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Horm Metab Res 2022; 54(08): 571-577
DOI: 10.1055/a-1864-9482
Review

COVID-19 and Therapeutic Apheresis

Sergey Tselmin
1   University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Lipidology and Center for Extracorporeal Therapy, Department of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
Ulrich Julius
1   University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Lipidology and Center for Extracorporeal Therapy, Department of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
Natalia Jarzebska
2   University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, University Center for Vascular Medicine, Department of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
,
Roman N. Rodionov
3   University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Lipidology and Center for Extracorporeal Therapy, University Center for Vascular Medicine, Department of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Correction: COVID-19 and Therapeutic ApheresisHorm Metab Res 2022; 54(08): e5-e5
DOI: 10.1055/a-1930-9384

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is an unprecedented challenge for the global community. The pathogenesis of COVID-19, its complications and long term sequelae (so called Long/Post-COVID) include, in addition to the direct virus-induced tissues injury, multiple secondary processes, such as autoimmune response, impairment of microcirculation, and hyperinflammation. Similar pathological processes, but in the settings of neurological, cardiovascular, rheumatological, nephrological, and dermatological diseases can be successfully treated by powerful methods of Therapeutic Apheresis (TA). We describe here the rationale and the initial attempts of TA treatment in severe cases of acute COVID-19. We next review the evidence for the role of autoimmunity, microcirculatory changes and inflammation in pathogenesis of Long/Post COVID and the rationale for targeting those pathogenic processes by different methods of TA. Finally, we discuss the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on patients, who undergo regular TA treatments due to their underlying chronic conditions, with the specific focus on the patients with inherited lipid diseases being treated at the Dresden University Apheresis Center.

Key words

COVID-19 - therapeutic apheresis - long/post-COVID syndrome


Publication History

Received: 21 March 2022

Accepted after revision: 23 May 2022

Article published online:
09 August 2022

© 2022. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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