Single-Center Study of Therapeutic Apheresis in 24 Male Patients from
                    the MENA Region: Reduction of Lipids, Inflammatory Markers, Autoantibodies, and
                    Implications for Fatigue, Genetics, and Aging

Charlotte Steenblock; Romy Walther; Yannick Kok; Philip Mavberg; Mohamad Yaman; Rupert Handgretinger; Yandy Marx Castillo-Aleman; Maysoon Al Karam; Stefan R. Bornstein

doi:10.1055/a-2678-7739

Hormone and Metabolic Research, Table of Contents

Horm Metab Res
DOI: 10.1055/a-2678-7739

Original Article: Endocrine Care

Single-Center Study of Therapeutic Apheresis in 24 Male Patients from the MENA Region: Reduction of Lipids, Inflammatory Markers, Autoantibodies, and Implications for Fatigue, Genetics, and Aging

Authors

Charlotte Steenblock ‡

¹Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
Romy Walther ‡

¹Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
Yannick Kok

²Ayus Laboratories AG, Horgen, Switzerland
Philip Mavberg

³Ayus Medical Group, Inuspheresis Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Mohamad Yaman

⁴Nesmah Technology, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Rupert Handgretinger

⁵Department of Haematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN9188)

⁶Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

⁷Yas Clinic Khalifa City (YCKC) Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Yandy Marx Castillo-Aleman

⁶Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

⁷Yas Clinic Khalifa City (YCKC) Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Maysoon Al Karam

⁶Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

⁷Yas Clinic Khalifa City (YCKC) Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Stefan R. Bornstein

¹Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany

⁸School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine and Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Ringgold ID: RIN4616)

⁹Department of Endocrinology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zürich (USZ) and University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

Abstract

Cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, particularly diabetes and obesity, are highly prevalent in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, exhibiting some of the highest global incidence rates. These conditions significantly increase the severity of infectious diseases, notably COVID-19, leading to a rise in long-COVID cases among affected individuals. Furthermore, the MENA region’s extreme temperatures exacerbate cardiovascular issues by elevating heart rates and blood pressure, increasing dehydration and blood viscosity. Extracorporeal therapies, such as apheresis, effectively reduces plasma lipids and inflammatory markers. Furthermore, apheresis has shown promise in reducing autoantibodies associated to long-COVID. Our previous research indicated that apheresis alleviates symptoms in patients with long-COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome. In this study, we treated 24 male patients from the MENA region suffering from chronic fatigue and/or different metabolic diseases such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, or obesity, using double filtration plasmapheresis. Comprehensive plasma analyses were performed before and after apheresis to assess lipid profiles, inflammatory markers, and autoantibodies, revealing significant changes following the procedure. Genetic analyses on a subgroup of the patients showed no mutations in the LDLR, APOB, APOE, PCSK9, LIPA, and LDLRAP1 genes known to be associated with predispositions to monogenic lipid disorders. However, all patients in this subgroup demonstrated an intermediate to high likelihood that their elevated lipid levels have a polygenic basis. These findings suggest that implementing apheresis in the MENA region could significantly improve health outcomes and life expectancy for affected individuals.

Keywords

apheresis - autoantibodies - chronic fatigue - long-COVID - lipoproteins - aging

Full Text

References

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