Beyond plasmapheresis
Plasmapheresis removes all plasma, including beneficial proteins. Immunoadsorption is more selective: it uses adsorption columns to bind and remove only pathogenic antibodies, leaving the rest of the plasma intact.
This selectivity matters. Patients retain their albumin, clotting factors, and protective immunoglobulins while the disease-driving antibodies are extracted. The result is a more targeted intervention with fewer side effects and faster recovery.
Clinical applications
Immunoadsorption is used in antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases including myasthenia gravis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), and certain forms of vasculitis. It is also increasingly applied in post-viral autoimmune presentations, where newly formed autoantibodies drive persistent symptoms.
The procedure
Blood is drawn via peripheral or central venous access, passed through an adsorption column that selectively binds immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies, and returned to the patient. A typical course involves three to five sessions over one to two weeks, depending on clinical response and antibody levels.
Precision means removing what harms and preserving what protects.
At Elysium, immunoadsorption protocols are guided by detailed antibody profiling from the Elysium-König diagnostic panel, ensuring treatment is directed at confirmed targets rather than applied broadly.
