[Plasma exchange in rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (author's transl)].

The combination of plasma exchange and immunosuppression appears to result in considerable improvement of therapeutic measures in rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. In contrast to the unfavourable prognosis prior to the introduction of plasma exchange, 8 out of 13 patients (idiopathic rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, n = 4; Goodpasture syndrome, n = 2; Wegener's granulomatosis, n = 4; lupoid nephritis, n = 3) showed recompensation of terminal renal insufficiency. Treatment of 4 patients who were already anuric led to reversal of renal function in only one case. There was a clear correlation between demonstration of circulating immune complexes and the response to treatment: in 6 out of 7 patients with circulating immune complexes recompensation of severe renal insufficiency was achieved.