Leukapheresis: Procedure, Uses, and Benefits

Leukapheresis: A Comprehensive Guide

What is Leukapheresis?

Apheresis is a technique by which a specific substance or component is removed from the blood, the main volume being returned to the body. White Blood Cells is also called as leukocytes.
 
Leukapheresis is a form of apheresis in which particular components of blood, like red blood cells, are extracted while the remaining blood is returned to circulation.

How does Leukapheresis work?

• To ease symptoms that happen when you have abnormal white blood cells multiplying uncontrollably. 
• To collect your blood and bone marrow stem cells to assist in rebuilding your bone marrow after receiving chemotherapy for specific blood cancers.
• It can be utilised on rare occasions to treat people suffering from severe granulocytopenia. Granulocytopenia is atypical low levels of a type of white blood cell granulocytes, which includes neutrophils, basophils and eosinophils.
• It may be used to lower an excessively high white blood cell count caused by particular types of leukemia, most commonly chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) however also acute myeloid leukemia (AML) & chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), A high WBC count is called as leukocytosis.
• It is used when you have excess WBCs in your body that are clogging your bloodstream, escalating the risk of heart trouble.
• It is used when you are going to have treatment which needs healthy white blood cells like CART cell therapy.
• It is used when you undergo a stem cell or bone marrow transplant to treat specific lymphomas or multiple myeloma.
• It is used when you have been selected as a stem cell or bone marrow donor for someone going through treatment for specific leukaemias.
• It doesn’t cure blood cancer or blood disorders. Healthcare providers normally combine leukapheresis with other treatments.

Procedure 

Before the procedure

Your healthcare provider may do many tests. 

• Electrolyte tests
• Blood tests. Moreover, to check your WBCs, your provider will check on your red blood cells and platelets, l Tests for kidney and liver function,
• Blood coagulation tests
• You must wear comfortable clothes and have something to read or watch during the procedure, as leukapheresis takes up to a few hours.

During the procedure

Your healthcare provider will ensure your comfort in a bed and will insert two intravenous lines in your arms. One of the IV lines will draw your blood, while the other will return it to your bloodstream.

In few cases, a single large catheter known as a central line, containing both IVs, may be used by providers. This central line is usually placed near your neck or under your collarbone.

Leukapheresis may take a minimum of two to three hours to finish. Throughout the procedure, you may experience numbness or tingling in your hands and feet, as well as around your mouth.

These sensations highlight that your calcium levels are lowering. Your provider can address these symptoms by adding calcium to your IV feed.

After the procedure

Your healthcare provider will supervise you for signs of low blood volume or other side effects. They may take blood tests. Based on the results, they may suggest a blood transfusion to replace RBCs and platelets.

Sometimes you may need additional treatment after leukapheresis. When collecting blood stem cells, you may require several leukapheresis sessions to reach a specific stem cell target.

Common Side Effects of Leukapheresis

Anemia: 
Anaemia happens when you don’t have sufficient RBCs or your red blood cells are damaged. The leukapheresis process, at times, causes people to lose red blood cells.
Hypocalcemia: 
This condition happens when you have lesser than usual calcium in your blood. The leukapheresis process may remove calcium. Providers treat this side effect with intravenous calcium.
Thrombocytopenia:
This condition happens when you have less than normal calcium in your blood. The leukapheresis process may remove calcium. Provides treatment for this side effect with intravenous calcium.

Benefits of Leukapheresis

Leukapheresis can be a life-saving solution to lower serious symptoms which happen when you have a very high number of WBCs. This procedure instantly reduces the number of WBCs so your provider can start other treatments.
It also enables the collection of bone marrow stem cells and their use to encourage bone marrow recovery after high doses of chemotherapy for certain blood cancers.

Summary

Leukapheresis is an critical procedure which can assist relieve symptoms and enhance the quality in people suffering from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and other serious medical conditions. Interestingly, its usage in immunotherapy may open many possibilities for creating even more effective targeted cancer therapies in near future.