological assessment in patient's treatment and follow up.
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Rasmussen's encephalitis is characterized by refractory epilepsy, neurological deterioration and progressive atrophy of one cerebral hemisphere. The objective of this study is to describe the importance of neuropsychological evaluation in the treatment decision and follow-up of patients with Rasmussens encephalitis. Neuropsychological assessment was performed in two steps. Firstly, the clinical history was obtained and the Vineland adaptative behavior scale (VABS) was applied. After this first step, the patients with social maturity level equal or higher than the inferior limit underwent a battery of neuropsychological assessment. We evaluated three patients before any specific treatment was started, and six months after the intervention (surgery or plasmapheresis). Patient 1 underwent left hemispherectomy and had global improvement on second neuropsychological assessment. This suggests that the decision of performing surgery was adequate. Patients 2 and 3 underwent plasmapheresis. They did not present cognitive decline between both evaluations which suggest that our decision of postponing surgery was adequate as well. We conclude that neuropsychological assessment is important when evaluating patients with Rasmussens encephalitis. That is especially true for patients in whom disease progression is slow, and surgery timing has to be carefully planned. (+info)
Antiphospholipid syndrome treated with prednisolone, cyclophosphamide and double-filtration plasmapheresis.
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A case of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is reported. A 48-year-old man visited our hospital because of proteinuria. He had suffered from thrombosis and had high titers of antibodies to beta2-glycoprotein I (abeta2GPI) and anticardiolipin antibodies (aCLIgG) and thrombocytopenia. We started anticoagulation therapy using warfarin combined with prednisolone. Although platelet count was improved, the titers of anti-beta2GPI and aCLIgG still remained high. Therefore, double-filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) was carried out to remove the antibodies. After the treatment with DFPP, cyclophosphamide was administered. These therapies resulted in lower titers of abeta2GPI and aCLIgG and no more thrombosis occurred. A combination therapy using warfarin, prednisolone, cyclophosphamide and DFPP might be effective for the treatment of patients with APS. (+info)
Fulminant Guillain-Barre syndrome after Campylobacter jejuni enteritis and monospecific anti-GT1a IgG antibody.
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A 21-year-old man developed rapid progression of tetraplegia, bulbar palsy, and respiratory paralysis after Campylobacterjejuni enteritis. Based on the diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome, he received plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulin. Serum anti-GT1a IgG antibody which lacked cross-reactivity with GQ1b was detected. Four months after the onset, the patient still had severe muscle weakness of the lower limbs. This case suggests that anti-GT1a IgG antibody can be associated with severe paralysis in Guillain-Barre syndrome after C. jejuni enteritis. (+info)
Recurrent Kawasaki disease-like syndrome in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
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A review of Kawasaki disease (KD)-like syndromes (KDLS) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) raised the question whether vasculitis in children and KDLS in immunocompromised adults might be etiologically related. We describe a 42-year-old white man with AIDS and Kaposi sarcoma who presented with KDLS, which was diagnosed on the basis of clinical criteria for KD. Analysis of a conjunctival tissue sample revealed endothelial cell damage with fibrin deposition and infiltration of immunoglobulin A-secreting plasma cells. (+info)
Multicenter prospective, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study of Rheopheresis to treat nonexudative age-related macular degeneration: interim analysis.
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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Rheopheresis blood filtration to treat intermediate- to late-stage preangiogenic age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with soft drusen. DESIGN: Multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: First 43 randomized patients (28 Rheopheresis and 15 placebo-control patients) with available baseline and 3-month postbaseline best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measurements and intermediate- to late-stage preangiogenic AMD with multiple large soft drusen and elevated serum levels of targeted macromolecules. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomly assigned to receive eight Rheopheresis or eight placebo procedures over 10 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ETDRS BCVA measurements at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postbaseline. RESULTS: In primary eyes, the mean LogMAR line difference between Rheopheresis and placebo-control eyes was 1.6 lines at 12 months postbaseline; the difference was significant throughout the first posttreatment year (P = .0011, repeated measures analysis). Thirteen percent of Rheopheresis compared with 0% of placebo-control eyes had a > or = 3-line improvement in BCVA at 12 months postbaseline. Four percent of Rheopheresis compared with 18% of placebo-control eyes had a > or = 3-line loss in BCVA. The subgroup of patients whose primary eyes had baseline BCVA worse than 20/40 demonstrated a mean LogMAR difference between Rheopheresis and placebo-control eyes equaling 3.0 lines at 12 months postbaseline; the difference was significant throughout the first posttreatment year (P = .0014, repeated measures analysis). Sixteen percent of Rheopheresis compared with 0% of the placebo-control eyes had a > or = 3-line improvement in BCVA at 12 months postbaseline. Five percent of Rheopheresis compared with 29% of placebo-control eyes had a > or = 3-line loss in BCVA. Fifty-eight percent of Rheopheresis eyes improved to 20/40 or better, compared with 14% of placebo-control eyes. No serious treatment-related adverse events were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Rheopheresis demonstrated statistically significant and clinically relevant effects on BCVA when compared with placebo controls for the 12-month study interval. Untreated patients with BCVA worse than 20/40 with intermediate- to late-stage preangiogenic AMD, soft drusen, and elevated blood factors were at risk for substantial visual loss. A sample size larger than 43 patients is important to provide a basis for widespread adoption of novel therapeutic options for AMD such as Rheopheresis. Therefore, enrollment to 150 patients is continuing. (+info)
Medical Devices; hematology and pathology devices; reclassification of automated blood cell separator device operating by filtration principle from class III to class II. Final rule.
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reclassifying the automated blood cell separator (ABCS) device operating by filtration principle, intended for routine collection of blood and blood components, from class III to class II (special controls). The special control requirement for this device is an annual report with emphasis on adverse reactions to be filed by the manufacturer for a minimum of 3 years. The agency is taking this action in response to a petition submitted under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the act) as amended by the Medical Device Amendments of 1976 (the 1976 amendments), the Safe Medical Devices Act of 1990 (the SMDA), and the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 (FDAMA). The agency is reclassifying the automated blood cell separator devices operating by filtration principle into class II (special controls) because special controls, in addition to general controls, are capable of providing a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device. (+info)
Plasma immunoadsorption therapy for Guillain-Barre syndrome: critical day for initiation.
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Immunoadsorption plasmapheresis (IAPP) is a method of removing circulating immune factors that is used to treat Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). We retrospectively analyzed the data on our GBS patients. In 21 patients treated with IAPP, linear regression analysis showed that the time from the onset of symptoms to the initiation of IAPP was correlated with the time required for improvement by one Hughes functional grade. We investigated the critical day for initiating treatment, which we defined as the day when initiation of IAPP was significantly more likely to improve function by at least one Hughes grade when compared with the outcome in patients receiving supportive therapy (non-IAPP group). The critical day was found to be day 6 after the onset of GBS. (+info)