Lymphocyte Immuno Therapy (LIT) Session

A typical LIT session starts with the extraction of blood from husband or donor.  As early as 8am, you can go to Manila Endocrine Lab (MEL) to have your husband’s or donor’s blood extracted. 

Before I forget, you must make sure that the donors have their blood screened first to make sure that they don’t have any diseases that could be transferred to you.  The blood screening should be done a few days before the actual blood extraction.  The test should include the following: CBC, malarial smear, RPR, HIV, Hepa B, and Anti-HCV.  You must present the results of the blood test to the med tech at MEL.

12 vials of blood will be extracted from your donor.

  

After this, the laboratory will then process the blood wherein only the lymphocytes or white blood cells will be extracted.  You will be surprised that out of the 12 vials of blood, only a small vial of white blood cell will be extracted and that will be the one to be injected to us.   

Kuya Reggie of MEL will bring the white blood cells to the clinic of Dra. Aleta at Don Santiago Building.  He usually arrives around 12:00noon, so I usually go there around that time also.

Dra. Aleta will then inject the white blood cells under the skin (sort of like allergy test). My husband took a video of the procedure and here it is.  Warning: Not for the faint-hearted.  

I am not allowed to remove the bandage for 48 hours... not allowed to wet the area and exposed it to sunlight also.  Rashes, pain and itchiness in the injection spots are expected.  

Here's a picture of my arms after removing the bandage.  After this, the injection spots will bruise, like insect bites.

LIT can be done weekly, every two weeks or every three weeks depending on your preference or depending on your need.  You can either use one donor or two donors. The donor can be your husband or other people not related to you.  

Before, I used my husband's blood, but after 4 LIT sessions, my LAT still did not go up, so right now we are using donors' blood for my LIT.  For my recent LIT sessions, we used the available donors from MEL.  You just have to pay an additional of Php1000 per donor.  They say that these donors have been tried and tested already. Their blood were already screened as well.  Ate Aw of Mel sent me their blood screening results through email.  You can always request for that if you want.

I'll be having another LIT session this coming Tuesday.  I just hope that all that we are doing will really be worth it... Hoping that my LAT will increase ASAP.

Consultation With My Immunologist

I went to Dr. Lara Theresa Alentajan-Aleta, my immunologist at the Don Santiago Bldg. across PGH in Taft Avenue last July 10, 2012.  I presented to her the results of all the blood tests I’ve done and here was her interpretation.

My LAT was back to negative. 

My KCT was high.

My NK Cells was also high.  (Though it was within normal range, according to Dr. Aleta, the cut-off should be 12.  Mine was 14.39.)

So, my options are the following:

1. LIT – Lymphocyte Immunotherapy Treatment (solution for Category 1 and 5 problem)

2. IVIG – Intravenous Immunoglobulin (solution for Category 1 and 5 problem)

3. Intralipids infusion (solution for Category 5 problem)

4. Take aspirin 80mg once a day (solution for Category 2 problem)

I told Dra. Aleta that we are planning to have IVF in Taiwan by September 2012.  So, we are doing this in preparation for the IVF.  

According to her, we can either have IVIG before going to Taiwan or have LIT. 

IVIG is more expensive and it will only stay in my body for a month.  LIT, on the other hand is cheaper (but will need at least 4 sessions or more depending on my body) but once my LAT is up, it could stay in my body for 6 months.  If within 6 months, I don’t get pregnant, I have to have booster shots to maintain the LAT. This, I wasn’t able to do before, that is why my LAT returned to 10% and 5%, which is considered a negative reaction.  So, it is very important to remember this: Booster shots within 6 months if you don’t get pregnant to maintain positive LAT.  If not, you’ll have to do it all over again, just like me.

So, Dra. Aleta and I agreed that we will have LIT since I still have time to do it before going to Taiwan.  So our schedule is this:

July 17 – LIT using 2 donors

July 31 – LIT using 2 donors

August 14 – blood test

Then we will decide from there if I need additional LIT and if I still need to have intralipids infusion.

Another thing I asked Dr. Aleta is how can I increase my LAT naturally.  Her answer: Avoid xenoestrogens.  Avoid processed and canned foods.  Avoid using styro and plastics.  Do not use fabric softeners.  Stop using make-up and lotions that contain paraben.  Avoid eating meat.  It is ok to eat fish, vegetables, fruits, seafood, organic eggs and free range chicken.

She asked me if I am taking any vitamins and I said I was taking Usana Essentials, Calcium, Biomega and Proflavanol.  She asked me to continue taking the vitamins and on top of this, she prescribed Glutathione 500mg, 1 capsule daily.  The brand she prescribed was Cosmo Skin which can be bought at Watson’s for Php45 per capsule or Php1350 per bottle of 30 capsules. 

