The therapeutic effect of plasma exchange on ANCA-associated vasculitis: A meta-analysis

The therapeutic effect of plasma exchange (PLEX) combined with conventional treatment in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) remains controversial. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies that compared PLEX added to conventional therapy with conventional therapy only in active AAV. 19 studies were included for the meta-analysis. Compared with the conventional therapy group, the PLEX group had a significantly reduced risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) at 3 months (odds ratio (OR) = 0.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.16 - 0.66, p = 0.002, I2 = 0%), and the ANCA titerwas also decreased (OR = 40.99, 95% Cl = 23.56 - 58.43, p