Many diseases, such as myasthenia gravis, Lambert-Eaton syndrome, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and others are caused by so-called autoimmune processes. Autoimmune disorders cause the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues. Some of the cells involved in the process, may attack the fabric itself, while others produce substances known as antibodies that move with blood flow and destroy the cells of certain tissues. Antibodies acting against the body's own tissues, known as autoantibodies, or autoaggressive antibody.

Plasmapheresis and autoimmune disease

Treatment with drugs that suppress the immune system such activity and / or reduce inflammation of tissues, has been practiced for more than thirty years. Many newer immunosuppressants have been developed and put on the market in the 1960s, but all medications used to treat autoimmune diseases, there are serious side effects that occur when administered in high doses and for a long time.

In the 1970s, a new approach to the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Rather than try to modify the immune system only by drugs was proposed mechanical removal of autoantibodies from blood. This procedure became known as plasmapheresis, which literally means the separation of plasma.

Medications that suppress the immune system or reduce the autoimmune disease associated with inflammation, often combined with plasmapheresis, but they give a considerably lower doses than with the usual medical treatment.

Today plasmapheresis is widely used for the treatment of myasthenia gravis Myasthenia gravis - not to be confused with chronic fatigue , Lambert-Eaton syndrome, Guillain-Barre syndrome and chronic demyelinating polyneuropathy Polyneuropathy - peripheral nerve . Its effectiveness in other disorders such as multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis - whether in remission? , Polymyositis and dermatomyositis, has not been proved.

What is plasmapheresis

Plasmapheresis is a process during which the liquid portion of blood or plasma is separated from blood cells by a device known as a blood cell separator. Separation occurs either by rotation of the device at high speed (centrifugal plasmapheresis), or by passing the blood through a filter having small openings such that they can penetrate through only the liquid portion of blood. The blood cells are introduced back into the patient, and the plasma containing antibodies destroy and replace other liquids. During this procedure, the patient intravenous drugs that prevent blood clotting (anticoagulants).

One session of plasmapheresis usually takes a few hours; In most cases, treatment is ambulatory. During the procedure, the patient may experience discomfort, but normally it is painless. The number of treatments depends on the disease and the general health of the patient. The average patient requires six to ten treatments for two to ten weeks.

During plasmapheresis the patient can lie down or sit in a chair with adjustable backrest. A thin tube (catheter) is inserted into a large vein, usually at the bend arm; the other tube is inserted into the opposite arm or leg (in the latter case at least one hand on the procedure remains free). After one tube blood enters the separator, and through other offices cells are returned to the patient.

The volume of blood that is outside the patient's body at the same time during the plasmapheresis is much smaller than the number of blood donors is usually done.

Are there risks associated with plasmapheresis

Yes, but most can be controlled. Any unusual symptoms should be reported immediately to your doctor or health care provider who is responsible for the procedure. Symptoms that may seem small, are sometimes the beginning of serious complications, so they can not be ignored.

The most common problem is a decrease in blood pressure, which may be signs of fainting, dizziness Dizziness - if the ground is slipping from under his feet , Blurred vision, chills, sweating, or abdominal cramps. To cope with these symptoms, it is usually enough to lift the patient's head lower and / or raise your legs higher.

  Lymphocytosis - a disorder characterized by elevated levels of lymphocytes in the blood. There are five major subtypes of white blood cells, or white blood cells, and each of them is struggling with certain diseases. Lymphocytes - a species of leukocyte. Lymphocytosis adults diagnosed when the amount exceeds 2900 lymphocytes per microliter of blood. In children, normal blood lymphocytes varies with age.

Causes

Some people have above normal level of lymphocytes in the absence of any disease. Therefore, doctors recognize the level of lymphocytes too high only on the basis of the results of other tests and symptoms, which complains or a patient complains.

Causes of lymphocytosis may be:

• Acute lymphoblastic leukemia Leukemia - more not a sentence ;
• Chronic lymphocytic leukemia;
• Crohn's disease;
• Cytomegalovirus infection;
• Mononucleosis;
• Multiple myeloma;
• Other viral infection;
• Tuberculosis;
• Ulcerative colitis;
• Vasculitis;
• Pertussis.

As a rule, lymphocytosis causes no symptoms and is detected when the patient undergoes a medical examination because of some other disease. It is unexpected and accidental discovery - there are a number of diseases in which there is often lymphocytosis.

To cure lymphocytosis, cause it is necessary to treat the underlying disease. While the disease is not passed, the body will produce too many white blood cells. However, as a result of therapy, the level of lymphocytes in the blood to normal, does not always mean that the underlying disease completely cured.

Diagnostics

In normal cells constitute 20-40% of all circulating in the bloodstream of WBCs. At absolute lymphocytosis in adult proportion of lymphocytes can greatly exceed this norm; the number of lymphocytes in people with this disorder can exceed 4,000 per microliter. Infants absolute lymphocytosis can be diagnosed at a rate of more than 9,000 lymphocytes per microliter, in preschool children - more than 7000 per microliter.

Lymphocytosis is common in young children, as they are most susceptible to various infections, which are accompanied by this disorder. If the infection is treated promptly and correctly, lymphocytosis will speed along with the underlying disease.

Types leukocytosis

There are two types of lymphocytosis - relative and absolute. In the first case it is increased relative increase in the proportion of lymphocytes to other leukocytes. Relative lymphocytosis is characteristic for influenza and certain inflammatory diseases. The absolute lymphocytosis - this increase in the number of lymphocytes on the total blood volume. Infections caused by cytomegalovirus, hepatitis Hepatitis - the scourge of our time Tuberculosis Tuberculosis - a full recovery is not guaranteed , Chickenpox Chickenpox: painful, but not dangerous And some other diseases can cause absolute lymphocytosis.