Abstract
Therapeutic apheresis encompasses a large number of techniques whose main purpose is to process patients’ blood through an extracorporeal device. The aim is to remove antibodies and preformed immune complex to avoid tissue damage, eliminate inflammatory mediators – such as complement and cytokines, which could contribute to further damage – restore deficiencies, and stimulate lymphocyte clones to improve the response to immunosuppressive therapy.Among the different types of apheresis, the most commonly used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases are plasma exchange and immunoadsorption.To aid the correct use of these procedures, the American Society for Apheresis has established more than 65 indications classified into different categories according to the level of evidence. In this review, we analyze the distinct therapeutic indications for the treatment of different autoimmune diseases.This review indicates that plasma exchange is a safe and effective therapeutic option for treating the serious manifestations of systemic autoimmune diseases and is a valid option for those patients with diseases refractory to conventional treatments.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
