Acute and chronic effects of therapeutic apheresis.

In most patients only a few sessions of apheresis treatment are necessary to see the benefit. This is the case of immunological diseases when the production of a pathologic component is limited in time or in microcirculation disturbances when changes of vascular function may occur. In the first instance the acute effect is likely due to the removal of the corresponding antibody, while in the second case the improvement of the endothelium-dependent vasodilation and the reduction of blood viscosity play a major role.

Therapeutic apheresis in peripheral and retinal circulatory disorders.

In microcirculation disorders, the therapeutic apheresis seems to have two different effects. The first, achieved after only a few sessions, is acute, consisting of drastic reduction of blood viscosity and obtained with the use of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis, rheopheresis, or fibrinogen apheresis. The second effect is long term, or chronic, and needs to be evaluated after a long course of treatment.

[CPFA (coupled plasma filtration absorption) treatment of septic shock. A retrospective study of nine patients].

Coupled plasma filtration absorption (CPFA) can increase blood pressure in septic shock and reduce fever during and after treatment. It is not able to stop the activation of intravascular coagulation and does not reduce the need for dialysis or the overall mortality.

[Effects of cascade filtration in combination with interferon and ribavirin in the treatment non responder chronic hepatitis C patients].

In 40% of patients with chronic hepatitis C, standard therapy is unable to eradicate the virus. Since the response to pharmacological treatment depends on the initial viral load, there is a rationale for reducing this load by means of apheretic depletion of the C virus. The aim of this work was to administer cascade filtration (CF) to non responder patients affected by hepatitis C (pts) before resuming the pharmacological treatment.

Endothelial progenitor cells in sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Conclusions: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are a unique subtype of circulating cells with properties similar to those of embryonal angioblasts. They have the potential to proliferate and to differentiate into mature endothelial cells. EPCs are reduced in patients with vascular risk factors due to a decreased mobilization, an increased consumption at the site of damage or a reduced half-life.