Use of plateletpheresis in the treatment of bronchial asthma

: It was shown that platelets of asthmatic patients notwithstanding the disease form are more sensitive to the stimulating action of platelet-activating factor (PAF) in aggregation response and intracellular Ca2+ influx induction than platelets of healthy donors. Intracellular Ca2+ influx was measured using the fluorescent probe Fura-2. Platelet apheresis was applied attempting to normalize the "hyperactivated" state of asthmatic patients' platelets. Platelet apheresis was performed using the on-line cell separator Fenwal CS-3000 in 27 patients without any considerable side effects. The mean platelet yield was 400-600 X 10(9) cells; the blood platelet count restored immediately after the treatment. Positive clinical effect (complete reduction of asthmatic attacks for at least 2 months, improvement in respiratory function parameters) was observed in 19 out of the 27 patients (70%). The clinical effect correlated well with the normalization of in-vitro platelet response to PAF.