Therapeutic plasma exchange in glucocorticosteroid-unresponsive patients with Clinically Isolated Syndrome

Clinically Isolated Syndromes (CIS) summarize clinical features of possible multiple sclerosis (MS) as a first clinical event of the disease. Escalation therapy in CIS episodes comprises high dose glucocorticosteroid (GCS) treatment followed by therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in patients unresponsive to GCS. The aim of our study was to analyze TPE effects in CIS patients. Eleven GCS-unresponsive patients exhibiting CIS were treated with TPE. A median of 5.0 (range 3-8) treatments were performed with a median exchange volume of 3.0 L (range 2.2-3.5 L). Standard diagnostic results in CIS patients were collected. In 10 out of 11 patients clinical improvement was observed. In Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) Scoring, a commonly used score to assess disability in MS and CIS patients, significant improvement was shown as well. One patient was a non-responder to TPE. Apheresis treatments were well tolerated in all patients. In the medical control of GCS-unresponsive CIS episodes, TPE appears to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment option. TPE response in CIS patients is comparable to TPE results in GCS-unresponsive MS relapses. Further prospective studies are indicated.