CLINICAL-TRIAL OF LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN-APHERESIS FOR TREATMENT OF DIABETIC GANGRENE

A 68-year-old man with a 28-year history of non-insulin dependent diab etes mellitus (NIDDM) was admitted to our hospital because of foot gan grene. He had previously suffered from cerebral infarction resulting i n right hemiplegia and his right foot was amputated because of right f emoral lesion presenting diabetic foot gangrene 5 years previously. Th e diabetic foot gangrene gradually became worse, although he had recei ved various medications. Then, we attempted to treat the patient with low density lipoprotein (LDL)-apheresis ten times a month. The foot ga ngrene itself and the local circulation around the gangrene lesion wer e remarkably improved after treatment with LDL-apheresis. We present h ere the first case of diabetic foot gangrene improved by LDL-apheresis . LDL-apheresis therapy is anticipated to be a new therapeutic approac h for treatment of fatal foot gangrene associated with diabetes mellit us.