[Plasmapheresis in the treatment of extracapillary glomerulonephritis (author's transl)]

Seven patients with widespread proliferation of the capilar epithelium producting glomerular crescents in more than 80 percent of the glomeruli have been studied. Three patients had a systemic lupus erythematosus, two had primitive extracapillary glomerulonephritis, one had panarteritis nodosa, and another a Schönlein-Henoch syndrome. All patients presented severe renal failure when plasmapheresis was begun. Hemodialysis was needed in four cases. The remained three patients showed creatinine clearance values of 8, 20, and 30 ml/min, respectively. Search for immune complexes was negative in all cases. Plasmapheresis were applied within 1 to 7 months of the onset of the disease in alternate-day sessions. Duration of treatment varied between 1 to 5 months. Moreover, prednisone, cyclophosphamide and azathioprine were given to all patients. Values of creatinine clearance rised to 71, 49 and 18 ml/min in the two patients with primitive extracapillary glomerulonephritis and in the patient with panarteritis nodosa, respectively. Renal function improvement was not achieved in the three patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and in the patient with Henoch's purpura.