[Plasma replacement in the treatment of ischemic heart disease]

To investigate whether plasma replacement (PR) can raise efficiency of drug therapy of ischemic heart disease (IHD).

A 30-60% replacement of circulating plasma for salt or dextran using PF-05 unit has been performed in 324 patients 35-79 years of age with recurrent myocardial infarction and angina pectoris. A total of 520 PR procedures were performed. Biochemical, acid-base, coagulative, viscosity, microcirculatory blood parameters were taken, ECG and stress tests were made.

PR resulted in a significant reduction in packed cell volume, total protein, fibrinogen, low density lipoproteins, total cholesterol and led to diminution of blood viscosity, acceleration of capillary blood flow, improvement of O2/CO2. Lowering of fibrinogen levels, number of platelets and their aggregation, enhancement of fibrinolytic blood activity created conditions for moderate controlled hypocoagulation. As shown by stress tests, two weeks after PR 60% of anginal patients of functional class IV can be transferred to class III.

Because PR is beneficial by many parameters, it lessens the requirement in pharmacological support of patients with complicated IHD.