Loa loa: the use of a blood cell separator to reduce microfilaraemia before specific chemotherapy.
Three years after returning to the U.K. a 58-year-old British engineer, who had worked in the Nigerian oilfields for 24 years, was found to have Loa loa. His midday microfilarial count ranged between 12 X 10(6) and 16 X 10(6) parasites per litre. Before starting treatment, I litre of leucocyte/platelet-rich plasma was removed by means of a blood cell separator. Six intermittent cycles of blood separation were performed during a single 4-h session around midday in order to coincide with the period of maximum microfilarial presence in the peripheral circulation. This resulted in a 50% reduction of the microfilaraemia. Where facilities for blood cell separation are available, this procedure, together with appropriate chemotherapy, should be particularly beneficial in the management of heavy filarial infections.
D001769:Blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005368:Filariasis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007937:Leukapheresis; D008117:Loa; D008118:Loiasis / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008842:Microfilariae; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000628:therapy; D014462:Ultrafiltration