Clinical relevance of fractionation characteristics in cascade filtration.
Plasmapheresis performance is improved in the treatment of hyperviscosity syndromes with one of the several cascade filtration techniques (CF), intended for plasma fractionation and reinfusion of albumin-enriched plasma filtrate to the patients, avoiding the need for exogenous reinfusion solutions. A retrospective open analysis of 103 CF, performed by dead-end mode, in 14 patients with macroglobulinemia, cryoglobulinemia, multiple myeloma and other diseases, has been performed. Protein fractions removals have been calculated, normalized to the treatment of one plasma volume, compared in different macromolecular diseases and according to the different plasma fractionators employed. [table: see text] Protein removal is partially dependent of the surface area of the fractionator, but a wide variability has been reported, mainly depending on the underlying macromolecular disease.
Department of Nephrology, Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Milano, Italy.
G
G
Busnach
E
E
Mandelli
B
B
Brando
C
C
Brunati
D001809:Blood Viscosity; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000628:therapy; D005374:Filtration; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000628:therapy; D010956:Plasmapheresis / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012709:Serum Albumin; D013577:Syndrome; D008258:Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / Q000628:therapy
D007136:Immunoglobulins; D012709:Serum Albumin