Hepatitis B Vaccines made from Human Plasma

Human blood constitutes of many different substances that play a vital role in keeping the blood fresh and volatile. Blood proteins are also one of such protein found in blood plasma (component of blood) that are responsible of carrying out major body functions like transportation, regulation and to carry out smooth activities of immune system in the human body. The major blood proteins present in human plasma are Globulins, albumin, and fibrinogen. All the plasma proteins are synthesized in liver except for the Gamma Globulin, a sub type of globulin protein.

The globulins are a family of globular proteins that have higher molecular weights and water solubility values than the albumins. Some globulins are produced in the liver, while others are made by the immune system. The normal concentration of globulins in the blood is about 2.6-4.6 g/dL. Globulins are categorized into four categories Alpha 1, Alpha 2, Beta and Gamma Globulins and these can be distinguished from one another using the method of serum protein electrophoresis.

Here let’s discuss about the Human Immune Serum Globulins also called as Gamma globulin. They are also termed as immune globulins or antibodies constitute the major part of plasma globulin proteins. These types of globulins are produced by the mature B cells of the immune system and are used by the body's defense system against the foreign invaders like bacteria, infections and viruses. These globulins are further divided into five classes IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD and IgE. These globulins play a major role in defending the body against many external attacks so there necessity is crucial in the human body. But every individual must have normal range of Gamma Globulin present in their blood as decreased levels are indicative of an immune deficiency and elevated levels may lead to blood cancers like Multiple Myeloma and certain lymphomas.

Human Immune Serum Globulins or Gamma Globulin are extracted from the healthy donors and are preserved in liquid or powdered state to utilize them in aid to patients with lower level of immunity in their body. They are prescribed in many different forms as per the condition of the patient. There are many medical uses of these globulins which had developed today with latest advancement in technologies in medical world.

Some of the medical uses of Gamma Globulin:

Gamma globulin injections are usually given to the patients in an attempt to temporarily boost their immunity against various diseases or infections. As these globulins are the product derived from human blood, their injections along with blood transfusions and intravenous drug use can pass Hepatitis C to its recipients. Also, its therapy has proven to be a successful therapy for several medical conditions like hepatitis A, measles and the autoimmune disorder Kawasaki disease (abnormal inflammation of the blood vessels) in children. In addition to this gamma globulin therapy can make a kidney donor and recipient compatible regardless of blood and tissue match, and also can boost immunity for people who cannot produce gamma globulins naturally.

However, gamma globulin therapy comes along with a risk of negative side effects. Patients receiving this form of therapy may experience headache, backache, muscle or joint pain, and overall feelings of fatigue or illness. These effects decrease as the body becomes habituated to the therapy. According to researchers these may actually cause a stroke or heart attack in elderly patients with multiple risk factors. However, the Human Immune Serum Globulins packed with goodness can work wonders and act as a firewall against various immune deficiency diseases like HIV, AIDS and cancer etc.

Red blood cell Alloimmunization in SCD patients

During pregnancy the antibodies and antigens production levels are traced to be abnormal in women. Such changes can affect the health of the mother and as well the new born along with many complications during pregnancy. RBC Alloimmunization is also one such condition which occurs due to the formation of antibodies to red blood cell antigens in the recipient from previous blood transfusions or a pregnancy. Sometimes this condition is also traced when the body is not exposed to foreign RBC antigens earlier before the transfusions.

The formation of antibodies in the human body differs extensively depending on the patient’s disease, history of transfusions, pregnancy and the rate of antigens production against the donors of different geographical locations. In order to trace the level of RBC Alloimmunization keeping the record of the antibody and antigen rates against the transfusions is important. Normally, the rate of red cell antibodies is estimated to be 20% or more in patients with transfusion dependent diseases like sickle cell anemia and thalassemia etc.

