THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF ELIMINATING INTERMITTENT LEUCOCYTE ON CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASES IN CHILDREN

Jiang Jingjing, Fang Feng, Guo Linfang, Shan Zhengzheng, OuYang Jianhua.

Department of Pediatrics, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 200433 Shanghai, China

Objective: This study was to designed to determine the efficacy and safety of eliminating intermittent leucocyte (EIL) in the treatment of some connective tissue diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), purpura nephosis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and dermatomyositis.

Method: EIL was carried out 1~2 times each week by special instrument, with several days separating each session, in 9 patients (3 SLE, 3 puropura nephosis, 2 JRA and 1 dermatomyositis). During each apheresis procedure, 100~200 ml of blood was filtered and returned to the patients.

Results: There were obvious improvement of symptoms and signs in the 7 of the 9 cases such as amelioration of skin eruption, skin ulcers, joint pain, Reynolds phenomenon and myastheina. Abnormal laboratory report of urine such as hematuria and proteinuria founded to be ameliorated following EIL. A decrease of sarco-zymogram was obtained after EIL treatment in the dermatomyositis child. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and complement C3 levels decreased following EIL. Such decreasing changes were observed with the concentrations of serum urea and the levels of serum anti-ds-DNA and anti-ss-DNA either after the treatment of EIWBC. Peripheral blood platelet count was significantly decreased after EIL when compared with that before treatment (233.56 ± 93.25 VS 303.28 ± 52.11, P<0.05). There were no significant changes in the number of peripheral blood leucocyte, erythrocyte and haemoglobin during the study period. Conclusion: Periodic EIL to remove leucocytes from the peripheral blood is an effective and well–tolerated treatment for children, and it might exerts an immunomodulatory effect in children with connective tissue diseases.

[Key words] Leucocyte; Elimination; Connective tissue diseases; Children

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