Plasmapheresis in immunologic renal disease.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review summarizing clinical indications without systematic review methodology.
PubMed 22269818 · doi:10.1159/000334155
What was done
This narrative review summarizes the 40-year history, mechanistic rationale, and clinical indications for therapeutic plasmapheresis in immunologic renal diseases. Conditions discussed include Goodpasture's disease, small-vessel systemic vasculitis, hemolytic uremic syndrome/thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, cryoglobulinemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, and renal transplantation scenarios (acute antibody-mediated rejection and pre-transplant desensitization).
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical findings, pooled effect estimates, or statistical outcomes. It outlines the therapeutic mechanism of action—clearing circulating autoantibodies, immune complexes, complement proteins, and coagulation factors—and notes a transition from early uncontrolled series to modern randomized controlled trials.
Why it matters
It outlines the spectrum of immune-mediated kidney diseases and transplant indications where therapeutic plasma exchange plays an established or emerging role.
Limits
The abstract contains no quantitative data or specific study results. As a non-systematic narrative review, it does not detail search methods, study quality appraisals, or risk of bias assessments.
Cited by
- supports Plasmapheresis removes coagulation factors and immunoglobulins from the blood.