Plasmapheresis in Patients with Advanced Malignant Disease: A Pilot Study

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Abstract
Plasmapheresis was performed in 16 patients with advanced malignant disease (12 malignant melanoma, 2 breast cancer, 2 colon cancer). Up to 3000 ml of plasma (range 1650-3000 ml) were replaced by 1 single plasma exchange. Side effects observed in .apprx. 50% of the patients were mainly nausea and chills. Serum proteins including acute phase reactants were monitored before and 2, 4 and 7 days after plasma exchange. A transient change of these proteins was observed in the 1st days, but later pretreatment values were always regained. Peripheral blood lymphocyte blastogenic response to mitogens was increased in 5 out of 9 patients 7 days after plasma exchange. In 7 of 9 patients pretreatment serum was inhibitory to autologous lymphocyte reactivity to mitogens. Plasmapheresis significantly decreased the blocking effect of patients'' sera on normal donor lymphocyte reactivity. Plasmapheresis was tolerable in all patients treated but was without any clinical efficacy.