BACKGROUND Recipients of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) develop prominent B-cell hyperreactivity. We investigated the influence of anti-HLA antibodies on waiting time to cardiac transplantation in LVAD recipients and compared the effects of 2 immunomodulatory regimens on anti-HLA serum reactivity. METHODS AND RESULTS Fifty-five previously nonsensitized LVAD recipients of a TCI device...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of desensitization protocols using intravenous Ig with or without plasmapheresis in patients with donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies on prevention of antibody-mediated rejection and downregulation of donor-specific antibodies. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS Thirty-five complement-dependent cyto...

HYPERACUTE REJEcrION of human renal allografts in ABO compatible cases was first reported by TerasakU Kissmeyer-Nielson,~ Williams,3 and Starzl-l have further documented this problem, which has now been encountered in many active-transplant centers. Hyperacute rejection is initiated by preformed antidonor antibodies and may result in the destruction of the transplant within minutes of vasculari...

Clinical edema of several types and its relation to low serum proteins have been adequately discussed in recent publications (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Experimental edema in animals has resulted from two methods which have in common the lowering of serum protein, that is, plasmapheresis in dogs (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11), and low protein diets in rats (12) and in the dog (8). The experiments to be discussed in...

Carbon monoxide intoxication is an important public health problem, which may result in death. A 46-year-old male patient was found in an unconscious state at home and was transported to the emergency service by the patient’s relatives. Relatives of the patients were indicated that there was gas leak from the stove. At first it was considered that the patient might be poisoned with carbon monox...

UNLABELLED Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare but severe disease characterized by mechanical hemolytic anemia and consumptive thrombocytopenia leading to disseminated microvascular thrombosis that causes signs and symptoms of organ ischemia and functional damage. TTP is diagnosed by the presence of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia in a patient who frequent...

Background. Role of plasmapheresis before thymectomy remains controversial. The aim of this study is to determine the peri-operative and post-operative outcome of a thymectomy between performing and not performing a pre-operative plasmaphreresis. Patients and Methods. A retrospective chart review study was conducted in Chiang Mai University Hospital between January 2006 and December 2011. There...

Objective: To study the long term effectiveness of intravenous immunoglobulin and plasmapheresis associated with prednisone and cyclophosphamide in Churg-Strauss syndrome. Subjects and methods: We studied 18 subjects with new onset Churg-Strauss syndrome. All received the ‘‘standard’’ treatment based on prednisone (1 mg/kg/day for 1 month and then slowly tapered) and cyclophosphamide (2 mg/kg/d...

UNLABELLED Desensitization protocols comprising plasmapheresis, IVIGs, and rituximab and/or bortezomib have allowed for successful kidney transplantation in some highly HLA-sensitized patients with end-stage renal disease. However, the optimal combination of these therapies and their proper timing remains entirely unknown. We propose a phased desensitization strategy using rituximab followed by...

Plasmapheresis remains the main treatment modality for patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. We report a patient who had simultaneous onset of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. She did not improve after 48 plasmapheresis sessions. A 6-week course of weekly intravenous doses of rituximab was then given. This achieved complete remission...