Long-term efficacy of lipoprotein apheresis in the management of familial hypercholesterolaemia: Application of two different apheresis techniques in childhood

Abstract Lipoprotein apheresis is used to treat patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). The aim of the present study is to clarify the lipoprotein apheresis procedure performed by cascade filtration (CF) or double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) on pediatric patients in terms of side effects, laboratory results and cardiovascular follow-up. Data of ten pediatric patients were analyzed retrospectively. The average age of the patients was 12.1 ± 3.4 years. Percentage of long term reduction of low density lipoprotein cholesterol was 62.35 ± 7.19% (n = 3) for CF and 63.66 ± 6.63% (n = 3) for CF plus DFPP, 64.79 ± 8.29% (n = 7) for DFPP. Cardiovascular disease was not detected in thirty percent of the patients. Lesions remained stable in fifty percent of patients with heart valve lesions. Valvular lesions worsened in twenty percent of patients. Lipoprotein apheresis can be used effectively and successfully in pediatric patients as well as adults for homozygous FH.