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The efficacy of extracorporeal cryohemosorption was estimated in the treatment of atherosclerotic patients in terms of the autoimmune theory of the pathogenesis of this disease. There was a slight decrease in the plasma levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides, there was over 2-fold reduction in the plasma levels of fibrinogen and fibronectin. All major components of apo B-containing lipoproteins and immunoglobulin G were found as part of the cryoprecipitate. An extremely high concentration of lipid hydroperoxides in the precipitate suggest that cryoprecipitation removes not only autoimmune complexes, but highly-atherogenic peroxide-modified lipoproteins. The three-fold decrease in the levels of lipoprotein-antibody complexes resulted in lower atherogenicity of apo B-containing lipoproteins. It is suggested that the mechanism responsible for beneficial clinical action of cryohemosorption sessions is largely associated with the removal of autoimmune lipoprotein-antibody complexes and peroxide-modified apo B-containing lipoproteins than correction of lipid metabolism.

The cholesterol content in human erythrocytes, granulocytes and the total leucocyte fraction with varying levels of plasma cholesterol has been studied. There was no correlation between the cell cholesterol content and the levels of total, LDL and HDL cholesterol in the plasma. The mean cholesterol content in one cell has been found to be equal to 1.26 x 10(-13) g in the erythrocytes, 2.08 x 10(-12) g in the granulocytes and 3.35 x 10(-12) g in the total leucocyte fraction.