Journal of Multiple Sclerosis
ISSN - 2376-0389NLM - 101654564
Petrou P
Israel
Review Article
Clinical Efficacy of Plasma-Exchange in Patients with Progressive forms of Multiple Sclerosis and NMO-Spectrum Disease
Author(s): Petrou P, Ben-Hur T, Vaknin-Dembinsky A, Abramsky O and Karussis DPetrou P, Ben-Hur T, Vaknin-Dembinsky A, Abramsky O and Karussis D
Background: Plasma-exchange/plasmapheresis (PLEX) is an efficient treatment for several immune mediated diseases. In addition to its known efficacy in myasthenia gravis and Gulliain Barre syndrome, it has been also shown to be effective in certain patients with MS and other CNS demyelinating disorders, during an acute/sub-acute deterioration of the disease.
Aims and methods: We report the results of an open prospective study with PLEX in 36 patients with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (either secondary progressive or relapsing-progressive) and 12 patients with NMO-spectrum disease. All patients had experienced a significant clinical deterioration in the year prior to inclusion (0.5-1 degree or more, in the EDSS scale or a severe relapse from which they did not fully recover) and responded partially or not at all to steroidal treatment.. View More»
