Abstract: Immunoapheresis treatment for cardiomyopathy comprises passing the patient's plasma over a column having coupled thereto a specific ligand for human immunoglobulin, thereby removing a significant portion of the immunoglobulin from the patient's plasma, and then reinfusing the plasma to the patient. The invention is the use of a specific ligand for human immunoglobulin in the manufacture of a column having the ligand coupled thereto, the column being useful for immunoapheresis treatment of a patient with cardiomyopathy. The specific ligand binds, and thereby removes, human autoantibodies which are harmful to cardiac tissue such as antibodies against ?1-adrenergic receptors, ADP-ATP carriers, ? and ? myosin heavy chains, and adenine nucleotide translocators.

Abstract: Immunoapheresis treatment for cardiomyopathy comprises passing the patient's plasma over a column having coupled thereto a specific ligand for human immunoglobulin, thereby removing a significant portion of the immunoglobulin from the patient's plasma, and then reinfusing the plasma to the patient. The invention is the use of a specific ligand for human immunoglobulin in the manufacture of a column having the ligand coupled thereto, the column being useful for immunoapheresis treatment of a patient with cardiomyopathy. The specific ligand binds, and thereby removes, human autoantibodies which are harmful to cardiac tissue such as antibodies against &bgr;1-adrenergic receptors, ADP-ATP carriers, &agr; and &bgr; myosin heavy chains, and adenine nucleotide translocators.

Abstract: The invention provides a method to prevent or ameliorate hyperacute or acute rejection of a human donor organ transplanted to a human recipient. Hyperacute rejection would normally occur after a human subject receives a transplanted human organ against which the subject has preformed anti-HLA antibodies. Acute rejection occurs when the recipient of a human organ forms antibodies against that organ after transplant. The invention method comprises passing the plasma of the recipient over a sterile and pyrogen-free column coupled to anti-human immunoglobulin antibodies which bind to and remove a significant portion of the immunoglobulin from the subject's plasma.

Abstract: The subject matter of this invention concerns an aqueous peritoneal dialysis solution which is obtained immediately prior to administration from two individual solutions, the first of which contains an osmotically active substance and the second of which contains bicarbonate ions, with the first individual solution containing anions of mono- and/or dicarboxylic acids and having a pH value of 4.5-5.8 and with the second individual solution containing an amino acid component or a peptide component and having a pH value of 7.2 to 10.0, and with the ready-to-use solution containing 23 to 26 mmoles/L bicarbonate ions and having a CO.sub.2 partial pressure of 25-70 mmHg and a pH value of 7.2 to 7.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing a sterile and pyrogen-free column containing coupled protein for use in removing a predetermined substance from the blood of a human subject. The method abrogates sterilization of the finished protein-containing product by providing sterile and pyrogen-free raw materials at each production step. The method provides a pathogen-free, purified solution of protein which binds to a predetermined substance in human blood such as LDL or immunoglobulin. Typically, the protein is anti-human LDL immunoglobulin or anti-human Ig immunoglobulin. The method also provides a sterile and pyrogen-free column matrix material such as an agarose which is chemically activated, either using CNBr and triethylamine or using 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole.