title: [Clinical study of double filtration plasmapheresis for treatment of refractory myasthenia gravis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the therapeutic effect, timing of administration, complication prevention and management of the double filtration plasmapheresis (DFP) in the treatment of refractory myasthenia gravis (MG).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one patients with refractory MG were treated with KM 8800 membrane plasmapheresis monitor. DFP was performed every 3 days and the exchanging liquid was composed of 50 ml of 20% albumen and 1000 ml plasma substitute. Physical examination for absolute clinical score and blood sample was collected for AchR-Ab determination early in the morning on days 0, 3, 7, 14 of DFP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a total effective rate of 91.9%, complete recovery, basic recovery, improvement, and response was achieved in 2, 4, 11, and 17 patients, respectively, whereas the other 3 failed to respond. Hypotension occurred twice in 2 cases and was corrected after symptomatic treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DFP may effectively lower blood AchR-Ab level of with minimal complications, and can be valuable for treatment of refractory MG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. hjthello@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Jiang-tao
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.forename: Hai-li
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Jin-zhi
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005374:Filtration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D010951:Plasma Exchange / Q000379:methods*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic