Cytotoxic response of serum from patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP)

The serum of 8 patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) was tested using a chromium release cytotoxicity assay and cultured Schwann cells. Serum was obtained from all patients prior to treatment by plasma exchange, which was beneficial in some patients only. Those patients with high serum cytotoxicity (high chromium release) were those who showed a positive response to plasma exchange.