Monday, June 9, 2014

What is LDL Apheresis ?

Patients with homozygous familial hyperlipidemia are deficient in LDL receptors , and measures that rduce cholesterol absorption ( e.g., diet , ileal exclusion , bile acid sequestrans , and ezetimibe ) or act by LDL receptor upregulation ( e.g., statin) are largely ineffective . these patients are treated with LDL apheresis and should be managed in tertiary care centers only .

-LDL Apheresis is a FDA-approved process of selectively removing Apo B-containing particles from the circulation through extracorporeal precipitation with either dextran sulphate cellulose or heparin . 


-The procedure must be repeated every 1 to 2 weeks  

-In a single procedure , LDL ahperesis typically removes at least 60% of the Apo B-containing lipoproteins .

 Apheresis will have to be conducted at least once every 1 to 2 weeks, because LDL cholesterol levels rebound to pretreatment levels within about 12 to13 days after apheresis. A single LDL apheresis procedure can remove up to 68% to 80% of LDL cholesterol and also lower LP(a) by about 50%; an additional result of both of these reductions is to lower fibrinogen. Apheresis also reduces inflammatory markers, such as CRP, LpPLA2, adhesion molecules, etc.





No comments:

Post a Comment