Thompson, Thomas

AbstractBackgroundIdiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) encompass many rheumatologic diseases characterized by inflammatory muscle disease, typically unified by proximal muscle weakness. A subset of patients with IIM present with interstitial lung disease (ILD) with identifiable antibodies such as in anti‐synthetase syndrome (AS) with antibodies to aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases, and clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM) with anti‐melanoma differentiation‐associated protein 5 (MDA5). Recent case reports demonstrate response to therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) or column filtration plasmapheresis in IIM with ILD resistant to medical management. We present our experience with eight patients with IIM with ILD undergoing TPE at a large US‐based hospital system.Patient characteristicsEight patients with IIM with ILD were treated with TPE over the last 10 years. The therapy consisted of 5‐7 one plasma volume exchanges every other day to daily. Seven of eight patients had identifiable antibodies.ResultsFollowing completion of TPE, seven of eight demonstrated improvement in pulmonary function despite lack of improvement of pulmonary function with standard therapy.ConclusionIn antibody‐mediated, treatment refractory IIM with ILD, TPE may be a viable intervention. This is a disease for which the role of apheresis is evolving.Clinical trial registrationNot application.

AbstractBackgroundHigh titers of cold agglutinins jeopardize the quality of an apheresis product meant for autologous or allogeneic transplant. Management of transplant patients with cold agglutinin disease (CAD) is often experience‐based and under reported, yet decisions must be made quickly to optimize product management and patient outcomes. There remains a lack of data quantifying cell recovery and viability when using various warming methodologies.Study Design and MethodsTo expand the published experimental data on this subject, our human cellular therapy lab compared cellular recoveries and viabilities after manipulation of cryopreserved apheresis products through various warming methodologies: (1) extended warming in a water bath, (2) warming via blood warmer and infusion pump, and (3) warming in a water bath followed by infusion pump as a control to assess potential shear stress effects.ResultsThe presented studies demonstrate that all methods of product warming produce the same rates of recovery of total and viable cells across vital cell types prior to patient administration. Statistically, use of an extended water bath protocol provided a marginal benefit in recovery of total nucleated cells, though this effect is diminished when products are held for an extended period to simulate a delay in administration.DiscussionThese results can inform decisions to improve patient care and minimize product manipulation and loss. Centers are encouraged to use this information to guide proactive measures to establish a standard operating procedure to manage CAD cases.