Apheresis for Kidney Disease.

Plasma exchange or double filtration plasmapheresis for rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis or leukocytapheresis for nephritic syndrome are two major apheresis therapies for kidney diseases. In addition to these apheresis therapies, plasma exchange for lupus nephritis or LDL apheresis for refractory focal segmental glomerulonephritis is clinically valuable and established. Although several possibilities of apheresis for kidney diseases were speculated in animal experiments or human studies, clinical applications have thus far been limited. In addition to clinical benefits of apheresis, reports revealed suggestive mechanisms of apheresis for the diseases. Moreover, these therapies would have a great potential for kidney diseases. Further studies are needed to establish the effectiveness of apheresis in kidney diseases in more depth.