PLEX for central demyelination

Magana SM, Keegan M, Weinshenker BG, et al.,Beneficial plasma exchange response in central nervous sytem inflammatory demyelination.  Arch Neurol 2011; 68: 870-878

 

Authors from Mayo Clinic reviewed clinical documentation for PLEX for 153 patients in inflammatory CNS demyelination seen over 2 year period.  Diagnoses included NMOSD, probable or definite MS, monophasic ON, ADEM, shorrt segment TM, and CIS.

 

 

Ninety patients (59%) showed moderate or substantial clinical improvement at six months. 

 

Patients with preserve deep tendon reflexes had a fourfold chance of positive response to PLEX

 

Plex responders had a shorter median diseae duration but not affected by gender, EDSS at time of initial attack, or time from index event to initiation of PLEX.

 

Most patients responded quickly, with a median response noted byt he third exchange.  A small subset,six percent, responded late by day 60.  Patients with RRMS had highest PLEX response of any of diagnostic categories (75 %, p<.008).  Progressive MS patients had a lower response rate (30 %).

 

Radiographic features associated with response were ring enhancement of lesions(82 v. 54 % response for non ring enhancement) and mass effect (75 % v. 50 % for non masss effect MRI's).These two patterns had four fold and three fold,respecctive increased chance of respone over patients lacking these features.

 

NMO serologic status was not important in this study for PLEX response.

 

Comment

see also Llufriu , Castillo J, Blanco Y, Neurology 2009; 73:949=953 for another clinical trial supportig use of PLEX is certain patients with MS.

 

Also note that the average EDSS of the patients in this study, both responders and nonresponders was 8.