PubMed · 10771384
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G Rowe. Evaluating leucodepletion systems suitable for routine use.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0955-3886(00)00013-8
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The association of HCV with apolipoprotein B containing lipoproteins has been observed and this led to the assumption that the LDL receptor may also serve as a candidate receptor for HCV. H.E.L.P.-LDL apheresis is suggested to be an effective and rapid tool to safely eliminate apolipoprotein B containing lipoproteins. In this pilot study, we have investigated whether H.E.L.P. treatment would reduce HCV load in five patients, all infected for more than 4 years with HCV and resistant against established anti-HCV therapy (interferon, ribaverin). HCV-RNA was determined by RT-PCR in plasma immediately before the start of apheresis (SA) and after treatment of 2500 mL plasma (AA). H.E.L.P. apheresis led to a mean decrease of 77.3% (16th percentile 36.5%, 84th percentile 89.6%) of HCV-RNA when AA values were compared to SA values. This decline was reproducible during nine treatment procedures, but was not correlated to the decrease in LDL cholesterol. This investigation shows for the first time that HCV load can be reduced by H.E.L.P. apheresis, which is an established and approved therapy for hypercholesterolemia. Even though the efficiency of viral load reduction varied between single procedures and did not correlate to LDL removal, this extracorporeal therapy opens the possibility to treat patients with established immune modulatory and antiviral therapy in the interval between two apheresis procedures.
BACKGROUND: Implementation of universal WBC reduction of blood components means that automated analytical methods may be the only satisfactory way for production laboratories to meet increased testing requirements. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A multicenter study on the performance of a microvolume fluorimeter (IMAGN 2000, Becton Dickinson) was undertaken on 519 RBC, 353 platelet, and 27 fresh plasma units. RESULTS: WBC counts for the RBC samples ranged from 0.02 to 6.94 x 10(6) per unit (mean, 0.57) as determined by FC and from 0.02 to 5.53 x 10(6) per unit (mean, 0.40) as determined by MVF with a mean FC bias of +0.15 x 10(6) WBCs per unit, and discrepancies outside the 95% limits of agreement were mainly associated with higher FC counts. The series of platelet samples showed means of 0.90 (range, 0.06-19.45) and 0.66 (range, 0.01-18.95) x 10(6) WBCs per unit for FC and MVF methods, respectively. FC and MVF results were in good agreement at low counts, although significant discrepancies were noted at higher counts. Overall, for the platelet units, there was a mean FC bias of +0.34 x 10(6) WBCs per unit. The intermethod agreement exceeded 99 percent for both types of blood component when the single (both UK and United States) decision point of 5.0 x 10(6) WBCs per unit was applied. The mean WBC counts for the 27 analyzed fresh plasma units were 61.8, 56.0, and 46.0 per microL by Nageotte hemocytometry, FC, and MVF, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This evaluation found that the level of intersite consistency for FC was relatively poor compared to that for MVF. The results nevertheless validated the broad equivalence of FC and MVF results for the current Council of Europe and UK/US decision points of <1.0 and <5.0 x 10(6) WBCs per unit.
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