Sickle-cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive genetic blood disorder with over dominance, characterized by red blood cells that assume an abnormal, rigid, sickle shape. Sickling decreases the cells flexibility and results in a risk of various complications. The sickling occurs because of a mutation in the hemoglobin gene during a transfusion. However, Red blood cell transfusions have reduced despair and mortality for patients with sickle cell disease. Transfusions can anyhow lead to RBC Alloimmunization.

Blood transfusion is an essential treatment for the patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). However, transfusions can lead to RBC Alloimmunization with serious complications for the patient. These antibodies produced in such conditions are often directed against antigens expressed on RBC’s of white persons, donors of western countries. However, finding such donors lacking those antigens can sometimes be difficult and identifying and characterizing the antibodies can be a time consuming job causing transfusion delays.

The most serious consequence of RBC Alloimmunization in SCD patients is the risk of developing a delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction (DHTR), which can be life taking. In many cases, the patient's hemoglobin level falls below the pre transfusion level indicating that the patient own RBCs are lysed in addition to hemolysis of the transfused RBCs. This condition is known as hyperhemolysis. Additional transfusions may provoke the hemolysis and further worsen the degree of anemia in the patients.

Not all patients develop all antibodies after exposure to transfused RBCs. This fact pertains not only to patients with SCD but also to other transfused recipients. RBC Alloimmunization cannot be entirely prevented except by transfusions from an identical twin or by autologous transfusions. Preventing RBC antibody formation is also not practical for most patients and, for man yit causes no serious complications. But prevention of RBC Alloimmunization is important in women of child bearing age, and for some patients at risk of serious haemolytic transfusion reactions. It is currently unknown whether RBC Alloimmunization rates differ depending on the presence or absence of clinical complications of SCD.

In conclusion, challenges remain for the diagnosis, prevention, and management of RBC Alloimmunization in SCD. Understanding the mechanisms and associated risk factors will aid in developing strategies to prevent and inhibit production of antibodies in transfused patients and to minimize its life threatening complications resulting from transfusions. Also, Immuno modulatory therapies, such as the use of immune cell depleting agents, costimulatory blockade, and cytokine blockade, may be effective in suppressing RBC Alloimmunization in patients. Tracing the conditions and taking timely precautions can help to recover from such complications during the pregnancy.

Hepatitis B Vaccines made from Human Plasma

Immunity plays a crucial role in the human body fighting against various diseases and infections attacking it. If a human immune system is prepared to withstand a disease it is said to be immune to the following disease. Immunity is sometimes gained naturally by suffering and surviving the infection and conquering it. This is called naturally acquired immunity. With naturally acquired immunity, one suffers the symptoms of the disease and also faces the complications, which can be sometimes dangerous. Apart from naturally acquired immunity, artificially acquired immunity can also be attained by the human body through vaccines which is the easiest and the less risky way to get immune against any disease.

Vaccine made from Biological Products prevents diseases from occurring at the first place, rather than attempting to cure it after getting it. In fact, it is cheaper to prevent a disease than to treat it as in the course time you can face many complications and also can spread it to people around you. Vaccines protect the human body against infectious diseases caused by microbes and viruses by generating antibodies in the body to fight against the infectious conditions.

Vaccines protect the human body against various diseases like chickenpox, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) etc.

Vaccines for hepatitis B:

Hepatitis B is a serious disease that is killing about 4k to 5k of Americans every year and 1 million people around the world. Hepatitis B is caused by infection with the hepatitis B virus, termed as HBV. Persons with HBV infection have this virus circulating in their blood, much like hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Persons who become infected with HBV either recover from their infection in several months or they may remain chronically infected for most of their lifetime. Also, majority of people in U.S.A go under liver transplant each year, out of which 16% were done due to infections caused by hepatitis B.

Although most people do not show symptoms of HBV infection, however blood tests can accurately identify the conditions of the life taking disease. Adults who are chronically infected by HBV have a 15% chance of dying from liver disease whereas young children or infants have a 25% chance to die due to liver cancer. So, prevention of such infection is very crucial as if once a person is infected, there are only few treatment options available that are much expensive too.

