[Therapeutic apheresis for rheumatic diseases].

The main stream of treatment for rheumatic disease is pharmacotherapy. Corticosteroids, DMARDs, the immunosuppressive agents and biologics are the gold standard of the treatment. However, some cases showing resistance to these treatments exist, and the potential for side effects exists in all of these pharmacotherapies. Furthermore, there are cases in which pharmacotherapy cannot be effectively used due to organ derangement. Apheresis is totally different from pharmacotherapy as a concept, and it is a treatment to control disease activity by removing the factors which contribute to the pathogenicity. The synchronized therapy of apheresis and pharmacotherapy is the treatment that may result in a more beneficial effect of treatment. This review introduces the experiences as an overall approach to better, safer management for rheumatic diseases.