With the introduction of the coronavirus epidemic into our lives, new ways to treat the disease have come with it. Plasma therapy is also one of the effective methods used to save patients from coronavirus. Plasma therapy, which is applied by taking immune plasmas from their blood in order to correct patients other than those who have recovered from the corona, gives hope to coronavirus patients. So what is plasma? How is immune plasma therapy done? All the information you are wondering about is here!
What is plasma?
Plasma B cells or plasmocytes; Immune system cells that play a very valuable role in the fluid resistance of the organism and secrete antibodies are defined as plasma cells.
These are polygonal, oval or round shaped cells, 10-20 micron in size, with dark basophilic cytoplasm. Their nuclei are global, the distribution of chromatin in the nucleus is typical. The thick euchromatin region that spreads from the center to the periphery gives the appearance of the plasmocyte-specific nucleus.
A large golgi complex is located near the nucleus. The rest of the cytoplasm is covered by the rough endoplasmic reticulum. This gives the cytoplasm a basophilic character.
They can be innately too many or too few. Hyperglobulinemia is the presence of a large number of plasma cells in the tissues of individuals and heavy antibodies in their blood; Agammaglobulinemia is the inability of individuals to produce any antibodies against the antigen, that is, the absence of plasma cells in the body.
What is immune plasma therapy?
It is the treatment performed by using the blood plasma collected by the Turkish Red Crescent from patients diagnosed with Covid-19 and healed after the treatment process, in patients in critical condition.
Plasma therapy is applied by taking immune plasmas from their blood to adapt other patients who have recovered from corona and recovered. It is hoped that antibodies formed in the blood of people who have survived the disease will help the treatment of people struggling with Corona. The immune system of individuals who have survived Covid-19 develops antibodies to attack the coronavirus, and the developing antibodies take place in the fluid called “plasma” of the blood.
How to donate blood?
The appropriate donor candidate fills out a form and is examined, just like blood donation. Laboratory tests are performed by taking blood from the donor. With the apheresis technique, blood components that are in the blood of the donor and the patient’s need are taken from the donor candidates whose test results are suitable. It is a process that takes 45-60 minutes.
Who can donate plasma?
– Individuals who have been infected with the COVID-19 virus and subsequently become beautiful.
– Those with laboratory test results that the donor candidate has been diagnosed with COVID-19 infection.
– 18-60 years old (over 19, under 61 and between) donors.
– Male or female donors who have not become pregnant, have had a miscarriage, have not had an abortion.
– Donors who have not had a blood transfusion before.
– Negative molecular test results of 2 nasopharyngeal swab samples made with medium for at least 24 hours if hospitalized.
– At least 14 days after clinical improvement.
Persons diagnosed with COVID-19 but completed their treatment under quarantine at home, at least 28 days after their clinical recovery, and negative SARS-CoV-2 molecular test result studied from nasopharyngeal swab sample before donation.
