Splenic blood flow was measured in a series of normal subjects and @entity1 with connective tissue diseases by measuring the rate of equilibration and the partition of 111In-labelled autologous platelets between blood and spleen. These data were used to quantify the role of splenic blood flow in determining the splenic clearance of IgG coated erythrocytes (IgG-RBC) from the circulation. Previous studies have interpreted the clearance rates of IgG-RBC only in terms of @entity177 . Splenic blood flow was increased in seven of eight @entity1 with @entity1252 ( @entity1252 ), six of 10 @entity1 with @entity309 ( @entity309 ) and in all five @entity1 with @entity21715 ( @entity21715 ) compared with a series of thirteen normal subjects. Expressing the rate constant of clearance of IgG-RBC as a fraction of splenic blood flow gave a value for the 'extraction ratio' of IgG-RBC (a specific measurement of reticuloendothelial function, corrected for splenic blood flow). Normal splenic extraction ratio of IgG-RBC was calculated to be 32%. All the @entity1 with @entity1252 and with @entity21715 had reduced extraction ratios (in seven out of 13 @entity1 less than 10%). In @entity309 the extraction ratio tended to be normal (average 27.3%) but variable (9-59%). Following plasma exchange in nine @entity1 , a significant increase in IgG-RBC extraction ratio (average of 39% with respect to pre-exchange values, P less than 0.05) was found. In contrast there was no significant change in extraction ratio following pulse @entity1667 therapy in a further nine @entity1 . Although the rate constant of clearance of IgG-RBC decreased by an average of 33% (P less than 0.01) in the latter group, it was matched by an equal decrease of splenic blood flow (average 37%, P less than 0.01) and so extraction ratio showed no change. These data indicate that quantification of @entity177 requires measurement of both IgG-RBC clearance and of splenic blood flow.

The splenic extraction ratio of antibody-coated erythrocytes and its response to plasma exchange and pulse XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity1667 :: ('MESH:D008775', 'Chemical') :: ['methylprednisolone'] @entity1252 :: ('MESH:D008180', 'Disease') :: ['SLE', 'systemic lupus erythematosus'] @entity177 :: ('MESH:D051437', 'Disease') :: ['splenic reticuloendothelial function'] @entity21715 :: ('MESH:C538068', 'Disease') :: ['essential mixed cryoglobulinaemia', 'EMC'] @entity309 :: ('MESH:D001172', 'Disease') :: ['rheumatoid arthritis', 'RA']
@entity1667 :: (MESH:D008775,Chemical) :: ['methylprednisolone']
