AN IMPROVED AFFINITY SUPPORT AND IMMUNOADSORBENT WITH A SYNTHETIC BLOOD-GROUP OLIGOSACCHARIDE AND POLYMER COATING FOR HEMOPERFUSION

An improved affinity support and an immunoadsorbent suitable for extracorporeal perfusion of whole blood (or plasma) are reported. The affinity support consists of calcined diatomite-type silica particles to which a synthetic oligosaccharide hapten, viz. Atrisaccharide representing human blood group A, with a linking spacer-arm is chemically attached. The immunoadsorbent thus obtained is surface-modified with a polymer coating. The modified immunoadsorbent is not hemolytic and shows no loss of biological activity in reducing antibody titers in vitro. An important feature of the improved immunoadsorbent is that the polymer coating provides a better surface resistance and therefore stability to the affinity support to prevent the release of potentially harmful fines. The usefulness of a physically stable support as an affinity adsorbent for the selective removal of specific antibodies or unwanted substances directly from the blood circulation by extracorporeal immunoadsorption has profound medical significance because this would provide an efficient but safe and practical alternative to therapeutic intervention using plasma exchange or plasma perfusion, both of which require plasmapheresis.