Plasmapheresis in the treatment of steroid-dependent bronchial asthma

Background: Can plasmapheresis improve disease severity and lung function and reduce steroid doses in severe asthma patients dependent on oral corticosteroids? Methods: A pilot study with four asthma patients was undertaken using PEF (peak expiratory flow) symptom score, number of puffs of β₂-agonis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Allergy (Copenhagen) Vol. 56; no. 12; pp. 1202 - 1205
Main Authors:	Ellingsen, I, Florvaag, E, Henrik Andreassen, A, Magnus Iversen, B, Irgens, Å, Matre, R
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Copenhagen Copenhagen : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-12-2001 Munksgaard International Publishers Blackwell
Subjects:	Adult Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy Asthma - therapy Biological and medical sciences Blood. Blood and plasma substitutes. Blood products. Blood cells. Blood typing. Plasmapheresis. Apheresis Cohort Studies Cross-Over Studies Double-Blind Method Female Histamine and antagonists. Allergy Humans Male Medical sciences Pharmacology. Drug treatments Pilot Projects Plasmapheresis steroid-dependent asthma Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy Human Immunopathology Allergy Corticosteroid Chemotherapy Treatment Respiratory disease Adjuvant treatment Obstructive pulmonary disease Asthma Plasmapheresis
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Summary:	Background: Can plasmapheresis improve disease severity and lung function and reduce steroid doses in severe asthma patients dependent on oral corticosteroids? Methods: A pilot study with four asthma patients was undertaken using PEF (peak expiratory flow) symptom score, number of puffs of β₂-agonist, and dose of systemic steroids as disease variables. After at least an 8-week run-in, the patients were randomized to a crossover treatment regimen consisting of either 10 days of plasmapheresis or placebo treatment. Each treatment was succeeded by an 8-26-week follow-up period. Results: No patients achieved a significant effect of plasmapheresis treatment according to the established criteria, nor did anyone experience deterioration. Conclusions: Removing humoral factors extensively over a 10-day period did not significantly influence the clinical condition of the four steroid-dependent asthma patients studied. Circulating humoral factors seem to be of little importance for the maintenance of the established chronic allergic inflammation in these patients. Plasmapheresis does not seem to be a treatment option for this patient category.
Bibliography:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1034/j.1398-9995.2001.00141.x ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 ObjectType-News-3
ISSN:	0105-4538 1398-9995
DOI:	10.1034/j.1398-9995.2001.00141.x