Recommendations for the use of immunoapheresis in the treatment of autoimmune bullous diseases.
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.
Zillikens
Detlef
D
Department of Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Germany. detlef.zillikens@uk-sh.de
Derfler
Kurt
K
Eming
Rüdiger
R
Fierlbeck
Gerhard
G
Goebeler
Matthias
M
Hertl
Michael
M
Hofmann
Silke C
SC
Karlhofer
Franz
F
Kautz
Ocko
O
Nitschke
Martin
M
Opitz
Andreas
A
Quist
Sven
S
Rose
Christian
C
Schanz
Stefan
S
Schmidt
Enno
E
Shimanovich
Iakov
I
Michael
Michael
M
Ziller
Fabian
F
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
D007136:Immunoglobulins