Low-density Lipoprotein Apheresis Therapy With a Direct Hemoperfusion Column: A Japanese Multicenter Clinical Trial

Delipid extracorporeal lipoprotein filter from plasma system: a new intensive lipid lowering therapy for patients with acute ischemic stroke

Objectives

To investigate the safety and efficacy of the delipid extracorporeal lipoprotein filter from plasma (DELP) system, a new low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) adsorption system, in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.

Patients and methods

In the present study, a total of 180 AIS patients were enrolled during March 2019 to February 2021. They were divided into DELP group (n1 = 90) and the control group (n2 = 90). The treatment protocol and vascular access of DELP treatment was established and evaluated. For the DELP group, clinical data and laboratory results including plasma lipid and safety parameters before and after the apheresis were collected and analyzed. For all participants, neurological scores were assessed and recorded.

Results

For the DELP group, 90 patients including 70 males and 20 females were included. The mean LDL-C was significantly decreased from 3.15 ± 0.80 mmol/L to 2.18 ± 0.63 mmol/L (30.79%, p < 0.001) during a single DELP treatment, and decreased from 3.42 ± 0.87 mmol/L to 1.87 ± 0.48 mmol/L (45.32%, p < 0.001) after two DELP treatments. No clinically relevant changes were observed in hematologic safety parameters and blood pressure levels except for hematocrit and total protein throughout the whole period of DELP treatment. The DELP group showed improvement relative to the control group in National Institute of Health stroke scale scores (NIHSS) on the 14th and 90th day after stroke. Moreover, the DELP group had a significantly higher ratio of mRS 0 to 1 on the 90th day after stroke.

Conclusion

The new LDL-C adsorption system, the DELP system, may provide a new option for intensive lipid lowering therapy in AIS patients in view of its safety, efficacy, and operation feasibility.

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.

High-volume hemofiltration plus hemoperfusion for hyperlipidemic severe acute pancreatitis: a controlled pilot study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The evidence for high-volume hemofiltration plus hemoperfusion (HVHF&HP) for hyperlipidemic severe acute pancreatitis (HL-SAP) is anecdotal. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of HVHF&HP for HL-SAP in a prospective controlled study.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Prospective controlled pilot study between May 2010 and May 2013 in a hospital intensive care unit.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

HL-SAP patients chose conventional treatment alone (the control group) or conventional treatment combined with the experimental protocol (the HVHF&HP group) and were prospectively followed in our hospital. APACHE II score, SOFA score, ICU and hospital stay duration, and serum biomarkers were considered endpoints.

RESULTS

Ten HL-SAP patients accepted conventional treatment alone (the control group) and 10 patients underwent HVHF&HP combined with conventional treatment (the HVHF&HP group). The APACHE II score, SOFA score, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, serum amylase, and serum creatinine were significantly reduced after the HVHF&HP treatment. The changes in these variables were significantly different between the HVHF&HP and control group at 48 hours after the initiation of treatment. Patients in the HVHF&HP group had a significantly shorter ICU stay (P=.015). The reduction in serum triglyceride and cholesterol in the HVHF&HP group after 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours was greater than the control group. All of the tested serum cytokines were significantly decreased after HVHF&HP treatment (P < .05). However, in patients who underwent conventional treatment alone, there was no significant change in the serum cytokines.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that the addition of HVHF&HP to conventional treatment for HL-SAP patients may be superior to conventional treatment alone for the improvement of serum biomarkers and clinical outcomes.

Italian multicenter study on low-density lipoprotein apheresis Working Group 2009 survey

We present results of the second survey of the Italian Multicenter Study on Low-Density Lipoprotein Apheresis (IMSLDLa-WG/2). The study involved 18 centers in 2009, treating 66 males and 35 females, mean age 47 ± 18 years. Mean age for initiation of drug treatment before low-density lipoprotein apheresis (LDLa) was 31 ± 18 years, mean age to the first LDLa was 37 ± 20 years and average duration of treatment was 9 ± 6 years. The techniques used included direct adsorption of lipids, dextran sulfate cellulose adsorption, heparin-mediated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) precipitation, cascade filtration, and plasma exchange. The mean treated plasma/blood volumes/session were 3127 ± 518 mL and 8666 ± 1384 mL, respectively. The average plasma volume substituted was 3500 ± 300 mL. Lipid therapy before LDLa included ezetimibe, statins, ω-3 fatty acids and fenofibrate. Baseline mean LDL cholesterol (LDLC) levels were 386 ± 223 mg/dL. The mean before/after apheresis LDLC level decreased by 67% from 250 ± 108 mg/dL (P = 0.05 vs. baseline) to 83 ± 37 mg/dL (P = 0.001 vs. before). Baseline mean Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] level was 179 ± 136 mg/dL. Mean before/after apheresis Lp(a) level decreased by 71% from 133 ± 120 mg/dL (P = 0.05 vs. baseline) to 39 ± 44 mg/dL (P = 0.001 vs. before). Major and minor side effects occurred in 27 and 62 patients, respectively. Among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), 62.3% had coronary angiography and 50.4% coronary revascularization before LDLa. Single vessel, double vessel and triple vessel CAD occurred in 19 (30.1%), 15 (23.8%) and 29 (46%) patients, respectively. Both CAD and extra-CAD occurred in 41.5%, 39% had hypertension, 9.9% were smokers, 9.9% consumed alcohol and 42% were physically active. Ischemic cardiovascular events were not observed in any patient over 9 ± 6 years of treatment. Two centers have also treated 34 patients (females: 17/males 17; no. sessions: 36; average plasma volume treated: 3000 mL) for sudden hearing loss (SHL). Relief of symptoms was obtained, independently of the system used (HELP; cascade-filtration).

