Applications of extracorporeal photochemotherapy in "non-oncological" diseases.
Photopheresis (ECP) is a new therapy for oncological and autoimmune diseases consisting in the reinfusion of 3-9 x 10(9) leukocytes, taken from the patient by leukapheresis, and treated in an extracorporeal system with 8-methoxypsoralen and ultraviolet light A. Nine patients affected by T cell immunomediated diseases (2 scleroderma, 1 chronic GVHD, 1 polyarteritis, 1 rheumatoid arthritis and 4 heart transplant patients with numerous episodes of acute rejection) were treated with ECP. Photopheresis was performed on 2 consecutive days every 3-4 weeks. All patients affected by autoimmune diseases experienced an improvement during treatment with ECP. In 2 of the 4 patients with heart transplant, rejection was reversed by photopheresis. No major side effects were observed during the treatment. In conclusion ECP is a safe and well tolerated therapy. Although the number of patients is small, ECP seems to be an effective modality in many diseases.
Dall'Amico
R
R
Department of Pediatrics, University of Padova, Italy.
Zulian
F
F
Montini
G
G
Andretta
B
B
Murer
L
L
Rossetti
F
F
Livi
U
U
Zacchello
G
G
Zacchello
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000188:drug therapy; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007937:Leukapheresis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017893:Photopheresis; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000188:drug therapy; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy