Use of plasmacytapheresis in combined modality therapy of patients with fibrosing alveolitis
Khomenko, A.G.; Shmelev, E.I.; Stepanian, I.E.; Dmitrieva, L.I.; Kalinin, N.N.
Terapevticheskii Arkhiv 63(3): 121-124
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0040-3660 PMID: 2063324 Document Number: 374569
The authors describe the results of examination of 67 patients with exogenous allergic and idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis. Of these, 42 patients underwent plasmocytapheresis in addition to corticosteroid therapy. The clinical improvement, positive x-ray dynamics of pulmonary lesions, normalization of the altered laboratory indicators were noted in 39 out of the 42 patients treated with the use of plasmocytopheresis and in 15 out of 25 who received pharmacotherapy alone. The use of plasmocytapheresis at the inpatient stage of the treatment enabled the dose of corticosteroids to be reduced by 26% of the initial on the average in 3/4 of the patients and subsequent hospitalization requirement to be noticeably decreased. Plasmocytapheresis did not produce any complications.