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Twenty patients suffering from severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) underwent 52 sessions of splenoperfusion (SP) by means of extracorporeal perfusion of the patient's blood through isolated porcine spleen. It got prepared directly before the perfusion. The organ was obtained from a healthy animal in sterile conditions, washed from the blood after cannulation of the artery and vein. The patient's blood was pumped from the peripheral vein to the spleen artery. After passing through the splenic vascular bed the blood outflew from the spleen vein into the opposite peripheral vein of the patient. SP was followed by positive clinical changes: normalization of body temperature, regression of skin symptoms and articular syndrome, reduction of lymphadenopathy, hepato- and splenomegaly. The tests indicated inhibition of SLE activity. Sp-related immunocorrective effect was also present as shown by depression of B-cell hyperreactivity and T-cell immunity stimulation. 1-4-year follow-up of 19 patients showed them to be in remission. The data obtained favour SP inclusion into intensive therapy of severe SLE.

Blood morphology, external respiratory function, central hemodynamics, cellular and humoral immunity, circulating immune complexes, average molecules and leucocytic index were examined in 40 patients with a severe and average severe course of infection-dependent bronchial asthma before and after xenosplenoperfusion. Positive clinical results were noted manifested in an increase of the immune reactivity, improvement of external respiratory function. The method should be used with care due to additional sensibilization of the patient and possible bronchospasm.

A total of 25 patients suffering from infective allergic bronchial asthma underwent extracorporeal connection of the donor's spleen (ECCDS). Before ECCDS was made the health status was unstable in all the patients, with asphyxia attacks occurring fairly often, namely up to 12 times a day. Nine patients received the maintenance therapy with steroid hormones. After ECCDS 23 persons (92%) manifested complete disappearance of asphyxia attacks or considerable abatement of their severity and rate. In all the steroid-dependent patients, the daily dosage of steroids could be lowered, while in 3 patients, hormonal drugs were afterwards discontinued. Examination of external respiratory function demonstrated the improvement of bronchial patency at the level of large, medium-size and small bronchi. There was a decrease of the concentration of the circulating immune complexes and IgE in the blood plasma. During 2 years of the follow up, 16 patients did not show any disease relapses, whereas the remainder demonstrated less gravity of attacks as compared to the period preceding the use of ECCDS. It is concluded that the use of ECCDS is desirable in the multimodality treatment of infective allergic bronchial asthma.

On the basis of an analysis of results of the subsidiary blood circulation in the development of acute cardiac insufficiency or for its prevention in 68 patients in the early postoperative period after correction of rheumatic heart disease the authors give a positive assessment of this method in patients with a high degree of the operation risk.