title: Recommendations for the use of immunoapheresis in the treatment of autoimmune bullous diseases.
abstract: Despite the use of high-dose systemic corticosteroids in combination with other immunosuppressants, in some patients with autoimmune bullous diseases only insufficient improvement is achieved. In these cases and in acute severe disease, adjuvant immunoapheresis has been increasingly used. A consensus meeting was held in mid-2005 in Hamburg, aiming at developing guidelines for the use of immunoapheresis in the treatment of autoimmune bullous diseases. This paper summarizes the experts' recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Germany. detlef.zillikens@uk-sh.de
authors.forename: Detlef
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zillikens
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Derfler
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eming
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fierlbeck
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goebeler
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hertl
authors.forename: Silke C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karlhofer
authors.forename: Ocko
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kautz
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nitschke
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Opitz
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quist
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schanz
authors.forename: Enno
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Iakov
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shimanovich
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michael
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ziller
mesh_terms: D001327:Autoimmune Diseases; D003880:Dermatology / Q000592:standards; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010956:Plasmapheresis / Q000379:methods*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins