Abstract: Extracorporeal perfusion using an immunoadsorbent material specific for disease-related antigens is used for therapy of the disease state. Antibodies to particular antigens, including tumor antigens, viral antigens, and bacterial antigens, are used to prepare the immunoadsorbent material. Patients suffering from the disease are then treated by removing a flow of blood, separating the blood into plasma cellular components, passing the plasma through the immunoadsorbent material, recombining the treated plasma and cellular components of the blood, and returning the treated blood to the patient.

Abstract: Affinity-purified protein A preparations are contacted with a suitable anionic exchange material in order to remove trace contamination. Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) and other proteinaceous contaminants are removed by passing such affinity-purified protein A preparations through a DEAE-cellulose column and thereafter selectively eluting the protein A to separate the contaminants. Very high purity protein A composition are thus obtained, typically having a contaminant concentration of about 5 weight % or below, with below about 0.001 weight % SEB.

Abstract: Patients suffering from HIV-1 infection, including both those who have and those who have not developed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, are treated by extracorporeal removal of IgG and immune complexes. An immunoadsorbent material for removing IgG and IgG-complexes from biological fluids is prepared by covalently binding protein A to a solid-phase silica matrix. It has been found that particularly stable, high-capacity immunoadsorbents are obtained by derivatizing the silica with amino and/or carboxyl groups, and reacting the protein A with a carbodiimide at a pH in a range from 3.5 to 4.5. Binding through free hydroxyl groups may be achieved with cyanogen halides at a pH in the range from 11.0 to 11.5. After acid washing (pH 2.0-2.5) to remove non-covalently bound protein A, the immunoadsorbent may be employed in a column for therapeutic treatment of various cancers and autoimmune disorders where IgG-complexes are implicated as suppressing factors in inhibiting a normal immune response.

Abstract: Antibody is removed from the blood of patients who are being treated or diagnosed with exogenous macromolecules, such as immunotoxins. As the immunotoxins are foreign antigens, the patient will develop an immune response. The antibodies produced by the immune response upon subsequent immunization with the immunotoxins will interfere with the desired function of the immunotoxins by preventing them from binding with their specific target site. By extracorporeally removing the antibodies, the activity of the immunotoxins can be enhanced.

Abstract: An immunoadsorbent material for removing IgG and IgG-complexes from biological fluids is prepared by covalently binding protein A to a solid-phase silica matrix. It has been found that particularly stable, high-capacity immunoadsorbents are obtained by derivatizing the silica with amino and/or carboxyl groups, and reacting the protein A with a carbodiimide at a pH in the range from 3.5 to 4.5. Binding through free hydroxyl groups may be achieved with cyanogen halides at a pH in the range from 11.0 to 11.5. After acid washing (pH 2.0-2.5) to remove non-covalently bound protein A, the immunoadsorbent may be employed in a column for therapeutic treatment of various cancers and autoimmune disorders where IgG-complexes are implicated as suppressing factors in inhibiting a normal immune response. The column has been successfully employed in treating patients suffering from Kaposi's sarcoma.

Abstract: An immunoadsorbent material for removing IgM and IgM-complexes from biological fluids is prepared by covalently binding anti-IgM antibodies to a solid-phase silica matrix. It has been found that reacting hydroxyl-derivatized silica in the presence of a cyanogen bromide with the anti-IgM antibodies provides a particularly stable, high-capacity immunoadsorbent. The immunoadsorbent material may be employed in a column for therapeutic treatment of various disorders, such as primary biliary cirrhosis.

Abstract: A novel method for detecting tumor associated antigen in patient's serum or plasma samples is provided. Tumor associated antigen in the form of immune complexes is detected by first applying the patient's serum sample to an immunoadsorbent column to enrich the amount of immune complexes relative to other serum components. The amount of tumor associated antigen is then detected in the enriched sample in a solid-phase assay employing a solid-phase receptor for the immune complexes and a labelling system specific for the tumor associated antigen.

Abstract: An immunoadsorbent material for removing IgG and IgG-complexes from biological fluids is prepared by covalently binding protein A to a solid-phase silica matrix. It has been found that particularly stable, high-capacity immunoadsorbents are obtained by derivatizing the silica with amino and/or carboxyl groups, and reacting the protein A with a carbodiimide at a pH in the range from 3.5 to 4.5. Binding through free hydroxyl groups may be achieved with cyanogen halides at a pH in the range from 11.0 to 11.5. After acid washing (pH 2.0-2.5) to remove non-covalently bound protein A, the immunoadsorbent may be employed in a column for therapeutic treatment of various cancers and autoimmune disorders where IgG-complexes are implicated as suppressing factors in inhibiting a normal immune response.