Therapeutic plasma exchange taper does not decrease exacerbations in immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura patients. 2020

Jay S Raval, and Marshall A Mazepa, and Marian A Rollins-Raval, and Raj S Kasthuri, and Yara A Park
Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

Despite rapid and intensive treatments with therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) and immunosuppression, immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) patients are at risk of disease exacerbation, i.e., early recurrence of TTP within 30 days of achieving treatment response. TPE taper, a practice of performing additional TPE procedures after achieving treatment response, is commonly performed for decreasing exacerbations, although no evidence supports this practice. In this prospective observational investigation over four years, our center switched its standard of care for treating all TTP patients from not performing TPE taper after achieving treatment response (i.e., no-taper cohort) to performance of TPE taper (i.e., yes-taper cohort) to characterize impacts on exacerbations. Continuous and categorical data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney, Fisher's exact, and log-rank tests; significance was defined as p < 0.05. The two cohorts were well matched and had no significant differences in demographics, presentation laboratory values, or TTP history (p > 0.05 for all). The yes-taper cohort of 26 patients with 29 consecutive episodes did not have a significantly different exacerbation rate from the no-taper cohort of 24 patients with 27 consecutive episodes (exacerbation rates of 37.9% vs. 33.3%, respectively; p = 0.78); however, treatment-related complications directly attributed to the TPE procedures, blood products, or central venous catheters were significantly greater in the yes-taper cohort (nine vs. one events, respectively; p = 0.01). Since TPE taper did not reduce exacerbations in our TTP patients, we no longer advocate for TPE taper and have reverted to our original standard of care.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D010951 Plasma Exchange Removal of plasma and replacement with various fluids, e.g., fresh frozen plasma, plasma protein fractions (PPF), albumin preparations, dextran solutions, saline. Used in treatment of autoimmune diseases, immune complex diseases, diseases of excess plasma factors, and other conditions. Exchange, Plasma,Exchanges, Plasma,Plasma Exchanges
D011446 Prospective Studies Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group. Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D012008 Recurrence The return of a sign, symptom, or disease after a remission. Recrudescence,Relapse,Recrudescences,Recurrences,Relapses
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D016553 Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia occurring in the absence of toxic exposure or a disease associated with decreased platelets. It is mediated by immune mechanisms, in most cases IMMUNOGLOBULIN G autoantibodies which attach to platelets and subsequently undergo destruction by macrophages. The disease is seen in acute (affecting children) and chronic (adult) forms. Autoimmune Thrombocytopenic Purpura,Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura,Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Autoimmune,Werlhof's Disease,Autoimmune Thrombocytopenia,Immune Thrombocytopenia,Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura,Thrombocytopenic Purpura, Autoimmune,Werlhof Disease,Autoimmune Thrombocytopenias,Autoimmune Thrombocytopenic Purpuras,Disease, Werlhof,Disease, Werlhof's,Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpuras,Immune Thrombocytopenias,Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpuras,Purpura, Autoimmune Thrombocytopenic,Purpura, Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic,Purpura, Immune Thrombocytopenic,Purpuras, Autoimmune Thrombocytopenic,Purpuras, Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic,Purpuras, Immune Thrombocytopenic,Thrombocytopenia, Autoimmune,Thrombocytopenia, Immune,Thrombocytopenias, Autoimmune,Thrombocytopenias, Immune,Thrombocytopenic Purpura, Idiopathic,Thrombocytopenic Purpura, Immune,Thrombocytopenic Purpuras, Idiopathic,Thrombocytopenic Purpuras, Immune,Werlhofs Disease

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