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Use of plasma exchange or double filtration plasmapheresis to reduce body burden of polychlorinated biphenyls: A pilot trial

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 27, pages 444–450 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine whether plasma exchange (PE) or selective double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) is able to reduce the internal Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) burden of highly exposed participants of the health effects in high-level exposure to PCB (HELPcB) cohort. HELPcB is a surveillance program for former PCB-exposed workers of a German capacitor recycling company. After comparative evaluation of PE and DFPP in a phase I, DFPP was chosen as method for further treatment. In phase II, five participants underwent DFPP at weekly intervals for the duration of 12 weeks. Six PCB species were selected as indicators and were analyzed in the plasma before and after each treatment and 4 weeks after the last treatment. The PCB levels before and after each DFPP treatment showed a significant reduction in PCB blood levels; however, there was no significant change in PCB levels within the samples collected before each treatment as compared with the samples collected in the following week before treatment. Even the difference between PCB levels at the onset of the study and 4 weeks after the last treatment was not significant. The results of this pilot trial do not encourage further investigations in using therapeutic apheresis to reduce the PCB body burden.

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Acknowledgements

All research based on HELPcB data is part of an agreement between the Institute for Occupational Medicine and Social Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Germany and the Institution for Statutory Accident Insurance and Prevention in the Energy, Textile, Electrical, and Media Industry (BGETEM), Cologne, Germany with regard to conducting the surveillance and research program. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily correspond to those of the BGETEM. Preliminary findings were presented at the 56th Scientific Meeting of the German Society for Occupational and Environmental Medicine in München (Germany) on 10th March 2016. This project was funded by the Institution for Statutory Accident Insurance and Prevention in the Energy, Textile, Electrical, and Media Industry (BGETEM), Cologne, Germany. (Unrestricted grant to the University Hospital Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, grant number 360328).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Occupational Medicine and Social Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, Aachen, 52074, Germany

    Monika Gube, Thomas Schettgen, Thomas Kraus, Christian Schikowsky & André Esser

  2. Apheresis Research Institute, Stadtwaldguertel 77, Cologne, 50935, Germany

    Andreas Heibges & Reinhard Klingel

  3. Outpatient Center for Dialysis ‘Dialyse am Hellweg’, Stefanstr. 2, Dortmund, 44135, Germany

    Christian Hoffmann, Andreas Wiemeyer & Jewgeni Jacobson

Authors
  1. Monika Gube
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  2. Thomas Schettgen
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  3. Thomas Kraus
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  4. Christian Schikowsky
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  5. Andreas Heibges
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  6. Reinhard Klingel
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  7. Christian Hoffmann
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  8. Andreas Wiemeyer
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  9. Jewgeni Jacobson
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  10. André Esser
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Correspondence to Monika Gube.

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Gube, M., Schettgen, T., Kraus, T. et al. Use of plasma exchange or double filtration plasmapheresis to reduce body burden of polychlorinated biphenyls: A pilot trial. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 27, 444–450 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2016.37

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2016.37

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