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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.

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.

The article generalizes the experience in surgical treatment of Fallot's tetrad in 20 infants. Radical correction of the anomaly was carried out under extracorporeal circulation and deep hypothermia with reduced volume rate of perfusion. Plastics of the conus arteriosus alone was performed in 6 patients, transanulus and the pulmonary trunk in 4 patients. Two patients died, the hospital lethality was 10%. A clinical effect was produced in all the other patients. The relation of systolic pressure in the left ventricle to that in the right ventricle was 0.56 +/- 0.1, the systolic pressure gradient between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery was 18 +/- 4.2 mm Hg. Various degree of regurgitation at the pulmonary valve was revealed after the operation in all patients. It was maximum (34 +/- 10%) in transanulus plastics.

To exert an effect on the autoimmune process in 54 New Zealand mice aged 6 and 10 months, 0.2 ml of a solution obtained in perfusion of isolated pig's spleen (perfusate) was injected intravenously at intervals of 2--3 days (a total of 8 injections). The control group (43 mice) received injections of an isotonic buffer solution in the same regimen. After the end of perfusate administration the number of antibodies to DNA and the level of circulating immune complexes (IC) reduced markedly in the blood of the experimental mice as compared to these values in the control group. Kidney immunofluorescence demonstrated reduced number of IC deposits in the glomeruli of 6- and 10-month old mice of the experimental group. The perfusate contributes, probably, to intensified excretion of IC from the blood flow and kidneys of the experimental mice.

54 autoimmune NZB/N mice, 6 and 10 months of age, were intravenously injected 0.2 ml solution prepared during perfusion of the isolated sheep spleen with a buffer solution. Perfusion solution was injected 8 times with 2-3-day intervals. The control group of 43 mice received intravenously 0.2 ml of a buffer solution in the similar manner. After the treatment the levels of anti-DNA antibodies and circulating immune complexes were significantly decreased in the sera of mice which received the perfusion solution, as compared with the levels of control groups. Immunofluorescent studies showed a marked decrease in the number of glomerular immune complexes deposits in mice treated with perfusion solution. Six- and ten-month old mice exhibited a similar effect. The perfusion solution may be capable of eliminating the immune complexes from the blood and kidneys of autoimmune mice.