Plasmapheresis and Laser Therapy in Complex Treatment of Myasthenia and their Influence on Erythrocytes and Endothelium

Abstract

The main factor in the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis is the antibody mediated autoimmune response to acetylcholine receptors (AChR). Myasthenia is accompanied by significant increase in pathological forms of erythrocytes in peripheral blood. Plasmapheresis is the most effective way to eliminate antibodies from blood. However, plasmapheresis significantly increases the level of pathological forms of erythrocytes. Endovascular laser blood irradiation (ELBI) is one of the most effective methods of erythrocyte preservation and restoration. ELBI is conducted to decrease the level of pathological forms of erythrocytes and increase the level of discocytes – the normal form of erythrocytes. The investigation of low intensive laser irradiation (LILI) effect on blood vessel walls revealed that ELBI lasting longer than one hour causes alteration in endothelial cells. But endothelial cells recover very soon post ELBI. Laser therapy in combination with efferent methods of detoxification such as plasmapheresis allows elimination of antibodies from blood and restores the optimal ratio between discocytes and pathological forms of erythrocytes.