Abstract
The efficacy of plasmapheresis was retrospectively evaluated in patients with autoimmune neurologic diseases treated at Shinshu University Hospital during the past 5 years. Subjects were 27 patients; 12 with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), 6 with Fisher syndrome (FS), one with sensory neuropathy (SN), 3 with multiple sclerosis (MS; 2 with Balo disease) and 5 with myasthenia gravis (MG). Plasma exchange (PE) or immunoadsorption plasmapheresis (IAPP) was carried out for the patients and the efficacy was examined. The efficacy was confirmed in patients with GBS, FS, MS and MG as previously reported. In addition, the following was suggested; a) plasmapheresis is effective for SN and Balo disease, and this has not been reported, b) steroid therapy possibly has an additive effect to plasmapheresis in GBS, c) plasmapheresis is effective for patients with FS and SN even in 2 weeks or later after the onset. In conclusion, plasmapheresis is effective for some kinds of autoimmune neurologic diseases. There are some differences in the effect among the diseases with respect to the timing of the initiation of the therapy and an additive effect of steroid therapy.