That's it for my consultation with Dra. Aleta.  

I'll be posting my LIT session soon.

Have a great day ahead!

NK Cells Test Result

Here's the result of my NK Cells Test.

This is not the same as the one I had 3 years ago wherein the blood sample was sent to a laboratory in Chicago (Rosalind Franklin University).  This NK Cells test was done here in the Philippines (St. Luke's Medical Center).

Natural killer cells (NK cells) are important.  They make up 50% of all white blood cells and are needed to control rapidly dividing cells like cancer.  The theory is that some women produce too many natural killer cells which will aggressively attack any cells that grow and divide, offering protection against cancer but making pregnancy impossible.

Treatment possibilities for elevated NK cells include LIT, intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), steroids, rheumatoid arthritis drugs and or the latest one is the intralipid infusions.  The natural solution for this is to take fish oil, specifically EPA, to decrease NK killer cell activities.

Here in my recent test, my NK cells are within the normal range.  However, I still have to show this to my immunologist for proper interpretation as I do not know what those other items meant.... some are below the normal range, yet some are over.  

I'll update you after the consultation with my immunologist.  

LAT Result

Here’s my recent LAT result from Manila Endocrine Laboratory (MEL).

I should have gotten the result already last Friday.  However, Ate Aw of MEL called me up and told me that my result was very low and since she knew that I had my LIT sessions done before, she was surprised with my very low result.  So just to be sure that there was no error whatsoever on their part, she wants my blood to be retested again by a different laboratory to verify and confirm the result.  Just so that both of us can have a peace of mind, she had it retested without me paying anything in addition to what I have paid for.

  

The result came out already and here it is…

Both results showed that my LAT is back to negative again.  It’s been more than a year already since I had my LAT checked… If I remember it right, it was last April 2011 when my LAT has increased to 100% but with only a reaction code of 4 (positive reaction).  That was after 9 LIT sessions.  Since then, I haven’t checked my LAT and did not undergo any LIT session.

For those of you who are not familiar with LAT and LIT...

LAT - Leukocyte Antibody Test

- This test is done to measure if you produce blocking antibodies to stop the immune system from attacking and rejecting the fetus.  The problem is when the woman shares the same antibodies with her partner; in other words the couple’s DNA is too similar.  Normally the father’s DNA in the embryo tells the mother’s body to set up a protective reaction around the baby.  But when this blocking effect does not happen, the baby is rejected. 

LIT – Lymphocyte Immunization Therapy

- This is the treatment for those who have negative or low leukocyte antibodies, in which the male partner or donor’s white blood cells are injected into the woman to help her body increase the level of leukocyte antibodies in her blood.

Low levels of leukocyte antibodies have been linked with fertility problems.  Women with lower than normal levels of the antibodies are more likely to experience miscarriage, have stillbirth and have repeated spontaneous abortions.  Those struggling with infertility especially those with unexplained infertility, multiple miscarriages and continued IVF failure can benefit from this test.

Normal result should indicate that you have tested positive for leukocyte antibodies in your bloodstream.  A normal LAT level is above 50%.

Borderline normal results mean that you do have leukocytes antibodies in your blood, but in less than typical quantities. A measurement between 30% and 50% is considered borderline.

Abnormal results indicate very low levels of leukocyte antibodies in the bloodstream. Levels of less than 30% are considered abnormal. (Source:www.sharedjourney.com)

This I think is one of the factors contributing to my infertility.  Though my LAT has increased to 100% already, the reaction was only 4 which meant that it was only a positive reaction and not a strong or very strong positive reaction.  Most likely, my LAT level at that time was just borderline.  I should have continued my LIT sessions then...  Oh well, now I’m back to zero and I have to start all over again...

They say that the leukocytes antibodies from the LIT can stay in your body for 6 months.  That is why once your LAT has increased to 100% and has a very strong positive reaction of 8, you should get pregnant within 6 months.  If not, you have to have booster shots to maintain your LAT.

I have yet to consult my immunologist with regards to the result.  I will update you again after my appointment on Tuesday.

Have a happy weekend!

Which Step Have You Reached Today?

Something to ponder on... 

As for me, I'm almost there... I'LL TRY TO DO IT... I CAN DO IT... I WILL DO IT... and hopefully, really soon... I can proudly say that YES, I DID IT! :)

How about you?  Which step have your reached today? :)

A Prayer for Conception

Dear Lord,

Hear this prayer and answer the wishes of my heart.  

You know my deep desire for a child,

A little one to love and to hold,  

To care for, to cherish.

Grant that my body may conceive and give birth 

To a beautiful, healthy baby in Your holy image.

Guide me in all my choices 

So that this conception, my pregnancy,

And my baby's birth are all in line with Your will.

Heavenly Father,

Hear this prayer of my heart, mind and spirit.

Amen.