Sorption of Interleukins 12 and 23 Using the Developed Magnetocontrollable Ustekinumab-Based Sorbent

The aim of the study was to assess the sorption capacity of Ustekinumab, a drug based on interleukins 12 (IL-12) and 23 (IL-23), when using it with a magnetocontrollable sorbent. MATERIALS AND METHODS. To reduce the concentration of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-12, IL-23), the blood of patients with psoriatic arthritis was passed through magnetocontrollable polyacrylamide granules (MPG) of spherical shape with the particle size of 10–100 μm, obtained by emulsion polymerization. Perfusion was performed through a 10 ml column equipped with an electromagnet, into which MPG with immobilized antibodies to IL-12 and IL-23 was added. Ustekinumab, a commercial drug with concentration of monoclonal antibodies equaling 0.2 mg per 1 ml of saline was used as the source of antibodies to these interleukins. The specific sorption capacity of MPG was determined using a column filled with the granules in a volume of 0.2 ml and inducing their subsequent interaction with 1 ml of IL-12 and IL-23 solutions with increasing concentrations. The heparinized blood of 10 patients with psoriatic arthritis of various degrees of activity, who had no parenteral administration of IL-12/IL-23 inhibitors (Ustekinumab) for 12 months, was subjected to in vitro treatment. The blood of 10 healthy donors was used as the control; the perfusion procedure was similar. RESULTS. Digital parameters were measured for each sample before and after the interaction between the sorbent and blood plasma. There was a significant decrease in cytokines from the baseline — by 99.8% (in donors) and by 99.9% (in patients). When using a carbon sorbent, their concentration decreases by 92.6% from the baseline. As a result of sorption, blood cell counts did not change reliably, which is an additional positive aspect of this procedure. CONCLUSION. The maximum possible decrease in the level of cytokines has great practical importance, since they play a leading role in the pathogenesis of psoriatic arthritis. The use of a synthesized Ustekinumab-based sorbent is a highly effective way of removing them simultaneously from blood plasma.