[Plasmapheresis in the treatment of rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis]

Twenty patients with rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis (RPGN) aged 16-50 underwent plasmapheresis (PA) as adjuvant to immunodepressants. Of these, 9 patients had lupus, 4 Bright RPGN, 4 and 3 patients combined glomerulonephritis with hemorrhagic vasculitis and Wegener granulomatosis, respectively. A total of 130 procedures were performed (3-13 per each patient). The results of PA treatment included complete recovery of renal function in 8 and partial in 10 patients (3 of them could stop hemodialysis), death of pulmonary edema (2 cases). The authors think advisable to combine immunodepressants with PA, especially when the drugs are contraindicated, in patients with malignant glomerulonephritis.