THERAPY OF AUTOIMMUNE NEPHROTIC GLOMERULO PATHIES BY COMBINED IMMUNOADSORPTION AND IVIG THERAPY

Meanwhile more than 270 immunoadsorptions have been performed. 7 patie nts with SLE and glomerulonephritis as well as 3 patients suffering fr om Wegener's vasculitis and glomerulonephritis had been treated with c ombined immunoadsorption and IVIG therapy. After three sessions of imm unoadsorption (2-3 1 plasma filtrate) the patients received 10 g 7S-im munoglobulin infusions on three consecutive days. Patients with SLE an d end-stage kidney involvement (2 patients) did not show any benefit b y the above mentioned treatment regimen. Patients with Wegener's vascu litis and glomerulonephritis showed no significant improvement, except in one of three patients who showed a remarkable decrease in proteinu ria. On the other hand, patients with SLE and >>moderate<< kidney invo lvement (short course of disease, no fixed structural changes) showed improvement on combined immunoadsorption and IVIG therapy.