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Photopheresis in solid organ transplant rejection
Author(s) -
Marques Marisa B.,
Tuncer Hande H.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of clinical apheresis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.697
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1098-1101
pISSN - 0733-2459
DOI - 10.1002/jca.20089
Subject(s) - photopheresis , medicine , apheresis , extracorporeal photopheresis , intensive care medicine , transplantation , graft versus host disease , immunology , surgery , dermatology , lymphoma , platelet
Photopheresis has become a key component in the therapeutic armamentarium of cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma, graft‐versus‐host disease following stem cell transplant, and allograft rejection of solid organs such as heart. Although it is considered a new treatment modality in its present form, the field of phototherapy dates back thousands of years. In this review, the reader will learn more about the history of photopheresis and how it became a therapeutic alternative for patients with solid organ transplants. An extensive literature search will highlight the evidence‐based benefits of photopheresis (or lack thereof). A discussion of the mechanism of action of photopheresis and the technical aspects of the procedure will also be covered. Since photopheresis may be the best tolerated form of immunomodulation, current promising, albeit preliminary data on its efficacy warrant further investigation and understanding. J. Clin. Apheresis 21:72–77, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.