APPLICATIONS OF EXTRACORPOREAL PHOTOCHEMOTHERAPY IN NON-ONCOLOGICAL DISEASES

Photopheresis (ECP) is a new therapy for oncological and autoimmune di seases consisting in the reinfusion of 3-9x10(9) leukocytes, taken fro m the patient by leukapheresis, and treated in an extracorporeal syste m with 8-methoxypsoralen and ultraviolet light A. Nine patients affect ed by T cell immunomediated diseases (2 scleroderma, 1 chronic GVHD, 1 polyarteritis, 1 rheumatoid arthritis and 4 heart transplant patients with numerous episodes of acute rejection) were treated with ECP. Pho topheresis was performed on 2 consecutive days every 3-4 weeks. All pa tients affected by autoimmune diseases experienced an improvement duri ng treatment with ECP. In 2 of the 4 patients with heart transplant, r ejection was reversed by photopheresis. No major side effects were obs erved during the treatment. In conclusion ECP is a safe and well toler ated therapy. Although the number of patients is small, ECP seems to b e an effective modality in many diseases.