title: Effects of serial harvest of plasma on total plasma protein and total immunoglobulin G concentrations in donor horses involved in a plasmapheresis program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effects of intensive serial plasmapheresis on total plasma protein and total IgG concentrations in donor horses involved in a plasmapheresis program.
  
  
  METHODS
  18 horses (13 mares and 5 geldings; 13 Belgians, 3 Percherons, 1 Standardbred, and 1 warmblood) ranging from 7 to 14 years of age (mean ± SD, 10 ± 3 years) and weighing 822 ± 128 kg.
  
  
  METHODS
  Horses from which 22 mL of plasma/kg of donor body weight was harvested at 14-day intervals for a minimum of 8 consecutive plasmapheresis donations were retrospectively selected for use in the evaluation. Automated plasmapheresis procedures were performed by use of 2 modified plasmapheresis instruments/donor horse. Plasma samples were obtained at each donation and used for determination of total protein and total IgG concentrations. Total plasma protein concentrations were determined via refractometry. A commercially available ELISA was used to determine total equine IgG concentrations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 18 donor horses were used in 8 to 19 serial donations (mean ± SD, 13 ± 3 donations) during the study. Donor horses had significant decreases in both plasma protein and IgG concentrations over the study period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serial plasmapheresis procedures caused significant decreases in both plasma protein and IgG concentrations in donor horses; however, decreases were not physiologically relevant. Performing plasmapheresis in horses in accordance with the evaluated automated plasmapheresis procedures did not result in a critical decrease in total plasma protein or total IgG concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. ziskasm@auburn.edu
authors.forename: Sara M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ziska
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: Sue H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.forename: Kenny V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Brock
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D006736:Horses; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D010956:Plasmapheresis / Q000662:veterinary*; D012031:Refractometry / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G