Apparently, prevention is better than cure. Vaccines prove to be a life saving option for the persons suffering from HBV. There are about 15 different types of Hepatitis B vaccines available today around the world.

The first Hepatitis B vaccine was developed in 1981. It was derived from donated human plasma and was known as PDV (Plasma Derived Vaccine). It is prepared from particles of HBsAg obtained from human plasma, which is purified thus delivers 95% pure Biological Products. These vaccines are subjected to inactivation with formalin and heat and are adjuvant with compounds of Aluminium. Plasma derived vaccine is presently available for large-scale, public-sector purchase with valid medical prescription. It is used widely used today as the best preventive for HBV.

However, it comes with minor side effects associated with it. The vaccine is though suitable for all persons, some cases suffer through mild swelling, tenderness and redness at the place of the injection. Other minor reactions such as malaise or fever occur in less than 2% of individuals. However, more serious reactions are rare has not been detected.

The World Health Organization has stated that plasma derived vaccines (PDV’s) are safe and effective type of vaccines made from Biological Products for all age groups.

Products derived from human plasma

Plasma is a major constituent of human blood that is packed up of large number of proteins in it. These plasma proteins play a major role in transportation of blood and various other vital substances in human body. These proteins are responsible to carry out vital body functions like blood clotting, defending body against attacks by diseases, transportation of various substances in the blood and cleansing the blood by flushing out the toxins. This miracle substance plasma works as a firewall protecting the human body against external agents and keeping it healthy.

However by Donating Plasma one can contribute this substance for helping the other fellow beings. The plasma when taken out from human body can be fractionated, purified, and used to treat diseases caused from defects in these plasma components of other human bodies. Donating Plasma is helping the healthcare industry to develop range of Plasma Products that can be used as a medication in treatment of various chronic diseases.

These plasma derived proteins or Plasma Products are developed by collecting the Donating Plasma samples of thousands of donors. Once collected appropriate processing is done and the product is preserved for future use. However, the processing of plasma is very costly and time taking. Blood plasma once processed can be used in manufacture of various Plasma Products.

The major Plasma Products that are derived from human blood plasma are:

·         Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG)

·         Albumin

·         Clotting Factors

·         Hyper Immunes

Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG):

Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) contains pooled, polyvalent, IgG extracted from the plasma of over one thousand blood donors. It is a blood product that is administered intravenously to the patients. This Plasma Product is used to treat immune deficiencies, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and acute infections in the human body. When IVIG is administered to the patients it effect last up to 2weeks to 3 months in the body.

Albumin:

Serum albumin is the most abundant blood plasma protein constituting about 60% of whole blood plasma protein. It is produced in the liver and is responsible for regulating osmotic pressure of the human blood compartments. The albumins also act as carriers for molecules of low water solubility, hormones, bile salts, calcium and various drugs in the human body. Albumin is often used to replace lost body fluid and to help restore blood concentration levels in various conditions like trauma, burns and surgeries in patients.

Clotting Factors:

Clotting Factors are the unique plasma products that can be derived only form human blood plasma. They are the best known plasma products and the key components of coagulation. These plasma products are administered to patients who are genetically unable to produce all of the components necessary for Blood clotting. The most commonly known need is for Factor VIII, a Blood clotting agent, by hemophiliacs.

Hyper Immunes:

Hyper Immunes are also like Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) except that it is developed from the Donating Plasma samples of donor with high titers of specific antibody count in them. These Plasma Products administration provides passive immunity to the patient against various agents in the human body. They provide instant results but have serious side effects also associated with their dosage.

Seemingly all these plasma products are proving to be very useful in increasing the immunity of the patients and curing various diseases. By Donating Plasma all individuals can contribute in the development of medicines and vaccines form which these exclusive products to save lives of many patients around the world. Also, the donors are paid on each of their plasma donations so earning while doing a noble deed.