The Italian registry of therapeutic apheresis - 2015.

Data collection on apheresis activities in Italy throughout 2015 including techniques, clinical indications and adverse effects was performed by means of a SidEM model questionnaire (aggregate data). These data provided by 67 Apheresis Units from 17 Italian regions, albeit rough, are sufficiently informative, mainly in comparison with previous surveys on these statistics. PEx has been the most frequent technique for plasma removal/treatment (11787 procedures) followed by LDL-apheresis (927 procedures). ECP/photopheresis has been the most frequent cytapheresis procedure: 6,606 session, mainlyby using the off-line technique.Main indications for therapeutic apheresis are neurologic diseases, thrombotic microangiopathy and solid organ transplantation humoral rejection.The apheresis support activity to haematopoietic stem cell transplantation , the PBSC collection has been documented by 53 center: 3254 procedures in 2259 patients. Over all results have been positive: over 80% get better with therapy. Adverse effects, predominantly mild ones (i.e., paresthesia due to citrate-induced hypocalcemia), occurred in 7.9% of therapeutic sessions, of wich only 83 have been classified as severe (0.4%).