Anaphylactoid-like reactions in a patient with HyperLp(a)lipidemia undergoing LDL apheresis with dextran sulfate adsorption and herbal therapy with the spice turmeric

Safety Considerations for Natural Products Commonly Used By Patients with Allergic Disease

Natural products are a category of Complementary and Alternative Medicine that includes medicinal plants, vitamins, and dietary supplements. These products are often utilized by patients with allergies in conjunction with, or as an alternative to, their conventional medical therapies. Despite the wide use of these modalities, many clinicians often have limited knowledge and training in their use. It is important for health care providers to know the safety and risks of these products that their patients may use. This Clinical Commentary reviews the side effects and adverse reactions of several natural products commonly used by patients with allergies and gives an overview of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements for manufacturing, advertising and distribution.

Guidelines on the Use of Therapeutic Apheresis in Clinical Practice-Evidence-Based Approach from the Writing Committee of the American Society for Apheresis: The Seventh Special Issue

The American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) Journal of Clinical Apheresis (JCA) Special Issue Writing Committee is charged with reviewing, updating, and categorizing indications for the evidence-based use of therapeutic apheresis in human disease. Since the 2007 JCA Special Issue (Fourth Edition), the Committee has incorporated systematic review and evidence-based approaches in the grading and categorization of apheresis indications. This Seventh Edition of the JCA Special Issue continues to maintain this methodology and rigor to make recommendations on the use of apheresis in a wide variety of diseases/conditions. The JCA Seventh Edition, like its predecessor, has consistently applied the category and grading system definitions in the fact sheets. The general layout and concept of a fact sheet that was used since the fourth edition has largely been maintained in this edition. Each fact sheet succinctly summarizes the evidence for the use of therapeutic apheresis in a specific disease entity. The Seventh Edition discusses 87 fact sheets (14 new fact sheets since the Sixth Edition) for therapeutic apheresis diseases and medical conditions, with 179 indications, which are separately graded and categorized within the listed fact sheets. Several diseases that are Category IV which have been described in detail in previous editions and do not have significant new evidence since the last publication are summarized in a separate table. The Seventh Edition of the JCA Special Issue serves as a key resource that guides the utilization of therapeutic apheresis in the treatment of human disease. J. Clin. Apheresis 31:149-162, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Low-density lipoprotein apheresis: principles and indications

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis describes a group of apheresis techniques that selectively remove apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins producing an acute reduction in LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C). Six devices are available for the removal of LDL-C while sparing other important plasma components. The LDL-apheresis (LDL-A) is not routinely used for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, which usually responds to medical management, but is used to treat familial hypercholesterolemia, an inherited metabolic abnormality resulting in premature death due to progressive coronary artery disease, and to treat patients who fail medical management. The mechanism of action of the available LDL-A devices, reactions that can occur with these treatments, and the role of this specialized apheresis technique in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia are described.