The hemodialysis‐induced reaction in patients with leukemia

Abstract

The white blood cell count response was documented in various patients following transfusions of 500 ml of autologous or unrelated donor blood that had been subjected to 10 minutes of dialysis with 15 minutes of stagnation. Patients studied included 1 patient with acute nonlymphocytic (ANLL) and 2 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The control group consisted of 4 patients with renal failure. The ANLL patient showed a normal two-phase reaction after administration of donor's blood. It is possible that even under conditions of severe disturbance of hemopoiesis the general dependence on normal humoral regulation remains. The CLL patients showed a marked drop in circulating WBC in the first descending phase of the hemodialysis-induced reaction (HDIR). All blood cell types including lymphocytes and blast cells took part in this decrease of blood count; this suggests a cell-nonspecific effect. It is presumed that leukocytes that leave the circulation do not return into the blood and the procedure may be considered as a form of leukophoresis in vivo, with possible therapeutic value.