Increment of cerebral blood flow by LDL-apheresis in dialysis patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
The prevalence of thrombotic cerebral infarction is higher in dialysis than in general patients. Changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) during low-density lipoprotein cholesterol-apheresis (LDL-A) in dialysis patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) were evaluated employing xenon-CT (Xe-CT) to investigate the possibility of CBF improvement.


METHODS
Xe-CT was performed before LDL-A in 4 dialysis patients with ASO (3 males and 1 female). LDL-A was then performed once a week 10 times. After the completion of LDL-A treatment, Xe-CT was performed again to observe changes in CBF.


RESULTS
Before treatment, CBF in the 4 patients was lower than that in the general population in the same age group. After LDL-A treatment, CBF was improved. The improvement was observed in the cerebral cortex rather than the basal ganglia. The grade of improvement and improved cerebral region varied among the patients.


CONCLUSIONS
It was suggested that LDL-A may improve not only lower limb blood flow but also CBF. However, further investigation is necessary with regard to the influence of CBF improvement on the brain function and clinical application. The reported results need to be confirmed in larger studies.
Department of Nephrology, Moriguchi Keijinkai Hospital, Moriguchi, Osaka, Japan. fumitaka@mti.biglobe.ne.jp
Fumitaka
F
Nakajima
Satoshi
S
Morimoto
Takatomi
T
Yurugi
Yoshihumi
Y
Amari
Yuko
Y
Kasuno
Masayoshi
M
Fukui
Yoshiyuki
Y
Furumatsu
Tetsuya
T
Kitamura
D000368:Aged; D001162:Arteriosclerosis Obliterans / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D001781:Blood Component Removal; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000517:prevention & control; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL