Leukapheresis

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Leukapheresis

Leukapheresis is a laboratory procedure in which white blood cell

White blood cell

White blood cells , or leukocytes , are cell of the immune system defending the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials....
s are separated from a sample of blood. This may be done to decrease a very high white blood cell count in individuals with cancer (leukemia

Leukemia

Leukemia is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow and is characterized by an abnormal proliferation of blood Cell , usually white blood cells ....
) or to remove white blood cells for transfusion. In the case of cancer, usually hematological malignancies such as acute leukemias, there are white blood cell counts high enough to cause hemostasis

Hemostasis

Hemostasis is a complex process which causes the bleeding process to stop. Most time this includes the changing of blood from a fluid to a solid state....
and "sludging" in the capillaries.

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Leukapheresis is a laboratory procedure in which white blood cell

White blood cell

Leukemia

Hemostasis

Hemostasis is a complex process which causes the bleeding process to stop. Most time this includes the changing of blood from a fluid to a solid state....
and "sludging" in the capillaries. This can effect retinal vasculature leading to vision changes, pulmonary vasculature leading to shortness of breath from decreased efficiency in oxygen exchange, as well as other organ systems such as the brain which would become clinically apparent with neurological deterioration of a patient from cerebrovascular compromise.

Alternatively, only granulocyte

Granulocyte

Granulocytes are a category of white blood cells characterised by the presence of Granule s in their cytoplasm. They are also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes because of the varying shapes of the cell nucleus, which is usually lobed into three segments....
s, macrophage

Macrophage

Macrophages are white blood cells within tissues, produced by the division of monocytes. Human macrophages are about 21 micrometres in diameter....
s and monocyte

Monocyte

Monocyte is a type of leukocyte, part of the human body's immune system. Monocytes have two main functions in the immune system: replenish resident macrophages and dendritic cells under normal states, and in response to inflammation signals, monocytes can move quickly to sites of infection in the tissues and divide/differentiate into mac...
s can be removed, leaving the lymphocyte

Lymphocyte

A lymphocyte is a type of white blood cell in the vertebrate immune system.By their appearance under the light microscope, there are two broad categories of lymphocytes, namely the large granular lymphocytes and the small lymphocytes....
count largely unchanged. This is used as a treatment for autoimmune diseases such as ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease . Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis, a disease of the intestine, specifically the large intestine or colon , that includes characteristic Peptic ulcer, or open sores, in the colon....
and rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic disease inflammation that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks the joints producing a inflammatory synovitis that often progresses to destruction of the articular cartilage and ankylosis of the joints....
, where these cells play an active part in the inflammation process.

Leukapheresis, typically for granulocytes, is a rarely performed blood donation

Blood donation

A blood donation is when a healthy person free will has blood drawn. The blood is used for blood transfusion or made into medications by a process called fractionation#Plasma protein fractionation....
process. The product is collected by automated apheresis

Apheresis

Apheresis is a medical technology in which the blood of a donor or patient is passed through an apparatus that separates out one particular constituent and returns the remainder to the circulation....
and is used for systemic infections in patients with neutropenia

Neutropenia

Neutropenia , from Latin language prefix neutro- and Greek language suffix -pe??a is a Hematology disorder characterized by an abnormally low number of a type of white blood cell called a neutrophil....
. The donor is typically a blood relative who has received stimulating medications (a directed donation), and the product is irradiated to prevent GVHD. The product generally has a 24 hour shelf life from collection and is often transfused before infectious disease

Transfusion transmitted infection

A Transfusion transmitted infection is a virus, parasite, or other potential pathogen that can be transmitted in blood donation through a transfusion to a recipient....
testing is completed. It is a therapy of last resort, and its use is controversial and rare.