title: Therapeutic plasmapheresis.
abstract: Plasmapheresis is the process by which plasma containing components causing or thought to cause disease is removed from the circulation, and the remaining blood components are returned with plasma or a harmless plasma substitute to the donor. It primarily removes protein-bound solutes or high-molecular-weight solutes such as circulating protein-bound toxins, autoantibodies, immune complexes, or other abnormally occurring molecules. Plasmapheresis has been used in the treatment of more than 100 diseases in human medicine, including immune-mediated diseases, neoplasia, infectious diseases, sepsis, hyperlipidemia, thyrotoxicosis, and removal of toxins. In immune-mediated disease, it is most useful to rapidly decrease plasma concentrations of antibodies or immune complexes, whereas other immunosuppressive measures are used to prolong the effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Medicine, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Georgia, Athens 30602, USA.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Bartges
mesh_terms: D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D010956:Plasmapheresis / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex