Staphylococcal protein A immunoadsorptive column induces mitogenicity in perfused plasma

A Phase I trial of therapy with the staphylococcal protein A immunoadsorptive column was conducted in six patients with advanced breast or brain cancer. Four of the patients reacted strongly to the therapy with high fever, chills, and rigors. The plasma of these four patients after perfusion over the column was strongly mitogenic to normal lymphocytes. This mitogenicity apparently was dependent on the amount of protein A on the matrix; small attached doses caused mitogenicity, while higher doses also induced clinical symptoms. Mitogenicity was not due to protein A leached from the column, as determined by heat-inactivation experiments. From these data it appears likely that the mitogenic plasma component generated by perfusion of the plasma over a protein A matrix is responsible, at least in part, for the immunomodulatory activity of the staphylococcal protein A immunoadsorptive column.