Safety and efficacy of immunoadsorption versus plasma exchange in steroid-refractory relapse of multiple sclerosis and clinically isolated syndrome: A randomised, parallel-group, controlled trial.

Background: Plasma exchange (PE) constitutes the standard therapy for steroid-refractory relapse in multiple sclerosis and clinically isolated syndrome. Immunoadsorption (IA) is an alternative method of apheresis which selectively removes immunoglobulines (Ig) while preserving other plasma proteins. Although IA is regarded as a well-tolerated, low-risk procedure, high-level evidence for its efficacy is lacking.