A subset of patients with imbalances in glucose metabolism are found to have autoantibodies to the insulin receptor. These patients, as well as patients with myasthenia gravis, may be treated with a procedure known as plasmapheresis. During plasmapheresis for these disorders, blood is removed from the patient, and then separated into two fractions, one containing cells, and the other containing the plasma. The plasma is then treated to deplete it of antibodies, and then the cells plus the antibody-depleted plasma are returned to the patient. This cumbersome treatment may be necessary because, for these diseases:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Patients with imbalances in glucose metabolism who have autoantibodies to the insulin receptor and patients with myasthenia gravis have disease symptoms that are a direct effect of autoantibody binding to its target receptor on cells. Plasmapheresis is an effective treatment because it removes the antibodies from the plasma, which reduces the concentration of antibodies that can bind to their target receptors on cells, thereby reducing the symptoms of the disease.

A Subset of Patients with Imbalances in Glucose Metabolism Are