Cytapheresis in the treatment of cell-affected blood disorders and abnormalities.

This report presents our experience with cytaphereses performed in treatment of 476 patients. Leukapheresis was used in management of 68 patients with hyperleukocytosis leukostasis (WBC > or = 150 x 10(9)L(-1)). Average decrease in cell count after treatment was 73.3%. Plateletapheresis for 32 patients (platelets > or = 1500 x 10(9)L(-1)) was applied in order to prevent the thrombotic-hemorrhagic syndrome and resulted in a moderate platelet count reduction (84.3%). Erythrocytaphereses performed in treatment of 376 patients by manual or automated technique resulted in a rapid blood viscosity drop (42.4+/-7.1%). Patients with red blood cell exchanges (severe malaria and autoimmune hemolytic crisis) were in life-threatening situations and resulted in a prompt reduction of parasitized or antibody-coated RBCs and anemia correction. This study indicates that "conventional" TCs resulted in considerable cytoreduction only in patients with especially high cell count. This effect was not associated with bone marrow remission. The best clinical effect and long-term benefits were obtained using RBCX and antimalarial drugs in malaria patients who have had high-level parasitized-RBCs with multiorgan dysfunction.