title: Plasmapheresis affects T helper type-1/T helper type-2 balance of circulating peripheral lymphocytes.
abstract: Plasmapheresis not only removes humoral factors, but may also modulate cellular immunity. We investigated whether plasmapheresis influenced T helper type-1/T helper type-2 (Th1/Th2) cytokine-producing-cell balance in 3 patients with neuroimmunological disease. The production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and IL-4 in the culture supernatant of peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated by anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 was assayed. In 2 of 3 patients, plasmapheresis (immunoadsorption or plasma exchange) reduced Th1/Th2 cytokine ratio. The results may suggest that plasmapheresis induces a shift of Th1/Th2 balance in peripheral blood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kawatana National Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakane
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Izumoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukudome
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kambara
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shibuya
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D019846:Miller Fisher Syndrome / Q000628:therapy; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000628:therapy; D010956:Plasmapheresis; D020277:Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / Q000628:therapy; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma