LDL apheresis in atherosclerotic disease with hyperlipidemia

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis was carried out in 28 atherosclerotic patients with clinical signs of poor peripheral circulation and abnormally high LDL levels. The LDL apheresis using extracorporeal adsorption with a dextran sulfate cellulose column (Liposorber, Kaneka, Japan) was done 10 times over 3 months. Hyperlipidemia was rapidly corrected after the initial two aphereses, whereas clinical signs of arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO), such as coldness of the legs in 17 of 19 patients (89.5%), intermittent claudication in 14 of 17 patients (82.4%), foot pain at rest in 15 of 18 patients (83.3%), poor arterial pulsation in 12 of 16 patients (75.0%), and diminution of ulcer/necrosis in 3 of 5 patients (60.0%), improved in parallel. Improvement in plethysmographic and thermographic findings were observed in 10 of 10 patients (100.0%) and 13 of 14 patients (92.9%), respectively. Our tentative conclusion is that LDL apheresis using the Liposorber system was very effective in removing LDL from blood, and clinical symptoms rapidly improved in all patients concomitant with a reduction in plasma LDL levels. Hyperlipidemia may be a risk factor for symptomatic ASO in the lower extremities, and its active correction may be worth trying.