抄録
Clinical assessment of centrifugal lymphocytapheresis for refractory and active rheumatoid arthritis was carried out by open comparison of a group with a brief course (less than eight procedures) and one with a longer course (more than twelve procedures) . Lymphocytapheresis treatment by a continuous flow blood cell separator improved clinical symptoms in 54.5/s of the patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis for longer than at least six months.
In general the longer course of procedures tended to be more effective and with the brief course an effect was noted if a depletion of a critical number of lymphocytes had been completed during the procedures. As for complications, neither serious disorders nor hepatitis occurred, although supplementary blood transfusion was required in a few cases who had developed anemia during the procedures.
