acetylcellulose and Skin-Diseases

Pro-inflammatory cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin diseases attributable to activated neutrophils and macrophages. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play an important role in the regulation of the immune response and possess strong immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties. Granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis (GMA), an extracorporeal apheresis instrument featuring columns containing cellulose acetate (CA) beads, is designed to remove pathogenic myeloid lineage cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of GMA on cytokine production and MDSC induction. The serum level of various inflammatory cytokines and the incidence of MDSCs in peripheral blood before and after GMA treatment were recorded. Cytokines were assayed with the suspension-array method in 38 patients. The incidence of MDSCs was analyzed by FACS in eight patients and the effect of GMA on in vitro MDSC induction was examined using a mini-column system that mimics GMA. The serum level of IL-2Rα (P = 0.030), IL-8 (P = 0.018), and MIF (P = 0.0002) was significantly decreased by GMA and the incidence of MDSCs was increased (P = 0.030). With the mini-column system, MDSCs were induced in the peripheral blood of five healthy volunteers; the in vitro induction was significantly inhibited by inactivation of the complement component iC3b. The clinical effectiveness of GMA may be attributable to the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the induction of anti-inflammatory MDSCs by iC3b activation via the CA beads in the GMA column.

Topics: Adsorption; Cellulose; Complement C3b; Cytokines; Granulocytes; Humans; Inflammation Mediators; Leukapheresis; Monocytes; Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells; Skin Diseases

Plasma porphyrin levels are markedly increased in patients with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) associated with end-stage renal disease. Conventional hemodialysis (CHD) with lower blood flow rates (less than 250 mL/min) and cuprophan or cellulose acetate membranes is ineffective in removing significant amounts of porphyrins in this condition. Changes in plasma porphyrin levels and porphyrin clearances during hemodialysis with higher blood flow rates and more-permeable, high-efficiency cellulose acetate and high-flux polysulfone dialyzers were evaluated in a chronic hemodialysis patient with PCT and markedly elevated plasma porphyrins. The polysulfone membrane achieved significantly better fractional porphyrin removal (P = 0.02) and porphyrin clearances (P less than 0.01) than did the high-efficiency cellulose acetate membrane. After conversion from maintenance CHD with a standard cellulose acetate dialyzer to a 4-wk period of high-flux hemodialysis (HFHD) with a polysulfone dialyzer, predialysis plasma porphyrins fell by 37%. After returning to CHD, plasma porphyrins returned to the higher prestudy levels. These observations suggest that HFHD with more permeable membranes and higher blood flow rates removes porphyrins more effectively than does CHD. HFHD may be a useful adjunct to other measures used in treating dialysis patients with PCT.

Topics: Cellulose; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Membranes, Artificial; Permeability; Polymers; Porphyrias; Porphyrins; Renal Dialysis; Skin Diseases; Sulfones