title: Hypotensive effect of plasma exchange in immune complex nephritis.
abstract: The effect of plasma exchange (PE) on blood pressure (BP) in 20 hypertensive patients (9 with mixed cryoglobulinemia, 7 with systemic lupus erythematosus, and 4 with idiopathic glomerulonephritis) was evaluated retrospectively. In each PE 1.5-2.5 L of plasma was replaced with an equal volume of 4% albumin polysaline solution. The frequency of PE was three times per week for the first 2 weeks and twice per week subsequently. Sixteen patients were on hypotensive treatment at the onset of PE. Their systolic/diastolic BP was 171 +/- 4.7/102 +/- 3.0 mm Hg (mean +/- 1 SEM). After 4 weeks, BP decreased to 141 +/- 2.8/89 +/- 2.3 mm Hg (p less than 0.001), although in 10 patients antihypertensive drug therapy had been reduced or discontinued. The most marked decrease of BP occurred after the first week (152 +/- 5.3/92 +/- 2.9 mm Hg), and this decrement correlated remarkably well with pressure levels before PE despite the great heterogeneity of the individual patients (for diastolic BP, r = 0.87, p less than 0.001; for systolic BP, r = 0.60, p less than 0.01). A mild decrease of serum creatinine was observed during PE, but its time course was different from that of BP, and did not correlate with this parameter.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Puccini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fommei
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meconi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moriconi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palombo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pasquariello
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cioni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghione
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000628:therapy*; D007105:Immune Complex Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009393:Nephritis / Q000628:therapy*; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000628:therapy