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[Plasmapheresis for collagen diseases]

H Tsuda1, Y Kanai, Y Takasaki

  • 1Juntendo University, School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

Recently plasmapheresis has been performed for connective tissue disease. Double-filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) has mainly been performed for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SEL) since 1980. In DFPP, autoantibodies and immune complex are removed by the second filter. The adaptation of plasmapheresis is commonly for cases (1) which are resistant to some medications, (2) which have a high titer of antibodies or immune complex, (3) in which the medication must be decreased or stopped because of side effects and complications, or (4) which are in the acute active phase. We suggest DFPP to be useful as a treatment for connective tissue disease.

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