Experience with plasma-exchange in homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia

Reduction of plasma cholesterol and apolipoprotein B concentrations can be expected and may appear to slow the rate of progression of the atherosclerotic process (Thompson, 1980). The usefulness of plasma exchange to the treatment of homozygous FH patients has been extended recently by Stoffel et al. (1981), who perfused plasma through an on-line anti-LDL sepharose column, which selectively removes LDL. Having theoretical advantages over plasma-exchange, this procedure avoids the loss of HDL and of other important plasma proteins. In short, plasma-exchange has proved to be a remarkably safe, well tolerated and effective means of treating homozygous FH.