LDL-apheresis: technical and clinical aspects

The prognosis of patients suffering from severe hyperlipidemia, sometimes combined with elevated lipoprotein (a) levels, and coronary heart disease refractory to diet and lipid-lowering drugs is poor. For such patients, regular treatment with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis is the therapeutic option. Today, there are five different LDL-apheresis systems available: cascade filtration or lipid filtration, immunoadsorption, heparin-induced LDL precipitation, dextran sulfate LDL adsorption, and the LDL hemoperfusion. There is a strong correlation between hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. Besides the elimination of other risk factors, in severe hyperlipidemia therapeutic strategies should focus on a drastic reduction of serum lipoproteins. Despite maximum conventional therapy with a combination of different kinds of lipid-lowering drugs, sometimes the goal of therapy cannot be reached. Hence, in such patients, treatment with LDL-apheresis is indicated. Technical and clinical aspects of these five different LDL-apheresis methods are shown here. There were no significant differences with respect to or concerning all cholesterols, or triglycerides observed. With respect to elevated lipoprotein (a) levels, however, the immunoadsorption method seems to be most effective. The different published data clearly demonstrate that treatment with LDL-apheresis in patients suffering from severe hyperlipidemia refractory to maximum conservative therapy is effective and safe in long-term application.

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.

Preparation of sulfonated porous carbon nanotubes/activated carbon composite beads and their adsorption of low density lipoprotein

The high level of low density lipoprotein (LDL) in plasma is the main cause of atherosclerosis. Hemoperfusion is an ideal therapy to lower the level of LDL in human blood system while therapeutic effect is determined by the adsorbent. The adsorbent must have suitable pore structure and specific functional groups. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) could be a new adsorbent material because CNTs have high specific surface area and they can be modified by a variety of functional groups. Porous carbon composite beads with the CNTs and phenolic resin mixture were synthesized by suspension polymerization, following with carbonization and steam-activation. Then the porous composite beads were sulfonated with a sulfanilic acid anhydrous by diazotization and coupling reaction. The potential application of the sulfonated porous composite beads in adsorbing low density lipoprotein (LDL) from human serum was investigated. The results showed that the sulfonic acid groups on the composite beads could lower LDL levels greatly by electrostatic interaction with electropositive LDL. The higher 20-100 nm pore volume the composite beads had, the more LDL they could adsorb. The 20-100 nm pore volume was enhanced by adding more CNTs and improving CNTs dispersion (ultrasonic crushing). The sulfonated composite beads containing 45 wt% CNTs presented the highest adsorption capacity to LDL 10.46 mg/g, showing a good prospect as LDL adsorbent in hemoperfusion.

Dextran-sulfate-adsorption of atherosclerotic lipoproteins from whole blood or separated plasma for lipid-apheresis—Comparison of performance characteristics with DALI and lipidfiltration

For many years dextran sulfate adsorption (DSA) treatment of separated plasma has been an established technology for low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-elimination. Recently a system for the treatment of whole blood based on DSA was introduced into clinical practice. To further characterize DSA treatment of whole blood, the performance characteristics of both DSA modalities were compared at two investigational sites with two alternative LDL apheresis systems being already in routine clinical use. In prospective cross-over design, DSA whole blood treatment was compared with a whole blood polyacrylate LDL adsorption system (DALI) in one study group. DSA for plasma treatment was compared with Lipidfiltration in cross-over design in a second study group. In total, 12 patients on chronic LDL apheresis received 169 treatments. Six patients were treated twice with whole blood polyacrylate adsorption and twice with whole blood DSA. LDL-cholesterol (74.9-78.0%) and lipoprotein (a) (72.1-73.3%) were reduced by both with equal efficacy. DSA achieved a significantly higher reduction rate of fibrinogen. Another six patients were treated eight times with DSA plasma adsorption followed by 16 Lipidfiltration treatments. LDL-cholesterol (67.0-70.2%) and lipoprotein (a) (69.2-73.7%) were reduced by both with equal efficacy. Fibrinogen was eliminated more efficiently by Lipidfiltration (50.2 vs. 38.5%). DSA proved to be a safe and effective in both treatment modes, for plasma as well as for whole blood. At the discretion of the apheresis specialist, depending upon the status of national approval, DSA of whole blood complements the armamentarium of powerful modalities for extracorporeal elimination of atherosclerotic lipoproteins to meet specific individual, medical, or logistic needs.