Plasma Exchange for Acute Severe Attacks of Inflammatory Demyelinating Disease
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of plasma exchange as a treatment for acute severe attacks of inflammatory demyelinating disease.
Plasma exchange
Neuroinflammatory Diseases+35
+ Post-Infectious Disorders
+ Autoimmune Diseases
Treatment Study
Summary
Study start date: January 1, 1995
Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.PROTOCOL OUTLINE: This is a randomized, double-blind study. Patients are stratified by disease type; each stratum is randomized separately. The first group of patients receives a true plasma exchange using continuous-flow centrifugation with serum albumin and crystalloid replacement every 2 days for a total of 7 exchanges. The second group receives a sham plasma exchange with no centrifugation every 2 days for a total of 7 exchanges. Patients cross to the alternate therapy if there is less than a moderate improvement by day 14. The treatment decision is based on a blinded neurologic assessment. Concurrent corticosteroids and other immunosuppressants, and high-dose barbiturates are not allowed. Patients are followed at 1 and 6 months after the last exchange.
Protocol
This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.22 patients to be enrolled
Total number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.Treatment Study
Eligibility
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.Any sex
Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.From 18 to 60 Years
Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.Healthy volunteers not allowed
If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.Conditions
Pathology
Criteria
PROTOCOL ENTRY CRITERIA: --Disease Characteristics-- Idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating syndrome, as follows: biopsy-proven if necessary - established diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) using Poser criteria; acute disseminated encephalomyelitis; Marburg's variant of MS Balo's concentric sclerosis Eligible without biopsy: acute transverse myelitis; Devic's syndrome Acute neurologic deficit markedly affecting consciousness, language, or brainstem/spinal cord function, i.e., aphasia, paraplegia, coma, quadriplegia, hemiplegia, severe organic brain syndrome Deficit unresponsive to 5 days of high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone (MePRDL), as follows: deficit duration of 21 days to 3 months AND no improvement 14 days after beginning MePRDL OR deficit duration of 12 to 20 days AND continued deterioration after completion of MePRDL No chronically progressive demyelinating disease No HIV-associated demyelinating syndrome No progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy No optic neuritis --Prior/Concurrent Therapy-- No more than 3 months of prior steroid therapy Failure on prior MePRDL required Minimum dose 7 mg/kg per day for 5 days At least 6 weeks since other immunosuppressives, e.g., cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, cyclosporine --Patient Characteristics-- Renal: Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL Cardiovascular: No hypovolemia; no infarction; no vasculitis; no other major systemic cardiovascular illness Pulmonary: No major respiratory illness Other: No infection, including hepatitis or human immunodeficiency virus; no recent intravenous drug abuse; no high-risk sexual behavior; no cardiac, cerebrovascular, or autonomic dysfunction that would increase risk of hypotension; no other major systemic illness that would preclude protocol therapy; no pregnant or nursing women; negative serum pregnancy test required of fertile women; effective contraception required