Cryofiltration (CRYO) removes
cryogel, which is a combination of
fibrinogen (Fbg) and
fibronectin (FN), containing pathological substances. The purpose of this study was to measure
cryogel EDA(+) FN and study the relationship between
EDA(+) FN and clinical symptoms in patients with
rheumatoid arthritis, SLE and
polymyositis.
Cryogel contains 51 times more
EDA(+) FN than plasma. The patients with
rheumatoid arthritis showed a high level of
EDA(+) FN in their plasma, and the
EDA(+) FN level in plasma corresponded with changes in
joint pain. We calculated the clearance level at several points in cryofiltration, and the reduction enabled us to evaluate the CRYO device. The
EDA(+) FN clearance was 23.3 +/- 6.4 ml/min, the pFN clearance 16.5 +/- 4.1 ml/min, and the Fbg clearance 22.9 +/- 5.7 ml/min. As the plasma flow in cryofiltration was 30 ml/min, a clearance of
EDA(+) FN and Fbg, approximately 23 ml/min, was obviously high. The study of the plasma level change of
EDA(+) FN during cryofiltration revealed a temporary elevation. These results suggest that the
EDA(+) FN was most efficiently reduced by cryofiltration, would become a good
indicator on
plasmapheresis, and might move from other tissues into the blood during cryofiltration.