title: Selective plasma exchange with dialysis in patients with acute liver failure.
abstract: Selective plasma exchange with dialysis is a blood purification therapy in which simple plasma exchange is performed using a selective membrane plasma separator while the dialysate flows out of the hollow fibers. To evaluate the effect of plasma exchange with dialysis, biochemical examination of the blood, for example, the oxidative stress regulation system and interleukin 18 levels, was performed in patients with acute liver failure. We studied four patients with acute liver failure in whom the therapy was performed (nine times in total). The degree of hepatic encephalopathy and interleukin 18 levels decreased significantly after treatment. However, total protein levels did not change significantly. The level of reactive oxygen species and total antioxidant capacity did not change significantly. Plasma exchange with dialysis may be a useful blood purification therapy in cases of acute liver failure in terms of the removal of water-soluble and albumin-bound toxins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Akita, Japan. nakaeh@doc.med.akita-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakae
authors.forename: Toshiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: Kimitaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tajimi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000378:metabolism; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010951:Plasma Exchange / Q000379:methods*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D020382:Interleukin-18; D011506:Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species