The authors compared 10 pairs of membrane plasmaphereses on an apparatus A 2008 PF and filter Plasmaflux P 2 with 10 centrifugation plasmaphereses on an apparatus Fenwal CS 3000. They evaluated the effectiveness by changes of plasma concentrations of total protein, albumin, beta 2 microglobulin, IgG, IgA, C3 complement, IgM, circulating immune complexes, urea, creatinine, uric acid, cholesterol, triacylglycerols and the clearance of these substances. Changes of plasma concentrations caused by plasmapheresis with the methods used did not differ in any of the investigated substances. The clearance of membrane plasmapheresis was for all substances higher than when the centrifugation method was used. Among values from which the clearance is determined no difference was proved between the two methods in the volume of exchanged plasma, the concentration of the substance in the removed plasma and its mid plasma concentration during the operation. The higher clearance of membrane plasmapheresis was due to the more rapid plasma exchange.

Keywords: Centrifugation; Filtration; Humans; Plasmapheresis /instrumentation/