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Combined plasmapheresis and high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in systemic sclerosis for 12 months: follow-up of immunopathological and clinical effects

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Abstract

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease which involves the skin, as well as several internal organs. Most therapies available in this disease are symptomatic. Authors present a case of diffuse SSc with progressive disease not responding to currently available treatments. Therefore a 12-month protocol of repeated plasmapheresis and high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin treatment was administered with good clinical efficacy. Apart from monitoring the clinical symptoms throughout the treatment, authors also assessed a number of humoral and cellular immunolaboratory markers in order to obtain information on the immunomodulatory effects of this combined treatment in SSc.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rheumatology, University of Debrecen Medical Center, 22 Moricz street, Debrecen, 4004, Hungary

    Zoltán Szekanecz, Sándor Szántó, Zoltán Szabó, Anikó Végvári, Szilvia Szamosi & Gabriella Szücs

  2. Third Department of Medicine, Regional Immunology Laboratory, University of Debrecen Medical Center, Debrecen, 4004, Hungary

    Magdolna Aleksza, Péter Antal-Szalmás, Gabriella Lakos & Sándor Sipka

  3. Cardiovascular Unit, University of Debrecen Medical Center, Debrecen, 4004, Hungary

    Pál Soltész & Katalin Veres

  4. Division of Immunology, University of Debrecen Medical Center, Debrecen, 4004, Hungary

    Szilvia Szamosi & Gyula Szegedi

  5. Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    John Varga

Authors
  1. Zoltán Szekanecz
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  2. Magdolna Aleksza
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  3. Péter Antal-Szalmás
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  4. Pál Soltész
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  5. Katalin Veres
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  6. Sándor Szántó
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  7. Zoltán Szabó
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  8. Anikó Végvári
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  9. Szilvia Szamosi
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  10. Gabriella Lakos
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  11. Sándor Sipka
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  12. Gyula Szegedi
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  13. John Varga
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  14. Gabriella Szücs
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zoltán Szekanecz.

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Szekanecz, Z., Aleksza, M., Antal-Szalmás, P. et al. Combined plasmapheresis and high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in systemic sclerosis for 12 months: follow-up of immunopathological and clinical effects. Clin Rheumatol 28, 347–350 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-008-1062-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-008-1062-2

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