Asian Hematology Research Journal

Can Plasmapheresis be Useful in the Treatment of Patients with Covid-19?

Ali Zahit Bolaman

Department of Hematology, Adnan Menderes University Hospital, Aytepe Mevki, Efeler Aydın, PC:09010, Turkey.

Atakan Turgutkaya *

Department of Hematology, Adnan Menderes University Hospital, Aytepe Mevki, Efeler Aydın, PC:09010, Turkey.

İrfan Yavaşoğlu

Department of Hematology, Adnan Menderes University Hospital, Aytepe Mevki, Efeler Aydın, PC:09010, Turkey.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

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Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) has created a pandemic throughout the world, most notably causing death owing to pneumonia and cytokine storm syndrome. The treatment is highly supportive with no definitive antiviral therapy and aims to alleviate hypercytokinemia in addition to prevent further complications during viral clearance. Therapeutic plasma exchange is the separation of plasma from other blood components and have a potential to clear cytokines which causes the “storm”. Double-Filtration Plasmapheresis is effective of removal of particles huger than 55-60 nm and the method stands the rationale of possibly clearing SARS-CoV-2 (60-140 nm) from blood. In this article we would like to highlight the beneficial potential of plasmapheresis although it’ s an unproven strategy.

Keywords: Plasmapheresis, pneumonia, cytokine

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